Student Support Services

The Smith Leadership Academy strives to develop its students to their fullest potential. We recognize, however, that many of our students bring multiple stresses to school with them every day and, as a result, have difficulty staying focused at school. In addition, middle school-aged children experience a tremendous amount of pressure to fit into the world around them.

Knowing how challenging middle school years are for both children and adults, the Academy provides school-based counseling and advocacy services for students and their families. Through contacts with community-based counseling programs, the Academy offers individual and family counseling to all who are in need. Both families and students can request a counseling referral by contacting the Academy's Student Support Coordinator.

High School Placement

The Academy recognizes the importance of a student's acceptance into an elite high school and has developed a strong high school placement program. At the end of the 7th-grade year, the faculty does a thorough examination of students' past classroom grades and standardized and MCAS test scores to determine each student's options for high school. In the beginning of the 8th-grade year, the Student Support Coordinator meets with each student individually to go over options and to develop an individual action plan for his/her first trimester.

We encourage students who have achieved high academic standards to apply to Boston exam and area parochial high schools as well as private, independent secondary institutions. All of our 8th-grade students take the ISEE, the entrance exam for Boston's exam high schools. In addition, we encourage all of our students to apply to all charter and pilot high schools, as well as two Boston Public high schools that have a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. The Academy also provides all 8th graders with information on the METCO application process.

The Academy is proud of placing its graduate in the following high schools:

Independent Schools
Cambridge School of Weston
Beacon Academy
Boston College High
Boston University Academy
Milton Academy
Roxbury Latin
Thayer Academy

Parochial High Schools
Cathedral High School
Catholic Memorial High School
Elizabeth Seton Academy
Fontbonne Academy
Mount Alvernia
North Cambridge Catholic
Trinity Catholic

Boston Public Exam High Schools
Boston Latin School
Boston Latin Academy
John D'Obryant

Boston Area Charter High Schools
Cambridge Community Charter School
City on a Hill
Codman Academy
MATCH

Boston Pilot High Schools
Boston Arts Academy
Boston Community Leadership Academy
Fenway High School
Health Careers Academy

Boston Public High Schools
Another Course to College
Excel High School

METCO High Schools
Bedford High School
Concord Carlisle Regional High School
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
Weston High School