Academics

Marian High School has a rigorous commitment to academic leadership.  Marian’s key strengths are our high academic standards and the high expectations we have for our students.  To ensure each Marian girl succeeds, we offer:

  • a total college preparatory curriculum, including advanced placement and dual enrollment course work,
  • a competent, professional and caring faculty who know how to teach young women
  • and the best facilities, materials, educational tools and support system in the state of Nebraska.

Marian provides the opportunities of a large high school in a smaller high school setting.  With an enrollment of 687, Marian has what researchers say are the benefits of an optimum enrollment size (600-900):  stronger student achievement, higher participation among students and a richer curriculum.  Marian offers the most comprehensive academic and extracurricular programs to ensure the development of the whole person – intellectually, spiritually, physically, emotionally and socially. 


Faculty
Marian’s faculty and staff is dedicated to its students and their achievements, both in and out of the classroom.  We educate at a 15:1 student teacher ratio to ensure that each student gets the necessary attention she may need, and that each class engages in discussion and debate in a safe, nurturing environment. 

In addition to optimum class size, Marian’s counselor’s meet individually with each student to assist her in her social development and her college and career planning. 

The faculty consists of 52 teachers, 57% of whom hold a Master's degree with an average of 20 years of teaching experience.  Marian's teachers display a strong commitment to on-going professional development by participating in numerous state and national conferences.


Honors and Advanced Placement Courses:
Marian's academic curriculum is based solely on a college preparatory course load – science, math, languages, fine arts, social studies and religion.  Marian is committed to a rigorous and progressive academic program designed to meet the individual needs of each student.  There are 36 honors courses and 10 advanced placement courses that allow students to proceed at a more rapid pace and/or to approach subjects in more depth. Honors Courses that function as AP Courses are so noted:

  • Students with a cumulative grade point average of 4.1 or above after eight semesters will graduate with high honors
  • Students with a cumulutive grade point average of 3.8-4.09 will graduate with honors.
  • Graduating with honors is noted on both the transcript and diploma.

 Honors Composition & Literature
 Honors American Literature & Composition
 Honors/AP English Literature & Composition
 Honors/AP English Language & Composition
 Honors Journalism II
 Honors Varsity Competitive Speaking

 Honors/AP European History
 Honors American History
 Honors/AP American Government
 Honors Sociology
 Honors World History

 Honors Algebra/Advanced Algebra
 Honors Geometry/Advanced Algebra
 Honors Pre-Calculus
 Honors/AP Statistics
 Honors/AP Calculus AB
 Honors/AP Calculus BC

Honors Biology
Honors Chemistry
Honors/AP Biology II
Honors Physics
Honors/AP Chemistry II
Honors Physics II

Honors Latin III
Honors Latin IV
Honors French III
Honors French IV
Honors Spanish III
Honors Spanish IV
Honors/AP Spanish V

Honors Select Women’s Choir
Honors Advanced Design
Honors Advanced Art I
Honors Advanced Art II
Honors Advanced Wind Ensemble
Honors String Ensemble

 
Memberships & Accreditations
Marian is accredited by the North Central Association and by the state of Nebraska. Marian is a member of the College Board and National Association of College Admissions Counselors and complies with the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice. In accordance with Best Practices, upon request from a college for a student's discipline record, the college counselor will disclose if a student has been placed on probation or expelled.

Marian High School is a member of:
The National Catholic Educational Association NCEA
The National Association of Secondary School Principals NASSP
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ASCD
Women School’s Together WST
The Nebraska School Activities Association NSAA
 
Dual Enrollment Program
Marian has instituted a Dual Enrollment Program, which now gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for ten Marian classes.  Marian offers Dual Enrollment courses with the following universities:

Nebra
ska Wesleyan
Honors/AP English Literature & Composition
Honors/AP English Language & Composition Physics 101
Honors Advanced Art II


University of Nebraska at Omaha
Honors/AP American Government 
Honors/AP European History
Honors/AP Biology
Honors/AP Spanish V
Entrepreneurship

**Students will receive information on qualifications, cost and deadlines from their teachers in the dual enrollment classes.  Students who pursue dual enrollment will complete all coursework at Marian, including papers and examinations.

**It is the responsibility of each Marian student to check with her future college or university to see whether the dual enrollment credits will be accepted and how they will be accepted (as fulfilling a requirement or as an elective).