Daniel Hand High School
286 Green Hill Road • Madison • CT 06443 • (203) 245-6350
Daniel Hand High School offers an exceptional, well-rounded educational experience that prepares young men for success in college, career, and life. Recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, Hand consistently ranks among the top high schools in Connecticut, with some of the highest SAT scores in the state and more than 90% of graduates pursuing further education. Students benefit from a rigorous and flexible academic program, including 16 UConn Early College Experience courses and 8 Advanced Placement offerings across all disciplines — from science and math to the arts and humanities — allowing them to earn college credit while still in high school.
Beyond the classroom, Hand fosters leadership, teamwork, and belonging through 70 athletic state championships and over 70 student-run clubs spanning service, culture, arts, and STEM, with new clubs forming each year. The school’s Seal of Biliteracy further reflects its commitment to global citizenship, cultural understanding, and 21st-century skills — ensuring that every student is supported, challenged, and inspired to reach his full potential.
Daniel Hand High School offers leveled courses from Level 3 to Level 1 Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) including Early College Experience (ECE) through University of Connecticut (UCONN). DHHS offers a total of twenty-three AP or ECE courses. Compared to other high schools, DHHS offers those courses across all curriculum subjects. The rigor of AP/ECE courses prepares Scholars for the pace and volume of college curriculum. The majority of Madison ABC Scholars graduate having taken at least one AP or ECE course.
SCIENCE: AP Chemistry*, AP Physics1*, AP Physics (C)*, AP Biology
MATH: AP Calculus (AB)*, AP Calculus (BC)*, AP Computer Science, Discrete Math*, AP Statistics*
HISTORY: AP U.S. History*, AP European History*, AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology
ENGLISH: AP Language & Composition, AP Literature & Composition*
LANGUAGES: Mandarin IV Honors*, AP Spanish V, Spanish VI Honors*, AP French V, AP Latin IV, Mandarin Chinese IV Honors*
ART: AP Studio Art Drawing
ELECTIVES: Individual & Family Development*
*Denotes courses for which students can apply for a transcript from UCONN and get college credit which can apply to college, depending on the college.
Daniel Hand operates on a trimester calendar, which opens up the opportunity to take part in the myriad of electives offered by DHHS. Electives are an academic path for students to start to explore areas of interest outside the core curriculum. Electives fall into the following categories: Career and Technical Education, Business Management, Education and Training, Engineering and Technology, Journalism and Broadcasting, and Restaurant and Food Service. Some of the elective courses include Video Game Design, Intro to Business, “Nursery School” (a nursery school right at DHHS), Computer Aided Drafting, Robotics, Video Journalism, and International Cuisine.
Scholars can participate in the arts in a number of ways at DHHS. The art department offers a variety of classes in the visual arts from drawing and painting to clay and innovative form to digital arts. Digital Photography has been a popular course with many Scholars.
The Daniel Hand marching band has an impressive 150 members! They perform at every home football game with an impressive halftime show! (See the link below for the 2020 halftime show.) Each year the band, orchestra, and chorus have about 20 members who audition and are selected to perform in Regionals. A few students each year also audition and are selected to All State. Band, chorus, and orchestra put on a winter and spring concert. Daniel Hand also has a jazz band that meets after school. Scholars can take piano lessons and music theory as part of their coursework as well.
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/daniel-hand-high-school-madison-ct/evt4b41cdb77d
Daniel Hand also has a show choir group called Vibe. Vibe has won many titles in the last four years including 16 Grand Championships. Their titles also include 15 awards for Best Vocals, 13 awards for Best Choreography and 2 for Best Show Design. Daniel Hand has two a cappella music groups – Encore has a contemporary repertoire and Waes Hail performs madrigal music.
The theater department puts on a fall play as well as a spring musical where students have the opportunity to explore their acting talents. Additionally, a large number of students participate in stage crew, which is tasked with set design, lighting, and transitions during performances.
Most definitely! Daniel Hand has added several unique, contemporary classes like Modern Middle East and Sports and American Culture in the history department. The arts have added Short Films and Music Theory. The science department now offers Infectious Disease as a course and the English department now has a course called Courage, Hope and Adversity. Some unique electives include Boat Building and Entrepreneurship.
At the Roby House, Scholars spend Sunday through Thursday nights from 7-9:30 with the Resident Assistant in what is called “Study Hours.” The Resident Assistant is there to provide academic support including strategies for organizing, studying, and writing papers. At DHHS each Scholar has an Academic Advisor, a teacher designed to be an ally within the school setting. Each Scholar also has a Guidance Counselor at the high school. Additionally, Madison ABC has a board member who serves as the Academic Director, supporting and coordinating communication with the Resident Assistant and DHHS. The Scholars have academic reviews at the middle as well as the end of the trimester to measure performance, monitor concerns, and offer feedback to ensure academic success. Madison ABC also has a board member who works with each scholar over the four years to guide and direct the college application process.
Graduation
Graduation is a time of celebration and reflection for the Madison ABC Scholars and their families. Our graduates are honored at a special party at the Roby House and at our June Annual Meeting. One highlight of this meeting is the guest speaker, an influential person, usually of color, who shares his or her life experiences. In addition, our host families share heartwarming memories of the past four years.
