Math
The math team strives to prepare Amy Biehl students for success in their chosen post-secondary aspirations. We help our students establish effective math practice habits, build conceptual understandings and skills, and explore the personal, cultural, and historic significance of math. We inspire and prepare our students to master the basic numeracy as well as the career-specific knowledge and skills they need to become thoughtful, compassionate, and effective stewards of their communities.
Science
Science at Amy Biehl High School is strongly rooted in the Next Generation Science Standards. It follows a unique content path throughout its three-year coursework. In 9th grade, students take physical science. They develop a strong background in the periodic table, atoms, molecules, and chemical and nuclear reactions. Students are required to learn and support one another collaboratively. Upon success, they leave 9th grade with a solid foundation in the chemical properties of matter and the building blocks of the universe, and the ability to work well in teams.
In 10th grade, science continues this pathway with earth and space science. Students engage in experimental design and practice the cross-cutting concepts and engineering practices of the NGSS. This grade builds the next layer of their learning by doing science. It also enriches the standards started in 9th grade.
11th-grade life science caps off their experience with an engaging storyline on stellar-nucleosynthesis to complex multicellular life. Students revisit the concepts first touched upon in 9th grade and enriched in 10th grade. These concepts are then finally connected into a coherent storyline in the 11th grade.
Our high NMASR science scores are no accident. This spiral curriculum teaches and revisits the core scientific concepts that build strong science literacy. Students leave ABHS with a solid understanding of how the universe started and evolved into the world we know today—on a chemical, astronomical, geological, and biological level. We feel passionate about the work that we do, and our science team works hard to refine this curriculum each year.
English Language Arts
Amy Biehl High School’s ELA program places students at the center of their literary experience by selecting texts that feel relevant to their lives and the world around them—including works that explore social justice, identity, and equity. Literature often is intentionally paired with students’ concurrent history coursework, creating a rich, multidisciplinary learning environment where reading and historical inquiry deepen each other.
Writing instruction goes beyond traditional essays to prepare students for the diverse communication demands of college and careers in the 21st century, including argumentative, analytical, narrative, and real-world genres. Through this integrated approach, students don’t just study literature, they engage with it as a lens for understanding themselves, their communities, and the forces that shape society.
Art
This required course offers a comprehensive immersion into the visual arts, balancing technical studio work with a global exploration of art history. Students will develop foundational skills in perspective drawing, 3D sculpture, and watercolor portraiture, learning to navigate spatial logic and expressive media. These practical techniques are enriched by the study of diverse artistic traditions, including Chinese Landscapes, the structures of Cubism, and the regional heritage of the New Mexico retablo tradition. By connecting historical context with hands-on practice, students will cultivate a sophisticated visual vocabulary and the ability to critically engage with art across various cultures and eras.
Enrichment
Enrichment courses at ABHS provide students with a more well-rounded educational experience through interest-based electives, including on-campus dual-credit opportunities. Enrichment blocks also create a space for students to receive additional academic support through credit recovery and intervention classes.
Social Studies & History
At Amy Biehl High School, the belief that history is essential to understanding our world today drives a truly distinctive approach to social studies. Rather than surveying broad timelines and memorizing dates, students dive deeply into carefully chosen historical case studies — key moments that illuminate the forces, decisions, and values that shape human society. By examining historical context and analyzing the choices individuals made, students are challenged to think critically and ask the deeper questions: Why did this happen, and what does it mean for how we live and lead today? This inquiry-driven model connects the past to the present, empowering students to see history not as a collection of distant facts, but as a living framework for the decisions they make in their own lives and communities.
Spanish
In alignment with a college preparatory pathway, ABHS requires students to complete one year of Spanish or Heritage Spanish. Students who wish to continue studying a language may enroll in additional courses through dual-credit options or electives. They may also choose to work toward earning a Bilingual Seal in Spanish or American Sign Language.
Physical Education & Health
This course introduces students to current health topics while building the foundational knowledge needed to understand a variety of games, sports, and personal fitness activities. Throughout the semester-long course, students will have opportunities to develop positive social skills and learn strategies for maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Senior Seminar
The Senior Service Learning Project is the capstone of our school’s community engagement program. Seniors at Amy Biehl High School complete 100 hours or more in a service-learning project that they design themselves.
During their junior year, students begin by exploring their identities and personal passions, then identify ways to apply those interests to address a need in the community. As part of this process, each student finds a mentor to collaborate with throughout the project. Students complete their projects with a variety of community organizations, including the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Explora, the Storehouse, Presbyterian Hospital, the Albuquerque BioPark, and the Bernalillo Animal Shelter, among many others.
