high school academics
A Strong College-Preparatory Foundation
Every CCHS student begins with a rigorous college-preparatory program designed to develop the knowledge, habits, and skills needed for success beyond high school.
Across disciplines, students are asked to read closely, write thoughtfully, solve complex problems, engage challenging ideas, and communicate what they know. We want students to become capable, curious learners who can think critically, persevere through productive struggle, and approach new challenges with confidence.
As students progress through high school, they have increasing opportunities to shape their academic experience around their strengths, interests, and future goals.
EXPLORE
Graduation Requirements | Curriculum Guide | CCHS Profile
Pursue Distinction. Opportunities to Go Further.
For students ready for additional academic challenge, CCHS offers a range of Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses, allowing students to pursue greater depth and rigor in areas of strength and interest.
Advanced coursework gives students the opportunity to engage college-level content while still benefiting from the relationships and support of their high school experience. Depending on the course or program, students may also earn college credit or demonstrate advanced achievement through AP examinations.
Students can pursue advanced coursework in the areas that reflect their strengths and interests, creating an academic experience that is both rigorous and personally meaningful.
As students discover their interests and pursue greater depth, they also have opportunities to demonstrate sustained learning and achievement through CCHS certificates and diplomas.
Students may pursue:
STEAM Certificate
The CCHS STEAM certificate inspires learners to be agents for positive change. We accomplish this by providing an environment that encourages learners to think critically and by structuring lessons that emphasize the growth of science, technology, engineering, art, math, and medicine.
Computer Science Certificate
The CCHS Computer Science Certificate prepares students for college and technology careers through programming, problem-solving, and software development skills, with opportunities to earn up to 12 college credits.
seal of Biliteracy Certificate
The CCHS Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who have studied and demonstrated proficiency in one or more languages other than English while in high school.
Discover Your Interests. Build Your Path.
High school is also a time to discover what captures your curiosity and begin exploring where your strengths and interests might lead.
Our Academic Pathways give students opportunities to move beyond individual courses and pursue an intentional sequence of learning in specialized areas. Through advanced and college-preparatory coursework, students can develop skills over multiple years, explore potential fields of study and careers, and go deeper in areas they are passionate about.
These pathways allow students to specialize while remaining grounded in a broad college-preparatory education.
You can read more in depth about each pathway here.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Some of the most meaningful learning happens when students have the opportunity to experience what they are studying beyond the walls of a classroom.
Throughout their four years at CCHS, students participate in field trips and experiential learning opportunities that bring academic content to life. Whether encountering history firsthand, experiencing the arts, exploring science in action, or engaging with professionals and organizations in the community, students make connections between what they learn in class and the world around them.
International Space Station Program
One extraordinary example is our International Space Station Program, where students work collaboratively to develop and refine experiments for microgravity research. Through the process, students apply scientific inquiry, problem-solving, creativity, and perseverance to an authentic research experience.
Selected student experiments have traveled to the International Space Station, allowing students to see their ideas become part of real-world space research.
Together, these experiences invite students to explore, ask questions, make connections, and imagine where their learning might take them.
Our first experiment launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 CRS-22 mission. Our team traveled to Florida to witness the launch, while students across campus watched the livestream together from multiple classrooms.
The experiment explored how food waste could be repurposed into graphene, a highly versatile material. Using baby food and carbon from water filters to simulate waste available on the International Space Station, the project demonstrated a sustainable way to turn waste into valuable resources.
Our second experiment launched to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022. The project explored the use of graphene as an additive to strengthen and improve the durability of concrete made with lunar regolith simulant, a material designed to replicate the Moon’s surface. The research supports NASA’s goal of developing more sustainable construction materials for future missions in space.
Four Years. An Individual Plan.
With so many opportunities available, thoughtful planning matters. No two students will take exactly the same journey through CCHS.
Beginning freshman year, students work with our Guidance team to develop and refine a Four-Year Academic Plan. The planner helps students see the full picture of their high school experience, including graduation requirements, course progression, advanced opportunities, pathways, certificates, and preparation for life after graduation.
As interests develop and goals become clearer, that plan can grow with them.
Whether a student is preparing for a highly selective university, pursuing a specialized field of study, considering career or technical opportunities, or still discovering what comes next, thoughtful planning helps students make purposeful choices throughout high school.
Prepared for What Comes Next
By graduation, we want students to leave CCHS with more than a transcript.
We want them to know how to learn, think critically, communicate effectively, pursue excellence, navigate challenge, and recognize the gifts and interests God has given them. Through a strong academic foundation and opportunities to receive support, pursue challenge, explore their interests, and apply their learning, students are equipped to step confidently into college, career, and the opportunities ahead.
PLAN YOUR FOUR YEARS
Four-Year Planner | Graduation Requirements | Curriculum Guide | CCHS Profile
An Intentional Approach to Technology
At CCHS, we believe technology should support learning, not compete with it. Freshman students receive a school-managed MacBook that provides consistent access to the digital tools and resources needed for their coursework. Through intentional use in the classroom, students learn to use technology as a tool for research, creativity, collaboration, and academic growth while developing the discernment and responsibility needed to navigate an increasingly digital world.
Our Away for the Day approach complements that commitment. Personal cell phones are stored away during the school day, creating greater space for focused learning, face-to-face conversation, and meaningful connection with teachers and peers. Together, these practices reflect our desire to be thoughtful about technology, embracing the opportunities it provides while protecting the attention, relationships, and productive struggle that are essential to learning and formation.
Supporting Student Success
We recognize that students learn differently and that some benefit from additional support as they navigate the demands of a college-preparatory curriculum.
For students with a qualifying diagnosis, our Student Success Program provides targeted academic support in a small-class environment. Students enroll in Student Success as one of their elective courses and work with a qualified teacher to strengthen the skills and strategies that support greater independence and success across their classes.
The program includes executive functioning instruction, individualized academic support, and access to an alternative testing environment. Our goal is to help students better understand how they learn, develop effective strategies, and grow in their ability to advocate for themselves and manage their academic responsibilities.
