Course Catalog

The academic mission of Copper Canyon Academy is to promote the academic development of its students by means of a challenging and varied course of study that prepares them to live as productive and well-adjusted members of society.

l. Overall Goals and Philosophy

Copper Canyon Academy (CCA) features a comprehensive integration of high school academics with the therapeutic and emotional growth components. Comparable emphasis is placed on a student's personal development alongside her academic growth. And as a small, nurturing community featuring a structured and safe daily life, the two are seamlessly connected. In this light, the CCA academic program strives for:

• Student success, which, for some of our students, may be unprecedented, and the achievement of which bolsters feelings of confidence and pride;
• A sustained love of learning, so that pursuant to the CCA academic mission statement students are inspired to become lifelong learners;
• Critical thinking skills, and not the mere regurgitation of facts, in order to create an enhanced degree of self-awareness and understanding;
• A sense of self-discipline, so that students are better organized, self-sufficient, and focused.

Copper Canyon Academy is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Incoming and outgoing CCA credit transfers are routine and seamless with other high schools. The school is college-prep, and CCA graduation requirements meet or exceed those of most colleges.

ll. Faculty

CCA teachers are well-qualified, versatile, and dedicated. They hold Arizona credentials, master's degrees, or both. With its therapeutic anchor, the CCA community is supportive and nurturing; because of this special aspect of the school, teachers' responsibilities and activities extend beyond typical classroom duties. In a typical day a student will not only have had a teacher for algebra or English class, but that teacher could also later be cheering her on in her basketball game-having earlier in the afternoon actively participated in treatment team decisions that address her progress in her therapeutic work at the school. Teachers also host clubs, coordinate student council, lead field trips and other off-campus activities, and coach team sports. So teacher/student relationships are apt to go well beyond the classroom per se.

CCA teachers are attuned to and trained in students' various learning styles, multiple intelligences, and special needs. Consequently, teaching modalities and approaches include cooperative learning, one-on-one, experiential and hands-on work, as well as traditional lecture. Appropriate attention is paid to kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and other learning styles.

The academic staff is committed to helping and encouraging students achieve their personal best. Instructors set high standards that students strive to meet, while at the same time remaining adaptable to individual students' needs and abilities. The depth and quality of the relationship between student and teacher is central to the education process, and at CCA the teacher is the lesson.

lll. Schedule Faculty

CCA offers year-round instruction, with a fall and a spring semester as well as a summer term. Students take five or six classes during each of the fall and spring terms, and two or three in the summer. The daily schedule for fall and spring is defined by a block schedule: three classes are scheduled each day, with a different three classes scheduled on alternating days, making it possible for a student to take as many as six classes per semester.

Classes begin each weekday at 8:25 A.M., and each class meets for 85 minutes, with ten-minute passing periods between classes. During the 90-minute lunch break, there is also a built-in constructive time period when students study, do homework, make up examinations, and meet with teachers.

Constructive time for academic work is also structured into the weekend and evening schedules in the dorms. Students work independently, in small groups, or with assigned peer tutors. In addition, if a student at any time falls below 70% in any course, she will be placed on Academic Support status. This mandates that even more study time and assistance will be made available to her on weekends and evenings.

Typical Student Academic Daily Schedule

lV. Courses and Requirements

Small Classes
Classes at CCA are relatively small, with a current faculty-to-student ratio of approximately 14:1. Instruction is classroom-based, although in special circumstances independent study-including college credit work-may be arranged for an individual student if deemed appropriate. Appropriate members of the faculty supervise and mentor a student's independent studies.

Academic Planning and Credit Recovery
Course planning at CCA is completely individualized and customized, and no matter the student's age or grade, she is placed in the core and elective classes that are appropriate for her. This individualized attention, coupled with the fact that instruction at CCA is year-round, enables students in some instances to take full loads and recoup high school credits if necessary.

Grading
CCA's grading scale follows the usual pattern: an A is 90 and above; B 80-89, C 70-79; D 60-69; and an F is 59 and below. Students' academic progress is closely monitored, and progress reports are issued to parents every three weeks.

Resource Assistance
CCA provides as an essential part of its academic services a full-time certified resource and reading specialist who assists and mentors students who have specific and diagnosed learning differences, and ensures that appropriate classroom accommodations are being implemented. This specialist also works with virtually any student who needs extra help.

Traveling Classrooms
Instructors use creative approaches in their classes, which includes taking advantage of CCA's unique location in north-central Arizona, drawing upon local cultural, historic, and geological riches. Other field studies take place further afield, such as the Presidential Classroom program in Washington, D.C., the Utah Shakespeare Festival, or a Navajo reservation.

Graduation Requirements
Following are CCA core curriculum requirements. The number in parentheses is the minimum number of years of high school instruction in that discipline that is required for a CCA diploma. The credits should be obtained from the classes listed, or comparable courses from other schools. The minimum number of units of credit needed to meet CCA high school graduation requirements is 22, broken down as follows:

• English (4)-including Language Arts, American Literature, World Literature, British Literature, and Shakespeare;
• Mathematics (3)-including Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-calculus;
• History/Social Studies (3)-including World History, Geography, American History, American Government, U.S. Civil War, Sociology, Economics, and Psychology;
• Science (2)-including Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics;
• Foreign Language (2)*
• Line and Performing Arts (1.5)-including Drama, Painting & Drawing, Three-dimensional Design, Advanced Art, Dance, Music/chorus, and Shakespearean production;
• Health (0.5)
• Physical Education (1.0)
• Electives (5)-including Speech, Journalism, Voc Ed, Personal Development, TA, and any selected from the above categories*

*A student with a diagnosed learning difference may petition to have the foreign language requirement waived. If her request is granted, her elective requirement will be 7 units of credit.

V. College Planning

CCA provides a full array of college counseling services for its upper-division students. Working in collaboration with parents and educational consultants, the school takes the lead in assisting students with college selection matters and application procedures. Moreover, SAT and ACT preparation classes are provided at the school, and CCA assists students with test registration and interpretation.