Collegiate Academy’s academic program was founded upon and remains grounded in the principles of “cultural literacy” attributed to E.D. Hirsch and the Core Knowledge Foundation. The school’s educational model is designed to provide students with a broad content base from a young age, and to build upon that foundation through spiraled review and increasing detail and complexity in each successive grade level. This systematic approach to rigorous content is delivered in a small classroom environment with increased teacher attention to the needs of each individual student. Flexible ability grouping ensures that students are challenged in areas where they excel while receiving appropriate support in areas where they struggle. Collegiate Academy makes a deliberate effort to bring inquiry learning alive, integrating the 21st century skills of creativity and problem-solving as teachers create opportunity for students to struggle with problems, both in collaborative and independent settings, to develop as resilient and resourceful individuals.
As a public charter school, Collegiate Academy is subject to the same accountability measures as all other public schools in Colorado, and we participate in the state-mandated Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) assessment each year. Based in large part on this assessment, the Colorado Department of Education publishes an annual School Performance Framework, a “report card” of sorts measuring school level performance against expectations and issuing a composite score or “grade” to each school. In the past 5 years, Collegiate Academy has consistently received the highest SPF ranking as a green or “Performance” school each year. Though our school has performed well on the state assessment, we are committed to teaching the Colorado Academic Standards in a sequence which aligns with our school's Core Knowledge foundations, and we remain fiercely opposed to the idea of "teaching to a test."
Collegiate Academy School Performance Framework, 2012-2016
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2014
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2016
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Ranking
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Performance
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Performance
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Collegiate Academy has been recognized by several rating organizations for providing outstanding educational quality, including ranking #19 in Colorado and earning Silver status from the US News & World Report's annual review. The Niche rating system also listed Collegiate Academy as #4 in the Denver area in their 2018 Niche Best Schools in America review.