Secondary Curriculum (6-12)
Columbia Heights Public Schools focuses on the mission of “Creating worlds of opportunity for each and every learner.” Instruction is aligned with the Minnesota State Standards.
CHPS Secondary Schools include:
- Columbia Academy - 763.528.4700
- Columbia Heights High School - 763.528.4600
Arts
- Students build artistic literacy in an art form by applying foundational knowledge and skills while working in four processes fundamental to the arts: Creating, Responding, Performing/Presenting, and Connecting. The Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts include five arts areas: dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts. (MDE Arts)
- Classes offered at Columbia Academy (grades 6-8) include but are not limited to: Band, Theater, Choir, Music Exploration, Art, and Sculpture.
- Classes offered at Columbia Heights High School (grades 9-12) include but are not limited to: Band, Choir, Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, Media Arts, Painting and Drawing, and Design.
- Art instruction is aligned to the Minnesota K-12 Standards in Arts Education.
CTE
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are a sequence of courses that integrates core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge and skills to provide students with a pathway to postsecondary education and careers. CTE teaches transferable workplace skills in applied learning contexts to provide opportunities to explore high-demand career options, and gives students the technology and skills needed for success in adult life.
- CTE programs help to connect students with high-skill, high-demand science, technology, engineering and math fields where many good jobs are waiting. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) defines “well-rounded” education as courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subjects as determined by state or local educational agency, with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.
- Much of our work is driven by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) to improve career and technical education and create opportunities to enter high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand employment for all learners. This Act provides an increased focus on the academic achievement of CTE students, strengthens connections to experiential learning and work-based learning opportunities, and increases emphasis on student progress toward earning industry-recognized certificates and postsecondary credentials. (MDE Career and Technical Education)
- Columbia Academy (grades 6-8) offers Project Lead the Way classes. These classes may include App Creators, Design and Modeling, Automation and Robotics, and Green Architecture.
- Classes offered at Columbia Heights High School (grades 9-12) include but are not limited to: Introduction to Education, Business 101, Personal Money, Basic Home Wiring, Home Improvement, AutoCad, Woods, Multimedia Production, and Project Lead the Way Engineering.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes are aligned to national standards for each area. Columbia Heights Public Schools is part of a consortium with other districts through Northeast Metro 916 to support the implementation of Perkins in CTE pathways.
ELA
- English Language Arts (ELA) are all of the communication and language skills and processes people use every day to receive and send information. Students in ELA classrooms and across the content areas take in information through reading, listening, and viewing from both literary and informational sources. Students also write, speak, and exchange ideas to express themselves and communicate with others. The ability to use and understand language is critical to every aspect of students’ lives and their future career and college readiness. (MDE English Language Arts)
- Students have ELA classes in all grades 6-12. High School students must complete 4.0 ELA credits. Advanced Placement and Early College courses are offered at Columbia Heights High School.
- ELA curriculum is dependent on specific courses and will be listed on the course syllabus shared with families. English Language Arts (ELA) instruction is aligned to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts.
Math
- Mathematics is a discipline whose basic ingredients are numbers, shapes, and algebraic relationships. Logical reasoning is used to study the properties of these objects and develop connections between them. The results can be used to understand and analyze a vast array of phenomena arising in all of the sciences, engineering and everyday life. For this reason, mathematics is often called the "language of science.” We support mathematics achievement for all learners by providing guidance and technical assistance on implementation of academic standards, current best practices, and multi-tiered systems of intervention. (MDE Mathematics)
- Students have Math classes every year in grades 6-8. High School students must complete 3.0 Mathematics credits. Advanced Placement and Early College courses are offered at Columbia Heights High School.
- Math curriculum is dependent on specific courses and will be listed on the course syllabus shared with families. Math instruction is aligned to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Mathematics.
Phy Ed. & Health
- The goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity. To fulfill a lifetime of physical activity, a physically literate individual:
- Has learned the skills necessary to participate in a variety of physical activities.
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Knows the implications and the benefits of involvement in various types of activities.
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Participates in regular physical activity.
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Is physically fit.
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Values physical activity and its contribution to a healthful lifestyle.
- (MDE Physical Education)
- Middle school students have physical education each year and health education in grade 8. High School students must complete 1.0 credits of Physical Education and 0.5 credits of Health Education.
- Physical Education instruction is aligned to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Physical Education. Health Education instruction is aligned to the Minnesota Academic Standards in Health Education.
Science
- Science is the process of exploring and explaining the processes, structures, designs, and systems that make up our natural and human-made world. In Science, all students engage in practices including making observations, developing and revising models, and recording and analyzing data to answer scientific questions and design solutions to problems. Scientifically literate classroom communities make observations of the world around them, design investigations to answer questions, make connections between ideas across the science disciplines, and solve problems using technologies for an ever-changing world. (MDE Science)
- Students have Science classes each year in the Middle School. High School students must complete 3.0 Science credits. Advanced Placement and Early College courses are offered at Columbia Heights High School.
- Science curriculum is dependent on specific courses and will be listed on the course syllabus shared with families. Science instruction is aligned to the Minnesota Academic Standards in Science.
Social Studies
- Social Studies is the interdisciplinary study of citizenship and government, economics, geography, history and other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. Social Studies empowers learners to become inquisitive, informed, and engaged members of society who use critical thinking, inquiry, and literacy to prepare for college, careers and civic life. (MDE Social Studies)
- Students have Social Studies classes each year in Middle School. High School students must complete 3.5 Social Studies credits. Advanced Placement and Early College courses are offered at Columbia Heights High School.
- Social Studies curriculum is dependent on specific courses and will be listed on the course syllabus shared with families. Social Studies instruction is aligned to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies.
World Languages
- The goal of world languages education is to develop multilingual leaders who are linguistically and culturally competent to communicate, work and collaborate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds in the global community. Communicating in the language of others and learning about cultures that are different from your own are essential to gain deeper understanding of new perspectives, develop intercultural competencies, increase awareness of self, engage in self-reflection, and cultivate curiosity and empathy that lead to increased capacity to live and work with people who are different from your own.
- These characteristics help sustain a mindset of a life-long learner and will help one lead a meaningful life as a member of the global community in the 21st century. The Minnesota Department of Education supports world language learning for all learners by providing guidance and technical assistance on implementation of academic standards, current best practices, program design, and policy administration related to world languages education. (MDE World Languages)
- World Languages offered for grades 6-12 include Arabic and Spanish. Columbia Heights High School also offers AP Spanish and Heritage Spanish.
- World Languages curriculum is dependent on specific courses and will be listed on the course syllabus shared with families. World Language instruction is aligned to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards as directed by the Minnesota Department of Education.