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Health & Fitness

Centaur Grads Are Moving Up, Up and Away!

Culver City High School produces high achieving young adults.

What do the following universities all have in common?

Brigham Young, Brown, Columbia, Howard, MIT, NYU, Northwestern, Sara Lawrence, Stanford, UCLA and USC.

Give up?  They are just a small sample of the universities that 2011 CCHS graduates will be attending in the fall.  From UC’s to CSU’s, in-state and out of state, the military and trade colleges, the class of 2011 is moving on up.

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For most parents, high school is a launch pad to their children’s future as an adult.  We want their high school experience to not only prepare them for life, but also the next stop in their educational journey:  College.

With this in mind, it is fair to ask, “Does CCHS adequately prepare its students for college?” 

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In a recent survey, 98 percent of 462 CCHS’ 2010 graduating seniors responded that they would be continuing their education beyond high school, with 42 percent attending 4-year universities, 55 percent attending 2-year or vocational schools, 1.7 percent entering the military and just 1.5 percent undecided.

From this information, we can see that CCHS prepares their students for success after graduation.  Most of its students successfully advance to some form of higher learning.  But it doesn’t start there. 

One could say that the official starting line is actually an exit.  Before any student graduates from 8th grade at Culver City Middle School, they must prepare an academic portfolio and participate in an exit interview:  An introduction to a more focused period of learning.

In their portfolio, they must present such things as a cover letter, resume, a writing sample, samples of their math work, science projects, a map, an historical timeline, and any elective projects they believe would impress. This is organized by CCMS' outstanding 8th grade Social Science teachers, and local business owners and Chamber of Commerce members participate as well.

And last week, CCMS hosted its own college information night, with local university representatives in attendance.  Talk about starting early!

Once the kids get into the high school, there are many opportunities to direct their learning towards a bright future after graduation.  There are 15 AP (Advanced Placement) courses available, in addition to honors level courses in core subjects.  There are also several courses taught on-site that earn college credit.

The AP offerings are so impressive that Culver City High School was selected for the College Board Advanced Placement Achievement List.  While opening AP classroom doors to a significantly broader pool of students, CCHS actually improved the percentage of students earning scores of 3 (out of 5) or higher.

In the entertainment capital of the world, CCHS arguably has the best theater program in Southern California.  The multi-award winning provides training in art, dance, film, music and theater.  From student films to elaborate theater productions, our students receive many of the region’s top awards on an annual basis.

One of the most important characteristics of CCHS is something that can be quantified by demographics, but is so much more than that.  The diversity of its student body is a strength that provides a real-world experience:  Kids both affluent and poor, with every color and culture in multitude, walk the campus. Also, there are 39 languages spoken in the homes of CCUSD students. 

When my children graduate from CCHS, I know they will not only be well read, they will be well-rounded.

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