Academics

By special arrangement, our academic program is designed and implemented by the staff of Chinese Christian Schools (CCS), a 2003 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence recognized by the United States Department of Education.  Until CAS-Alameda receives its own accreditation through WASC and course certification from the University of California, students will receive credit and academic privileges through concurrent enrollment in CCS.  The CCS high school is an educational institution that ranks among the best in the United States with an international reputation for academic excellence and a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum.

The strength of our school is our Academic Course of Study.

Our academic program emphasizes advanced studies in Mathematics and Science. By graduation, students will take three AP classes in Science (AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics) and the higher level AP class in Mathematics (AP Calculus BC). Students will also have the opportunity to learn computer programming, robotics, and participate in science bowls and fairs.

The Language Arts and Social Sciences are combined with Character Education to make a CORE class that also serves as the student’s homeroom.  Foreign Language, Physical Education, and electives fill out the course of study that exceeds the requirements needed to attend any of the top universities in the world.

A distinctive of our school is service learning and internships.

Math, Science, and technology are not subjects that are learned by reading, but by doing.  Therefore, a large component of our program involves student participation in internships, apprenticeships, and field studies in the high tech and scientific communities.  We have several research companies within walking distance and are developing relationships with high tech companies around the world who would provide opportunities for internships and practical study.

Students will also develop a sense of civic responsibility by using their knowledge and skills to benefit the community.  These service learning opportunities teach students to be civic minded and to use their skills to help others.  Examples of projects are recycling, gardening, composting, health care, and elder care.

The scope of our studies is the world.

Every graduate will demonstrate proficiency in English and one other language. Foreign students will receive intensive training in the English language and the customs, practices, and culture of the United States. Domestic students will be required to spend time living among native speakers in China or Korea to learn the language, customs, culture, and values of those countries. The goal is a student who is not only conversant in two languages, but proficient in two cultures and can comfortably bridge ethnicities.

The culmination of our educational program is a senior project.

As a requirement for graduation, each student will conduct an original research project under the mentorship of an adult expert.  The senior project will contain components to demonstrate that the student understands and can apply each schoolwide goal: scholarship, leadership, compassion, industriousness, virtue, and global-mindedness. The school will provide experts who will mentor the student and guide them in their research.