College Preparatory Academics

Please click here for a video tour of the Monarch School Academics.

Monarch School challenges all of our students with a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. We believe all students can fulfill their true academic potential when provided with the right environment and support. Students work with teachers trained to meet each student at his or her level of ability and to challenge that student to excel. Although we believe college is a natural next step for all of our students, we nourish lifelong learners who are open to new educational experiences wherever and whenever encountered.

Monarch School’s academics run year-round, and the block system accelerates the speed at which students earn credit. Students take classes in three core subjects (for example, Social Studies, English, Science, Foreign Language, and Math), two creative arts classes and one vocational studies class. For each 10-week class, students receive a semester’s worth of credit. This pace allows students to earn one and a half years of high school credit in as little as twelve to fifteen months.

Our goal for all our students is college matriculation and success in college coursework. In order for our students to achieve their goals, we must first help them gain confidence in their abilities. We nurture this confidence by providing an intimate and supportive environment. Our class sizes average between five and eight students, which allows teachers to offer highly individualized attention and to form relationships with every student. This level of teacher-student engagement empowers our students to meet the demands of a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum. Students experience the sustained success that inspires continued investment. Quarterly report cards and scheduled conferences with the Academic Director allow families to keep abreast of their child’s progress.

In a student’s first block at Monarch School, he or she participates in Orientation, a class that introduces a new student to Monarch’s culture as well as fosters the study skills necessary for academic success. Orientation offers a forum for students to adjust to their new surroundings and to assimilate. Assignments support organization, time management, collaborative problem solving, and prioritization. Instructors use this class to assess a student’s unique learning style as he or she earns initial Monarch School credit.