Advanced Academics
College Credit Programming
AVID
AVID
AVID is a fourth-grade through twelfth-grade system to prepare students in the “academic middle” for four-year college eligibility. These are students who are capable of completing a college-prep curriculum, but may be falling short of their potential. The core component is the AVID elective, which supports students as they tackle the most rigorous classes. AVID’s teaching strategies, curriculum and trainings are used not only in the AVID elective class, but by subject-area teachers school wide.
AVID students are enrolled in a school’s most rigorous classes, such as IB, and attend an academic elective class called AVID, taught within the school day by a trained AVID teacher. The three main components of the program are academic instruction, tutorial support, and motivational activities. Their self-images improve and they become academically successful leaders and role models for other students. They are proud to be in the program.
Parents encourage their students to achieve academically, participate on an advisory board and in AVID parent and site team meetings, and maintain regular contact with the AVID coordinator. Many parents and students participate in AVID Family Workshops.
AVID students are more likely to take AP and IB classes, complete their college eligibility requirements, and get into four-year colleges than students who don’t take AVID. Almost all AVID students who participate for at least three years are accepted to college, with roughly three-fourths of them earning acceptance into four-year universities. AVID also helps ensure that students, once accepted to college, possess the higher-level skills they need for college success.
The AVID curriculum, based on rigorous standards, was developed by middle and senior high school teachers in collaboration with college professors. AVID is based on writing as a tool of learning, the inquiry method, collaborative grouping, and academic reading. Many AVID students complete high school algebra while in middle school. We know that students who take high school algebra while in middle school enter high school with an advantage with regard to credits and academics.
Concurrent Enrollment
Concurrent Enrollment
Want to participate in PSEO but don’t want to leave high school? Consider taking a course through concurrent enrollment. These courses are offered through a partnership between Camden High School and the University of Minnesota (U of M) or Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC). Taught during the regular school day, you can earn high school and college credit when you successfully complete the course. Qualified high school instructors, who are mentored by college faculty, teach the courses. The same assessment methods and content are used as the equivalent sections taught on the college campus.
CTE
Register for classes at the CTE Centers at Edison, North, and Roosevelt. Programs include Business, Agriculture, Engineering, Computer Science, Media Arts, Healthcare, and Construction.
You can also register for Career Development courses taught at Edison and even get enrolled in a paid, school-day Internship
IB
International Baccalaureate Programme
“Life in the 21st century, in an interconnected globalized world, requires critical-thinking skills and a sense of international mindedness, something that International Baccalaureate Programme students learn to know and understand.” The IB Diploma is recognized as a superior education, preparing you to do rigorous academic work and succeed at post-secondary institutions around the world. The program encourages you to think from an international perspective while first developing an understanding of your own cultural and national identity. You will learn a second language and develop the skills to live and work with others internationally – essential for the life in the 21st century. The emphasis on interdisciplinary learning requires that students study courses across six disciplines.
PSEO
Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program
For students in their sophomore (10th), junior (11th) or senior (12th) year, it’s possible to earn college credit while in high school by participating in the PSEO program. When people hear “PSEO” they tend to think of high school students taking a course – taught by a college instructor – on a college or university campus. However, there are other ways that you can participate. Students with the appropriate GPA can either take classes after the school day at an approved PSEO site, or they may be released from the regular school day to take classes with parent and counselor permission and consultation. Many two and four year higher educational institutions offer PSEO opportunities in the Twin Cities.
Any junior or senior Camden High School student must meet the district and College/University/Technical School GPA requirements in order to be eligible to participate in Post-Secondary Educational Options. In addition, Thomas Edison Students must meet the following criteria set by the Counseling Department:
1. Students must be in good academic standing (GPA of at least 2.0);
2. PSEO students can only be in the building during their scheduled Camden Course hours. PSEO Students must receive a pass from their counselor to leave the building. This pass must be presented to the front desk; and
3. Grad plans need to be made with your Counselor during the college registration period or prior to beginning the PSEO process. It is important to note that a failed PSEO class might affect your ability to matriculate. Students choosing college courses which are to take the place of a graduation requirement need prior approval for this substitution BEFORE entering the class.
Want to participate in PSEO but don’t want to leave high school? Consider taking a course through concurrent enrollment.