High School Program

The Cambridge School offers a Christ-centered classical college preparatory curriculum. The curriculum is taught from a biblical worldview and is enriched by a classical emphasis. All that is taught in the classroom, reinforced in athletics, and modeled by the faculty, aims to further a student's apprenticeship to Jesus Christ. The curriculum is designed to further the discipleship of mind and heart.

The upper school curriculum is especially designed to prepare students for college. The PSAT is taken in the ninth, tenth and eleventh grades. The eleventh grade scores are used to determine National Merit Scholarships, which can contribute greatly to college options and scholarships. The eleventh grade is the single most important year for college placement, and is often the most difficult. During the senior year the greatest number of Advanced Placement courses may be taken.

Advanced Placement Rationale

The Cambridge School offers an Advanced Placement curriculum taught from a biblical worldview. The AP exams in particular courses provide an objective educational standard across the entire curriculum. Rather than teaching to an arbitrary standard, the AP courses set the rigor and expectation for every course. While it is impossible to teach to the test in this case, it is possible to teach to the rigor of these exams. Students are not required to take AP exams and may generally take courses in areas of interest and ability.

There are many arguments in favor of an Advanced Placement emphasis. Two of the most compelling are its internal impact on the curriculum by establishing a standard of educational excellence and its external impact on college admissions. Traditional SAT scores are being de-emphasized by college admissions committees. Consequently, increasing importance is being placed on AP courses and AP test results. They establish the rigor of one's curriculum and grades. Colleges consider AP scores as determinative of actual college success, whereas SAT scores are only indicative of potential success.

• Literature/Composition      

  The 9th grade literature course/writing lab prepares students to advance and succeed in Cambridge’s challenging AP-track English curriculum.  Students read a wide selection of classical works ranging from the ancient Greek epic The Iliad to the great medieval stories of Great Britain. 10th grade students continue to develop critical literary and writing skills through careful reading of major works in British literature from 1500-1900.  AP Literature/Composition is taught to 11th and 12th grade students. 
  

• Declamation  

  All 7th through 11th grade students are required to practice their rhetorical skills in the yearly declamation competition.  Students memorize a substantial work, recite it before a panel of Cambridge judges, and the finalists go on to recite the piece before the Cambridge community and a panel of non-Cambridge judges.

• History/Government    

  Our historical identity is grounded in Western Civilization; therefore, it is taught the first two years in the Upper School.  9th grade examines Ancient history and moves through the Middle Ages; the 10th grade studies AP European History from the Reformation to the modern world.  11th graders focus on the rise and development of the United States emphasizing the intentions of the founding fathers and the American identity in AP American History.  Political Philosophy couples with AP U.S. Government to provide students with an analytical and historical perspective on government and politics in the United States. 
  

• Mathematics    

  Upper School mathematics presupposes a strong algebra foundation.  Geometry is taught in the 9th grade; problem solving along with abstract reasoning are emphasized.  10th grade Algebra II builds on the work accomplished in Algebra I as the student explores algebraic functions. Pre-Calculus in the 11th grade prepares students for the rigors of AB Calculus which is offered as an elective in the 12th grade. 
  

• Science                     

9th grade Biology students explore in-depth both classical and modern concepts of molecular biology, while 10th grade chemistry students examine the world of matter- its patterns of structure, properties and transformations.  11th grade Physics students explore classical and modern concepts of physics along with the development of the great ideas and principles.  AP Biology and AP Physics are offered as electives in the 12th grade, depending on student interest and enrollment. 

• Foreign Language   
  
  The school requires three years of the same language in order to graduate.  Latin, French, and Spanish are offered.  Students who desire to apply to select or highly select colleges and universities are strongly urged to continue Latin through AP Vergil.

• Theology    

  Theology remains at the core of the Cambridge curriculum and the Bible is the foundation. 9th grade students examine the expansion of the church during the 1st century through the modern era.  Systematic Theology in 10th grade introduces students to the main doctrines of the Christian faith.  In 11th grade students in Spiritual Formation are challenged to contemplate their place in redemptive history and how they might participate with their own gifts and callings. Apologetics is taken by all seniors, equipping them with the reasons and arguments that are foundational to the defense of Christian theism.  

• Senior Tutorial    

  Seniors are required to study a topic in depth, write a rigorous academic paper on that topic, and present and defend the thesis of that paper publicly before an academic committee.  Finalists go on to present before a panel of non-Cambridge judges. The senior tutorial is the capstone of the curriculum at The Cambridge School of Dallas.

• Fine Arts 

The Cambridge Fine Arts Program exists to promote the love and appreciation of the Fine Arts (drama and the visual arts) as well as to provide instruction in the practice of them.  Two fine art credits are required for graduation.

• Art    

Studio Art I introduces 9th graders to the basic elements and principles of art through the use of pencil, charcoal, paint, print and collage. 10th graders continue to develop drawing skills, focusing on the human form while also exploring printmaking, painting and 2-D mixed media.  Art III students explore image making and visual communication through a wide variety of materials, emphasizing individual creativity. Seniors are offered the AP Studio Art Drawing, unless admitted earlier by special permission.  The class is designed to challenge students with artistic giftedness and is devoted to the completion of a portfolio.

• Drama                       

Students study theater and begin to view and interpret this art form through the lens of a biblical worldview.  Students develop acting skills and participate in the fall and spring drama productions.  However, this course is not a pre-requisite for participation in the school drama productions; ALL STUDENTS are encouraged to participate.

• Electives                                         

Cambridge students have an opportunity to further pursue individual interests in the areas of math, science and foreign language as well as the applied arts (photo journalism and print journalism) and philosophy.  Three elective credits are required for graduation.  Student interest and enrollment determine if the following courses are offered.

Elective offerings include AB Calculus, AP Biology and AP Physics, Latin IV, AP Latin Literature, AP Latin Vergel, French IV, AP French, Spanish IV, AP Spanish and Philosophy I and II, and Print Journalism and Yearbook.

• Athletics/Sports

Cambridge offers crew, cross-country, and volleyball (fall); basketball (winter); and crew, golf, tennis and track (spring).  The School is a member of Texas Association of Private Schools (TAPPS 2A). Students can receive credit for non-school sponsored athletic programs. Participation in Five athletic seasons (2 ½ credits) is required for graduation.  (See athletics for more information)