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.
- Language Arts
The School requires three years of the same language in order to graduate. Latin is the primary language emphasized. French and Spanish are also taught. Students who desire to apply to select or highly select colleges and universities are strongly urged to continue Latin through AP Latin Virgil.
- English
Ninth grade English covers the ancient period through the Puritans (Homer to Milton). The tenth grade course focuses on the birth of the novel in the Enlightenment and traces its development through the 19th century. The tenth grade class focuses on British literature. The eleventh graders study American literature paralleling the United States History course, examining authors from John Winthrop to William Faulkner. The twelfth grade course is a study of some of the West’s most important literature from authors such as Homer, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, and Eliot. - History
History at Cambridge is unapologetically Eurocentric. Our identity is grounded in the West and so is our future. Western Civilization is taught in the ninth and tenth grades. The ninth grade course covers the ancients through the middle ages and the tenth grade course Advance Placement European History the reformation to the modern world. The eleventh graders study the rise and development of the United States emphasizing the role of religion in American history. The twelfth grade Political Philosophy course adds to the typical AP U.S. Government course.
- Mathematics
Upper level high school mathematics depend on a strong Algebra foundation. Geometry is taught in the ninth grade with an Euclidian proof-oriented emphasis. Algebra II is taught in the tenth grade, Pre-Calculus in the eleventh grade, and AB or BC Calculus is offered as an elective in the twelfth grade. Pre-Calculus is required for graduation.
- Science
Metaphysical naturalism is studied and critiqued in the ninth grade Biology course. Chemistry is taught in the tenth grade, Physics in the eleventh grade, and AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, and AP Physics are offered as electives in the twelfth grade, depending on student demand. Graduation requirements include Biology, Chemistry and one additional course.
- Fine Arts
The Cambridge School of Dallas places an emphasis on the Fine Arts, requiring two fine art courses for graduation. Building past success in Advanced Placement portfolios and TAPPS State competitions, the School is expanding its Fine Arts instruction to include Drawing, Two Dimensional Portfolio, and Art History. Film Art is also offered as an elective for juniors and seniors. - Theology
Theology remains the foundation of the School's curriculum. The ninth and tenth grade courses are based on a combination of historical theology and manuscript Bible study (Acts in the ninth grade and Romans in the tenth grade). Ninth graders study the beginnings of the church, the early church councils, and the rise of Latin Christianity ending in the Middle Ages. The tenth grade examines pivotal turning points in church history from the 16th century Reformation to the modern world. This course focuses on an examination of key individuals and their works (Calvin, Loyola, Perkins, Wesley, Wilberforce, Carmichael, and Bonhoeffer). Eleventh graders study spiritual formation and Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Finally, the twelfth grade Apologetics course examines why we believe what we believe and how to best engage secular culture. The aim is for seniors to be disciplers of their peers and gatekeepers in their culture. They are to be equipped leaders for kingdom service.