Secondary – Grades 9-12

Academic Program

Our high school students are offered two college preparatory tracks of study: College Prep I and Academic Honors II. All students must earn 22 academic units to graduate. Students in 11th and 12th grades also have the additional opportunity to participate in dual enrollment to gain college credit while in high school.

All students in Grades 9-12 must be enrolled in English, mathematics, science, social studies, and Bible each year—and must take five academic classes. Seniors who have earned credits for all core requirements may substitute an on-campus elective, but must be enrolled in five or more courses.

In addition to core curriculum, these students attend weekly chapel, participate in service projects, and are offered the chance to take part in academic electives, language courses, athletics, and other extracurricular activities throughout the year.

Outside Curriculum

Any coursework taken outside of CCA that's intended for high school credit must be approved before the class begins. The student must have a permission form on file in the administration office listing the course work and the accredited school where the course work is to be taken, including the signatures of both the Head of School and Guidance Counselor. Failure to do so may result in no credit toward graduation requirements.

Correspondence Study

These courses are accepted only under extreme circumstances and only with the administrator’s approval. A maximum of two (2) units of correspondence coursework can be accepted toward graduation.

College Dual Enrollment

For students in Grades 11-12, we offer dual enrollment opportunities through East Mississippi Community College (EMCC). With approval from the Administrator and Guidance Counselor, courses taken through EMCC will be given elective credit and can count toward satisfying the five-course per semester credit requirements.

College course grades will be listed on the student's transcript, but will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA. Any dual-enrollment or dual-credit class taken for elective credit at CCA must be a 3- or 4-credit hour course to be considered for elective credit.

College Days

Senior visits to potential colleges or universities will be excused absences with a letter from the Admissions Office of the school visited. Juniors may possibly receive a special invitation from potential schools to visit a college or university regarding scholarship opportunities. In such case, the junior will need to provide a letter of invitation to the school office in order to be excused.

Track I: College Prep

This track requires 22 credits and meets all requirements for college admission.

Track II: Honors Track

This requires 22 credits, 2 of which may be non-academic, and meets all requirements and recommendations of the Institutions of Higher Learning for admission to a 4-year university. 

Honors courses are more challenging for students than many of the regular courses. Additional material and more in-depth study are typical of this track.

Daily Schedule

7:30 AM – Campus Opens / Drop-Off Begins
7:56 AM – Warning Bell
8:00 AM – School Begins
3:10 PM – Dismissal Begins
3:30 PM – Dismissal Ends (remaining students will be taken to After Care)

During arrival, students should enter the secondary building and make necessary trips to lockers and restrooms before their 1st Period Class begins at 8 AM.

A normal school day for our junior high students is arranged in six 50-minute class periods with three minutes to move in between classes from one room to another. Also offered is an approximate 30-minute period at the end of each day for tutoring, study hall, or athletics as assigned.

In addition to a daily lunch period, students also have a 12-minute mid-morning break where they may bring a nut-free snack or drink from home or purchase snack items in the cafeteria during that time.

During dismissal, students should be picked up at the gym.

For security measures, all adults entering the building at any time for any reason must sign in at the front office. If you need to speak with your child’s teacher, you may send a text, e-mail, send a written note in your child’s backpack, or schedule a conference.

Grading System & Report Cards

Grading System

There are four 9-week grading periods. When determining grades, teachers will use a formula approved by the administration and described on the class syllabus.

Grading Scale

A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
F = Below 70

Semester Grades

1st Nine-Week Grade – 40%
2nd Nine-Week Grade – 40%
Semester Exam – 20%

Final Grade

1st Semester Grade – 50%
2nd Semester Grade – 50%

Report Cards

Report cards are issued on the Thursday immediately following the end of a nine-week period. Final report cards will be mailed to parents who send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Students earning all As (90-100) for a nine-week grading period will be on the A Honor Roll. Students earning all As and Bs (80-100) will be on the A/B Honor Roll.

Annual Assessments

Students in each grade level are annually assessed using respected assessment tools to quantify their understanding of material and readiness for their next level of academic progress. These tests are machine-scored. 

Results for Aspire, Pre-ACT, and PSAT/NMSQT are sent directly to CCA. Results for the ACT are sent directly to students as well as the Guidance Counselor's office. If a student misses any of the testing sessions, make-up tests will not be given. Please check regularly for accurate test dates and times so that your student will not miss these tests.

9th Grade

Students are assessed using the Pre-ACT. Dates will be announced as soon as determined.

10th Grade

Students have the options to take the ACT College Admissions test on campus in October and March.

11th Grade

Students have the options to take the ACT College Admissions test on campus in October and March. They can also participate in the PSAT/NMSQT test in the fall.

12th Grade

Seniors are required to take the ACT College Admissions test on or before the month of February prior to graduation. Options for those test dates are on campus in March and October.