Advanced Academics in High School
High school is all about making the most of the opportunities available, and at CHS, the opportunities and choices are plenty. There is something to meet every student’s needs. With a view to help you understand and make the right decisions, we have highlighted and described all the options available to your student. We hope you will find the information useful as you and your student navigate through the complexities of high school course selection.
Advanced Placement Program (AP)
College Board developed the AP program more than 60 years ago to allow high school learners to take college-level courses in high school and take examinations for the courses to potentially earn college credit. Coppell High School offers an extensive AP program with approximately 25 AP courses in science, math, social studies, language art, art, music, computer science, and international languages. The Pre-AP program is designed to prepare learners for AP courses or other advanced academic options.
Dual Credit Program
Dual credit is a contractual agreement between a school district and a local college or colleges. Based on the agreement, the college agrees to allow high school learners to take the approved courses on the list, and the high school agrees to award high school credit to the learners when they successfully complete the college courses with passing grades. CISD has an agreement with Dallas County Community College District (North Lake College and Brookhaven College). We currently have more than 80 approved college courses on the dual credit list. Residents of Dallas County (all of CISD) are allowed to take dual credit courses free of tuition; this option is a privilege funded by your county property taxes.
Senior Scholars
The Senior Scholars program is an option within the dual credit program. Seniors may opt to take a full load of college courses during the senior year (minimum of 12 hours). In essence they are full time college students earning 24 or more hours of credit during the senior year. Senior Scholars may also opt to take a class at CHS as either an elective (band, athletics, etc.) or a core course.
Emerging Media and Communications Academy (EMAC)
The EMAC Academy mission is to prepare learners to be lifelong learners in a media-influenced society. Utilizing creative and rigorous coursework across our curriculum, educators bridge the gap between technology and communication through meaningful, project-driven courses that blend subject area learning with real-world experiences. The program instills strong journalistic ethics to seek truth, act independently, and minimize harm in order to achieve personal and academic goals. EMAC prepares learners with knowledge, skills and experience for careers in radio, television, film web design, photography, magazine and newspaper writing, and graphic design. By integrating the core curriculum with media classes, learners will find relevance in coursework by exploring it through the lens of media while simultaneously examining their potential future career choice.
Gifted and Talented Classes (GT)
Learners identified for participation in the CISD Gifted and Talented program may take GT courses in the core content areas. The GT courses are designed with distinct gifted pedagogy to emphasize the blending of rigorous content, complex thinking, and scholarly dispositions. In this program learners take engaging courses designed around the major conceptual understandings of the field or discipline. GT courses emphasize greater depth of understanding, critical thinking, and problem solving as learners develop advanced skills as communicators, researchers, thinkers, and self-directed learners.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Coppell High School is an authorized IB World School offering the internationally recognized IB Diploma Program. The International Baccalaureate Organization and its authorized IB World Schools embrace a vision of educating young people to make the world a better place. Specifically, IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The IB program and IB courses focus on developing international mindedness and global citizens. The IB Diploma Program is offered for learners in grades 11 and 12 with IB preparatory courses offered for learners in grade 10.
Public Service Academy (PSA)
The mission of the Public Services Academy at Coppell High School is to create innovative, ethical, and global citizens who will provide leadership, professionalism and service-mindedness to their chosen career in the fields of education or health care. Courses within the academy engage in higher-order thinking, and offer experience in high skill and high performing careers. The focus on education and medicine within core subjects creates engagement and relevant career connections for learners. The curriculum prepares learners for global opportunities in education and health care careers while personalizing the high school experience with small learning communities. The program provides service learning and practical opportunities that will make learners highly marketable for college acceptance.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Academy (STEM)
The STEM Academy ensures CHS learners thrive in the 21st century economy by studying and entering in STEM fields, such as careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The cornerstone of STEM Academy learning is learner engagement and exposure to innovation and design in STEM-focused instruction and learning that models real-world contexts. The Academy closely aligns high school curriculum and admission requirement of competitive colleges with the STEM qualifications for 21st Century jobs. Educators will employ rigorous and supportive strategies to help all learners be successful. Throughout the program, lessons and material are differentiated for learners, creating a uniquely customized learning experience.
New Tech High @ Coppell ISD
New Tech High is a choice high school offering project-based learning opportunities for the 21st Century. The goal of New Tech High School @ Coppell is to prepare learners to excel in an information-based and technologically-advanced society. We are committed to leading educational reform and our instructional program encourages learning through collaboration with peers, businesses, and the community. Learners develop problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, and the resiliency they need to succeed in a rapidly-changing and competitive world. Our curriculum brings together the strength of modern technology, community partnerships, problem solving, interdisciplinary instruction, and global perspectives in a learner-centered, collaborative, project-based community.
Coppell Gifted Association 