Academics

Curriculum

Central Catholic High School offers a curriculum that is designed to be exclusively college preparatory in nature. We recognize that our students come to us with varying degrees both of ability and background to handle academic work. Therefore, we have designed our course offerings to be presented at four levels:

Level 1 Average College Preparatory
Level 2 Intermediate College Preparatory
Level 3 Regular College Preparatory
Level 4 Honors Level
Level 5 Advanced Placement

Courses designated at Levels 1 & 2 are intended for students who have limited academic skills or who lack solid grounding in the subject matter and who thus require a less accelerated pace of work to achieve the course objectives.

Courses designated at Level 3 are designed for students who have sufficient academic skills to proceed at a regular pace. The vast majority of our course offerings are designated Level 3.

Courses designated at Level 4 or, for upperclassmen, Level 5, are very demanding academic courses which presume that the student has both advanced skills and a strong background and will be capable of achieving college level work before the end of his high school career.

Freshman Program of Studies

  HONORS/AP REGULAR AVERAGE
Religion All students take Religion I
English Hn English I English I English I
      Learning Lab
Social Studies Hn World History I World History I World History I
Mathematics Hn Algebra I Algebra I Algebra I, Part I
  Hn Algebra II   Intermediate Algebra
Science Hn Biology Biology Multiple Sciences
Foreign Languages   Spanish I-II Learning Lab
    Latin I-II  
    French I-II  
    German I-II  
Business Elective
Introduction to Computers
All freshmen take one of the following Fine Art courses:
Fine Arts   Studio Art  
    Art and Music Appreciation  
    Band  
    Vocal Music  
Physical Education   Physical Education I  

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Sophomore Program of Studies

  HONORS/AP REGULAR AVERAGE
Religion
All students take Religion II: Jesus and the New Testament
English Hn American Literature English II English II
Social Studies Hn World History II World History II World History II
Mathematics Hn Algebra II/ Geometry Algebra II Algebra I, Part II
  Hn Geometry Advanced Geometry Int. Algebra II
Science Hn Chemistry Chemistry Biology
Foreign Languages Hn Spanish II Spanish II-III Spanish I-II
    Latin II-III Latin I
    French II-III French I
    German II-III German I
Business Elective
Introduction to Computers
Fine Arts   Studio Art II  
    Band  
    Vocal Music  
    Advanced Vocal Music  
Physical Education
All students take Health

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Junior Program of Studies

  HONORS/AP REGULAR AVERAGE
Religion
All students take Christian Morality
English Hn British Literature American Literature American Literature
    Electives:
Writing the Essay
*Argument & Debate
 
Social Studies *AP U.S. History U.S. History U.S. History
  Hn U.S. History    
Mathematics Hn Trig/
Math Analysis
Geometry Geometry
  Adv Algebra II Adv Algebra II  
  *HN Intro. To Computer Science with Java Introduction to Programming with C++  
Science Hn Physics Physics Chemistry
  Hn Biology Elective: Environmental Science Physics
  *AP Chemistry    
  *AP Biology    
Foreign Languages Hn Spanish III Spanish III-IV Spanish II
  Hn German I & II Latin III-IV  
    French III-IV  
    German III-IV  
    Italian I  
    Electives:
Spanish I, French I,
Latin I, German I
 
All students may choose the following Business and Fine Arts Electives:
Business   Accounting I  
    Business Math  
    Software Applications  
Fine Arts Advanced Vocal Music Studio Art III  
    Band  
    Music Theory  
    Vocal Music  
    Theatre Arts  
Physical Education
All students take Physical Education II

*Students registered for these courses will be eligible for dual enrollment at:

Duquesne University University of Pittsburgh
Biology I: Diversity, Ecology, Evolution (3 credits) General Chemistry (4 credits)
Biology II: Cells, Genetics, Development (3 credits) Argument (3 credits)
Biology I Laboratory (1 credit) Hn Computer Science w/ Java (3 credits)
Biology II Laboratory (1 credit)  
  LaRoche College
  AP U. S. History

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Senior Program of Studies

  HONORS/AP REGULAR AVERAGE
Religion Hn A Man of Faith The Patterns of Christian Life  
English *AP English British Literature British Literature
  Hn World Literature Electives:
Writing the Essay
*Argument & Debate
Intro. to Mass Media
 
Social Studies AP European History Modern America  
  Hn Foreign Policy Economics  
  AP Economics Psychology  
    History of Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania  
    Sociology  
Mathematics *AP Calculus Trig/Advanced Math Algebra II
  Hn Calculus Pre-Calculus Trigonometry
  Hn Trig/ Math Analysis Introduction to Programming with C++  
  *Hn Intro. to Computer Science with Java Probability & Statistics  
Science *AP Biology Physics II Physics
  Hn Biology II Environmental Science  
  *AP Chemistry Physics  
Foreign Languages AP Spanish IV Adv. Spanish I Spanish III
  Spanish IV Spanish I  
  French IV Italian I/II  
  German IV    
  Latin IV    
  Hn German I & II    
All students may take the following electives:
Business   Accounting I Advanced Software Apps.
    Introduction to Law Consumer Financial Ed.
    Business Math Software Applications
      Intro to Marketing
Fine Arts *Studio Art IV Music Theory  
  Advanced Vocal Music Vocal Music  
    Theatre Arts  
    Band  

*Students registered for these courses
will be eligible for dual enrollment at:

University of Pittsburgh Duquesne University
Analytical Geometry and Calculus (4 credits) Thinking and Writing Across the Curriculum (3 credits)
Hn Intro. to Computer Science (3 credits) Imaginative Literature and Critical Writing (3 credits)
General Chemistry (4 credits) Biology I (3 credits)
Computer Science (3 credits) Biology II (3 credits)
Argument (3 credits) Biology Lab I + II (1 credit each)
Web Calculus B/C Spanish
   
LaRoche College
 
Studio Art IV  

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