All students need to meet these minimum requirements in order to earn an Oregon Diploma. It is suggested that course requirements be accomplished according to the following timeline. Courses are designed with these grade levels in mind. This sequence provides an appropriate mix of required and elective courses throughout the four years of high school.

This course is best suited for the student who is not anticipating attending college or university.

At Cascade Christian, more than 90 percent of our students go on to higher education within one year of receiving their high school diploma. For those students desiring to enter the Oregon University System or attend a four-year college out of state, a more rigorous schedule is recommended. We suggest that a college preparatory course of study include:

• Four math credits
• Four science credits
• At least two years of foreign language (three often preferred)

Additionally, most universities will not accept a grade lower than a “C” in core classes. Students and parents are strongly encouraged to check with any specific university they are interested in attending no later than the start of the student’s junior year to ensure they will meet the admission requirements of the university. The following is a suggested timeline for achieving the recommended course of study.

The Cascade Christian High School Scholars Diploma is available to those students who are seeking to challenge themselves academically. This program will prepare students for their post-secondary education by providing rigorous coursework along with the opportunity to earn college credit. Students who wish to pursue a Scholars Diploma must declare their intentions with the appropriate vice principal no later than December 15th of their senior year. Those meeting the requirements for a Scholars Diploma will be awarded a sash at Baccalaureate to keep and wear at graduation, and will receive a diploma with a stamp commemorating their achievement.

To earn the Scholars Diploma, a student must earn a cumulative, non-weighted grade point average of 3.5 or higher, have no “D” grades and no more than two “C” grades on their transcript, and have completed the required 27 credits to receive a diploma. In addition, the following requirements must be met:

• Four credits of high school math (e.g., Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-calculus)
• Four credits of high school science
• Three credits of a foreign language
• Three of the required 27 credits must be from Advanced Placement (AP) courses

Below is the suggested course of study for the Scholars Diploma:

Honors classes are offered in the English and Math departments. These classes require greater time and effort since the performance expectations are greater than those of the general track courses.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed as college level classes with the opportunity for the student to earn college credit by achieving an acceptable score on the AP exam administered in May of each year. Taking the AP exam costs approximately $92 per exam. All students taking AP classes are required to take the AP exam. Students may opt to also pay for concurrent credits, if available. The work for AP classes is greater than that of general track courses. If interested in learning more, please inquire during your individualized tour or admissions interview.

Students who earn a grade of “A” for the duration of the AP class will be publicly honored their senior year with an honorary cord to keep and to wear with their graduation robes at baccalaureate and graduation. While honors and AP classes do require more work, they do not receive weighted grades. This is in accordance with the policy of most high schools and is the preference of almost all colleges. Additionally, students who earn a non-weighted 4.0 GPA will receive a cord at baccalaureate to keep and wear at graduation.

Concurrent courses at CCHS may be taken at a greatly reduced cost compared to that paid by currently enrolled college students. Students must earn an A or B in order to earn college credit.  Courses currently available for concurrent credit are:

From Southern Oregon University (SOU):

• AP Calculus AB (SOU Mth 251, 252)
• Statistics & Probability (SOU Mth 243, 244)
• Pre-Calculus (SOU MTH 111,112)
• AP English 12 (SOU ENG 104, 105)
• AP US History (SOU HST 250, 251)
• AP World History (SOU HST 110, 111)

Students who take advantage of all dual credit classes offered and earn an A or B in each could graduate Cascade with 48 college credits:

• 8 – AP English 12 (SOU ENG 104 & ENG 105)
• 8 – AP World History (SOU HIST 110 & HIST 111)
• 8 – AP US History (SOU HIST 205 & HIST 251)
• 8 – AP Calculus AB (SOU MTH 251 & MTH 252)
• 8 – Statistics & Probability (SOU MTH 243 & MTH 244)
• 8 – Pre-Calculus (SOU MTH 111 & MTH 112)

Students can earn an additional 24-28 college credits by receiving a score of 3 or better  in the following course on an AP exam:

• 8 – AP English 11
• 8 – AP Calculus BC
• 8-12 – AP Spanish Language & Culture

For a total of 72-76 possible college credits.

Cascade Christian High School honors outstanding academic achievers at an academic award assembly held in the spring. Those students who maintain a 4.0 throughout the year will be honored at the annual 4.0 Banquet. An honor roll is published recognizing those students who have achieved a 4.0 grade average or a 3.5-3.9 grade average.

The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) honors exemplary juniors and seniors in ACSI member high schools. The program provides these select students with the opportunity to receive communication from ACSI member colleges and universities in North America who utilize this valuable resource to recruit Christian high school students for their degree programs.

Students are nominated by teachers and administration in the school and are selected based on the following qualifications:

• Must be a junior or senior
• Must have a minimum of two teacher recommendations (for any or all categories nominated)
• Must have the approval of the administrator (for any or all categories nominated)
• Must be in the top 10 percent of their class in one or more of the following areas:
  • Academics – based on accumulative GPA
  • Leadership – must be actively involved in community service or ministry-related activities
  • Fine Arts – must be actively participating in music, art, or drama
  • Athletics – must be actively participating in school team / individual sports and /or intramurals
  • Christian Service – must have a clear Christian service and Christian testimony and must be actively involved in community service or ministry-related activities.

Each year at Baccalaureate, the senior(s) who has been at Cascade Christian High School for their sophomore through senior years, has the highest cumulative GPA, and consistently demonstrates Christ-honoring character is awarded the title of Valedictorian. The senior(s) with the second highest cumulative GPA who meets the other qualifications is awarded the title of Salutatorian. These students are publicly honored and receive a sash to keep and wear with their graduation robes for both baccalaureate and graduation. An internal weighting system is used in order to determine class rank for Valedictorian and Salutatorian honors. Students who take an honors course will receive an additional 1/2 grade point per semester, regardless of their grade they receive in that honors class; those who take an AP course will receive an additional 1/2 grade point per semester, regardless of their grade they receive in that AP class. These additional points will be added to their total points when calculating their cumulative GPA. Keep in mind this is an internal weighting only, used to determine class rank.

 

A student’s official transcripts will not reflect a weighted GPA. A preliminary Valedictorian / Salutatorian ranking will be determined at the end of the first semester of the senior year. The determination of the Valedictorian /Salutatorian will be made based on grades at the end of the third quarter. Pass/Fail classes are not calculated into a student’s GPA. AP or Honors classes that are taken at another school are not weighted in GPA calculations to determine class rank. This is to ensure a level playing field for all Valedictorian and Salutatorian candidates.