- Columbia High School
Academics
Columbia High School provides students with a full range of studies to prepare students for post-secondary education or the world of work. The core curriculum consists of English, math, social studies, and science. Up to five years of foreign language is offered in Spanish, and up to four years in German. In addition, there is a variety of Family and Consumer Science, fine arts, technology, and vocational courses offered to students at CHS. Students reaching the appropriate age are offered driver’s education class. Regular physical education classes are offered, but weight training physical education is encouraged for athletes. “Specific early-bird” classes are offered to increase elective availability to students.
Students will need to acquire 24 graduate credits, 17.5 of which are required courses for students. A complete list of courses and descriptions is listed in the registration handbook provided to students annually. CHS uses a weighted grading scale. Please see the school handbook/registration guide for specifics.
CHS offers two types of work study programs: Special Education and Co-Op. Students eligible for work-study must earn the appropriate number of credits and have the required skills needed for the program.
For students who can not achieve in the traditional high school, an alternative setting is offered. The Career Center of Southern Illinois is a half-day or full-day option for these students. The requirements for graduation remain the same and the goal is to reintegrate the student back into CHS.
Each spring Columbia High School administers the PARCC assessment. In addition, Advanced Placement (AP) courses and other courses for college credit are offered at CHS. Prerequisites and minimum grade point averages are required to enroll in these classes. Columbia High School works directly with St. Louis University and Southwestern Illinois College for college level courses. This is a highly successful program that greatly benefits our students upon entering colleges and universities.
Grades are reported on a quarterly basis, and teachers send progress reports at the middle of each quarter. An online system is available for parents of students 9 through 12 to aid them in monitoring their student’s weekly assignments.
Formal parent conferences are held after the first quarter. On-going parent-teacher communication is encouraged, and parents can expect the principal and teachers to communicate through newsletters, phone calls, email, websites, etc.
Annually, numerous scholarships are awarded to students who excel in academics.
Columbia High School ACT scores rank among the highest in the metro-east area, well above the state average.
Extracurricular Activities
Columbia High School offers a wide variety of activities beyond the regular classroom. Athletic opportunities include baseball/softball, bowling, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, football, soccer, track, and girls’ volleyball. Columbia High School was awarded the Post Dispatch Small School Sports Program of the Year in 2005-2006 and 2007-2008. CHS is also the proud recipient of the IHSA Winning Attitude Award numerous times. State championship appearances in recent years include baseball, cheerleading, cross country, football, boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, track, and volleyball. The CHS Scholar Bowl team has also been very successful at the State level competitions.
A variety of clubs are also offered to CHS students to pursue special interests and to develop leadership skills. Clubs include drama, foreign language, honors, Student Council, robotics, and others. Many of these clubs are held during the day in specific advisory periods. Community service opportunities are also provided to students throughout the year to help with the 20 hour service requirement graduation credit.