TCA FAQ SHEET FOR COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES
What Is Classical Education?
The Classical Academy of Sarasota is dedicated to the classical model of education. A classical education creates a well-rounded student with a logical mind and a virtuous heart. It is built upon the best of the Western traditional canon through curriculum and philosophy which acknowledges current understanding of child development and growth. Classical education instills in students a large body of factual knowledge, trains them to logically organize and analyze these facts, and gives them the tools to put forth a reasoned and persuasive argument. Classically educated students are coherent, thoughtful and eloquent writers and speakers who are grounded in virtue.
Classical education focuses on a rigorous and content-rich core in which academic marks are given for mastery, not for effort, in every subject. Classical education emphasizes excellence in everything from the literature read to the quality of each assignment completed by students. Acquiring knowledge is highly valued and moving beyond the ability to simply pass a test, classical education advances this acquisition in order to create logical and articulate citizens.
Does TCA Offer Dual Enrollment?
Yes, dual enrollment (DE) may be taken junior and senior year. We are currently offering online courses through Southeastern University. We are in the process of vetting our teachers, through SEU, who meet the standards required to teach at the college level to enable them to teach DE in our classrooms next year.
What Is Dual Enrollment?
Dual enrollment is an acceleration program that allows students to take post-secondary coursework while in high school and simultaneously earn credit toward a high school diploma, a career certificate, an industry certification or an associate or baccalaureate degree at a Florida public or eligible private post-secondary institution.
Is Dual Enrollment Right For Everyone?
According to the Florida Department of Education, the dual enrollment program is an opportunity to take challenging courses and accelerate educational opportunities. Students who successfully complete dual enrollment courses will save time and money toward their college degree with free tuition and textbooks. Students should understand, however, that dual enrollment course are college courses and the amount of work necessary to succeed in dual enrollment courses may be much greater than in high school courses. In addition, dual enrollment courses become part of a student’s permanent college transcript and are calculated into the student’s permanent postsecondary GPA. Poor performance as a dual enrollment student can ultimately impact one’s postsecondary career, including acceptance to a state university, academic standing and financial aid eligibility. It is important to do well in these courses to realize all the benefits of dual enrollment
What Are The Qualifications To Take Dual Enrollment Classes?
Students must show a “Demonstration of College Readiness” in order to take DE classes.
Requirements:
3.0 GPA (unweighted)
Acceptable scores on one of the College Readiness Assessments approved by the FLDOE. To see options, click here: https://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-system/academics/common-placement-testing.stml
Does TCA Offer Advanced Placement Courses?
Yes, TCA currently offers Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology. Next year we will add AP Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, AP Latin and AP Spanish.
What Are Advanced Placement Courses?
Advanced Placement classes are college level courses with an approved curriculum through the College Board. AP classes often have prerequisite courses that students should take prior to enrolling in the AP class. Taking an AP class does not automatically qualify a student for potential college credit, there is a national test given at the end of the school year which determines if the class will receive college credit. Most universities take AP credit based on the score while others do not. Also, students are not required to take an AP class before taking the AP exam. To see national percentages of students who passed an AP test in 2023 with a score or a 3 or higher, click here: https://reports.collegeboard.org/ap-program-results/class-of-2023
The exam score does not go on the student’s transcript, but the AP class grade will be apart of their credit and grade and will also be on the transcript.
For more information about Advanced Placement Courses, click here: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/
What Is The Difference Between Dual Enrollment And Advanced Placement?
Both DE and AP classes are recognized as rigorous, college level courses. If a student takes a DE class through a FL public college or private college (licensed through the Commission for Independent Education (CIE) and enrolled in the Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS)), the credit they receive for a passing grade will be accepted at public FL universities and many private schools. The exact credit, and how the credit is given, is up to each individual school. Most public and private schools will accept AP scores of 3 or higher as college credit.
What Does TCA Offer To Prepare Students For College?
TCA offers a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for college, technical school or whatever path the student decides to pursue. Currently, we offer Dual Enrollment through Southeasten University which is free to our students. SEU meets the standards, mentioned above, set by the FLDOE for their credits to transfer to FL public colleges. Again, each college will review the individual class to see how/if they are accepted. Sometimes a course description from the college is needed to make that decision. Students are able to take online classes choosing from a wide variety offered through SEU. We also offer 1 AP class, AP Psychology, which is a science credit for high school students and plan to add more in the upcoming years.
How Do Universities View AP and Dual Enrollment Classes Taken In High School?
Colleges review student’s transcripts to see if they have taken the highest level of courses offered at their school. If a school offers honors courses, for example, they will expect to see honors listed on the student’s transcript. Counselors complete a questionnaire for colleges and sites such as Common App to inform them of what we offer in terms of honors, AP, and DE. If a school doesn’t offer AP, for example, it is not held against a student for not having AP classes on their transcript. As long as the student has taken the top classes offered at their school, that is what is considered. Other considerations are test scores and community/school involvement.
Can I Take An Online AP Class?
Yes, TCA students are allowed to take courses that we do not offer online through FLVS. However, students may not replace TCA required courses with a regular, honors or AP version of the class through FLVS. They may choose to take an AP class that is a required TCA class as an elective but not as a replacement. The class and grade will be added to the transcript (noted as an FLVS class) and count in their GPA. The two exceptions are for students wishing to get ahead in math and for a foreign language that we do not offer. For example, a student may take geometry over the summer or concurrently with Alg I through FLVS in order to take Algebra II the following year at TCA. FLVS is the TCA approved online school. Keep in mind there is a cost that parents will be responsible for to take an FLVS class (currently $750 per credit).
When Does The High School Transcript Start?
Typically, TCA students take Latin I and Algebra I in 8th grade both of which are high school level classes and will go on their high school transcript. Any class a student takes at the high school level or college level will go on their high school transcript. Any college level course taken in high school will also be on their college transcript.
Can a Student Retake A High School Class If They Would Like A Better Grade?
If a TCA student earns a D or F in a high school class, they are required to retake the class. With permission from administration, a student may decide to not retake the class if they earned a D. After repeating the class, the new grade will go on their transcript. The old grade will remain on the transcript, but the D or F will not be factored in their GPA. Not only does this improve their GPA, but colleges also see that they made an effort and were able to be successful in the class.