- Central Academy (Des Moines)
Central Academy is a public magnet school located in
Des Moines, Iowa for students between grades 6 and 12. The school is nationally recognized for the high academic standard of its coursework and the performance of its students 2007 Iowa AP Index, "The University of Iowa Recognizes the Top 50 AP Schools in Iowa", http://www.iowaapindex.org/] . The Academy is ranked in the top one percent ofAdvanced Placement programs in the country Des Moines Public Schools, "Program Overview: Gifted and Talented, School Programs", http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/programs/8overview.htm/] .Curriculum
The curriculum at the Academy is accelerated so that most students may begin Advanced Placement work in tenth grade Des Moines Public Schools, "Program Overview: Gifted and Talented, School Programs", http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/programs/8overview.htm/] . The Academy offers seventeen Advanced Placement courses in the fields of
science , English,social studies , andmathematics .Prerequisites
Students wishing to pursue the Advanced Placement science and English courses at the Academy must complete a combined year-long study of
chemistry andphysics , and world andAmerican literature courses, respectively.tudent body
Composition
The Academy has a student body of over one thousand students Phil Roeder, "Pappajohn gift will enhance education for years", Des Moines Register, June 20th, 2007, http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/OPINION04/706200341 ] which derives from thirty eight middle and
high school s incentral Iowa . Roosevelt High School and Hoover High School have the most students that go there. Des Moines Higher Education Collaborative - Pappajohn Scholars Institute, "Academy Profile - 2006", http://www.dmhec.com/PSI/General_Information/Profile_info_brochure_06.doc/ ] .Profile
Attendees of the Academy are considered part of the
Des Moines Public Schools ' Gifted and Talented initiative, and are required to met several benchmarks before being admitted into the Academy Des Moines Public Schools, "Program Overview: Gifted and Talented, School Programs", http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/programs/8overview.htm/] . Students are required to demonstrate: general intellectual ability, creative thinking, leadership ability, visual and performing arts ability, and a specific ability aptitude. The school district also bases admission into the Academy on teacher recommendations and standardized test scores, requiring students to score above the 95th percentile on theIowa Test of Basic Skills .Academic Achievement
As of 2006, the Academy has produced 26
AP State Scholar s, 122AP National Scholar s, 453 AP Scholars with Honor, and over 1000AP Scholar s Des Moines Higher Education Collaborative - Pappajohn Scholars Institute, "Academy Profile - 2006", http://www.dmhec.com/PSI/General_Information/Profile_info_brochure_06.doc/ ] . The average Academy student will take 5.85 AP Exams in his or her high school career 2007 Iowa AP Index, "The University of Iowa Recognizes the Top 50 AP Schools in Iowa", http://www.iowaapindex.org/ ] .References
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