ASU Preparatory Academy
Frequently Asked Questions
Academics
What is the purpose of the High School?
The goal of the ASU Preparatory Academy is to provide personalized, university embedded,
academic programs that empower students to complete college, excel in a global society and
contribute to their communities
How will the structure of the high school work?
Students will complete a rigorous, college preparation curriculum, with the necessary support
and assistance to succeed. Classes will be taught on an alternating day schedule, allowing for 100minute intensive instructional blocks. The structure is designed to help every child develop the
skills and knowledge to complete college.
What is a Capstone?
A Capstone is a mini-thesis project that students will participate in to develop a deep
understanding of topics that interest them in the context of larger, global understandings taught
across the curriculum. Students pose a question of research, explore and investigate that
question in the context of a broader community, and present their findings in a formal written
and oral presentation at the end of each semester. This course will occur as a regularly scheduled
class. Students will follow the same peers and advisor throughout all capstone experiences from
9th-12th grades allowing each student to develop deep connections to peers and to have a
consistent staff resource to support their learning journey. Families will also have a single point of
contact with whom they regularly interact to get support for their child’s learning and to discuss
their students academic and social development.
What classes will the students take?
Over the four years students will earn the following credits: English– 4 credits, Mathematics – 4
credits, Health/Wellness – 1 credit, Fine Arts – 2 credits, Science – 3 credits, Social Studies – 3
credits. World Language – 3 credits, Capstone: Philosophy – 2 credits, Economics – 1 credit,
Communications – 1 credit, Research -1 credit.
In the first year students will take: English 1 World Literature and Composition, World History &
Geography, Physics, World Language 1, Health, Wellness & Fitness, Geometry/Algebra and a
capstone class that will focus on Leadership & Value where students study how do leaders
determine value? How can I add value to my communities?
University Public Schools, Inc.
Arizona State University P.O. Box 878405, Tempe, AZ 85287-8405
(602) 496-3322 | Fax: (602) 496-3323 | upsi@asu.edu | http://universitypublicschools.asu.edu
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UPSI recognizes your children have many skills and talents that will allow them to advance quickly
through traditional curriculum, which is among the reasons we chose the Cambridge curriculum.
The content is not only rigorous it also provides opportunities for students to extend their
learning. We encourage you to review the website for additional information on this curriculum
at http://www.cie.org.uk/qualifications.
Will the high school use a traditional grading scale?
Yes, students will be graded using a traditional grading scale.
Will students have a GPA similar to traditional high schools?
Yes, students will be graded and will have a GPA and class ranking like traditional high schools.
Will our students be at a disadvantage for scholarships without AP classes?
No, students will be able to take the traditional assessments such as PSAT, ACT, and SAT which
puts them in the bank for most scholarships. In addition, the national and international prestige
of the Cambridge Curriculum will help open other scholarship doors for our students. Should
students choose to do so, they may also sit for the AP exams in subjects of their choice and
through the Learning Lab opportunities; we can help prepare students for the format and content
knowledge they would need to succeed on the exams.
How will other Universities look at college credits?
The credits will come from ASU and be posted on an ASU transcript. The credits are viewed like
those taken by other college ASU students.
How does the Cambridge curriculum compare to an IB program?
The Cambridge curriculum is very similar to an IB program, but is generally considered to have
more rigor and status because it is compared against other schools both nationally AND
internationally. It is endorsed by the Center for the Future of Arizona and “Move on When
Ready” legislation. The Cambridge curriculum establishes goals and assessments and allows for
more customized approach to content development to meet objectives.
How does the program fit with Prime the Pipeline
Prime the Pipeline is a program developed by one of the UPSI board members, Dr. Carol
Greenes, largely focused STEM principles (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
The high school curriculum program aligns nicely with STEM principles. Students can still
participate in Prime the Pipeline activities.
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Are the ASU courses in lieu of AP classes?
The ASU courses are college courses. AP classes are high school classes that prepare students to
take an exam to earn college credits. Students will be prepared to succeed on the AP exams,
however, if students prefer to take the college course itself it will be available in many cases.
Are 30 students too many for a capstone teacher?
The capstone teachers will receive support from the High School and ASU administration to
successfully teach 30 students. The capstone teacher will stay with the same group of 30
students for all four years allowing the teacher to cultivate deep, supportive relationships.
What happens if students leave after a year or two?
In most cases, students will have earned credits at an accelerated rate, which would allow them
to transfer successfully to other high schools, and be well prepared to succeed in a traditional
high school.
How would a student entering the High School at a later date catch up with the curriculum?
Each students’ transcript would be reviewed to assess which credits would be acceptable as core
courses. All other courses would be counted as elective credits. Entering students would be
required to demonstrate mastery of course objectives before being allowed to take the
subsequent courses. Course objectives that might be missing such as Philosophy or Physics
could be offered through the Learning Lab experience to allow students to participate with their
peers while working to meet graduation requirements for missed courses.
What languages will be offered?
ASU Preparatory academies will offer Spanish and Mandarin. World Language and Culture
programs will also emphasize a deep understanding of the cultures where the languages are
predominately used, including literature, arts, history and traditions.
Will students be required to take the AIMS test like all other schools?
Yes, all UPSI schools will follow all the laws and mandates from the State Board of Education,
which includes AIMS testing.
Activities:
What electives with the freshmen have?
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During the Freshman year, students will take Health and Wellness as their first elective, with
opportunities to select from another elective during extended day (electives outside of the
regular school day). Extended day electives are still being finalized but may include fine arts,
sports, debate, and technology.
Will there be sports?
Yes, in addition to a comprehensive health and wellness curriculum, students may compete in
intra-mural sports and participate on competitive teams through the Arizona Charter School
Athletics Association.
Will there be fine arts?
Yes, the extended day program provides for students to earn additional credits in the fine arts
for the 9th grade year. Additionally, Fine Arts are programmed in the regular day schedule
beginning in 10th grade.
Will there be student council?
Yes, students will be actively involved in student governance. ASU student leaders will be
available to serve as mentors to the student council and other student leadership organizations.
Will there be dances?
Yes, the student council may sponsor dances and other social activities.
Will there be driver’s education?
No. Most Arizona high schools no longer offer drivers education. However, many private
companies offer drivers education. Our high school counselors will have a resource center with
information about private companies in the area that offer this service.
School Culture
Will the students wear uniforms?
The dress code is still under discussion. Focus groups are being scheduled to allow input from
parents on this and other topics concerning the high school.
What is the plan to prepare “recruited” incoming 9th graders for acclimation to our school’s
environment.
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Before school begins, there will be student and parent orientations where UPSI will present
Academic and behavioral expectations in detail.
Support Structure
Will there be a full time principal?
The first year there will be an elementary principal and a secondary principal. In all cases teachers
and students will receive the support necessary for success.
Will there be advisors to serve as guidance counselors and to help with the college application
process?
Yes, we will have trained and licensed guidance counselors and will be able to take advantage of
the ASU admissions officers also.
What about technology in the schools? Will the students have laptops?
Yes, students will have access to laptops and the school will be fully equipped with high speed
wireless internet access. In addition, there will be smartboards in many classrooms and science
labs will have a full range of technology and state of the art scientific research equipment.
Will your teachers be paid more or less than teachers in surrounding districts? Will your teachers get
ASU benefits?
Survey results comparing pay rates for UPSI teachers across 8 traditional public school districts
illustrated that UPSI had one of the highest per diem teacher pay rates. Since our teachers work
a longer school year than most district schools, they also have an opportunity to earn more
income annually compared to their counterparts. This extended year allows teachers to receive
in-depth professional development and training, and to work with the professors to be fully
prepared to teach the intensive curriculum.
In addition, UPSI teachers receive the greatest amount of daily planning time, benefiting from an
average of 25 minutes of additional daily planning time compared to other districts. UPSI
teachers will also be eligible for reduced tuition benefits for themselves and their family
members along with access to tickets for sporting and cultural events.
Will your teachers be certified? Fingerprinted?
Arizona charter law does not require all teachers be certified but all teachers must be highly
qualified under the federal mandate of No Child Left Behind. Therefore, all UPSI teachers will
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meet “Highly Qualified” requirements. UPSP will comply with Arizona statutes requiring that we
fingerprint and conduct background checks on all our teachers.
ASU Connections
How are the Polytechnic College students being prepared to accept the integration of a K-12
program onto the campus?
A committee of parents and students will work on a plan to accomplish this integration. The ASUPolytechnic Campus dean of students is also involved in the planning process.
Why is ASU doing this and what are its goals?
One in four graduates pursues higher education. ASU is interested in being part of the solution
for improving education in Arizona. ASU is a large public university in a vibrant and growing city
with a unique, intense, research-based role in community issues. ASU recognizes the challenges
Arizona faces in education, and is committed to bringing its resources, university-wide, to
improve pre-K-12 education, increase the high school completion rate for the students in Arizona
and increasing the college-going rate and college graduation rate of Arizona students. ASU
Preparatory Academies will help ASU reach these goals.
Who is funding the school? How will the school operate?
State appropriations will fund the ASU Preparatory Academies in the same manner as all charter
schools in Arizona. ASU is providing significant support. The school will operate as a public
charter school to allow more flexibility in operations, testing of new learning models and the
ability to seek funding from non-traditional sources. A charter school is a public school, funded
by the state.
Parents
What will be expected of parents?
One of the pillars for the ASU Preparatory Academy is Family, Community, and University
Partnerships. These partnerships help make critical contributions to student success. The
purpose of our Family Involvement Program is to help parents be active contributors to their
child’s educational success; particularly assuring their child is prepared for success in college.
Families will be expected to earn 30 service-hour credits each year. Any member of the family
can earn credits. Opportunities for credits include: participation in Individual Learning Plan
Conferences (ILPs), attendance at summative presentations, participation in Families helping
Families events including leading or attending parenting workshops, coordinating or
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participation in a family involvement club, participation or leadership in service projects such as
food drives, supply drives, or fund raising events, providing translation or similar services,
volunteering at a sporting event, school concert or play, and many more.
How can I enroll my child?
As schools of choice, we will accept any student who desires to attend as long as we have space
available. If we have more requests than available space we will use a lottery system to select
the students. The website has specific enrollment and registration forms and information.
How much will it cost to send my child there?
Although the program will be on par with many private schools, as a publicly funded school, there
is no tuition cost to send students to the school.
Will children of ASU staff/faculty have priority to get in the school?
The charter school law is very specific that this kind of priority cannot be given to students.
However, we anticipate having enough room to accommodate children of ASU staff and faculty
and all others who are interested in attending if they register early.
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