Secondary Program – Costa Rica Middle School and High School
Dear Secondary School Parents and Students,
The Secondary Program (Grades 6-12) is a standards-based curriculum culminating in a college preparatory Advanced Placement (AP) program and options for dual enrollment university courses while still a CRIA HS student. Academic subjects in the middle years provide a pre-AP foundation that prepares students to be successful in high school AP and dual enrollment courses. The curriculum foundation is adapted from the Virginia State Standards of Learning (SoL) for English, Math, and Social Studies, the NGSS for science classes and for courses taught in Spanish, the MEP standards. The intent is to make transitions into our school and back to the U.S. or transfers from other schools in Guanacaste and San Jose Costa Rica as smooth as possible.
The school day consists of seven 45-minute periods and two breaks, one in mid-morning and one at midday for lunch. The day begins at 8:00am with homeroom by grade levels and ends at 3:00pm, followed by after school sports and activities.
Off-campus field trips are an integral part of the Secondary Program. Generally these are planned to extend the curriculum to take advantage of our natural setting in Costa Rica. Community service is a requirement for all students in Grades 9-12.
The entire campus is a WiFi zone for wireless Internet. The Secondary Program utilizes a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. The Secondary science program is supported by fully equipped labs for biology, chemistry, and physics.
Electives are offered by each academic area and include Visual Arts, P.E., STEM (through Grade 8) and music (through Grade 7). The Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered each year, dependent upon demand. These may include English Language and Composition, Calculus AB, Comparative Government and Politics, Psychology, Biology, Computer Science, Spanish Language and Culture, PreCalculus, Macroeconomics, Statistics and others.
Other activities include yearbook, SCUBA club, drama groups, student government, the U.S. National Honor Society, The Model United Nations and various social service and ecological groups.
The Secondary Program has a very strong Spanish component, with between 2 and 3 of the classes each day in Spanish including 4 levels of language instruction from beginners to native speakers.
Grading Scale:
100-90 89-80 79-70 69-60 Below 60
Minimum High School Graduation Requirements:
Course Grades Taken US High School Credits
English 9-12 4
Spanish 9-12 3
Social Studies 9-12 3
Mathematics 9-12 3
Science 9-12 3
Electives 9-12 6
Visual Arts 9-10 1
P.E. 9-10 1
Total Academic Credits 24
CRIA's High School program in grade 11 includes classes to prepare for the Costa Rican FARO MEP exams.
We are confident you will find the CRIA Primary program to be an academically stimulating and fun environment!
Contact us for more information about our primary school in Guanacaste, Costa Rica! Or schedule a visit to come to our campus and preview our international Costa Rica High School.
