11 things to know about the new CMS program for top students

Top Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students have long flocked to college-level courses through the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.

In the northern part of the county, students this fall will have an alternative – Cambridge International.

CMS is rolling out the program to Hopewell High and its feeder schools for the next school year.

At the elementary school level, Cambridge International combines English, math and science instruction with life skill development like leadership and service, deputy regional director Sherry Reach said. In the older grades, students can earn college credit while obtaining a prestigious Advanced International Certificate of Education diploma.

The district formally introduced the program at a news conference at Hopewell on Tuesday.

Here are the details:

▪ Cambridge International’s roots go back to the 1860s, when the flagship university began instructing primary schools in what student would need to know to be successful at the university, Reach said.

▪ Parent interest pushed CMS to offer the program, said Dawn Robinson, executive director of the North Learning Community. The idea came from an email from Joel Gilland, who has a son at Mountain Island Lake Academy and daughter at Hopewell High.

▪ Courses cover everything from English and math to languages like Arabic and Hindi to vocational classes like “design and textiles” and “food studies.”

▪ Six schools are participating: Barnette, Long Creek and Torrence Creek elementary schools; Bradley Middle; Mountain Island Lake Academy and Hopewell High.

▪ At most schools, only grades five, eight and nine will be in the program next year. It will expand over time. Mountain Island Lake Academy will offer grades five through eight.

▪ Parents have to apply to get their students in the program. Students will need to be on or above grade level in reading math, submit a writing sample and have teacher recommendations. Applications at http://cambridgeatcms.weebly.com.

▪ It will be competitive to get in. CMS expects to have about 1,350 seats in the Cambridge program. The six schools participating currently have more than 5,000 students.

▪ CMS will be the first public school district in North Carolina to offer the program. Cambridge International first came to the U.S. in Florida in the mid-1990s. CMS administrators went to Florida to see how it works, Robinson said. “We didn’t really find anything we didn’t like,” she said.

▪ The main difference between Cambridge and International Baccalaureate is flexibility, Reach said. Students can do the full diploma program or just take one Cambridge class.

▪ CMS is paying about $450,000 through the first year, Robinson said. This covers the planning and training being done now, and the 2015-16 school year.

▪ The program is part of the CMS battle against charter schools. The northern part of the county is one of the most competitive areas of the region, and nearby Cabarrus Charter Academy is also offering the Cambridge program.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "11 things to know about the new CMS program for top students."