Classen School of Advanced Studies
Encyclopedia
Classen School of Advanced Studies (sometimes referred to simply as Classen SAS or CSAS) is a public magnet school
serving students in grades 6-12 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. The Oklahoma City Public Schools
program participates in the IB Diploma Programme
and offers fine arts courses.
Classen SAS has been ranked among the top 100 public high schools in America by the Challenge Index
, as measured by the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2007 divided by the number of graduating seniors. The index is published annually in the Washington Post and Newsweek. Its current ranking is 14.
In 1994, the Classen School of Advanced Studies opened with students in grades 6-12. Its first graduating class was graduated in 1997.
": Students wishing to earn an IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma become IB majors, while students studying fine arts must choose a specific field of study for their major; the latter are frequently simply referred to as VPA (visual and performing arts) majors. Students may choose to switch their majors at a later date, although at times this is not feasible due to the IB Program's stringent course requirements. Students may choose classes regardless of their major; for example an IB major student might attend a music class, or a VPA major might attend an honors math class. However, certain classes are required. In order to graduate, students must all meet the standard curriculum set down by the Oklahoma City Public School board, and satisfy the requirements for their particular major. In addition, even though a VPA major might take IB courses they cannot test for the IB Diploma in high school.
As the IB Program only covers grades 11-12, IB majors in grades 6-10 are considered "pre-IB" and attend honors classes to prepare them for the IB Program. All of the Classen VPA Programs have won many awards, including the Theatre Department, which has won the Oklahoma State One-Act Play Contest for five years in a row. The Classen SAS Concert and Jazz band have both won OSSAA superior honors as well. The Debate program (a part of the drama department)has won many state and regional tournaments, sweeping 1st, second, and 3rd in most of them.
-sanctioned competition in basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and volleyball. Football and track are offered cooperatively with U. S. Grant High School
; baseball, with Northeast Academy for Health Sciences and Engineering.
Clubs and organizations at the school include Ambassador Corp, Asian Club, Builders Club, Cheerleaders, Christian Club, Earth Club, French Club, German American Partnership Program (GAPP), German Club, Key Club
, Latino Club, Mediterranean Club, Mu Alpha Theta
, National Art Honor Society
, National Honor Society
, Native American Club, Orchestra, POM, Drumline, Math Counts, Science Club, Spanish Club, Student Council, Theatre, Visual Arts Club, Young Astronauts
, UFO, Young Democrats, Latin club, and Young Libertarians.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
serving students in grades 6-12 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. The Oklahoma City Public Schools
Oklahoma City Public Schools
The Oklahoma City Public Schools is an urban inner-city public school district located in Oklahoma City. It is the largest primary and secondary education district in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area, as well as the largest in the state of Oklahoma with over 42,750 enrolled students in 2009...
program participates in the IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
and offers fine arts courses.
Classen SAS has been ranked among the top 100 public high schools in America by the Challenge Index
Challenge Index
The Challenge Index is a method for the statistical ranking of top public high schools in the United States by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews...
, as measured by the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2007 divided by the number of graduating seniors. The index is published annually in the Washington Post and Newsweek. Its current ranking is 14.
History
Classen Junior High School opened in 1919. It was converted to a high school in 1925, becoming the third high school opened in Oklahoma City, following Central High School and Capitol Hill High School. Classen High School served students for the next sixty years, closing in 1985 due to declining enrollment in the district.In 1994, the Classen School of Advanced Studies opened with students in grades 6-12. Its first graduating class was graduated in 1997.
Curriculum
Students joining the school must choose a "majorAcademic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
": Students wishing to earn an IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma become IB majors, while students studying fine arts must choose a specific field of study for their major; the latter are frequently simply referred to as VPA (visual and performing arts) majors. Students may choose to switch their majors at a later date, although at times this is not feasible due to the IB Program's stringent course requirements. Students may choose classes regardless of their major; for example an IB major student might attend a music class, or a VPA major might attend an honors math class. However, certain classes are required. In order to graduate, students must all meet the standard curriculum set down by the Oklahoma City Public School board, and satisfy the requirements for their particular major. In addition, even though a VPA major might take IB courses they cannot test for the IB Diploma in high school.
As the IB Program only covers grades 11-12, IB majors in grades 6-10 are considered "pre-IB" and attend honors classes to prepare them for the IB Program. All of the Classen VPA Programs have won many awards, including the Theatre Department, which has won the Oklahoma State One-Act Play Contest for five years in a row. The Classen SAS Concert and Jazz band have both won OSSAA superior honors as well. The Debate program (a part of the drama department)has won many state and regional tournaments, sweeping 1st, second, and 3rd in most of them.
Available majors
- Dance
- Dramatic Arts/Technical Theater
- Guitar
- IB Program
- Instrumental Music
- Piano
- Strings
- Visual Arts
- Vocal Music
- Band
Extracurricular activities
Classen SAS fields teams in Oklahoma Secondary School Activities AssociationOklahoma Secondary School Activities Association
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association , is an organization which organizes secondary school activities at the state level, such as sports, speech tournaments, and music competitions. Derald Glover is its president. The OSSAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School...
-sanctioned competition in basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and volleyball. Football and track are offered cooperatively with U. S. Grant High School
U. S. Grant High School
For the Ulysses S. Grant High School in Valley Glen, California see Grant High School .-History:In 1953, the Oklahoma City Public Schools opened U. S. Grant High School, which became the third high school for south Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.During its early years, it was both a junior and senior high...
; baseball, with Northeast Academy for Health Sciences and Engineering.
Clubs and organizations at the school include Ambassador Corp, Asian Club, Builders Club, Cheerleaders, Christian Club, Earth Club, French Club, German American Partnership Program (GAPP), German Club, Key Club
Key Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
, Latino Club, Mediterranean Club, Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
, National Art Honor Society
National Art Honor Society
The National Art Honor Society was established in 1978 in the United States by the National Art Education Association for high school students grades 10-12, for "the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art" from the National Art Honor Society...
, National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, Native American Club, Orchestra, POM, Drumline, Math Counts, Science Club, Spanish Club, Student Council, Theatre, Visual Arts Club, Young Astronauts
Young Astronaut Council
The Young Astronaut Council was established by the White House in 1984 in an effort to promote greater proficiency and interest in science, math and technology using space as the underlying theme. Since then, tens of thousands of Young Astronaut Chapters have been formed in every state and around...
, UFO, Young Democrats, Latin club, and Young Libertarians.
Classen High School
- Admiral William J. CroweWilliam J. CroweAdmiral William James Crowe, Jr. was a United States Navy Admiral who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Bill Clinton.-Biography:Crowe was born in La Grange, Kentucky...
, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1985–1989. - Claude Weaver III, World War II ace
- David Hall-former Gov. of Oklahoma
- Dale Robertson-movie and television actor
- Henry Iba- prolific former basketball coach, and player at Classen High School (before it was called Classen SAS) and later at Oklahoma State University,
- Van Heflin-Actor
- Wayne CoyneWayne CoyneWayne Michael Coyne is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
, guitarist, lead singer and songwriter of rock band The Flaming LipsThe Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
Classen School of Advanced Studies
- Thaddeus Johnson, Hollywood Hopeful on the 9th season of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...