SPCHS Program

Grades 10 – 12 
Starla Metz, Principal

A three-year curriculum allows serious students the opportunity to simultaneously complete the requirements for a high school diploma and varying credits of college course work toward an associate’s degree.  The educational programs are distinctive, not only for the melding of secondary and postsecondary curricula but also for the employment of various instructional strategies to accommodate different learning styles, the use of technology across the curriculum and the implementation of extensive group and individual counseling and mentoring.

St Petersburg Collegiate High School offers two program options, though both share a common goal, i.e. to provide an academic environment that ensures the completion of a high school diploma while enabling successful completion of college-level course work.

•  The College Preparatory Program which emphasizes instruction to prepare students to succeed in college-level courses,

and

• The Collegiate Program which combines high school and college courses of study in a configuration leading to an associate’s degree as well as completion of a high school diploma. 

Some students will graduate from St Petersburg Collegiate High School having completed college-level course work; others will graduate with an associate’s degree.

Each student attending St Petersburg Collegiate High School follows an individualized program designed cooperatively by school personnel and the student with input from parents.   

• The school has responsibility for providing instructional and ancillary support to ensure student success.  

• The student is responsible for fully using the opportunities provided. 

• The parents are responsible for providing a support system.

St Petersburg Collegiate High School serves students in grades 10 through 12.  The target population is high school students who:

• Demonstrate ability to perform at the college level

• Have a maturity level commensurate with college-level work

• Serious students committed to learning

• Self-directed and capable of independent study

• Possess the above traits but require skill development in the College Preparatory Program prior to entering the Collegiate Program

Staff members have collaborated to develop and implement strategies to achieve a racial and ethnic balance reflective of the community the school serves.  The school has met the optimum diversity requirement by incorporating the percentage of black students in the Pinellas County Schools’ middle school attendance area in which the school is located (20 – 23 percent).

A variety of instructional methods are used to deliver academic instruction in both programs, and selected services assist to develop a student’s talents based on individual achievement and ability level.  Instructional methods include: 

direct instruction
• collaborative learning
• integrated technical strategies including interactive computer-assisted instruction
• independent study
• performance assessment
• community service opportunities

Nontraditional delivery of curriculum content will be used as appropriate to meet a student’s academic needs, learning style, and academic objectives, e.g. online classes, directed independent studies.