In high school, students explore new ideas, develop additional interests, build relationships, and pursue their goals. CBE secondary schools work with and with community partners to give students more flexibility in accessing a wide variety of programs, courses and learning experiences.
High School Information Guide
Academic Enrichment Program
All CBE traditional high schools offer AP or IB programming. Please check with the high school you are applying to see if their program meets your needs.
- Advanced Placement (AP) | | Students on AP® can earn advanced credits or advanced status at thousands of colleges and universities.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) | Use Grades 11 and 12 for
intensive university preparation and receive one year of academic credit upon admission to the University of Calgary (for IB Diploma students).
Arts Program
- Arts Centered Learning (ACL) | students develop knowledge and understanding in a variety of topics and disciplines using arts-focused inquiry. This program will no longer be offered in SMA starting September 2022.
Location | James Fowler High School and Lord Beaverbrook High School
- Performance and Fine Arts Program | students develop skills, deepen knowledge, and find their own voice through enriched experiences in one of the following disciplines:
- Dance
- Music | Band, Choral or strings
- Theater Arts
- Visual Arts/Advanced Placement Studio Arts
- Fashion design
- Media Design Arts
Location | Memorial Central High School
Unique Setting
- Alternative High School | provide a highly personalized and democratic learning environment for academically able students who do not experience success in designated high schools or junior high schools.
- CBe-learn | offers a variety
online course. - Finding Options | A
Outreach Program where students work closely with their teachers, in a setting outside of a traditional high school, to set flexible schedules to achieve their educational goals. Students can also access personal and career counseling, conflict resolution, anger management techniques, time management and study skills, parenting skills and learning strategies. There are four Discovering Choices locations in Calgary. - Jack James High School | a personalized and state-of-the-art learning community that emphasizes engaging, hands-on and practical opportunities. Provide extensive support for students as they transition into the workplace or post-secondary. Students are provided with a flexible learning environment that includes Knowledge and Employability (K&E) courses that integrate essential employability skills while supporting student success and achievement. It is the school of choice for students across the city.
- Louise Dean School | pregnant and caring adolescents receive a special Grades 9 – 12 education program that offers a flexible schedule for maternity leave, counseling or lifestyle challenges.
Chinook Learning Services
Chinook Learning Services is the direct provider of High School Improvement and Completion of the Calgary Board of Education. Students come to Chinook to:
- Complete a high school diploma.
- Iimprove competitive averages and/or deepen curricular understanding as a bridge to post-secondary.
- Upgrade to a higher academic stream.
- Learn in an inclusive adult environment.
Students who are still eligible to attend their home high school are not permitted to apply to Chinook Learning Services for the Fall or Winter semester. Daytime courses are available to students aged 19 and younger starting September 1 of the current school year. Evening courses are open to all adult learners.
Explore Career Possibilities
- Career and Technology Studies | Students develop skills that can be applied in their lives and potentially for future careers. They can also explore and learn about areas of interest. CTS courses are offered at all CBE secondary schools. However, different high schools offer different courses.
- CBE students can also take courses at the Career and Technology Center at Lord Shaughnessy High School.
- Unique Paths and Off-Campus Education | CBE partners with post-secondary institutions, industry partners and community organizations to offer a variety of unique opportunities for students. These range from practical, hands-on learning experiences in the Exploration program to Dual Credit courses and programs that allow students to participate in post-secondary learning with support from supervising CBE teachers. These programs allow students to complete high school on their own terms, and prepare students for future success by easing the transition to post-secondary learning and/or the workplace.
Resources to Assist You in Career Planning
- myBlueprint – Interactive education, career, path and life planner (7-12). This tool can help students explore and build their secondary school course plans and inform their course choices.
- Eyebrows – Alberta career, study and job information
- ALIS CAREERinsite – The complete guide to career planning for Alberta residents. Create your career plan, familiarize yourself with quizzes and exercises, explore options, prepare and take action.
- Calgary Public Libraries – Jobs & Career Accelerator Library Card Required. Interactive career job selection and search systems, including: job profiles, resume creation, cover letter writing, interviewing skills, and more.