Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a coed tuition-free charter school founded in 2006 and opened its doors in 2008. CCPS serves nearly 800 students chosen through a random admission lottery in grades 6-12. Students come from across Albuquerque and its surrounding communities. The Albuquerque metropolitan area has a population of 940,000 across four counties. Today, Albuquerque remains a cultural crossroads with a unique multicultural history and heritage. Native American, Spanish and Mexican traditions are a part of everyday life making it the epicenter of Southwestern art and culture.
The class of 2024 has 69 students. The academic program is organized on a block schedule. Seven credits per academic year is the maximum course load; students attend all seven classes three times a week for a total of 6 hours and 53 minutes of instruction per class.
Following the Paideia principles and pedagogy, Cottonwood offers the pre -university International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program to juniors and seniors. Our guiding principle is for students to become life-long learners who actively engage in the curriculum through project-based learning and Socratic seminars. The Cottonwood experience is infused with critical thinking, thoughtful discourse, and collaboration.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1 in grades 11 & 12, and 24:1 in grades 6-10. Class size is mandated by the school’s charter to remain below the state average. Cottonwood received the designation of “Spotlight” school from the New Mexico Public Education Department in 2022 for being in the top 25% of high schools in New Mexico. We are currently rated as the #3 Best Charter High School in New Mexico by niche.com , #1 in Albuquerque Public Schools High Schools, and #2 in New Mexico rankings according to U.S. News and World Report.
Accreditation
Cottonwood Classical is accredited and in good standing with Cognia, formerly AdvancEd, and the New Mexico Public Eduction Department. We are an authorized International Baccalaureate World School.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
We require all juniors and seniors to complete the IB Diploma Program, including the IB Core consisting of the Extended Essay, CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), and TOK (Theory of Knowledge). All students are expected to test a minimum of one completed course.
Of the 66 students in the class of 2023, 44 completed 3 or more IB exams. In total, the class of 2023 took 249 exams; 204 scored at 4 or higher. Twenty-four students aimed to achieve the full diploma and 21 succeeded. The IB Diploma pass rate for the class of 2023 is 88%. Forty-seven seniors in the class of 2024 took IB exams as juniors. Students have the option to test in up to two 1-year SL courses as juniors. 13 took the Psychology SL exam and all 13 scored a 4 or higher. 12 took the History SL exam and 10 scored 4 or above. 7 took the Math AA SL exam and 6 scored 4 or above, and 29 took the Environmental Systems and Societies SL exam and 12 scored 4 or higher.
Our IB Curriculum consists of these courses: (24 total including Core)
Group 1: English A1- English Literature HL
Group 2: Languages B- Spanish SL/HL; French ab initio SL
Group 3: Individuals & Societies- Environmental Systems and Societies SL; Psychology SL/HL; World History SL; History of the Americas HL; Philosophy SL/HL
Group 4: Experimental Sciences- Environmental Systems and Societies SL; Physics SL/HL; Biology SL/HL; Chemistry SL
Group 5: Mathematics- AA SL/HL; AI SL
Group 6: The Arts & Electives- Visual Arts SL/HL; Theater SL/HL
IB Core: Theory of Knowledge; Creativity, Activity, Service; Extended Essay
*SL= Standard Level (up to 150 teaching hours) HL=Higher Level (240 teaching hours)
Graduation Requirements
27 credits are required for graduation, including four in English , four in Mathematics, four in Natural Sciences, three and one-half in Social Sciences (New Mexico, US, and World History, Government & Economics), four in Modern or Classical Languages, one in Physical Education, one-half in Health, four in Electives, and two in the IB Core (Theory of Knowledge/Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)/Extended Essay).
Transcripts
Cottonwood uses a semester schedule. Fall term grades are available mid-January; Spring term grades are available in late June. Grades are A-C, F (no D’s) with a minimum passing grade of 70. Standard courses are weighted on a 4.0 scale. IB standard level classes are weighted an additional .11 and higher level coursed are an additional .22 weight. The maximum grade point average for CCPS is 4.33. The highest GPA at the end of junior year for the class of 2024 was 4.24; the lowest was 1.7. The average cumulative GPA is 3.49.
Standardized Testing
It is rare for our students to test before the spring of junior year.
The class of 2024 is the second graduating class required to take the SAT per the state of New Mexico on a school day. All 69 current seniors took the SAT in April 2023.
SAT Mean Total Score: 1106
Mean ERW Score: 566
Mean Math Score: 540
National Honor Society (NHS)
Cottonwood Classical students can be nominated for NHS after the first semester of tenth grade; they are selected in accordance with NHS bylaws and corresponding grades, citizenship, and character. Students selected as members of the NHS must maintain a 3.5 GPA and complete at least one monthly service project in order to remain in NHS. 18 seniors are in good standing for NHS.
Co-Curricular Activities
Cottonwood offers 7 NMAA sanctioned sports- track & field, cross-country, volleyball, basketball, golf, diving, and swimming. Some students may compete in varsity athletics at their district high school. Popular student activities include Science Olympiad, Choir, Yearbook, Gender & Sexuality Alliance, Student Government, We The People, Model UN, Mock Trial, Speech & Debate, and Social Action Club.
Discipline Policy
Suspensions and minor disciplinary matters are not listed on the transcript. Cottonwood Classical does not report any change in enrollment status.
Affiliation
CCPS is a member of the Rocky Mountain and National Associations for College Admission Counseling. CCPS subscribes to the N.A.C.A.C. Code of Ethics and Professional Practices.
