Sonoran Science Academy (SSA) is a tuition-free public charter school in Arizona. SSA, a college preparatory school, emphasizes math, science, and computer science, while providing solid liberal arts foundation for their students.
Founders of Sonoran Science Academy fundamentally believe that excelling in math and science prepares youth to succeed in college, the workplace, and the 21st century. SSA’s vision is to enable students to succeed in school and have options to enter math, science and engineering careers, and also be able to compete with their international peers both in the classroom and in their jobs.
The attainment of a vital math, science and liberal arts education is fundamental to students at Sonoran Science Academy. Our goal is to prepare well-rounded students with an understanding of cultural values and global communities, while fostering a love for learning and independent thinking. Student progress is assessed on various levels, from regular teacher assessments to the state mandated tests. Our curriculum is aligned with the standards and objectives of the Arizona State standards. All high school and middle school academic classes have cumulative final exams at the end of each semester. Scores from the MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress), Stanford 9, and/or TerraNova are used as a resource to uncover any obvious and immediate problems students may have with certain subjects. In addition, the test results are analyzed, and new strategies are defined and used in the planning of the following year. Accordingly, adjustments are made in curriculum, materials, and teaching techniques. Data can also be disaggregated by class to pinpoint areas of concern for each teacher. The administration accordingly plans for teacher trainings within the school while also exploring professional development opportunities in the educational community.
In addition to standardized tests, SSA gives each entering student a placement test in math, language usage and critical reading to place them into classes with corresponding academic rigor. Thus, skill-level education with coherent individualized academics is emphasized. SSA heavily promotes student excellence in all core subjects.
Above all, SSA takes pride in its enrichment activities such as Olympiads programs. Our math, science and computer Olympiad teams compete not only at local, but at state and international-level competitions. Our students have numerously represented the state of Arizona in national MathCounts competitions.