Academic Program
The Kimball Union curriculum includes four years of English; mathematics through multivariable calculus; classical civilization, world history, U.S. history; biology, chemistry, physics, environmental and marine sciences; language courses in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Latin, from beginning through Advanced Placement; and a three-tier computer science progression.
Electives are offered in history, English, math, and the sciences. There is an extensive arts program, with electives in music, theater, and the visual arts, including pottery and photography. 19 Advanced Placement courses are offered for qualified students in English, mathematics, sciences, history, studio art and art history, as well as all three languages taught at the academy.
Students must obtain a minimum of 19 credits for graduation (most four-year students complete 22 to 24 credits), including 4 credits of English, 3 of mathematics, 3 of history, 3 of a foreign language, 2 of science, and 1 of art. The normal academic load is five to six courses per tri-semester.
The average class size is 12 students; the student-faculty ratio of 6:1. During the evening study period, students study in their rooms under the supervision of faculty members and student proctors. The Freshman Orientation and Strategies Program is a required course that explores a variety of material throughout the first trimester including learning styles, technology and library resources, study skills and techniques and writing skill development. Freshmen are in specially supervised study halls; as students move up through the school they are progressively given more responsibility for the use of their own time.
Both the English and the language departments have peer tutoring labs. Writing across the curriculum is a school-wide initiative. There is an environmental science program, which includes classes at several levels, including AP, while also integrating environmental science into other disciplines through a shared philosophy about the importance of the environment. A 750-acre (3.0 km2) tract of nearby mountain land provides an environmental ‘‘classroom.’’
Technology at KUA includes the use of SMART Boards in every classroom and the KUA 1-to-1 Laptop Program that puts a laptop in every student’s hands.
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