CityView highlights competency-based program and college-credit partnership

CityView Community High School described its competency-based, project-based program and a partnership with Kirkwood Community College that allows students to earn college credit while still in high school, a school representative said in a recorded presentation.

The school representative said the small learning community personalizes instruction and supports hands-on projects aimed at career readiness. "Welcome to City View Community High School, where innovation meets learning and students take charge of their futures," the school representative said. The presentation included student and parent testimonials about changes in confidence and opportunities resulting from attendance.

CityView framed its curriculum as competency based and project driven, saying students "can master the skills they need in a hands on and project based way." The school representative said students also have access to athletics, clubs and fine arts, and that a partnership with Kirkwood Community College gives some students the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school.

A student who identified herself as a CityView attendee described the school space as more relaxed and professional than a traditional classroom and said the environment helped her pursue opportunities outside her comfort zone. "I chose CityView High School because I wanted to just expand my horizons and do something different," the student said. She said CityView had prepared her to apply to a boarding school program in Norway that combines sailing and academic coursework: "So next year, I am going to a boarding school in Norway ... we're sailing to multiple different countries during the school year while learning marine time training and doing our schoolwork." The student also said she is considering applying to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

A parent who spoke in the recording described a change in her child, saying the student had "blossomed" and that CityView altered her daughter's trajectory. Another speaker described the student as a "nontraditional learner" who had previously resisted traditional school routines but became more engaged at CityView.

The presentation invited prospective students and families to apply or schedule a visit to learn more about the program.

Additional details mentioned in the recording—including which courses carry college credit, the number of credits available, admission criteria for the partner college courses, and whether CityView is part of a particular district—were not specified in the presentation.