Academics

The unique academic program at CTA is a highly successful, goal-oriented system which sets standards that students must meet in order to graduate, thus placing responsibility for learning and progress on each student. By means of this system, students gain confidence in dealing more capably with future challenges.

The average class size of six to eight students permits the teacher to become familiar with the abilities of each student. Effort is made to encourage students to perform at appropriate levels with respect to their capabilities, which allows teachers to recognize individual strengths and weaknesses.

CTA is unique in great part due to a special bond that inherently develops between student and teacher. The faculty and staff are selected from numerous backgrounds and academic interests and are expected to be role models, exposing students to a variety of instructional approaches and recreational interests. In addition, many excellent teachers, writers and artists live in the Durango area. They are often invited to be guest speakers and teachers at CTA.

Students who gravitate to CTA also come from varied backgrounds. Some attend CTA because they have encountered problems in past academic or social settings. Some have minor learning differences. Others come simply because they are seeking an educational experience not attainable elsewhere. The type of student who has the best experience at CTA is one who freely chooses to attend and commit to the community, fully participating both academically, socially and in outdoor activities. Although the program at CTA is college-oriented, an equally sound academic curriculum is provided for those students who do not choose to attend college.