PATHWAYS OVERVIEW
The Advanced Career Pathways enable Rising Tide students to pursue more specialized and rigorous coursework during their high school careers. Pathways are designed for successful academic students to concentrate in a particular area of study and to demonstrate achievement in the classroom to prospective colleges and employers. Completing electives and Advanced courses in their fields of interest prepare students to pursue relevant college and career opportunities.
Each Pathway helps to prepare high-achieving students for one of six career fields:
Life & Health Sciences
Engineering Sciences
Software & Web Development
Language & Communications
Arts & Performance
Politics & Society
These content areas draw from the Massachusetts College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) curriculum and as well as programs of study at Massachusetts public universities.
To complete a Pathway, students must take specific elective and Advanced courses and earn a grade of B- or better in each course. Electives offer students the first opportunity to complete pathway requirements starting in grades 9 and 10, and to explore different, often more niche, areas within their field of interest. Elective courses are open to all Upper School students, schedule permitting.
Advanced, college-level courses become available to students beginning in grade 11, and push students to engage with their field of interest in greater depth. All Advanced courses also offer opportunities to earn college credit, either through SNHU Dual Enrollment or the completion of an AP Exam. To be admitted to an Advanced course, a student must earn a grade of a B- or better in the preceding course of the same subject and gain approval from the relevant department.
Interested students declare their “intent” to complete a Pathway during the spring semester of grade 10 during the standard course selection process. Completion of a Pathway will be recognized on a student’s official Rising Tide transcript as well as with a certificate of completion.
