Coram Deo Academy

Coram Deo Academy (CDA) is an accredited, private, non-denominational Christian day school serving Christian families at three locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.[1]

Coram Deo Academy
Information
School typePrivate, Classical Christian school, University-model
Religious affiliation(s)Christian
Established1999
PresidentDr. Alan Marshall
DeanMr. Toby Oaks
Head of schoolMrs. Polly Dwyer (Flower Mound)

Dr. Robert Armstrong (Collin County)

Rev. Jon Jordan (Dallas)
GradesPreK-12
Enrollment1316 (2018-19)
Websitehttp://coramdeoacademy.org

Structure

Coram Deo Academy is a Christian University-Model® school. Students attend the school two or three days of the week, and complete their studies under the tutelage of their parents the remaining days of the week. For instance, students may go to school on Mondays and Wednesdays and work at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, students participate in science labs and electives, in addition to House activities for High School.[2]

Academics

Coram Deo emphasizes Christianity and subjects from classical education, such as Latin, Greek, and Logic. The Christian religion is integrated into various subjects at Coram Deo. Students also take Bible classes, such as Theology I and II in Upper School.[2][3] At Coram Deo Academy, professional educators integrate a biblical worldview into all subjects. The goal of classical education is a life of wisdom and virtue, a goal perfectly realized only in the life of Jesus Christ.


Classical education focuses on the seven liberal arts:

The Trivium

1. Grammar (reading, writing, and speaking well)

2. Logic (thinking well)

3. Rhetoric (eloquence of writing and speech)

The Quadrivium

4. Arithmetic (pure numbers)

5. Geometry (numbers in space)

6. Music (numbers in time)

7. Astronomy (numbers in space and time)


95% of all high school students at Coram Deo Academy score higher than the national average on the SAT. Additionally, almost 100% attend college. The graduating class of 2020 received over $11 million in scholarships, with 90% of the class being offered a scholarship from higher education institutions. Since 2014, Coram Deo Academy has had 8 National Merit Finalists, 20 Commended Scholars, and 11 Hispanic Scholars.

Entrance Requirements

To gain admittance, all prospective students are required to score well on entrance testing. Prospective students must also submit their academic records from the school they are transferring from. Additionally, every prospective student and their legal guardians must confess that their beliefs are in accord with the Nicene Creed and provide a pastoral reference.[4]

Faculty and Staff

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of the teachers have a graduate degree, while fifty-eight percent (58%) of the teaching staff have graduate degrees or ten plus years of teaching experience.

University Schedule

Coram Deo Academy employs a university schedule system, so classes are scheduled two days per week, with the remaining days set aside for homework and electives. Students may take electives on campus each Friday. In 2006, a five-day program for grades 5-12 was implemented to assist parents who needed an additional option for educating their children in the classical Christian worldview. This five-day-a-week program complements the three-day program, which includes electives.

Curriculum

Coram Deo Academy's curriculum is modeled after the classical trivium. It is composed of three stages of learning: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.[1] In Grammar School, the first stage, students are given a foundation of basic knowledge through joyful memorization and repetition in grades K-4. Following Grammar School is the Logic stage. In grades five-eight, teachers concentrate on developing the students' mind through questions such as "how" and "why", though the fundamentals of the previous stage are still largely incorporated. Finally, in the Rhetoric stage, which encompasses grades nine-twelve, students utilize the ideas and concepts developed in the Logic stage and established from the Grammar stage. Students at the Rhetoric Stage begin to polish their speaking skills through debating and speaking and delve further into advanced math, science, theology, and literature classes.

Campuses

Coram Deo Academy has a preK-12 campus in Flower Mound, including Grammar School (Elementary, grades K-4),[5] Logic School (Middle, grades 5-8),[6] and high school (grades 9-12).[7] The Coram Deo administrative offices are on the Flower Mound campus.[8] This has remained the main campus since it was established in 1999.

The Collin County campus is located at 9645 Independence Pkwy, Plano, TX 75025[9] (previously The One Church and Four Corners Church) facility in Plano, Texas.[10] It opened as the Coram Deo Academy of North Dallas in August 2004 in a building in Carrollton.[10][11] During the first year, it offered grades K-8. Each subsequent year it planned to add a grade to cover high school.[11] In 2009 the high school was added.[10]

The Dallas campus opened in 2006, offering grades PreK-8. The Dallas campus will launch a Rhetoric School by offering 9th grade in the 2020-21 school year.[12]

Student Body

Athletics

Coram Deo Academy offers a wide variety of sports from which a student may choose, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, track, volleyball, softball, golf, and cross country. In 2006, the academy was accepted into the TAPPS 3A conference and regularly competes with other teams in the state of Texas. Currently, Coram Deo Academy has nine varsity and seven junior varsity teams.

The Coram Deo football team won its state conference in 2006 and the tennis team placed third at a state competition as well. In 2011 the Junior High soccer team was 11-3, its best. In 2012, The Varsity Lady Lions Volleyball placed in the State Final with Coach Ed Chen winning Coach of the Year.

The track & field team has seen several TAPPS 3A state champions over the years—2008 (men's 800m), 2010 (women's 400m), 2013 (women's 800m and 1600m) and 2014 (women's 800m and 1600m). A member of the 2013 cross country team had the fastest time at the state meet, winning the gold in the TAPPS 3A women's state championship race.

Electives & Fine Arts

A robust elective program complements the core academic learning and provides opportunities for students to compete in their area of choice. CDA offers programs such as band, choir, guitar, visual art, speech and debate, drama, and foreign languages.

Band:

Texas Private School Music Educators Association All State Band:  Band students have auditioned and made the TPSMEA All State Band since 2008. Jazz Band students have auditioned and made the TPSMEA All State Jazz Band since 2013.  Over the past 5 years, CDA has had an average of 10 band students make the All State ensembles per year.

Texas Private School Music Educators Association Solo and Ensemble Contest:  Band Students have participated in TPSMEA Solo and Ensemble Contest since 2007.  Over the past 5 years, CDA has had an average of 15 soloists and 10 small ensembles advance to State Solo and Ensemble Contest.

Texas Private School Music Educators Association Concert and Sight-Reading Contest:  The Symphonic Band has participated in the Concert and Sight-Reading Contest since 2012.  They have earned the Sweepstakes Award 7 of those years.  Contest was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID-19.

Choir:

Texas Private School Music Educators Association All State Choir:  Choir students have auditioned for the All State Choir since 2013.  On average, 1-2 make the All State Choir each year.

Texas Private School Music Educators Association Solo and Ensemble Contest:  Choir students have participated in the Solo and Ensemble Contest since 2012. In the 2019-20 school year, 4 students qualified for State as a soloist and 36 students qualified for State in their ensembles.

Texas Private School Music Educators Association Concert and Sight-Reading Contest: The CDA Choir has participated in the Concert and Sight-Reading Contest since 2019.  They received the Sweepstakes Award their first year, and they were not able to participate in 2020 because of COVID-19.

The House System

Coram Deo implemented a type of student government known as the House System in Autumn of 2007. Students participate in the Coram Deo Academy House System with multiple opportunities for leadership, self-governance, honor and spirit, and community service. There are four Houses in Flower Mound and three Houses in Collin County.[13] Every high school student that is enrolled at Coram Deo is put into a house. They will always be a part of that house for their duration of time attending Coram Deo.

Notable alumni
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References
  1. "Curriculum & Academics". www.coramdeoacademy.org. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  2. Hughes, Kristine. "School offers new twist on classical education." The Dallas Morning News. Monday June 12, 2006. Retrieved on October 12, 2011.
  3. "Theology". www.coramdeoacademy.org. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  4. "High School Admissions". www.coramdeoacademy.org. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  5. "Grammar School Profile Archived 2011-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. "Located at 4900 Wichita Trail, Flower Mound, TX"
  6. "Logic School Profile Archived 2011-11-07 at the Wayback Machine." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. "Located at 4900 Wichita Trail, Flower Mound, TX"
  7. "High School Profile Archived 2011-10-24 at the Wayback Machine." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011.
  8. "Contact Us Archived 2011-11-04 at the Wayback Machine." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. "Location: 4700 Wichita Trail, Flower Mound, TX 7022"
  9. "coram deo academy maps - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  10. "Collin County Campus Archived 2011-10-24 at the Wayback Machine." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. "Located at One Church- 2400 State Highway 121, Plano, TX"
  11. "Coram Deo Academy of North Dallas." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. "2435 E. Hebron Pkwy. Carrollton, TX 75007"
  12. "Dallas Campus Archived 2011-10-06 at the Wayback Machine." Coram Deo Academy. Retrieved on October 12, 2011. "6464 East Lovers Lane, Dallas TX"
  13. "House System". www.coramdeoacademy.org. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  14. "A Dream Come True For Tight End James Hanna". Retrieved February 19, 2018.

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