Introduction

Central Academy of Technology and Arts (CATA) is a public high school located in Monroe, North Carolina

Monroe, North Carolina

Monroe is a city in Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 36,397 as of the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Union County and is also part of the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Metropolitan area.-Geography:...

, and also Union County

Union County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 123,677 people, 43,390 households, and 34,278 families residing in the county. The population density was 194 people per square mile . There were 45,695 housing units at an average density of 72 per square mile...

's first magnet-based high school. Unlike regular public high schools, students at Central Academy have the opportunity to have a major course of study, or an academy of their choice that will give them a head start towards their future careers in life. The academies include Information Systems, Medical Sciences, Performing Arts, Pre-Engineering, Teacher Preparation, and Transportation Systems.

CATA is a part of Union County Public Schools, on Brewer Drive. The school was originally a career center, but now is a part of the Public school (US) system. The school was founded as a high school for grades 9-12 in 2006, with the first graduating class in 2009.

To attend this school you must apply and score above a level III on your 8th grade EOGs (North Carolina End of Grade Tests

North Carolina End of Grade Tests

The North Carolina End of Grade Tests are the standardized tests given to students in North Carolina grades 3-8. Beyond grade 8, there are End of Course Tests for students in grades 9 to 12....

) for English and Mathematics. Depending on the amount of people that apply for specific academies, you may have to be selected in a lottery for official entrance into the school.

Information Technology

The goal of Central Academy’s Information Systems program is to develop skills in specific areas of computer technology. Through in-depth study, a student will be able to leave high school with several IT certifications, such as A+, Network +, MCP, and/or MCAD. These courses are best suited to students who enjoy hands-on, but are very analytical thinkers.
Students will be able to expand their knowledge with each additional course, becoming extremely knowledgeable in all facets of computer networking or technical repair by the time of graduation.

Although these courses are "deep" in programming and computer logic, the solid preparation that will be offered will open the door for the graduates to achieve any IT career goal as the world relies heavily on computers to maintain and process data.

Advantages

The high school career to give yourself an edge when you enter college or further technical study. Central Academy will offer all the required subjects for any four-year university or two-year associate program. Advanced placement opportunities currently exist with the community college system based on maintaining a specific grade. Also, most of the high school IT courses carry honors credit which will boost your GPA if a 4-year university is your goal.

Primary Information Systems Courses
Grade 9: Fundamentals of IT is a sequential and discipline-based program that places emphasis on an overall understanding of the impact and uses of computers in our personal and professional lives. Students will explore careers, legal and ethical issues, web design, network systems and introduction to E-commerce. Powerpoint is used to present final E-commerce projects.

Grade 10: Computer Engineering and Repair is recommended for all Information Technology students. Whether striving for the A+ certification of service technicians demanded by the industry, or deciding to pursue how a computer is designed with all the integral parts, the course will place the networking students at an advantage in the professional world.

Grade 11/12: Students in the IT Academy will begin to specialize in either the hardware end of computers or Microsoft operations. CISCO CCNA prepares a student to install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for small networks. The student learns bridging/switching, network protocols, routing and LAN design. A second pathway will provide software certifications in Microsoft; obtaining MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) and MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer).

Medical Sciences

Is composed of three parts; Allied Health, Medical Sciences, and Biotechnology.

Medical Sciences Academy(all three)

The goal of the four-year program of study is to provide an overview of the many facets of the ever-emerging medical science field of technology. Students will be able to move from an introduction to the health care delivery system, its services, and wide variety of occupations, to a more specific career focus and specialization in the upper grade levels.
Students will select from one of three pathways in the Medical Science Academy (Medical Science, Allied Health Science or Biotechnology). Students who desire to pursue a more generic, overall exposure to multiple fields of medicine and career opportunities would select the Medical Science pathway. Teenagers who are specifically interested in Nursing would select the Allied Health Science program pathway. Any students that have interest in doing advanced research on medicine and biology would select the Biotechnology pathway. Many course offerings will overlap during the early high school years, with specialization occurring in the upper grade levels. Every opportunity will be made to accommodate exposure to a student’s primary area of future career study through internships and/or clinical situations.

Medical Science/Allied Health

College Advantage
Use your high school career to give yourself an edge when you enter college. By earning a “B” or better in select high school courses, along with a credible end-of-course test score, South Piedmont Community College will award Advanced Placement toward the similar college requirement. In addition to the current articulation agreement, Central Academy expects to offer several dual enrollment courses during the junior and senior years which will automatically count for college credit.
(The 2010-2011 school year will be the last year that the Allied Health will be an available choice to pick as a pathway. The people currently in the Allied health will continue on with the pathway till they graduate, but no new entries will be allowed from this point and the pathway will eventually be fazed out.)

Primary Medical Sciences Courses
Grade 9: Health Team Relations is an introductory course for all potential health care workers. Students explore assessments and scenarios that will help them perform and communicate effectively in a variety of health care situations. Professionalism, career opportunities, and quality in health care is stressed through the course.

Grade 10: Biomedical Technology provides an in-depth investigation into the 21st century world of medical and health care practices. Topics include the world of biomedical technology, present and evolving biomedical specialties, bio-ethics, forensics, and emerging health careers.

Grade 11: Students select either Medical Sciences I or Allied Health Sciences I. The Medical Sciences I course explores patient care through psychology, bioethical legal practices, body chemistry, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and the futuristic study of disease and disorders. Allied Health Sciences I explores the same topics as above, but delves into specific patient diseases, as well as related medical problems.

Grade 12: Medical Sciences II requires students to complete a 45-hour mentorship under the direction of an exemplary health care professional. This is the time to explore your own area of interest. Allied Health Sciences II requires a 90-hour clinical experience in an approved hospital or nursing home facility with direct patient care. Students in the Allied Health program may test for their Certified Nursing Assistant license prior to the end of their senior year.

Biotechnology

The goal of the four-year program of study is to provide an overview of the many facets of the ever-emerging medical science field of technology. Students will be able to move from an introduction to the health care delivery system, its services, and wide variety of occupations, to a more specific career focus and specialization in the upper grade levels.

Students will select the Biotechnology pathway in the Medical Science Academy. So just what is biotechnology? Biotechnology is the study of biological processes to solve problems and make products to cure diseases or promote good health. In other words, biotechnology is a collection of technologies using DNA and proteins to work for us. Many course offerings will overlap during the early high school years, with specialization occurring in the upper grade levels.

Students need to love science and be self-motivated to work in a scientific lab to solve problems. Every opportunity will be made to accommodate exposure to a student's primary area of future career study through internships and/or clinical situations.

College Advantage
Use your high school career to give yourself an edge when you enter college. By earning a “B” or better in select high school courses, along with a credible end-of-course test score, South Piedmont Community College will award Advanced Placement toward the similar college requirement. In addition to the current articulation agreement, Central Academy expects to offer several dual enrollment courses during the junior and senior years which will automatically count for college credit.

Primary Biotechnology Courses
Grade 9: Introduction to Biotechnology is the first course for all potential lab technicians. Students explore the principals of biotechnology to include the study of biological processes, cell structure and functions, proteins, and the basics of all living organisms.

Grade 10: Biotechnology I provides an in-depth investigation into the 21st century diseases and health concerns. Topics include the world of biotechnology, present and evolving biotechnology specialties, bio-ethics, forensics, and emerging world health concerns.

Grade 11: Biotechnology II will expand upon the lab focus of the 10th grade Biology and Biotechnology courses. Students will incorporate DNA fingerprinting, anatomy and physiology, and other high-level science courses into specific problem-solving scenarios within the Biotechnology lab. Students will become painfully aware that the essence of life requires in-depth study in a multitude of related course work. This program is all about the development of higher order thinking skills.

Grade 12: Advanced Studies is a culminating course for students who are career focused in the biotechnology arena. The many science courses that have been studied through their high school career will be used to develop a research paper, porfolio, and a presentation in an area of specific interest of the student.

Theater

Larry Robinson has been the director since the Central Academy of Technology and Arts started
as a school. Theatre is the most prestigious academy at CATA. Students spend a minimum of 4 hours each day in the theatre. Every tuesday is Stage Combat day, during which they learn stage combat. On Mondays they have vocal lessons for two hours, and spend their remaiming three hours reflecting upon what they have learned about their bodies and voices during their lessons and in the past week.

Pre-Engineering

The goal of the four-year program of study is to provide an overview of engineering and engineering technology. You will get to use your problem-solving skills to tackle real world engineering situations. Hands-on opportunities with computers and project simulations help you understand the technical concepts. Nationally supported by the Southern Region Education Board’s Project Lead the Way, the program affords students who complete the program the opportunity to use the strong partnerships developed between business and industry to move easily from high school to advanced levels of study or high-tech jobs.

Primary Engineering Courses
Grade 9: Introduction to Engineering Design emphasizes the development of design. Students use 3-D software to produce, analyze, and evaluate models of project solutions. You will study the design concepts of form and function, then use state-of-the-art technology to translate conceptual designs into reproducible products.

Grade 10: Computer-Integrated Manufacturing builds upon the solid modeling skills of grade nine by using the 3-D software to solve design problems. Students use CNC (Computer Numeric Control), CAM (Computer-aided Manufacturing), Robotics, and flexible manufacturing systems to design work cells and tabletop factories.

Grade 11: Digital Electronics introduces students to applied digital logic, a key element of careers in engineering. The course explores smart circuits and allows students to use software to test and analyze digital circuitry. Several topics are addressed to include analog and digital fundamentals; number systems and binary addition; logic gates and functions; Boolean algebra and circuit design; and decoders, multiplexers and de-multiplexers.

Principles of Engineering affords students an overview of engineers' contributions to society while gaining insight into the variety of careers. Students are exposed to problem-solving, various engineering systems, quality control and materials testing in engineering.

Grade 12: Engineering Design and Development lets students apply what they have learned as they complete challenging, self-directed projects. A panel of engineers, business leaders and educators are used for a professional review of each team’s project.

Clubs

There are many different clubs offered at Central Academy for students to participate in. Most may be beneficial for attaining scholarships.

Athletics

CATA is recognized for many different sports such as soccer, wrestling, track, swimming, tennis, and a few more that will be added to this list.

• Football
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Cross Country
• Track
• Wrestling
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Cheering
• Colour Guard
• Golf
• Marching Band

External links

• Union County Public Schools