Becoming an Edge Student
-
When can I enroll?
Edge High School enrolls students on ongoing basis throughout the year. There is no need to wait until the end of a month or the end of a quarter. Simply completed a registration packet and start the next school day!
-
What do I need to enroll?
All you need to do is complete a registration packet [link to PDF] and you can start the very next school day! Parent or guardian signatures are required in the registration packet for students under the age of 18 years old. After enrolling you will be asked to provide, transcripts and withdrawal forms, immunization records, some form of proof of residency, test scores, and disciplinary records.
Students and families are encouraged to donate supplies and pay a student ID fee. Supplies and student ID fee are voluntary.
-
What time is school?
Edge High School offers both a morning and afternoon session at each of its campuses. The start times for each campus are as follows:
-
When can I graduate?
When you graduate is dependent upon how many credits you enroll with and how hard and how much time you are willing to work on your studies during and outside of the school day. Upon enrollment a counselor will sit with you and review your transcript and engage you in a discussion about your graduation goals. Together you will work out a plan for what courses you should complete each quarter.
Your teachers will work with you to set a deadline for you to complete the course and set weekly and sometimes even daily goals to help you meet your course due date. Your job is to come to school daily and use your class time efficiently. In general students should be able to complete a course at Edge within 6-9 weeks. Students have the option of working on coursework outside of the school day and may come into school early or stay late to get more 1on1 help from teachers. The more dedicated a student is to working on course work at home in addition to at school the more likely they are to complete courses in six weeks or less.
-
How many classes will I take?
Students at Edge are generally assigned 3 academic core classes at time. This usually consists of 1 math course, 1 English course, and either 1 science or social studies course. In addition to core academic classes students are also assigned two elective classes. Each elective class meets two days a week.
-
Is school year round?
Both Edge campuses operate on an August-May calendar that closely mirrors calendars of local traditional schools.
Edge offers summer school options for students wishing to continue their learning over the summer.
-
I have a job; can I still go to school?
Edge offers a shorter school day compared to traditional high schools and offers both a morning and afternoon session allowing you the opportunity to find success both at school and at work!
-
Do I have a different teacher for each subject?
At Edge you will have a different teacher and classroom for each core subject. Our teachers are highly qualified in the subjects they teach.
-
Does Edge give real diplomas?
Graduating from Edge High School will earn you the same diploma you would get from a traditional high school. Edge is accredited through Cognia, which means credit earned at Edge is transferrable to any high school or college in the country!
-
Do you have extracurricular sports and activities?
Edge offers a variety of extracurricular club and activities depending on student interest. Past athletic options include basketball, boys and girls volleyball, and flag. Offerings vary year to year. You do not have to have prior experience with any of the sports in order to participate.
Edge also offers an array of after school clubs to engage students. These clubs include: Art Club, Student Council, Book Club, and student leadership clubs. Have a club idea that’s not on the list? Let us know and we might be able to start a club that interests you!
-
Do you offer transportation?
Edge provides Sun Tran bus passes to students who qualify for Sun Tran’s SunGo ID & Card.
-
What is the attendance policy?
Attendance is imperative to learning and completing courses in Edge’s self-paced model. Students are expected to attend school every day except in the case of illness or true emergency.
Edge attendance policy states that a student cannot miss more than 9 classes in any one class period during a quarter. Tardies in excess of 10 minutes require making up time during the school week.
Continued chronic attendance problems may result in higher level interventions.
-
How do I contact the school?
You can contact the school via phone at the following numbers:
520-881-1389 for Edge Himmel Park and 520-877-9179 for Edge Northwest
You may also reach out to our social media feed on Facebook/Twitter: @edgehsaz
-
How do I earn credit?
Unlike at traditional school you do not half to wait until the end of a quarter or semester in order to earn credit. At Edge, students earn credit when they finish all the assignments on their syllabus with at least a 70% or higher on each assignment. Most students are able to complete courses within 8-10 weeks. Implementing strategies like working on school work at home and participating in before or after school tutoring will both help you in your learning and in completing courses in a timely manner.
-
Will I receive more help than in my previous school?
Edge High School’s instructional model was designed to ensure that all students receive 1on1 instruction every day. In doing so, our teachers are able to check for student understanding each class and make adjustments to their instruction and support immediately. Edge students often report that they receive much more 1on1 instruction and support than in traditional schools they have attended.
-
I have an IEP, do you have services for my need?
By law schools are required to provide services to students with IEP’s. Each Edge campus has dedicated special education teachers and paraprofessionals to help meet a student’s needs.
-
How can I get caught up on credits or get ahead?
There are several strategies a student can implement to help them catch up on credits or get ahead.
These strategies include:
- Managing your time in class well and avoiding distractions
- Asking your teacher for help daily
- Spend extra time at school to work on your course work
- Take course work home to accelerate your learning
- Participate in before and after school tutoring
-
Are there fieldtrips?
Edge does facilitate numerous field trips throughout the year. Recent field trips have included:
- Mount Lemmon Sky School
- UofA Tree Ring lab
- Local theater productions
- Southern Arizona Construction Career Days
- Tours of college campuses
In addition, once a year all Edge students and faculty participate in a Day of Service where Edge stakeholders volunteer their time and effort at a variety of local non-profit agencies to support them in their missions to solve community problems.
-
Do you have counselors? What support do they offer?
Part of the value of attending Edge High School is access to our strong counseling component. Our counselors will not only help you create a graduation plan and plan for the next phase of your life, but they also work with students to develop coping skills to better equip them to manage all the many obstacles life may bring. We have licensed social workers on staff to help troubleshoot any issues that may prevent a student from being able to focus on school work. We partner with several local behavioral health agencies including Casa De Los Ninos and Pathways who provide counseling and support services to students outside their school day.
-
What school district is Edge part of?
Edge is not part of any traditional Tucson school district. Edge High School is a non-profit public charter school. Anyone can attend and you do not need to live near an Edge campus to attend.
-
What is a charter school?
Charter schools are public schools just like traditional schools. This means that anyone can attend, they are tuition free, and receive funding from the state in order to operate. Charter schools were created with the intent of creating pathways for innovation while still maintaining accountability.
Charter schools report to and our accountable to the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.
Charter schools are schools that have a charter (contract) with the state of Arizona to improve student achievement.
-
How long has Edge been a school?
Edge High School is one of the oldest charter schools in the state and the oldest in Pima County. Edge High School received its charter school status in 1995, shortly after the state passed the charter school legislation. Edge actually existed as early as 1985 as a county run and grant funded credit recovery program.
-
How did Edge get its name?
EDGE is actually an acronym that stands for Educational Group Effort, which represents our belief that a quality education in today’s society not only requires traditional partnerships between student, parents, and schools, but should include community leaders, businesses, local non-profit agencies, and neighborhoods.
-
What does it cost to attend Edge?
Edge is a public high school which means all students attend for free!