Academics

Accreditation

St. Dominic Savio is accredited through the Texas Catholic Conference Accreditation Commission (TCCED) and Cognia. Accreditation requirements guide our school in many facets, including the requirement that the TEKS curriculum standards that have been identified by Texas Education Agency serve as the minimum foundation for our curriculum.  In addition, the National Common Core standards serve as a resource for our academic departments.  Honors and AP courses comply with the requirements of the College Board. Theology teachers follow Diocesan curriculum in course objectives, with information provided by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops serving as a resource. Teachers incorporate these curriculum guidelines and resources into course content and assessment.

Course of Study

St. Dominic Savio has only one course of study, college preparatory — and all students meet the qualifications for a distinguished diploma.  In order to provide a quality educational experience, the school provides a wide variety of academic courses that meet diverse student interests. Accelerated students may qualify for Pre-AP and AP courses in the subject areas of science, social science, English, mathematics, art, and/or computer science.  As students advance through their academic career, they can choose to concentrate on different areas of study, either in the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), Fine Arts, or the Humanities.  The different course offerings allow us to tailor our curriculum to the abilities and interests of our students.

Graduation Requirements

All students need 30 credits to graduate from St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School.  The courses required for graduation are:

English (4) credits  |  Fine Arts (1) credit  |  Servant Leader Seminar (1) credit  |  Mathematics  (4) credits  |  Physical Education (1) credit  |  Science (4) credits  |  Social Studies (4) credits  |  Theology (4) credits  |  World Languages (3) credits of the same language  |  Elective (4) credits

Electives

St. Dominic Savio offers a diverse array of electives in several different subject areas. These electives permit students to pursue specific interests in greater depth. Juniors and seniors are even able to collaborate with a faculty member to take an independent study course of their own design in a designated subject area. Find a complete list in the Course Guide. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT

St. Dominic Savio offers Advanced Placement (AP) classes in a variety of subjects.  The Advanced Placement program was first offered in the United States as a way to bring challenging courses into high schools.  These classes are introductory college-level courses that are taught by certified high school teachers whose curriculum has been approved by College Board.  All courses are followed by an examination in May.  Students who successfully pass the class and exam can receive college credit.  The AP Program is run by College Board, which is a non-profit membership organization representing more than 6,000 colleges, universities, and schools that are committed to excellence and equity in education.  Their mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Find out more about College Board.

To help prepare students for the rigors of AP classes, St. Dominic Savio offers Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) courses. Pre-AP courses prepare students for matriculation into AP courses and are required prior to placement in AP classes. In order to enroll in Pre-AP and AP courses, students must meet criteria that include test scores, grades, and teacher recommendations. AP classes at St. Dominic Savio are offered in a variety of subject areas including Math, English, Science, Social Science, Computer Science, World Language, and Studio Art. For more information on the different courses offered please see the Course Guide.

List of Pre-AP and AP Courses