North High has an incredibly robust variety of courses we offer to our students, including 50 Honors, Advanced Placement, and Concurrent Enrollment options. We are relentless in making sure our students’ schedules include classes they are challenged by and passionate about. We encourage you to view Courses Offered 2024-2025 to see North High’s current offerings.
All students at North will take 4 years of math, 4 years of English/Literature, 3 years of science, 3 years of social studies, one additional year of science or social studies, two years of a foreign language and one year each of P.E. and fine art.
In addition to these core subject areas, North offers an incredibly robust and diverse selection of elective courses. Students needing additional support in their literacy and math skills will take smaller, highly focused reading and/or math intervention classes in addition to their English and math courses.
North’s Counseling Department takes the time to build schedules for students full of courses that they find challenging, interesting and allow them to dive deep into their areas of interest.
Incoming 9th graders select their courses in April/May of their 8th grade year.
Parents/Guardians of incoming 9th graders will have several opportunities to review student course selections and make any updates.
Incoming 9th graders will be invited with their parents to an orientation event in April or early May to select courses.
In the meantime, we encourage you to view Courses Offered 2024-2025 to see North High’s offerings. 9th grade students typically take 4 core academic courses (English, Science, Math, Social Studies), an integrated Physical Education and Health course (1 semester), a Freshmen Seminar course (1 semester) and two electives of their choice.
Current North High students select their courses for the following year in early March in their Advisory class. Because these decisions will impact their options following graduation, we highly encourage families and mentors to support students in this process. Students have already met with their Advisory mentors and counselors to understand the DPS and North High graduation requirements.
North prides itself on ensuring every student is college and career ready upon graduation. We offer 50 rigorous academic Advanced Placement, Honors and Concurrent Enrollment classes, plus a multitude of elective options in world languages, technology, art, music, drama, and physical education.
North High School’s Honors, Concurrent Enrollment, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are rigorous choices that strengthen students’ transcripts for college applications and can provide college credit.
The Honors program prepares students to take Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment classes. Deeper content exploration, rigorous expectations and like-minded classmates characterize Honors classes. Please view Courses Offered 2024-2025 to see Honors options.
Some classes offer Embedded Honors: Students will not have a separate class but work will be differentiated within the course for students depending on if they want to earn regular or honors credit. Students in these courses will decide during the first two weeks of the semester which version of the course they will work throughout the year. This will ensure that ALL students are able to access honors-level course work.
Advanced Placement classes are challenging college-level courses offered in high school. Each AP course is developed by a committee composed of college faculty and AP teachers, and covers the breadth of information, skills, and assignments found in the corresponding college course. AP courses are taught by highly qualified high school teachers. North offers 12 AP classes in 2024-25.
The AP Exams are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of college-level work in a given discipline in a secondary school setting. Rigorously developed by committees of college and AP high school faculty, the AP Exams test students’ ability to perform at a college level. Most four-year colleges in the United States and colleges in more than 60 other countries give students credit, advanced placement in college courses, or both on the basis of AP Exam scores.
North offers concurrent enrollment classes to help students earn college credit while attending North. North partners with Metro State University, Community College of Denver, Western Colorado University, and University of Colorado Denver – CU Succeed in offering college courses to our students. North also offers concurrent enrollment at CEC Middle College and Emily Griffith Technical College. Watch a video about concurrent enrollment at Emily Griffith Technical College.
Students are able to take college classes and earn college credit while still in high school, all paid for by Denver Public Schools.
Under the provisions of the Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act, college-ready students at any grade may take courses through post-secondary institutions and apply credit earned toward high school graduation as well as receive college credit.
Denver Public Schools will pay the tuition for up to two courses per academic term. Costs for books, fees, and transportation will not be paid. If a student fails the course(s), he or she or his or her parent/guardian will be required to reimburse the district for the cost of tuition.
Students interested in Concurrent Enrollment must see their school counselor for paperwork and information regarding the enrollment process. Students must begin the process at least 60 days prior to the term in which they wish to take classes. Denver Public Schools covers the tuition costs of these courses.
Please view Courses Offered 2024-2025 to see Concurrent Enrollment options available on campus at North High.
The ASCENT or College First Program allows students who meet the specifications to take a full year of tuition-free college credit the year following their senior high school year. Students must submit an Intent to Participate application to their counselor during registration of their senior year and have completed 12 college credit hours by the end of their senior year. Approved students can remain enrolled in high school their 5th year, but attend full time at the college.