Scottsdale Unified School District officials plan to establish a math and science academy for high school students at the Copper Ridge campus. The Copper Ridge Math and Science Academy would offer four years of advanced science and math courses to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Janey Kaufman, district curriculum coordinator, told the East Valley Tribune that many classes would be Advanced Placement and students would be able to take the Advanced Placement biology exam by the end of their sophomore year.
The district plans to open the school with 60 to 120 ninth graders at Copper Ridge, 10101 N. Thompson Peak Parkway. One grade would be added each successive year, and eventually the academy would become part of a larger, comprehensive high school of 1,200 students. Kaufman also told the Tribune that some academy teachers would participate in an Arizona State University grant program where they would develop curricula in teams and take courses such as geology, engineering, and nanotechnology.