At the core of every successful school is a solid, intellectually-challenging and well-constructed curriculum.  At Angelus Academy we include the exceptionally successful “Core Knowledge” curriculum—not to be confused with the government-sponsored “Common Core” standards, which we reject.

Core Knowledge is based on the work of E.D. Hirsch Jr. in his well-known books, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them. His work has been further developed by the foundation he established in 1986.

In each grade students are exposed to a broad range of historical, scientific, and cultural topics that will build on one another to prepare them for future educational success. The wide array of subject matter to which they are exposed not only develops cultural literacy but also builds the strong vocabulary necessary for true reading comprehension.

Core Knowledge develops cultural literacy in a way that is systematic but leaves room for creativity in both teacher and student. This curriculum eliminates the gaps and repetition that characterize the typical curriculum in which textbooks and programs are selected more or less at random.

Angelus Academy is one of a select group of schools using the challenging Core Knowledge Curriculum as its primary foundation for academic formation. We also use Saxon Math, Saxon Phonics (K-3) and the Faith and Life Series from Ignatius Press. We believe these materials provide the best opportunity for putting into practice the curricular principles we espouse.