Frequently Asked Questions

Connecticut River Academy is a magnet high school serving Connecticut students grades 6 through 12. CTRA is located on the
Goodwin University campus in East Hartford and is operated by LEARN. LEARN is one of six Regional Education Service Centers
(RESC) established by the State of Connecticut under legislative mandate to provide more diverse, high-quality, cost-effective
educational opportunities to students in Connecticut.

At CTRA, we work together to find ways of contributing to a just and sustainable world by striving to consistently live our core
values of AWARENESS, DIVERSITY, and ACTION. These values are made explicit throughout our curriculum in the form of our
magnet standards, which are the driving force behind all of our learning — both formal and informal. At CTRA, we are fortunate
to have a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that brings our sustainability theme to life through early college, environmental science,
and advanced manufacturing programs.

In addition to a full range of high school courses, students are also afforded the opportunity to earn over 30 transferable college
credits through our early college model starting their freshman year. Our students get a head start on their college career while
still in high school, all at no tuition cost to families.

As a magnet school, CTRA offers several benefits, including:

• Academic success that prepares students for a lifetime of academic achievement
• Diverse student body that encourages respect, empathy, and collaboration
• Family and community involvement that instills a passion for learning and growth
• Flexible and innovative curriculum centered around a unifying theme
• Small class sizes that ensure connection to the content and foster positive student/teacher relationships

Both magnet schools and charter schools are schools of choice, meaning that families choose to apply to have their student attend these schools. They are both considered public schools and both receive a portion of their funding from the State of Connecticut.

Magnet schools are public schools that traditionally focus on a particular theme including the arts, math and technology, and environmental science. The goal of a magnet school is to enroll a racially diverse student body. Some magnet schools are set up by single districts and only enroll students from that town/city, while others are set up by regional educational school centers (RESCs) and serve a variety of towns.

Application into Goodwin University Magnet Schools is conducted through a lottery process managed by the State of Connecticut Regional School Choice Office. Many magnet schools, including ours, have diversification requirements and are monitored closely by the State RSCO office.

Charter schools operate under a different set of rules and regulations that vary by state. In Connecticut, charter schools receive public funds, but function as autonomous public schools. The rules, structure, and charter authorization for charter schools in Connecticut are established and monitored by the state Department of Education. The state must approve the school’s “charter” in which it lays out its missions, achievement goals, and methods of teaching and assessment. Charter schools can be managed and/or funded by a variety of institutions. Admission standards vary from school to school, and most charter schools manage their own enrollment process and lottery.

CTRA immerses students in studies based on our sustainability theme starting in grade 9, with offerings in environmental science,
biology, chemistry, physics, geography, sociology, engineering, advanced manufacturing, and other advanced science courses, at
both the high school and college levels.

While CTRA incorporates a strong science focus into its curriculum, it is a comprehensive high school, offering the full range
of courses in English, social studies, mathematics, as well as the arts, physical education, and health. The courses at CTRA are
designed with students at the center of the action and with the purpose of providing all students competence and confidence to
be successful in college, career, and beyond.

Students who attend CTRA have a unique opportunity to take college courses at Goodwin University. Students who maintain a
high level of academic achievement can earn up to a year of college credit in a wide range of academic areas, including courses
in liberal arts, criminal justice, human services, business administration, and advanced manufacturing. These credits will allow
students to start college as sophomores.

Students interested in attending CTRA must go through a lottery process conducted by the State Department of Education’s
Regional School Choice Office (RSCO). Families must submit a lottery application online during the lottery application period.
Please visit www.ctriveracademy.org/apply for more information on the lottery process and how to apply.

The school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Many Fridays are half days, on those days school dismisses at 11:15 a.m.
Afterschool programs are also available, as are opportunities for advanced enrichment.

All Goodwin University credits earned as part of the dual enrollment program are reflected in a college transcript received at
high school graduation. Generally speaking, most colleges and universities accept credits in transfer that were earned at a regionally-accredited school (Goodwin University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education), have a passing grade, are
collegiate in nature, and are earned through traditional coursework. Each college or university sets its own transfer policies. It is best
to contact the Admissions or Registrar’s office of the institution you are thinking of applying to in order to find out what their policies
are regarding the transfer of credit. Visit here for more information: www.goodwin.edu/transfer-students/transfer-out.

CTRA offers many afterschool activities to expand and enrich the lives of our student body, including recreational basketball,
rowing, volleyball, and flag football.

Bus transportation is provided for all students who reside in the Greater Hartford Regional Transportation Zone. Families living
outside the Zone have the choice of transporting their child to the closest bus stop within the area or providing their own
transportation to and from school. A stipend is available to families who reside outside of the Transportation Zone and choose
to drive their student for the school year and is based upon attendance at the end of the year. For additional information, call
the RSCO Transportation line at 860.524.4077 or visit here.

Parents of East Hartford students

For parents of East Hartford students attending Goodwin University Magnet Schools, in order for your child to be included on an EHPS bus route to school, you must register your child with EHPS or update your child’s current record at Central Registration, 734 Tolland Street, East Hartford, to reflect attendance at Goodwin University Magnet Schools. You must present documentation of your child’s placement at Goodwin University Magnet Schools. For all changes, please call the Transportation Coordinator, Terry Spiller at 860-622-5974.

The responsibility for holding planning and placement team (PPT) meetings belongs to the district where the student lives.
The inter-district magnet school is responsible for ensuring that the student receives the services required by the student’s
individualized education program (IEP), whether those services are provided by the inter-district magnet school or by the school
district in which the student resides. For more information, contact the Bureau of Special Education at 860.713.6910 or
visit www.sde.ct.gov.

Connecticut River Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC), an independent, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization that serves more than 1,500 public, independent, and international schools in the US and worldwide. For more information visit: https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/connecticut-river-academy-neasc-accreditation/