Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are you a Durango 9R school?

YES!  We have been in the school district since 2009.

2.  Do you offer transportation?

YES!  We offer the same bus transportation as any other 9R school.  When you enroll, please let us know you need transportation so we can assist with setting that up.

3.  Can my son or daughter participate in athletic programs offered at Durango High School?

YES!  Since we are a Durango 9R school, our students may participate in athletics at the larger high school.  Our students also participate in their school dances.

4.  Why Big Picture?

If you want the best learning experience for your student, you would choose to send them here!  With the combination of a college style Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule as well as Tuesday and Thursday internships, students are getting real world experiences that will prepare them for what is next after high school.  Our students are more prepared.  

5.  How does my child earn credits toward their graduation requirements?

Students develop independent projects, take short classes, and complete 4 internships all in the efforts to show proficiency toward learning targets called Performance Indicators within each content area (mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, and electives).  Once a student has shown proficiency in enough learning targets, they earn credits.  

6.  Do you have grades? 

While Big Picture Learning does not emphasize grades, we do use standard grades such as A and B once students have completed the requirements for each course. Grades of A are considered Exemplary and grades of B are considered Proficient.

7.  Will my son or daughter be prepared for college?

Yes!  We believe with our system, students learn how to think for themselves, take control of their learning and understand how to find and use resources. 

We do REQUIRE each student take at least one college class to complete our requirements for graduation.  Some students take more than one college class, and that is acceptable as well.  Many of our students leave Big Picture to attend college.  Colleges they are currently attending are Colorado State University,  University of Colorado Denver, Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology, San Juan College, Coconino Community College, Fort Lewis, and Pueblo Community College Southwest.

8.  What does a typical week look like?

Monday, Wednesday and Friday consists of students attending their advisory as well as designing their own customized schedule for the remaining 3 periods.  Each student, with their advisor, creates what their day looks like, from how many classes they are in to how much independent work time they have.  

Tuesday and Thursday consists of students going to an internship site of their choosing to acquire real-world skills working with a business or non profit organization.  Again, this is fully customized for each student, from the site they are at to what their exact schedule looks like during both of those days.  Students not in internship on these days come to school and work on their independent projects.  

9.  How many students do you have?

We currently have about 80 students.  We do have a ratio of no more than 19:1 for each advisory.  Once advisories are full, we do not place more students in them.