TUITION-FREE* for eligible Arizona students!

The State of Arizona will pay for qualified students who are working toward a diploma through Catalina Online Learning Experience and who are enrolled as full time students with COLE. A limited number of state-funded seats are available. Reserve a seat in this TUITION-FREE program before it's too late!

*"Tuition-free" only applies to classes during the regular scheduled school year. Summer school courses are not tuition-free but are available for a fee. Please call 520.282.8600 for pricing information.

 

Earn your high school diploma working online, virtually anywhere, anytime! Middle School Students work to complete curriculum courses that satisify Tucson Unified School District's grade level requirements for promotion to the next grade level.

COLE also offers a High School and a Middle School Learning Lab for student use (limited capacity due to COVID-19 protocols) during regular school hours. The COLE Building is located at 3645 East Pima Street, on the Catalina High School Campus, just east of the Hines Gymnasium.

COLE offers General Education Courses, Credit Recovery Courses, and Advanced Placement Courses aligned with Tucson Unified School District's Curriculum, through APEX.

For students who are currently enrolled in a Tucson Unified School District Middle School or High School and want to complete coursework through Catalina Online Learning Experience (COLE) during the same school year, please make an appointment with your current School Counselor. TUSD School Counselors will review your current progress toward earning the required credits for High School Graduation, and will advise you about your options, whether you need to recover a credit, want to get ahead in credits to allow flexibility in your schedule, or enroll in summer sessions at COLE.
Link to form: COLE Permission Form 2021-2022 School Year 

COLE's Faculty members bring over 150 years of combined educational experience:
Dr. Andrew Marafino, Mathematics Lead
Mr. Bob Meyer, Social Studies Lead
Dr. Mary Saraceni, Exceptional Education Lead
Mr. Steve Simmons, Science Lead
Mr. Robert Weaver, Jr, Language Arts Lead
Mr. Jim Ferguson, School Counselor

 

Issued by Tucson Unified School District. Please contact COLE's Registrar, Libra Taylor Gill, by email.  

WELCOME!
On behalf of the entire Faculty and Staff at COLE, let us take this opportunity to welcome you to the 2021-2022 School Year! We are honored that you and your family have selected us to be a part of your student’s education. We look forward to working together by partnering with you to provide a rigorous, relevant and engaging learning experience second to none. Soon, we’ll be offering our newsletter on a regular basis, as well as starting our COLE Site Council. We are excited to have the opportunity to offer optional learning labs for our students.

Mr. Michael Beck and Mr. James Butler, COLE Coordinators

Catalina Online Learning Experience serves students in grades 6–12 and gives access to a complete curriculum. We offer scheduling flexibility, provide online access to coursework, and allow students to work at their own pace toward deadlines.

How it works, step-by-step:
 
1. Registration instructions will be available for existing students after July 31st through APEX.
2. When school begins, log in and work on your courses from an Internet-connected computer. Assignments, tests and quizzes are online 24/7.
3. Succeed at your own pace. Our curriculum is designed to suit various learning styles and skill levels. Meet due dates while working at your own speed.
4. Get real help when you need it. For each course, you are assigned an experienced, certified teacher who is accessible via virtual whiteboard, phone, email, or instant message (IM). You will also be assigned an Academic Advisor to help you keep on track.
5. Earn a diploma, or have the credits transferred to your traditional school. Upon completion of all required credits, your diploma will be issued by the Tucson Unified School District.

If you have completed your enrollment and received an email that states your course is available, log into your tusd1.org account, log in to CLEVER, click the APEX icon, and enter your username and password on APEX.

Catalina Online Learning Experience (COLE) has a Learning Lab available for our students (maximum of fifteen students per lab per day) and is monitored by a Certified Faculty Member, allowing Lab Users to have face-to-face educational time with: Dr. Marafino, Mathematics Lead Teacher; Mr. Meyer, Social Studies Lead Teacher; Mr. Simmons, Science Lead Teacher; Mr. Weaver, Jr., Language Arts Lead Teacher; and Dr. Saraceni, Exceptional Education Lead Teacher.  Mr. Ferguson, School Counselor is available by appointment.
The Learning Lab is open from 8:00 AM to 3:12 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 8:00 AM to 2:12 PM on Wednesdays. Breakfast and Lunch are available in the Catalina High School Cafeteria. Students may bring their devices from home, or check out a laptop to use for the day in the Learning Lab.
Students who make arrangements to attend the COLE Learning Labs are expected to:
* arrive by 8:00 AM
* follow all school rules and expectations
* focus on incomplete, missing, and current APEX assignments
* stay until the final dismissal bell (M/T/Th/F - 3:12 PM; W -2:12 PM)
Please check the TUSD 2021-2022 School Calendar in English www.tusd1.org/Portals/TUSD1/District/docs/Dist%20Info/Calendar-SY-2021-2022-en.pdf or in Spanish http://www.tusd1.org/Portals/TUSD1/District/docs/Dist%20Info/Calendar-SY-2021-2022-es.pdf for special events that will close the Learning Labs. For example, on October 28, all TUSD Schools will not be open for students so that at all TUSD Teaching Faculty and Staff may attend Professional Development Seminars from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
To sign up to use the MS or HS Learning Lab, please call the COLE Main Office at 520.282.8600.

TUSD Students wishing to enroll in an APEX Course through COLE while still attending their current school sites need to see their School Counselor to complete a Concurrent Enrollment Form. School COunselors may access the COncurrent Enrollment form by contacting Jim Ferguson, COLE's School Counselor.

Have you moved or changed your phone number since you last filled out registration paperwork? Please let us know so we can keep you in the loop!

• COLE Change of Address form (in PDF)