Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy

Welcome to CATA

Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy (CATA) is a college preparatory, public charter school established in 2004 to serve 9th to 12th grade students with specialized interests in arts and technology. "The artistic expression of the academic experience using the technology of today" permeates all of CATA's core academics, arts electives, as well as independent studies and extended learning opportunities. We are located in an historic mill on the banks of the Cocheco River in downtown Dover, NH.

Our mission is to provide excellence in secondary education through college preparatory academics, performing arts, fine arts, and technology related to the arts. CATA is dedicated to creating an educational community where each student thrives, exploring personal interests in an atmosphere that encompasses different learning styles, individual learning opportunities, smaller class sizes and multiple methods of learning assessment.

NH Charter School Advantage

Charter schools are working for New Hampshire and have become a valued part of the public education community. Charter schools offer the students, parents and teachers a public school option that can often address issues and special areas of emphasis that can’t readily be supported in regular public schools and add to students’ abilities to flourish as learners.

Different approaches which accommodate divergent students’ learning styles allow students to thrive rather than falter. Charter schools in New Hampshire augment the efforts of traditional public schools and are limited to 10% of any town’s population per grade. Charter schools provide public education options for all New Hampshire families and offer employers the ability to attract and retain employees.

Our Goals

CATA has clearly articulated goals and strategies that guide teaching/learning methods at the school. These include:

To nurture creative thinkers, independent learners, and active citizens
To promote increased skills for admittance to arts-based and/or liberal art colleges using a professional representation of their arts and technology-based skills
To promote excellence in education through innovative, engaging and challenging coursework
To encourage and guide students to take responsibility for their education
To provide a curriculum that integrates arts and technology into the classroom rather than being a supplement to learning
To develop methods that identify, sustain and incorporate multiple learning styles and assessment enabling all students to attain their education goals