1. Maintaining an educational environment which radiates high expectations and also offers the means to achieve it.
   
   
2. Nurturing each student as if that child was the only one in attendance.
   
   
3. Firmly adhering to well proven traditional Cougar Mountain Academy values and procedures in order to assure continuity in general excellence.
   
   
4. Offering the very best in education and values for each student regardless of the degree of parent involvement and support.
   
   
5. Offering a tuition structure which is compatible with the general excellence and offerings of the School. 
   
   
6. Seeking individual solutions to individual problems whether that involves student, parent or both thereof.
   
   
7. Maintaining School Staff on all levels on the basis of continuous excellence, dedication and performance.
   
   
8. Providing a School facility which is pleasant, unique and encourages the love of School and learning.
   
   
9. Offering patience, love, consistency, attention and compassion to each student in everyday school life.
   
   
10. Offering a departmentalized multi-teacher concept of education where each
    teacher or staff member functions in the area of personal strength and choice (Kindergarten through Fifth Grade).
    
    
11. Offering an individualized curriculum where learning is not limited to grade level and where each student is given the opportunity to develop maximum individual potential in the traditional academic subjects of Language Arts, Communication, Reading, Mathematics and Geometry.
    
    
12. Encouraging creativity, independent thinking, goal orientation, self-confidence and the quest for personal excellence for each student.
    
    
13. Maintaining the position of the Academy on the leading edge of academic excellence.
    
    
14. Maintaining a high level of communication between Parent and the Academy.
    
    
15. Offering a curriculum which is compatible with current international standards in order to assure success when confronted with the challenges of the future.
    
    
16. Assuring grade to grade excellence by the application of minimum grade
    standards in place of social promotion.
    
    
17. Maintaining an environment which by its very essence naturally nurtures families and students of all denominations, all ethnic backgrounds, all national origins and a range of socio economic levels where all students can harmoniously develop individual potential and fulfill high expectations.
    
    

Prior to 1976 a variety of National Standardized Tests were administered depending on grade level.

To facilitate an overall School performance analysis on a year to year basis, starting in 1976 Cougar Mountain Academy adopted the California Achievement Test (CAT) and later the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT).  The standardization of test format established a School average on a yearly basis for the Academy.

Individual and overall School scores for these past years have been exceptional and rank in the top 5% on a national level. All Kindergarten through Upper Elementary students are required to take the Metropolitan Achievement Test each year in May.

Cougar Mountain Academy does not practice social promotion. In addition, each
student is required to achieve, without exception, all of the minimum grade standards  prescribed by the Academy for each grade level.

The following School average scores represent all students in Grades K through 5.
Highest attainable score is 99 percentile.

                              1976 – 77.................... CAT............... 93.2 percentile
                              1977 – 78.................... CAT............... 95.1 percentile
                              1978 – 79.................... CAT............... 95.8 percentile
                              1979 – 80.................... CAT............... 94.3 percentile
                              1980 – 81.................... CAT............... 95.2 percentile
                              1981 – 82.................... CAT............... 93.1 percentile
                              1982 – 83.................... CAT............... 94.7 percentile
                              1983 – 84.................... CAT............... 96.1 percentile
                              1984 – 85.................... MAT............... 97.6 percentile
                              1985 – 86.................... MAT............... 96.7 percentile
                              1986 – 87.................... MAT............... 96.7 percentile
                              1987 – 88.................... MAT............... 97.8 percentile
                              1988 – 89.................... MAT............... 95.4 percentile
                              1989 – 90.................... MAT............... 96.7 percentile
                              1990 – 91.................... MAT............... 94.7 percentile
                              1991 – 92.................... MAT............... 95.7 percentile
                              1992 – 93.................... MAT............... 95.0 percentile
                              1993 – 94.................... MAT............... 96.7 percentile
                              1994 – 95.................... MAT............... 94.6 percentile
                              1995 – 96.................... MAT............... 93.4 percentile
                              1996 – 97.................... MAT............... 93.9 percentile
                              1997 – 98.................... MAT............... 95.7 percentile
                              1998 – 99.................... MAT............... 97.5 percentile
                              1999 – 00.................... MAT............... 95.3 percentile
                              2000 – 01.................... MAT............... 95.7 percentile
                              2001 – 02.................... MAT............... 97.4 percentile
                              2002 – 03.................... MAT............... 97.0 percentile
                              2003 – 04.................... MAT............... 96.5 percentile
                              2004 – 05.................... MAT............... 97.2 percentile
                              2005 – 06.................... MAT............... 97.1 percentile

Individual and overall School scores for these past years have been exceptional
and rank in the top 5% on a national level.

Cougar Mountain Academy admits, encourages to attend and welcomes students of any race, color, denomination, nationality and ethnic origin.

The Academy is proud of its international student body and flag display sponsored by past and current students featuring the flags of over 50 countries. 

Children with limited knowledge of the English language are welcomed, nurtured and thrive through total immersion in the Academy’s individualized program.

Cougar Mountain Academy is a non-denominational School where students are taught to respect beliefs and directions pursued by others and to be proud of their own denominational values and heritage.  Holidays at the Academy are commemorated in a happy but moderate manner to allow the ‘home and family’ to fully expedite the meaning of the occasion.

Love of Learning is a direct result of excellence in achievement.  The curriculum is individualized, creates a solid foundation and promotes pride in personal achievement.  In addition to the prescribed curriculum, students also choose from a wide selection of elective classes in order to pursue a particular area of interest.

Cougar Mountain Academy supports the surrounding community by participating in community and local events and has received a number of awards for its involvement. 

Each Learning Group at the Academy sponsors a family in need over the holidays. 

Donations of food, clothing and other gifts are collected and distributed to a variety of community food banks throughout the year.

The Academy supports environmental issues and the cause of wildlife in the natural world by supporting the Issaquah Zoo.  The Academy has been declared a ‘Living Classroom School’ by the Zoological Society of Washington.

The individualized curriculum at Cougar Mountain Academy provides leadership opportunities to all students.  In the classroom, students learn to be successful public speakers and to project proper composure in front of familiar audiences.  All students gain self confidence through participating in unique non-competitive, individualized events that promote the importance of responsibility, accountability and reliability.  Students at the Academy have opportunities on a daily basis to practice and to grow into leadership positions that prepare them for a future of promise.

To assure academic excellence, close relationships and individualized instruction, the overall school faculty to student ratio is maintained at or below 10 full time students per faculty member.  Individual Learning Group size is limited to 10 to 15 students per teacher.  The ideal class size and faculty to student ratio assure a high level of individual instruction and allow optimum interaction and social growth for every child attending Cougar Mountain Academy.