Scheduling Options for High School

Parents of 2004-2005 school year freshmen and sophomores are being strongly encouraged by Portage Public Schools (PPS) to have their child(ren) take the new semester-based science courses next year. The "Course of Studies" booklet we all received does not offer choice, and public statements by PPS still contends that all students must take the new semesters. However, PPS has not dropped any of the current science course offerings at the high school level despite what they may have told your child and said at the January 22 meetings. The high schools will have to teach those courses if enough students (roughly 20-25) enroll in them. The district can only discontinue offering the current yearlong biology, chemistry, and physics courses after they receive approval from the CIC and the Board of Education. Those who asked after the Jan 22 meetings were told they can sign up for the full-year courses, although PPS does not advertise this fact.

PPQE (which includes many professional scientists) strongly recommends taking full-year chemistry and biology courses in 9th and 10th grades for all students who are going to take at least three full years of science and will take all three of the core disciplines (Chemistry, Biology & Physics). However, since PPS is discouraging this, and there is the risk that there may not be enough students to continue the courses, PPQE suggests one of the following three tacts depending on your situation. In any case you are encouraged to talk to your child's counselor and work out the best possible plan for your child.

• Sign up for year-long course even though it's not listed. If it turns out not enough students enroll to offer a class, request be moved to the semester classes (honors if appropriate).
• Indicate on the form that you don't want to make a choice at this time because not enough information is available. Most of us are not comfortable signing up for a course that the curriculum hasn't even been written for. And it's hard to plan out all four years when we don't know what courses will be offered for the junior and senior years.
• Sign up for the semesters as listed on form, but call or email your counselor with your preference for a full year version of these courses along with your reasons for requesting added depth.

The change to semester-based courses is an experiment PPS wants to undertake with little evidence to back them up. Talk to your school counselor about their recommendations for science.

For more information about Scheduling Options, select one of the choices below.

• Course Selection Flexibility (9th/10th grade science). Click here.

• Is New Curriculum Compatible with IB Course Requirements? Click here.

• Correction about enrollment of sophomores in IB courses. Click here.

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