METHACTON HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM PLANNING GUIDE
Judith Gallagher-Landis
Principal
44
Last updated: January 27, 2015
Dan Bontempo
Assistant Principal
Paul Spiewak
Assistant Principal of Athletics
and Activities
Jamie Gravinese
Assistant Principal
Karey Kochenour
Assistant Principal
44
Last updated: January 27, 2015
A Message to Students and Parents
This Curriculum Guide provides information and direction to students and parents as they begin the course selection process for the 2015-2016 school year. Through this booklet, the administration, school counselors, and teachers are presenting a comprehensive picture of the varied course offerings available. Provided in these pages are clear guidelines regarding pre-requisite courses, qualifying grades, sample schedules, as well as descriptions of individual courses in an effort to help students and their parents make informed choices about the upcoming academic year.
A student’s high school academic program decisions are very important. The competition for college entrance, job placement, and the need for increased preparation and new graduation requirements have made these selections more important than ever. Because it is so important, we stress the need for the process to be a collaborative partnership between school personnel, student, and parent. Our goal is to challenge every student while affording them the opportunity to learn with minimal frustration. With the best interests of the student in mind, we want to be involved in this process by providing you feedback about past performance, future course expectations, and share the knowledge we have gleaned over the years regarding student success.
In order for the course selection process to be effective, parents and their students are encouraged to become familiar with the contents of this on-line guide. Our school counselors are available to answer questions you may have regarding courses and course selection. Students and parents are encouraged to consult with them and any other members of our teaching staff to obtain the maximum benefit of their expertise during course selection.
Finally, in order to develop an effective academic program, a student should have a goal toward which he or she is working. Selecting courses without some idea of a long-term goal or direction can be difficult and frustrating. While our State and Local graduation requirements provide a general framework for a high school education, they are no substitute for customizing a program toward an identified goal or interest. I strongly encourage parents to discuss academic goals with your student. If your student has a clear goal, help them align their academic program to meet that end. I again encourage you to take advantage of the resources and services available through our School Counselor’s Office as you set goals and collaboratively plan the best academic program to reach them.
Best wishes and good luck to you during your academic planning.
Judy Gallagher-Landis
Principal
Contents
Counseling Department 4
GENERAL INFORMATION 5
Subject Level Placements 6
Appeal Procedure 6
Deadline For Changes 7
Acceleration 7
Withdrawal/Fail Policy 8
Weighted Courses 8
Six-Day Cycle 8
Bell Schedule 8
Credits Earned 9
Minimum and Maximum Credit Schedule 9
Graduation Requirements and Course Credit for Promotion Information 9
Student Success Plan 9
Family and Consumer Science 10
Math/Science/Computer/Technology Requirement 10
Arts/Humanities Requirement 10
Keystone Exams 10
Credits For Promotion 11
NCAA Academic Eligibility 11
Program Of Studies 11
Art Department 11
Business and Computer Education Department 11
Driver Education Department 12
English Department 12
Family and Consumer Sciences 12
Health and Physical Education Department 13
Mathematics Department 13
Music Department 14
Science Department 14
Social Studies Department 16
Technology Education Department 16
Return to Table of Contents 17
World Language Department 17
North Montco Technical Career Center 17
Special Programs 17
Dual Enrollment Courses 18
Special Programs 18
Advanced Placement Courses 18
Course Descriptions 19
Visual Arts 19
Business and Computer Education 22
Driver Education 26
English 26
Family and Consumer Sciences Department 31
Health and Physical Education 34
Mathematics 37
MATHEMATICS BASED TECHNOLOGY AND PROGRAMMING COURSES 42
Music 43
Science 45
Social Studies 50
Technology Education 55
Communications Technology Offerings 56
Engineering 57
Drafting Offerings 57
Telecommunications Offerings 57
World Languages 59
Special Programs 64
Gifted Seminar program 65
Dual Enrollment Programs 67
Learning support work/study program 69
Literacy 69
Advanced Placement Programs 69
Advanced Placement Tests 70
NORTH MONTCO TECHNICAL CAREER CENTER INFORMATION 70
Allied Health (Grade 12) 70
Biotechnology (This is a Dual Enrollment Opportunity) 70
COURSE SELECTION BOOKLET INFORMATION 70
Dual Enrollment 71
CONSTRUCTION TRADES CLUSTER 71
CONSTRUCTION CARPENTRY 71
HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) 71
ELECTRICAL TRADES 71
COSMETOLOGY CLUSTER 71
CULINARY ARTS CLUSTER 71
ENGINEERING/MANUFACTURING CLUSTER 72
DRAFTING AND DESIGN 72
ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION 72
PRECISION MACHINING 72
WELDING & FABRICATION 72
FLORAL DESIGN AND LANDSCAPING CLUSTER 72
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES CLUSTER 73
BIOTECHNOLOGY 73
HEALTH OCCUPATIONS 73
PROTECTIVE SERVICES TECHNOLOGY 73
ALLIED HEALTH TECHNOLOGY GRADE 12 74
POWER & TRANSPORTATION CLUSTER 74
AUTO COLLISION REPAIR 74
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY 74
DIESEL TRUCK TECHNOLOGY 74
RECREATIONAL AND OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT 74
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION 75
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS CLUSTER 75
COMMERCIAL ART 75
GRAPHIC ARTS 75
INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES 75
ADDITIONAL STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES 75
INTERNSHIP 75
PYAP (Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program) 75
CO-OP (Cooperative Education Capstone Program) 76
Academic Programs 76
Tech Prep 76
Postsecondary Partners 77
Sample Student Schedules 77
Grade 9 77
Grade 10 77
Grade 11 78
Grade 12 78
2015-16 COURSE REQUEST FORM 79
BLANK STUDENT SCHEDULE 81
APPEALS FORM 82
Mission Statement
The Methacton School District, with its strong tradition of excellence, will challenge all students to achieve their greatest potential and create a vibrant community of learners who appreciate diversity and will lead and succeed in a dynamic global society.
Learn, Lead, Succeed -- Together
Counseling Department
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Last updated: January 27, 2015
Seniors
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Last updated: January 27, 2015
Mr. Peck A-Co Ext. 25032
Mrs. Millrood Cr-Go Ext. 25408
Mr. Midgley Gr-Li Ext. 25029
Mr. Ruminski Lo-Pf Ext. 25028
Ms. Olitsky Ph-S Ext. 25031
Mrs. Hartson T- Z Ext. 25038
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Last updated: January 27, 2015
Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors
44
Last updated: January 27, 2015
Mr. Peck A-Cl Ext. 25032
Mrs. Millrood Co-G Ext. 25408
Mr. Midgley H-Ll Ext. 25029
Mr. Ruminski Lo-Pa Ext. 25028
Ms. Olitsky Pe - Sr Ext. 25031
Mrs. Hartson St - Z Ext. 25038
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Last updated: January 27, 2015
This 2015-16 Program Planning Guide contains adjustments in credit value and graduation requirements to reflect the adopted strategic plan and current district guidelines. It is provided to assist in your many, important academic choices during your high school career. You are encouraged to refer to it often, share this information and discuss options with parents and teachers.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for admission to Methacton Senior High School, a student shall be a Methacton School District resident and have satisfactorily completed eighth grade as described and mandated by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Course Selection Procedure
Department chair(s) and teachers provide counselors with a curriculum update prior to course selection meetings for students and parents.
The high school administration and counseling department hold one evening course selection meeting for parents of eighth grade students planning to attend high school the next school year. This year’s date is February 10th. Discussions in classrooms will be held after mid-term exams regarding the sequential courses in the subject area. In preparation for Teacher placement determination on January 30th, teachers will conference as appropriate with individual students about the placements made by teachers during the week of January 26th. For additional assistance, there will be an evening presentation about Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment (DE) classes on February 4th with a snow date of February 11th. This evening is an information session providing course descriptions and dialogue with both teachers and students for those interested in enrolling in AP or DE classes now, or for those who desire more information for future course planning.
Any appeal to drop to a lower academic level must be made by the parent directly to the teacher BEFORE Friday, January 30th.
Orientation for online scheduling will be during the week of January 26th. The online course request window will open for the specific grade level on the day of their orientation and those with existing Parent Portal user id(s) and password(s) can schedule online. The 8th grade students will be scheduling in Arcola computer labs with both Arcola and High School Counselors there to assist on Thursday, February 19. Beginning on Monday, February 2nd to the 4th, all current 9th grade students will schedule with their counselors in a short one-to-one session. Thursday, February 5th to the 10th all current 10th grade students will schedule with their counselors in a short one-to-one session. All current 11th grade students will schedule with their counselors in a short one-to-one session on Wednesday, February 11th to the 18th. For those who complete their requests online, this time will be a question and answer opportunity for both the student and the counselor to insure that the courses selected meet graduation requirements and the appropriate rigor for the student’s postsecondary goals. Each student should carefully select those subjects that will comprise his/her program for the next school year. Students are encouraged to seek assistance and advice from their parents, teachers, and counselors. Students who have not completed their course requests by the 18th will be pulled from classes the 20th to the 24th to do so. It is critical that all students complete these requests during these windows because staffing is based on the outcome of the student requests. Once these staffing decisions are made, alterations to the student requests cannot be guaranteed.
Students are provided with a Course Request Form and Credit Tracker Form at the end of this Program Planning Guide. The completed Course Request Form is necessary for completing online scheduling and must include the teacher initials indicating that the course listed by the student is the recommended level for the following year. Both the student and parent must sign this form. It will be collected on February 19th.
The teacher initials indicate that the student is on track to finish the current course with the pre-requisite score to continue in the sequence indicated on the Course Request Form. The teacher placements reflect current student performance and the expectation of them reaching the pre-requisite scores for the next course in the strand. All teacher determined placements in January are subject to re-evaluation later in the year (4th marking period interim). Parents will be notified by teachers of any necessary changes. Appeals will be accepted between May 8th and May 15th. The procedure and guidelines are included below.
Scheduling eight to twelve course requests for each of nearly 1680 students is a very complex process. Every effort is made to design a master schedule that will accommodate the greatest number of primary course requests (first choices) possible. Providing student placement into courses that reflect their talents, interests, and abilities is our highest priority and responsibility throughout the yearlong scheduling process. To that end, specific teacher requests cannot be accepted or honored because they negatively affect fulfilling primary course requests.
Subject Level Placements
Placement of a student in the various levels of a subject shall be made by the professional staff and shall be based on the data collected during the year and determined by the required final course averages depicted in the following pages of this guide.
Appeal Procedure
Any students who would like to take a course level different than the one recommended by their current teacher must use the following procedure:
· To reduce level from the one recommended (Academic rather than Honors)
o The parent of the student must email the teacher before January 30.
o After January 30, this change is through the current school counselor.
· If a student wishes to enroll in a more challenging course than the one for which he/she is placed, then the following procedure is to be used in the following order:
NOTE: Appeals are accepted only from May 8, 2015 to May 15, 2015 (the week following the 4th Marking Period Interim Grade posting date.)
o Parent checks Parent Portal for the Year-to-date (YTD) grade to verify attainment of prerequisite grade specified in the Program Planning Guide (PPG) for 2015-16.
o Parent emails the subject coordinator who initiates appeals request. The email should contain:
§ Student’s name
§ Student’s current grade level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
§ Course desired
§ Course placed in
§ Current teacher determining placement
§ Period the student has the current class
§ Parent’s name and contact phone number
§ Student’s Homeroom number (or teacher name)
o The date of the coordinator’s receipt of this email is recorded and noted on the Appeals form and forwarded to the subject area teacher who determined the placement.
o The current teacher completes appropriate portion of form shares it with the student and emails it to parent using the email address used to begin the appeal with the subject coordinator.
o Parent returns signed form or emails completed form (check box) to subject coordinator (the appeals form must be handed in BEFORE the Memorial Day Weekend, May 21).
o Subject Coordinator reviews completed form, calls parent and makes a decision before the last day of school (June 10 barring snow days).
o Any changes to student placements will be made by the counseling office who will inform administration of all changes before June 30, 2015.
The following criteria will be applied to the parent appeal:
· Students will initially be placed in classes based on the YTD course average. This includes all graded material for the course.
· Upon appeal, consideration will turn to:
o Individual end of marking period grades to determine upward or downward trends
o Grades on summative assessments (end of unit tests used to demonstrate retention of critical information) for marking periods 1, 2, and 3.
· If a student does not meet the grade criteria, the midterm grade will be considered.
If these scores do not meet the standard, the appeal will be denied.
Any appeals sent to the subject coordinator AFTER May 15th, will require documentation explaining why the request was not in by the deadline and may not be considered. (A required placement test not being administered in time for the deadline would be one possible reason for missing the deadline.)
Deadline For Changes
All requests for changes NOT related to level changes in student schedules must be received in writing no later than June 19, 2015. (ex. Taking a different elective or dropping a course that is not a graduation requirement.)
Course Change Request - Prior To Deadline
All change requests will be honored, if possible. However, certain requests may be impossible to honor because of enrollment mandates, number of sections, conflicts with other courses selected, etc. To make a change, the student must provide to their current school counselor:
· A signed parental note indicating the course to be deleted, added, etc.
· Include the student’s name, grade, and ID number