CHESHIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 29 Main Street Cheshire, 06410

SUPERINTENDENT’S COLUMN- NOVEMBER 2005

Cheshire High School Program of Studies Series Part II “What is an Elective?”

In my last article, I discussed the Cheshire High School class schedule and the course

selection process, as well as some general information about graduation requirements and

electives. The purpose of that article and today’s is to address some comments and questions

regarding the Program of Studies and clarify some common misconceptions. Perhaps one of the

most often asked questions regarding the class schedule concerns “electives” offered at the high school.

The concept of an elective course is often misinterpreted. A review of the graduation requirements is the first step in understanding the meaning of the term “elective.” First, for students to graduate from Cheshire High School, they must complete 22 total credits – 4 credits in English, 3 credits in Mathematics, 3 credits in Science (including laboratory sciences), 3 credits in Social Studies (including .5 Civics and U.S. History), 2 credits in Health and Physical

Education, 2 credits in Business and/or Technology Education and/or Fine Arts, and 5 additional credits in electives of the student’s choice. Each student is required to take 6.5 credits each academic year and is strongly urged to take 7 credits when possible and appropriate.

I think the term “elective” causes problems because it has multiple meanings. A true elective is a course that a student chooses to take beyond the requirements needed for graduation.

As you can see, students must complete 5 credits in electives to graduate. Yet, people often view

electives as any course offering outside the four core course subjects – English, Mathematics,

Science and Social Studies. Per the Board of Education’s approved graduation requirements, there are a number of courses built into the student’s program of study that fall outside the realm

of the four core courses. Two credits are required in Health and Physical Education. Two

credits must be taken in Art, Music, Technology Education or Business Education. World

Languages are also considered true electives. So, if a student chooses to take four years of a

foreign language at Cheshire High School, he or she would have completed 4 of the 5 credits

required in electives.

In addition, many courses within the four core subject areas are often called “electives.”

For example, in Social Studies, all students take Comparative Cultures their freshman year, and

then all sophomores take History. All students must also complete a ½ credit in

Civics. After students complete these three courses, they are still required to take at least another

½ credit in Social Studies. Students can choose to take electives such as Economics, Modern

World History, AP European Studies, etc.

Likewise, in English, courses often have titles that lead people to believe that they are

electives. After students complete World Literature I and II in ninth and tenth grade, they may

choose courses such as 19th Century American Literature, 20th Century British Literature,

Speech, Fiction and Drama, as well as two AP English courses in Language and Composition

and Literature. As you can see, AP courses are not always electives. Students often take

advanced AP courses to fulfill their course requirements. It is also important to note, that

although a course may be listed in the Program of Studies, it does not necessarily guarantee that the course will be taught. Factors such as staffing and budgetary restrictions may preclude a class from being included in the master class schedule.

A student’s schedule is developed each year in conjunction with the student’s Guidance

Counselor and his/her parents. Counselors regularly meet with students and parents to discuss and craft each individual student’s schedule. As you can imagine, there are a myriad of reasons for selecting the courses in a student’s schedule -- the need for academic rigor to assure college entrance, student ability level, special education issues, and a student’s interests and aptitude.

Building each student’s schedule takes careful planning. Developing the master schedule for

approximately 1600 students is, by all accounts, a formidable task.

Of course, simple math reveals that the requirement for students to take 6.5 courses all

four years adds up to 26 credits -- four more than the minimum required for graduation. The

rationale for this is our desire to ensure that students have an academically rigorous and

challenging schedule that will provide them the opportunity to be successful in their pursuit of

college entrance. Cheshire High School students are highly motivated. Currently, 85% of seniors

are taking math as an elective and 89% are taking science as an elective. We also feel it is

essential to provide students the chance to experientially explore fields of study that may allow

them to determine potential college majors and career fields of interest. Many juniors and

seniors are encouraged to pursue experiential programs such as work-based internships,

cooperative work experiences, and cadet teaching to guide them in their future educational and

vocational plans.

I hope I have clarified the types of electives offered at the high school and have answered

some of your questions. If you would like to read the Cheshire High School Program of Studies

in its entirety, please visit the website www.cheshire.k12.ct.us/chs/ and click on Program of

Studies. In my next article, I will outline my plans for a public review of the Cheshire High

School Program of Studies. We are proud of the scope of academic offerings at the high school and look forward to sharing what we teach and how we deliver it at Cheshire High School.