By Julia DiFiori
Copy Editor
Teachers have proposed ten new classes for the 2016-17 school year, including new honors, Advanced Placement and other unique courses such as ones that allow students to earn community college credit.
A school board meeting on Jan. 26 will finalize whether these courses will be included in next year’s catalog. The classes are American Sign Language, Astrophysics, AP Chinese Language and Culture, Computer Science and Software Engineering, Financial Algebra, AP Human Geography, Principles of Engineering, String Orchestra, United States History Honors and World History Honors.
The new honors, AP and community college-credit classes would benefit students by granting them more options providing opportunities for students to adjust the rigor of their schedule. Having these choices available would help students customize schedules that are more suited to their academic needs.
Honors US History and Honors World History would serve as alternatives to CP or AP US History, and World History or AP European History respectively. The incorporation of these honors classes into Costa’s Social Studies department would create options for students who are in between the CP and AP history difficulty levels. The addition of classes like these with varying levels of difficulty grants students more control over the rigor of their class schedule.
According to Social Studies department co-chair Steve Singiser, this would allow students who are not confident in their ability to handle AP level courses to prepare themselves for future AP courses. In addition, students could enroll in these honors classes if they already have selected a number of AP courses and are hesitant to take on another.
The two APs that have been suggested, AP Chinese Language and Culture and AP Human Geography, would contribute differently but positively to Costa’s course offerings.
AP Chinese Language and Culture would challenge students with a higher level of study than is currently available. According to junior Leah James, who has been studying the language since seventh grade and aims to become fluent, AP Chinese would be the next step.
Adding more AP classes such as Human Geography would be beneficial for students because they can select APs that most interest them, rather than potentially feeling pressured into taking an AP they have no interest in simply to have it on their transcript. According to senior Lauren Koch, when students takes AP classes that do not interest them, it can lead to undue stress.
Computer Science and Software Engineering as well as Principles of Engineering provide an opportunity for students to earn earn 3 community college credits, although the classes are not APs. These classes would also offer students the chance to explore more specialized areas that might pertain to their future studies. This is beneficial for students because they can learn more about a potential future.
Proposed classes such as Astrophysics, Financial Algebra, String Orchestra and American Sign Language would provide new educational opportunities to students who are interested in any of these subjects. Furthermore, as stated by math teacher Daniel Debevec, many students taking Trigonometry and Probability/Stats would be better served taking Financial Algebra.
Although the addition of this new courses could complicate scheduling, the benefits to student experience and education would far outweigh the potential difficulties.
If these classes are approved for next year, students will benefit from having the extra options, allowing them to make decisions specific to their academic needs and goals.
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