Last year, many students committed to year-long classes without knowing sufficient information about the curriculum, workload or the demands of each class. In addition, many students were unprepared for the classes due to the option to waiver preexisting conditions.
Because of these problems, the administration has thankfully taken the iniative to better inform students before they make the same commitment next year.
For each AP or honors class, there have been mandatory planned pre-course meetings for teachers and students to discuss the course. In these meetings, students can question teachers about each course’s workload, requirements and curriculum.
In addition, teachers will offer syllabi and course descriptions online. Giving students these documents before committing will afford them a preview of the experience in each course, but only a shallow one.
Though these meetings and documents will be somewhat beneficial to students in light of the current restrictive policies, they still do not provide adequate information about each class for students. Students will still lack the necessary experience and knowledge in each class to assess whether or not to enter the course.
An effective way for students to understand the class and curriculum is to experience the class first hand. Instead of focusing on curriculum and expectations, which are readily found online, the lunchtime meetings should be structured like a normal class day.
In hopes of providing students with a different perspective from that of the teachers, the administration also plans to conduct a study of AP and honors students. In the study, current students will be polled about the amount of time necessary to complete the work in each course.
However, surveys such as this may not always be completely useful as many students differ in both learning and work habits. Because of potential differences in opinion, not all students can effectively utilize other students’ experiences as a barometer for their own chances of success.
Although the idea to poll students and find the average amount of work is worth noting, the study does not account for many factors. The study cannot determine how a student responds to a teacher, whether he or she would enjoy studying the curriculum for an entire year or the type of work done in each class. Therefore, survey results should be accompanied by comments from students about their experience in each class.
The administration’s proposed changes are steps in the right direction, but need a more human approach in its current commitment policy.
According to the administration, they have been relatively lenient this year regarding drop-outs and transfers. Next year, the administration has expressed that they will strictly enforce the policy, allowing students to drop or transfer out only with a failing grade at the semester. If transfers and drops will no longer be evaluated on a case by case basis, the administration must take responsibility for ensuring that students are prepared for each class.
Like all schools, Mira Costa wishes to keep up its good academic standing. By mandating student attendance of course meetings, giving students the syllabi of each class and conducting a study of each course’s workload, Costa is taking steps toward better preparing students for advanced classes and also increasing their chances of success.
Nevertheless, by strictly enforcing the current commitment policy without informed students, the administration will have advanced classes with unprepared students.
Instead, students need to have realistic expectations about their future classes before they make the decision to commit. Conducting a comprehensive study about the workload and including current students’ comments along with giving students first hand experience in class will better prepare students for advanced classes.
The administration’s plan to educate students about AP and honors classes is a step towards improving the academic experience for all students. However, it is still unjust to keep the current commitment form policy without providing students experience in the classes to which they commit and insight to the type of work that will be required of them.
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