Warsaw Schools Approves Changes In Curriculum
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert asked the board for approval for the 11 changes.
For the 2011-12 school year, Warsaw implemented Chinese, French and Spanish courses at the middle school level. They’ve been very popular with the eighth-graders, and there is demand for more.
For 2012-13, Hoffert said, the change would be to move language classes down to seventh grade and add Latin as well. The world languages all will be offered as nine-week introductory classes to seventh- or eighth-grade students. High school credit still will be offered for eighth-grade students taking full-year world language course.
The high school has a “very successful” Chinese I course this year, Hoffert said, and there is demand for Chinese II. Chinese II would continue student learning in the language.
The Indiana Department of Education wants all freshman to be in algebra, and pre-algebra will not be offered in high school. An algebra enrichment course, added as part of the curriculum changes, would coincide with the algebra class for students who may need more foundation in algebra. Algebra enrichment is a year-long, two-credit class.
Separate from band, a strings/orchestra program would incorporate all three levels of education – elementary, middle and high school – Hoffert said. Sixth-graders will take strings at Lakeview Middle School.
Dance I has been very successful at the high school, Hoffert said. Now there’s a market for Dance II. Dance II is a one-semester, one Core 40 fine arts credit that continues the dance program at the high school, Hoffert told the board.
The technology internship would be for students in 10th through 12th grade who really want to go into those career pathways. The prerequisite is “A+ Computer Repair & Maintenance”. It is two semesters, with two credits earned.
The new “Medical Terminology” course focuses a lot on Latin, Hoffert said. Traditionally, it has been a class not offered at the high school. Hoffert said they want to open it up to all students in 11th and 12th grade, and is an introductory course. It is a two-semester, two-credit course through Ivy Tech, so dual credits can be earned.
The biotechnical engineering and computer integrated manufacturing course changed from being for juniors and seniors to sophomores through seniors.
Warsaw Area Career Center already offers a criminal justice and EMT program. For 2012-13, a “Fire Rescue I” course for juniors and seniors will be offered. The course is two semesters and students can earn four credits. There is dual credit opportunity with Ivy Tech, and students could earn state certifications.
What was once the Ag Mechanics course will be the “Agriculture Power, Structure and Technology” course, but will go much deeper than just agriculture mechanics, Hoffert said. It is a very high-tech course and full-year two-credit course.
Currently, the entry levels food course for culinary arts is nutrition and wellness. It is the prerequisite for all other foods and culinary arts classes.
The secondary level is “Advanced Nutrition & Foods”, for sophomores through seniors. The “Culinary Hospitality/Foundations” also is for sophomores through seniors who earned at least a “C” in Nutrition & Wellness.
Introduction to Culinary Arts is for juniors and seniors, who earned at least a “C” in Culinary/Hospitality Foundations. Hoffert said there will be a number of dual credit opportunities students can earn from this.
Advanced Culinary Arts is for juniors and seniors who earn at least a “C” in “Intro to Culinary Arts”. Eventually, students will open and operate a restaurant at the WACC.
Other changes are just changes in course title.
Fundamentals of Agriculture will become Introduction to Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
Desktop Publishing will become Computer Illustrations & Graphics; Entrepreneurship will become Entrepreneurship & New Ventures; and Marketing Foundations will become Principles of Marketing.
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism will become “Hospitality Management”, while Fundamentals of Radio & TV Broadcasting will become “Radio & TV Broadcasting & Productions I”. Business & Personal Law will be “Business Law & Ethics”, Business Foundation will be “Discovering Business & Marketing” and Advanced Computer Applications-Word/Excel and Advanced Computer Application-Power Point/Access will be combined under IT Fundamentals.
Dan Robinson, board vice president, asked if these electives will take place of other electives. Hoffert said some may, while some may just shift in numbers.
Robinson said while all of them look like worthwhile programs, he asked if there is enough time, staff and money to implement them.
Hoffert replied with the market, he believes so. There will be shifts from some areas to others. If some courses don’t have the demand or money, the courses may then not be offered.
Robinson was concerned with the expense of the orchestra/strings course and who the equipment would belong to. Hoffert said it will be ran just like the band program and how it leases equipment to students. There will be some upfront costs, about $100,000 including paying for the instructor, to get the program off the ground.
Board President Deb Wiggins expressed concern about the financial impact of all the new courses. While the orchestra would have a large budget impact, Hoffert said the others would be minimal. The class rooms already exist, and Ivy Tech is partnering with Warsaw on many of them.
If a market is there for the courses, that will be the driving force to offer them. If there’s no market, there’s no course.
Wiggins said the board needs to see the fiscal soundness of all the courses.
She made a motion to approve the curriculum additions for the 2012-13 school year, with the caveat that Hoffert come back to the board in the spring and report on how the students reacted to the offerings and the numbers. The board unanimously approved.[[In-content Ad]]
Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert asked the board for approval for the 11 changes.
For the 2011-12 school year, Warsaw implemented Chinese, French and Spanish courses at the middle school level. They’ve been very popular with the eighth-graders, and there is demand for more.
For 2012-13, Hoffert said, the change would be to move language classes down to seventh grade and add Latin as well. The world languages all will be offered as nine-week introductory classes to seventh- or eighth-grade students. High school credit still will be offered for eighth-grade students taking full-year world language course.
The high school has a “very successful” Chinese I course this year, Hoffert said, and there is demand for Chinese II. Chinese II would continue student learning in the language.
The Indiana Department of Education wants all freshman to be in algebra, and pre-algebra will not be offered in high school. An algebra enrichment course, added as part of the curriculum changes, would coincide with the algebra class for students who may need more foundation in algebra. Algebra enrichment is a year-long, two-credit class.
Separate from band, a strings/orchestra program would incorporate all three levels of education – elementary, middle and high school – Hoffert said. Sixth-graders will take strings at Lakeview Middle School.
Dance I has been very successful at the high school, Hoffert said. Now there’s a market for Dance II. Dance II is a one-semester, one Core 40 fine arts credit that continues the dance program at the high school, Hoffert told the board.
The technology internship would be for students in 10th through 12th grade who really want to go into those career pathways. The prerequisite is “A+ Computer Repair & Maintenance”. It is two semesters, with two credits earned.
The new “Medical Terminology” course focuses a lot on Latin, Hoffert said. Traditionally, it has been a class not offered at the high school. Hoffert said they want to open it up to all students in 11th and 12th grade, and is an introductory course. It is a two-semester, two-credit course through Ivy Tech, so dual credits can be earned.
The biotechnical engineering and computer integrated manufacturing course changed from being for juniors and seniors to sophomores through seniors.
Warsaw Area Career Center already offers a criminal justice and EMT program. For 2012-13, a “Fire Rescue I” course for juniors and seniors will be offered. The course is two semesters and students can earn four credits. There is dual credit opportunity with Ivy Tech, and students could earn state certifications.
What was once the Ag Mechanics course will be the “Agriculture Power, Structure and Technology” course, but will go much deeper than just agriculture mechanics, Hoffert said. It is a very high-tech course and full-year two-credit course.
Currently, the entry levels food course for culinary arts is nutrition and wellness. It is the prerequisite for all other foods and culinary arts classes.
The secondary level is “Advanced Nutrition & Foods”, for sophomores through seniors. The “Culinary Hospitality/Foundations” also is for sophomores through seniors who earned at least a “C” in Nutrition & Wellness.
Introduction to Culinary Arts is for juniors and seniors, who earned at least a “C” in Culinary/Hospitality Foundations. Hoffert said there will be a number of dual credit opportunities students can earn from this.
Advanced Culinary Arts is for juniors and seniors who earn at least a “C” in “Intro to Culinary Arts”. Eventually, students will open and operate a restaurant at the WACC.
Other changes are just changes in course title.
Fundamentals of Agriculture will become Introduction to Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
Desktop Publishing will become Computer Illustrations & Graphics; Entrepreneurship will become Entrepreneurship & New Ventures; and Marketing Foundations will become Principles of Marketing.
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism will become “Hospitality Management”, while Fundamentals of Radio & TV Broadcasting will become “Radio & TV Broadcasting & Productions I”. Business & Personal Law will be “Business Law & Ethics”, Business Foundation will be “Discovering Business & Marketing” and Advanced Computer Applications-Word/Excel and Advanced Computer Application-Power Point/Access will be combined under IT Fundamentals.
Dan Robinson, board vice president, asked if these electives will take place of other electives. Hoffert said some may, while some may just shift in numbers.
Robinson said while all of them look like worthwhile programs, he asked if there is enough time, staff and money to implement them.
Hoffert replied with the market, he believes so. There will be shifts from some areas to others. If some courses don’t have the demand or money, the courses may then not be offered.
Robinson was concerned with the expense of the orchestra/strings course and who the equipment would belong to. Hoffert said it will be ran just like the band program and how it leases equipment to students. There will be some upfront costs, about $100,000 including paying for the instructor, to get the program off the ground.
Board President Deb Wiggins expressed concern about the financial impact of all the new courses. While the orchestra would have a large budget impact, Hoffert said the others would be minimal. The class rooms already exist, and Ivy Tech is partnering with Warsaw on many of them.
If a market is there for the courses, that will be the driving force to offer them. If there’s no market, there’s no course.
Wiggins said the board needs to see the fiscal soundness of all the courses.
She made a motion to approve the curriculum additions for the 2012-13 school year, with the caveat that Hoffert come back to the board in the spring and report on how the students reacted to the offerings and the numbers. The board unanimously approved.[[In-content Ad]]
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