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Board hears detailed presentation on course selection, AP/honors and summer school options
Summary
High school administrators outlined the district's course selection timeline, how sectioning is determined, and current summer school offerings. Board members discussed parental sign-off, AP versus honors classes, and whether to expand in-person summer instruction for math and English.
Elmwood Park High School administrators presented the board with the schedule and process for next year's course selection, how the master schedule is built, and how the district currently runs summer school.
Principal Dr. Brodericko outlined a multi-month timeline: curriculum leaders review course descriptions and prerequisites in the fall; rising ninth graders attend curriculum night on Nov. 20; PowerSchool is cleaned up in January; course selection and sectioning occur in January through March; department chairs propose sections; the master schedule is finalized in May and students receive schedules two days before the start of school. Brodericko said the district aims for roughly 15 students per elective section when possible and explained the trade-offs of adding singleton classes.
Board members questioned whether parents should be required to sign off on students' schedules, citing concerns about students choosing less rigorous classes without parental oversight. A board member requested at minimum parental notification when students are moved into AP courses over summer scheduling changes because AP exams carry fees.
The board also debated the balance of honors versus AP offerings. Administrators explained AP courses are nationally defined, include a standardized exam in May and can yield college credit; honors courses are locally defined and do not have a national exam. Administrators said districts vary in how they weight honors, AP and dual-credit courses, and that any change in weighting would require a districtwide policy decision.
On summer school, administrators described a four-week July program run largely through Apex, a computerized curriculum. Students are required to check in daily to Apex and to come to campus for two mandatory in-person sessions. Summer classes are used for credit recovery and limited credit advancement (government, consumer education, health and PE historically); administrators said AP classes are not typically offered in summer because AP requires intensive instruction and the national exam occurs months later. The district reported 94 summer-school registrants with 83 passing in the most recent session; administrators said success rates are higher when in-person instruction is provided for recovery-level math and English.
Board members asked staff to consider increasing in-person summer instruction for math and English for students recouping credits and to review the district's practice around honors/AP weighting, parental notifications and possible sign-off procedures.
