Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Course Catalog topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bedford School Board approves revised course catalog, adds two 'Unified' courses
Summary
The Bedford School Board on Jan. 13 approved changes to the high school course catalog that split an "Impact by Design" concept into two clearer classes — Unified Humanities and Unified STEM — and clarified when new courses will run.
The Bedford School Board on Monday approved a revised high school course catalog that splits a previously drafted "Impact by Design" offering into two distinct classes — Unified Humanities and Unified STEM — and adopts the catalog language that students will see when registering.
The change responded to concerns that the original description was unclear. Bob Zokas, principal of Bennington High School, told the board the split was intended to make course descriptions concrete and easier for students to understand: "As you read through it for the first time, it was not straightforward and it was confusing. ... We took the idea and just split it into really two concrete classes, humanities and STEM," Zokas said.
Why it matters: The rewrite is aimed at improving signups and matching course design to student interest. Board members and student representatives discussed pairing one of the new unified courses with a Unified PE elective and promoting the offerings to grades with more scheduling flexibility, such as ninth and 10th graders.
Details and supporting points: Zokas said the unified courses are modeled on existing unified offerings (Unified PE, Unified Art, Unified Music) and will run only if student signups yield an appropriate mix for the course design. He said the district will review enrollments and will not run a class if too few students register.
Student input came from the Student Senate, which recommended Unified Humanities as the broader option likely to attract a wider range of students. Jake Sheff, student school board member, and student senators also reported on promotion ideas including an eighth-grade course info night, posters and social media outreach.
Board reaction and next steps: Board members praised the rewritten descriptions as clearer and more actionable. The chair moved to approve the course catalog as presented; the motion carried on a voice vote.
Ending: Board members said they look forward to seeing signup numbers and intend to monitor demand when registration opens.
