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District staff propose half-credit financial literacy requirement, course and scheduling changes
Summary
Dr. Fuller presented revisions to the Program Planning Guide including a state-required financial literacy graduation requirement, a proposed half-credit course to meet demand without cutting other electives, and several course-description and elective adjustments to accommodate the change.
Dr. Fuller told the Perkiomen Valley education committee the major change in this year’s Program Planning Guide is a state-required financial literacy graduation requirement that goes into effect next year.
To meet the requirement for all graduating seniors, Fuller proposed two course options: a half-credit business-based financial literacy course that would meet the minimum state requirement and a more expansive 1-credit mathematics-of-financial-literacy option. "One of the things offering financial literacy at a half credit is going to do for us is make enough sections to accommodate a course that every single student in the high school needs to take," Fuller said.
Fuller explained the half-credit approach is intended to preserve other popular business and elective offerings by allowing financial literacy sections to be scheduled alongside existing courses without hiring more teachers. He said the district is vetting virtual providers and expects the Viking Virtual Academy might host a vetted course for students whose schedules prevent in-person enrollment.
Fuller also proposed converting TV production from a full-credit to a half-credit course to increase access; he said the course’s content can be accomplished in a half-credit format and would dovetail with financial literacy in scheduling.
The guide also contains other course-description updates (French world-language expansions, clarified health course descriptions, and minor edits to art and photography language). Fuller noted two AP business courses (AP cybersecurity and AP financial literacy) were proposed but held for at least a year while the district monitors impacts on department capacity.
Board members asked about grade-level timing for the requirement and dual-enrollment options; Fuller said the state’s rollout ties the requirement to the cohort entering ninth grade next year and that the district is exploring community-college options (Montgomery County Community College) and virtual offerings.
Fuller said more detailed curricula and full course syllabi will be developed after the board approves course concepts in the program planning guide, with curriculum approvals to follow in late spring or summer.
