Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Financial Literacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Perkiomen Valley plans half-credit financial-literacy requirement and course reorganization to meet state mandate
Summary
The education committee discussed implementing the state’s new financial-literacy graduation requirement via a half-credit business course (with a 1-credit math alternative), restructuring TV production to a half credit, and pausing two proposed AP courses while assessing staffing and scheduling impacts.
Dr. Fuller, presenting revisions to the district’s program-planning guide, told the committee that a state financial-literacy graduation requirement will go into effect for upcoming cohorts and the district must ensure every graduate has at least one half-credit that meets state specifications. To create sufficient sections and preserve other business offerings, Fuller said the district will adopt a half-credit financial-literacy course as the default route and retain (but not require) a 1-credit mathematics-of-financial-literacy option for students seeking a fuller math focus.
Fuller said the district is vetting curricula and exploring virtual options through Viking Virtual Academy and vendor-supplied courses to ensure statewide requirements are met without overburdening the in-person schedule. He said offering a half-credit course makes it feasible to provide 12 sections and avoid hiring additional teachers while still preserving other business electives.
The committee discussed scheduling options (asynchronous/summer vs. regular year), curriculum timelines and whether the half-credit would replace the full-credit business course; Fuller confirmed the full-credit business course will be replaced by the half-credit course to balance offerings. Board members also asked whether the curriculum would be available for review; Fuller said course-level details will be developed after board approval of the concept and presented in subsequent curriculum-approval cycles.
Other program-guide changes Fuller described included proposed AP cybersecurity and AP financial-literacy offerings (held for a year to assess impact), changes to world-language and health course descriptions, and a proposal to convert the popular TV production class from a full credit to a half credit to increase access. Fuller said loaner equipment is available for students who need cameras and that the district is pausing a Project Lead The Way roll-up while staff refine the in-house engineering curriculum.
Board members asked about dual-enrollment credit opportunities (Montgomery County Community College) and guidance for students deciding whether to take the course as juniors or seniors; Fuller said the state’s transition requires the district to offer the course as intended next year for the cohort entering ninth grade now, and counseling will advise students during scheduling.
The committee approved the concept of offering a half-credit financial-literacy course within the program-planning guide and asked for the developed curriculum and implementation plan to be presented to the board in the usual approval cycle.
