Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Course Modification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves revised 'Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications' to meet state financial‑literacy requirement
Summary
The Wallingford Instructional Committee approved a course modification to rename and revise the district’s financial‑algebra offering so students can earn the half‑credit the state now requires for financial literacy; the change opens the elective to juniors and seniors and allows the district to reduce required math credits for students who take the course.
The Wallingford Board of Education Instructional Committee voted by consensus Dec. 2 to approve a course modification that retitles and revises the district's financial‑algebra offering as "Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications" to satisfy a state requirement that students earn a half‑credit in financial literacy.
Christy Madansi, who presented the proposal to the committee, said the change "is in response to the state requirement for financial literacy that all students carry a half credit" and that the course will be revised in the spring to add the remaining financial‑literacy content. Under the modification, the course will be offered as CCP 1 and will be available as an elective to both juniors and seniors rather than being limited to juniors under the prior Algebra II designation.
Madansi told the board that the district completed a curricular crosswalk showing roughly 90% overlap between the district's existing financial‑algebra content and the state's financial‑literacy expectations; the presentation said teachers at both Lyman Hall and Sheehan supported the change.
As part of the package, students who take the revised course will be credited with the required 0.5 financial‑literacy unit and the district will waive the former local expectation of 4.0 math credits to 3.5 credits for those students so the financial‑literacy half‑credit counts toward graduation requirements.
Board members asked whether the new course would omit Algebra II topics that appear on the SAT. Madansi answered that the course has been cross‑walked to algebra content on the college‑admissions tests and that many of the advanced algebra topics assessed on the SAT remain available later in the district’s Algebra II or precalculus courses.
Votes at a glance - Accept minutes of the prior meeting: accepted by consensus (chair called for 'aye' and announced 'Motion carries'). - Course modification (Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications): approved by consensus; chair recorded multiple 'Aye' responses and announced 'Motion carries.'
What happens next District staff said they will complete a spring curriculum revision to add the missing financial‑literacy elements, update course catalogs, and communicate the change to families and counselors so students can plan their senior‑year schedules.
