Orono High School updates course catalog, adds AP and career-focused senior strand
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Summary
The board approved changes to the Orono High School registration guide that add AP pathways (expanded AP Precalculus/Calc, AP Macroeconomics, AP business with personal finance), earth science and civics offerings to meet state requirements, and a new Orono Professional Studies (Impact) senior strand pairing human anatomy, AP research and mentor-based experiences.
The Orono Public School District board approved updates to the Orono High School registration guide that expand AP offerings, adjust course placements to meet new state requirements, and establish a new senior professional program the district calls Orono Professional Studies (Impact).
Dr. Amy Steiner, who presented the changes, said the high school will add a full AP Precalculus with calculus sequence and offer an online summer AP Calculus prep option to broaden access. "We are gonna be adding the full 4 unit class," she said, explaining the change is intended to create clearer pathways to AP Calculus.
To meet recent state standards, the district will offer earth science and civics/American government to juniors and seniors beginning with the class of 2028. Steiner said earth science will be available as a one-semester general-level course with AP environmental science offered as an alternative to meet the requirement.
The business curriculum will gain AP business with personal finance, a year-long AP course that can also satisfy the personal-finance requirement; AP Macroeconomics will also be available. Steiner tied the business offerings to student interest and the district’s success in DECA competitions.
Steiner also outlined "Impact," a new program that pairs human anatomy and AP research (both full-year credits) with an online professional-studies course and a mentor-based field experience. The district said students may take the anatomy or AP research separately, but the Impact strand requires both courses plus the online class and includes mentorship and a field placement component.
Board members asked about enrollment projections and scheduling constraints. Steiner said she expects modest initial participation — "My hope ... would be 10, maybe" — and emphasized the district will start small to ensure a quality experience. She also noted some students who already took human anatomy may not be eligible to join the strand in the program’s first year because the initial model requires concurrent enrollment in the two primary courses.
The board moved, seconded and recorded an "aye" vote to approve the registration guide and the program proposals.