Know Your School’s Class Options – Creating A Music Student’s School Schedule, Part 3

A student a graduation who happily stands in cap and gown after carefully weighing class options and succeeding in their plan of study.

Part Three: Know Your School’s Class Options

BY MEGHAN VANCE • July 15, 2024

After making a list of your educational goals and considering what schools want, it’s important to learn about your school’s class options. Which courses are required, and how much flexibility does that leave within the schedule? What advanced courses are available? Are there courses available to your student outside of the regular schedule or can your student take courses through other schools for credit? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you create the best school schedule for your student.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

A very good place to start is the very end: know which courses are necessary for graduation, both by the state and your school. Requirements can change, so conduct your research carefully. The Kansas State Department Of Education has requirements posted for students who will graduate in 2028; if your plan is based on requirements for current students, you’ll be forced to change it later. Remember to look for prerequisites and when classes are offered at your school: though an order of classes may not be required, a class may only be offered during freshman lunch or spring semesters.

    Graduation, symbolized by a cap and certificate, requirements are important to consider from the very first day of class planning.
    ADVANCED CLASSES

    When looking at advanced classes, be sure to ask why they are they considered advanced. Is it because of necessary prior knowledge, the difficulty of the coursework, or the amount of work? Advanced music classes, for instance, may not require more time or effort than “easier” classes: students in an elite madrigals choir may need to have more advanced skills to enter the class than freshmen in a beginning choir. It’s also important to consider your student’s temperament: some students enjoy themselves most when constantly challenged; others prefer to save their energy for favorite subjects.

    In addition to honors or advanced classes, your school may offer “AP” courses, designed to help students pass a test which may be accepted by their college in place of a college course. Education Week wrote that schools and teachers are sometimes monetarily rewarded for promoting AP programs or helping students achieve high test scores. This means that students often hear adults extol the benefits of advanced courses without also hearing appropriate cautions. Here are some to consider:

    • Stanford University’s senior lecturer Denise Pope states, “If you are truly interested in the subject, there’s a good teacher and you’re surrounded by other motivated students, then you’re probably going to have a good experience from taking a more advanced course. But if you’re pushed into it without good preparation and without a safety net in place at the school to help you if you get in over your head, then it may be more harmful than helpful.” She goes on to say that “Colleges don’t always accept the courses for college credit, many students end up repeating the course in college anyway, and you can run the risk of memorizing material for a test versus delving into a subject and exploring it in an enriching way.”
    • The National Society of High School Scholars cautions students that “AP classes will not be worth it if it hurts your overall GPA.” They also warn students of over-extension: “AP classes may look good on college applications, but so do extracurricular activities and community involvement. Leave yourself time to socialize and relax outside of your school work.”
    • US Performance Academy, an online school for elite U.S. athletes, “recommends a considered and balanced approach when selecting Advanced Placement courses.” They require “an AP application and verification process” and recommend “no more than two AP courses simultaneously or annually.” They also caution that AP courses do not necessarily lead to college credit, and that only specific “core AP” courses are “worth their weight in effort.”
    Female teenager reading a textbook book studying for an advanced class test.
    CLASSES OUTSIDE THE REGULAR SCHEDULE

    Many students believe that summer school and evening classes are only for students who are behind average expectations. However, classes at these times can help your student get ahead in school or provide more schedule flexibility. This summer, Wichita schools offered high school government, financial literacy, and physical education courses. Some states have programs designed to help students graduate early. If your student wants more music or other extra-curricular classes during their school year, taking classes outside of the regular schedule can make this possible.

    CLASSES AT OTHER SCHOOLS

    Programs to help students graduate early often use some form of dual enrollment, where students takes courses at an online school or a local college to count for both schools. Alternative schools, such as homeschool and homeschool co-ops, online schools, and private schools can often be flexible when creating a personalized student schedule. Older high school students may be able to enroll in summer courses at their local college. This opportunity can provide a great introduction to college.

    Stay tuned for more alternative education options in the fourth and final installment of this series.