What is a standard American high school course load?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I’m curious. I went to a New England prep school where the maximum was 6 (English, history, math, science, language, plus an elective), and seniors commonly took only 5.
Now my kid is headed toward a public school (Jackson-Reed in DCPS) where the standard course load is 8 courses per year, 7 for seniors. Is that the difference between public and private? Changing times? My inclination is to believe that a school with fewer courses more focused on core subjects provides a better education, but maybe that’s just what feels familiar to me. What is the standard course load at your high school? |
Anonymous
|
I don't even think there is an answer to this question. Is there a standard? Every state/county/town/public/private does it differently.
My children are at a private in NYC and they also take six: English, History, Math, Science, Foreign Language, Elective *but* there's also some wiggle room there as classes don't meet every day and some classes are more credits than others. So you could take two electives - one that meets 1 day a week and one that meets 2-3, for example. |
Anonymous
In our school there are 7 periods in the day, and most kids seem to take all 7 classes. |
Anonymous
|
My kids' school is 7 classes and many seniors take a free period and have 6 classes.
Typically that would be: 1. English 2. Math 3. History/Social Studies 4. Science 5. Foreign Language 6. Elective (often something in the arts) 7. PE (9th-10th) / Elective (11th-12th, optional in 12th) |