Course registration question- honors vs regular classes

[Anonymous]

Our 8th grader needs to register for courses next year in high school. I assumed the regular non-honors class was the default and only if a student is exceptional in a particular subject then they’d register for honors. Another parent seemed to indicate that most kids take honors and the regular non-honors classes are for kids who need extra support. I know I need to reach out to the counselor but figured you all could help in the meantime. This is at RM.

[Anonymous]

Honors is the norm

[Anonymous]

Grade ke rl us remedial
Honirs is grade level
AP/Magnet us honors.

[Anonymous]

It’s “honors” for all in the core subjects except math - math classes are differentiated.

[Anonymous]

What the other parent told you is correct. MCPS turned honors classes into regular classes and regular classes into remedial classes. It’s maddening but this is MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Or you go to a W school where they don’t even offer non-honors as an option (except math) when maybe your kid might need that option in a certain subject. Sigh. Honors for all!! 🤪

[Anonymous]

Wait, they offer non-honors classes at RM? In English and social studies? I wish B-CC would do that.

[Anonymous]

OP- Talk to your child’s current teacher and the HS counselor. Students should take the class that works for them. Sometimes it’s honors, sometimes it isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 8th grader needs to register for courses next year in high school. I assumed the regular non-honors class was the default and only if a student is exceptional in a particular subject then they’d register for honors. Another parent seemed to indicate that most kids take honors and the regular non-honors classes are for kids who need extra support. I know I need to reach out to the counselor but figured you all could help in the meantime. This is at RM.

Take honors...if there are non-honors for certain courses, those are going to be at a much slower pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 8th grader needs to register for courses next year in high school. I assumed the regular non-honors class was the default and only if a student is exceptional in a particular subject then they’d register for honors. Another parent seemed to indicate that most kids take honors and the regular non-honors classes are for kids who need extra support. I know I need to reach out to the counselor but figured you all could help in the meantime. This is at RM.

Take honors...if there are non-honors for certain courses, those are going to be at a much slower pace.

Or at the pace needed for a kid to absorb the material and prepare for harder classes. Access the subject, your kid, and your kids current and future goals. Then decide what is best for that kid.

[Anonymous]

Our *middle* school teacher insisted that her MS science class was more rigorous/went faster than the *honors* bio class at the HS. (My kids agreed.)

In US History, my understanding is that the Honors US History is a direct continuation of MS US history. ('regular' USH becomes easier than what they did in MS and 'AP' is (much) more challenging than what they did in MS.

[Anonymous]

Why did MCPS make this change? My high schooler was in GT classes in Howard and it seems like the honors classes at BCC are less challenging. At the end of the day I think the overall end result can be similar, if not the same, and it's not all about test scores - but I wonder if grouping everyone into honors is the right answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 8th grader needs to register for courses next year in high school. I assumed the regular non-honors class was the default and only if a student is exceptional in a particular subject then they’d register for honors. Another parent seemed to indicate that most kids take honors and the regular non-honors classes are for kids who need extra support. I know I need to reach out to the counselor but figured you all could help in the meantime. This is at RM.

I didn't think there were any regular classes since they started with the honors for all stuff.

[Anonymous]

OP the thing is this, if you start a class in Honors and the pace is too much, you can always drop down. You cannot change up from regular to Honors as easily because the Honors classes go faster.

The best example of this is Honors Algebra 2 at Whitman they spend 1 week revisiting the basic principles of Algebra 1. In regular Algebra 2 they take 2-3 weeks to cover it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 8th grader needs to register for courses next year in high school. I assumed the regular non-honors class was the default and only if a student is exceptional in a particular subject then they’d register for honors. Another parent seemed to indicate that most kids take honors and the regular non-honors classes are for kids who need extra support. I know I need to reach out to the counselor but figured you all could help in the meantime. This is at RM.

I didn't think there were any regular classes since they started with the honors for all stuff.

Only English has honors for all. Many schools still offer all the levels for other subjects like History and Science, and depending on the programs at a given school may have cohorted classes within that. Reach out to you home high school counselor to discuss or reach out to the subject area Resource teacher for a better understanding.

There is very little staffing wiggle room so schools would very much appreciate if students enrolled in the most appropriate or desired classes and not be expecting to switch out of them after the fact.