MCPS summer school

[Anonymous]

Please explain MCPS summer school to me. What HS classes can realistically be taken during the summer? MCPS site says that "Any MCPS high school student in need of replacing or taking original credit for graduation required course" are eligible. We are new to MCPS and I don't fully understand what that means.

[Anonymous]

That means that if a student failed, or came short of the grade they wanted, for a course required for graduation, they may re-take the class over the summer. I believe the old grade is dropped and the new grade replaces it.

Students take summer school for one of two reasons: to replace a grade or to get ahead. In MCPS the most common of the latter is to take Health.

[Anonymous]

Does the transcript show that the grade has been replaced? Can you take any class this way? Any chance you could take, for example, foreign language, to free your elective slots for other classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the transcript show that the grade has been replaced? Can you take any class this way? Any chance you could take, for example, foreign language, to free your elective slots for other classes?

Many kids take health and/or the required technology credits in the summers to free up space.

In general, you’d need permission from administration to take other classes for original credit (not a retake), and it’s generally discouraged. You’d need a compelling reason. Most other classes are listed as “not for original credit.”

[Anonymous]

Not every class is available as a summer school class. If you look at the MCPS website you can see what was offered this summer. It doesn’t change much year to year.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. Can you take some other class with, say, Health 1 or would that be too much for one session?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. Can you take some other class with, say, Health 1 or would that be too much for one session?

All of the ones I’ve looked at are at the same time so you likely couldn’t. And taking an entire semester class in 3 weeks is a lot of work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. Can you take some other class with, say, Health 1 or would that be too much for one session?

Yes as long as they don’t meet at the same time, for example one is an afternoon and one is an evening class. You are limited to two at a time. Also you cannot take health A and health B at the same time even though it does not matter which order you take them in.

[Anonymous]

You also have to pay tuition for summer courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. Can you take some other class with, say, Health 1 or would that be too much for one session?

Its three weeks, and very intense, basically those three weeks are one full semester. Health alone is a lot of work. One class per session is best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the transcript show that the grade has been replaced? Can you take any class this way? Any chance you could take, for example, foreign language, to free your elective slots for other classes?

Many kids take health and/or the required technology credits in the summers to free up space.

In general, you’d need permission from administration to take other classes for original credit (not a retake), and it’s generally discouraged. You’d need a compelling reason. Most other classes are listed as “not for original credit.”

But why? So they can take all hard classes and have no break for electives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the transcript show that the grade has been replaced? Can you take any class this way? Any chance you could take, for example, foreign language, to free your elective slots for other classes?

Many kids take health and/or the required technology credits in the summers to free up space.

In general, you’d need permission from administration to take other classes for original credit (not a retake), and it’s generally discouraged. You’d need a compelling reason. Most other classes are listed as “not for original credit.”

But why? So they can take all hard classes and have no break for electives?

There’s plenty of room for electives without summer school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. Can you take some other class with, say, Health 1 or would that be too much for one session?

Technically you can take up to two summer school classes at a time. They tell students to budget four hours of class and/or study time per day per course, so two classes = eight hours. That is not ideal or even possible for some students, but doable for others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the transcript show that the grade has been replaced? Can you take any class this way? Any chance you could take, for example, foreign language, to free your elective slots for other classes?

Many kids take health and/or the required technology credits in the summers to free up space.

In general, you’d need permission from administration to take other classes for original credit (not a retake), and it’s generally discouraged. You’d need a compelling reason. Most other classes are listed as “not for original credit.”

But why? So they can take all hard classes and have no break for electives?

Yes. Or, so they can take more electives. Like, a kid who wants to do both band and the tech elective series, and who doesn't want to sacrifice foreign language to fit them both in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the transcript show that the grade has been replaced? Can you take any class this way? Any chance you could take, for example, foreign language, to free your elective slots for other classes?

Many kids take health and/or the required technology credits in the summers to free up space.

In general, you’d need permission from administration to take other classes for original credit (not a retake), and it’s generally discouraged. You’d need a compelling reason. Most other classes are listed as “not for original credit.”

But why? So they can take all hard classes and have no break for electives?

Yes. Or, so they can take more electives. Like, a kid who wants to do both band and the tech elective series, and who doesn't want to sacrifice foreign language to fit them both in.

OP here - something like the second scenario here, DC wants to take both orchestra and art. Some schools have 8 periods and this is not an issue but at our HS it is. In any case, it's good to know options even if you don't pursue them, I hope you will agree.