Can someone give me a basic idea of course selection for sophomores

[Anonymous]

OP- This answer depends on your daughter’s interest as well as her plans for Junior/Senior year and possibly college. Mainly the goal should be to knock out graduation requirements. However, there are some who will have fulfilled some graduations requirement like health and tech in MS and in the summers and so have more elective space. There are some kids who will be starting AP classes. There are kids aiming for certain CTE completion programs.

Here’s a good look based on what she’s already taking.

- Math: Precal / Hon Pre-Cal
- Science: Hons Chem
- History: AP NSL / Hon Gov
- English: Hon Eng 10 / AP Seminar
- Tech: Foundations of Comp Science /or AP Comp Sci Principles / Foundation of Tech/ Intro to Engineering
- Health : Hon Health
- Elective

Based on this she could take Spanish 4 as her elective. She could event opt to take Hon Health A and a 1/2 credit elective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s different than what most do at our MCPS HS.

Pre-Calc - makes sense
Hon Chem - yes
Hon NSL - this would be a good AP to take
AP Seminar - don’t really recommend- odd unless it’s an English replacement at your school?
Hon Health - this OR comp science unless no elective
Comp Science - advanced engineering if offered or ap computer science principles
Elective - ok

Drop one of health/comp sci and add Spanish back in
Need Hons English 10 unless the seminar somehow replaces it at your school?

NP. All high schools are allowed to offer AP Seminar English 10 next year, which satisfies the English 10 requirement. (It was piloted at a small number of schools this year.) Since honors is now the on-level option in most schools, the AP option allows for more in-depth study. But even though all schools can offer it next year, only a relatively small number are doing so.

[Anonymous]

What is AP Seminar English 10?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is AP Seminar English 10?

https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar

[Anonymous]

This is the link to the English 10 version (there is also a more general one lined above): https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar/english-10

[Anonymous]

What schools piloted the course and which schools will offer it? I have mixed feelings about AP Seminar. It's very focused on practical writing rather than creative writing and you don't read fiction.

What does the regular English 10 curriculum look like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What schools piloted the course and which schools will offer it? I have mixed feelings about AP Seminar. It's very focused on practical writing rather than creative writing and you don't read fiction.

What does the regular English 10 curriculum look like?

https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseDetails/Index/ENG2003A

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are new to MCPS and my daughter is a freshman and now has to figure out her courses for next year. Her counselor is terrible and really doesn't seem to have any input. I get all of the minimum requirements but I am looking for a more college focused approach. Nothing crazy, but the norm of what the kids take. She doesn't have a lot of friends yet and feels uncomfortable asking around

Her current classes:
Alg 2 (she moved down after the hon was past her old school)
Hon Bio
Hon Span 3
PE
Hon US History
Art
Hon English

Her counselor said this for next year:

Pre-Calc
Hon Chem
Hon NSL
AP Seminar
Hon Health
Comp Science
Elective

I am wondering why Spanish 4 wasn't said and I have no idea what AP Seminar (I guess in place of English?) is or Comp Science is something competitive worth taking. The earliest the counselor can see me is next Thurs, so I was just looking for feedback.

Like I said, we are looking for college prep type classes but she isn't going to be looking for top 50 college or anything. She plays 2 sports and is looking to be in a few clubs next year. Trying to find balance. I just find this school system much more confusing than our previous one for my older kids. Thanks in advance

How did you mess up math like that? A 9th grader should not be in non-Honors Algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What schools piloted the course and which schools will offer it? I have mixed feelings about AP Seminar. It's very focused on practical writing rather than creative writing and you don't read fiction.

What does the regular English 10 curriculum look like?

You aren't seeing them big picture. AP English 10 puts more money in College Board's Caribbean bank account, and boosts you're kids weighted GPA.

[Anonymous]

She absolutely should take Spanish 4

This counselor sounds dumb

You are right to be doing your own research

What is AP NSL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She absolutely should take Spanish 4

This counselor sounds dumb

You are right to be doing your own research

What is AP NSL?

AP Gov

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are new to MCPS and my daughter is a freshman and now has to figure out her courses for next year. Her counselor is terrible and really doesn't seem to have any input. I get all of the minimum requirements but I am looking for a more college focused approach. Nothing crazy, but the norm of what the kids take. She doesn't have a lot of friends yet and feels uncomfortable asking around

Her current classes:
Alg 2 (she moved down after the hon was past her old school)
Hon Bio
Hon Span 3
PE
Hon US History
Art
Hon English

Her counselor said this for next year:

Pre-Calc
Hon Chem
Hon NSL
AP Seminar
Hon Health
Comp Science
Elective

I am wondering why Spanish 4 wasn't said and I have no idea what AP Seminar (I guess in place of English?) is or Comp Science is something competitive worth taking. The earliest the counselor can see me is next Thurs, so I was just looking for feedback.

Like I said, we are looking for college prep type classes but she isn't going to be looking for top 50 college or anything. She plays 2 sports and is looking to be in a few clubs next year. Trying to find balance. I just find this school system much more confusing than our previous one for my older kids. Thanks in advance

How did you mess up math like that? A 9th grader should not be in non-Honors Algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Is AP Seminar a substitute for English 10 at all MCPS schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is AP Seminar a substitute for English 10 at all MCPS schools?

Not WJ. Which makes sense since many of the top kids are in the Apex program, which requires a special English class in 10th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What schools piloted the course and which schools will offer it? I have mixed feelings about AP Seminar. It's very focused on practical writing rather than creative writing and you don't read fiction.

What does the regular English 10 curriculum look like?

You aren't seeing them big picture. AP English 10 puts more money in College Board's Caribbean bank account, and boosts you're kids weighted GPA.

There is no AP English 10. We’re discussing AP Seminar replacing Honors English 10 for some students. MCPS also weighs honors and AP equally so there is no GPA benefit, except for some colleges that may recalculate.