Reduced schedule in HS within MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Hi. Am the OP. The challenge we are facing is that my kid can handle the content, but not 6-7 periods a day of academic work. Even with a resource class, still has a ton a task switching, tests, homework, etc. in their program.

My question is: has anyone successfully applied for a waiver so they don't have to take 7 periods. And anyone not take math (or any other core subject) during the school year.

Thanks for all the other reflections as well. We are in a unique circumstance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi. Am the OP. The challenge we are facing is that my kid can handle the content, but not 6-7 periods a day of academic work. Even with a resource class, still has a ton a task switching, tests, homework, etc. in their program.

My question is: has anyone successfully applied for a waiver so they don't have to take 7 periods. And anyone not take math (or any other core subject) during the school year.

Thanks for all the other reflections as well. We are in a unique circumstance.

They can do a resource class. They have to take 4 years of math and english. There are specific state graduation requirements. It sounds like you are looking at it the wrong way. They aren't handling the content well if they cannot do it and a full schedule. The AP classes are very demanding, especially math and government/history. Even if they took a reduced schedule, they'd have to go an extra year or just do the absolute minimum to graduate and that wouldn't look good if they are college bound. Can you supplement with tutors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi. Am the OP. The challenge we are facing is that my kid can handle the content, but not 6-7 periods a day of academic work. Even with a resource class, still has a ton a task switching, tests, homework, etc. in their program.

My question is: has anyone successfully applied for a waiver so they don't have to take 7 periods. And anyone not take math (or any other core subject) during the school year.

Thanks for all the other reflections as well. We are in a unique circumstance.

We were in a different unique circumstance for my middle child that required an alternative schedule. I’d suggest that you talk to the counselor. It was really easy for us to navigate and it was all done by the counselor.

[Anonymous]

What about two Resource classes/day? Our 9th grader is doing that (at least for first semester) along with Algebra I A/B, Biology A/B, US History, English and a music elective. Is that a possibility?

[Anonymous]

Though this will only help with senior year, seniors can do an external internship for basically the afternoon and just take classes before lunch.

[Anonymous]

Kids can definitely opt for a shortened schedule for senior year, so I would think you could do other years as long as you are getting math and English each year. I do not think a child like this should take math over the summer- it is grueling.

The other option is to work with your counselor to get a schedule that works. During my son's freshman year, we alternated an academic block with an easier class. I don't remember the exact order, but it went something like this:

Period 1: Math
Period 2: Guitar
Period 3: English
Period 4: Resource
Period 5: Lunch
Period 6: History
Period 7: PE
Period 8: Science

He was in Bridge so there was some more flexibility like if he couldn't handle a transition he would hang out in the bridge office. This worked great for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids can definitely opt for a shortened schedule for senior year, so I would think you could do other years as long as you are getting math and English each year. I do not think a child like this should take math over the summer- it is grueling.

The other option is to work with your counselor to get a schedule that works. During my son's freshman year, we alternated an academic block with an easier class. I don't remember the exact order, but it went something like this:

Period 1: Math
Period 2: Guitar
Period 3: English
Period 4: Resource
Period 5: Lunch
Period 6: History
Period 7: PE
Period 8: Science

He was in Bridge so there was some more flexibility like if he couldn't handle a transition he would hang out in the bridge office. This worked great for him.

Maybe it depends on the school but in our MCPS we only have 7 periods so they'd take Guitar or PE, not both if they do a resource class.

You need four years of math and English but you don't for science and history so maybe do one or the other for freshman year just for a transition? Not sure if that's allowed. But, you also need two years of a foreign language so that schedule that poster is the right idea but wouldn't work.

Another option might be to take classes online through pathways to graduation - think you can mix it but not sure. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/onlinelearning/courses/pathway/

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP that wrote out that schedule and that was the actual classes- I just don't remember the order. He is now a junior and doing fine with meeting his graduation requirements. In his sophomore year, he switched PE for ASL. He also did Health over the summer. This year he is doing his 2nd year of ASL (so his language requirement will be done) and next year he will need to do a technology requirement or something. We planned it all out before he started freshman year to make sure that his requirements would be met while also giving him plenty of breaks.

OP- talk to the counselor. There are possibilities!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP that wrote out that schedule and that was the actual classes- I just don't remember the order. He is now a junior and doing fine with meeting his graduation requirements. In his sophomore year, he switched PE for ASL. He also did Health over the summer. This year he is doing his 2nd year of ASL (so his language requirement will be done) and next year he will need to do a technology requirement or something. We planned it all out before he started freshman year to make sure that his requirements would be met while also giving him plenty of breaks.

OP- talk to the counselor. There are possibilities!

It’s interesting you have 8 classes when we have 7. This is an interesting to wait till sophomore year to do a language and then start from the first one even if he’s in a language to make it easier.

If he did tech in MS sometimes it can count for the graduation requirement but you seem to have it all planned out so that’s probably not true for your son but mine did it in ms.

Op, take some of this advice. Do pe and wait a year on the foreign language. Then health ed even starting next summer as you can do it the summer before 8th and spread it out over two summers if you are prepared to help.

[Anonymous]

For kids who are college bound, what is the impact of taking resource classes? Would that be seen as a negative on college apps (it shouldn't be, of course, but reality is often disappointing).

[Anonymous]

Just FYI at our school there are two class options for “gap” periods. My kid had taken both as their needs evolved.

1. Resource, where the teachers are more hands on in problem solving and reviewing grades and assignments. There is some very modest curriculum, maybe 30 minutes per week.
2 “Approached to learning” which is more like a true study hall. Each week kids must show their planner and answer a few questions about how their week is going in order to get a grade. Teacher does not check if assignments are up to date or otherwise proactively manage student success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is possible. At our school they have the equivalent of a study hall (separate from resource) which can be used for at least one period. The rule at our school is you must leave school property if you don’t have a class during a period, so you’d need to make sure you didn’t have any gaps in the schedule or you elect to take the study hall class during the free period so you can stay on campus.

I was specifically told we could not do a study hall! I feel like McPS admins don’t really understand the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For kids who are college bound, what is the impact of taking resource classes? Would that be seen as a negative on college apps (it shouldn't be, of course, but reality is often disappointing).

My daughter is one of those kids that both took resource and is academically very strong (1500+ on SAT, 20+ AP/DE classes with all A’s and 4s or 5s, 4+ years above grade level in math).

Realistically schools that would negatively judge kids that take resource probably aren’t going to be a good fit for her anyway. Cutthroat and competitive is not where she thrives.

I would do what works for my kid. There are thousands of colleges. If a kid can’t keep their grades up that is likely to be a much more limiting barrier to admissions than a resource class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is possible. At our school they have the equivalent of a study hall (separate from resource) which can be used for at least one period. The rule at our school is you must leave school property if you don’t have a class during a period, so you’d need to make sure you didn’t have any gaps in the schedule or you elect to take the study hall class during the free period so you can stay on campus.

I was specifically told we could not do a study hall! I feel like McPS admins don’t really understand the rules.

I think it has a different name as noted above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids can definitely opt for a shortened schedule for senior year, so I would think you could do other years as long as you are getting math and English each year. I do not think a child like this should take math over the summer- it is grueling.

The other option is to work with your counselor to get a schedule that works. During my son's freshman year, we alternated an academic block with an easier class. I don't remember the exact order, but it went something like this:

Period 1: Math
Period 2: Guitar
Period 3: English
Period 4: Resource
Period 5: Lunch
Period 6: History
Period 7: PE
Period 8: Science

He was in Bridge so there was some more flexibility like if he couldn't handle a transition he would hang out in the bridge office. This worked great for him.

Maybe it depends on the school but in our MCPS we only have 7 periods so they'd take Guitar or PE, not both if they do a resource class.

You need four years of math and English but you don't for science and history so maybe do one or the other for freshman year just for a transition? Not sure if that's allowed. But, you also need two years of a foreign language so that schedule that poster is the right idea but wouldn't work.

Another option might be to take classes online through pathways to graduation - think you can mix it but not sure. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/onlinelearning/courses/pathway/

You don’t have to take English and Math each year. You just have to get four years of them between 9th and 12th grade. My son doubled up on his one year and didn’t take it another.