Can you explain sequential electives requirement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, before this thread turns into a 10 page political discussion, I still hope for more replies to my question with some facts or personal experience, like what your kid is taking to satisfy this requirement

My DS took STEM Design and then STEM Engineering. It’s very hands on and he loved it. Kind of the old shop classes we used to take years ago. Also, he’s a Junior and it’s required for his year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do languages count for this?

No.

So if you have a kid who is a gifted musician, for example, who qualifies for the highest choir/orchestra/band class as a freshman and wants to take advanced choir/orchestra/band all four years, plus their foreign language 4 years through AP, and extra math classes in their open elective spots, they have not fulfilled the "sequential" requirement because math and language don't count and their "fun" music elective was allon the same level.

So they either have to drop down in music their first year, or drop the extra math classes for 2 years to take an elective they are not interested in, just so they can check the stupid sequential electives box.

I hope that Virginia removes this requirement now that the government has changed hands back to republicans.

Maybe Chap Peterson can work with that republican education person from southern Virginia to set this requirement right.

Kids shoulc be able to use their high school elective classes on whatever they feel helps them to discover themselves. It is 1-2 classes per year. If they want to dabble, let them dabble. If they are gifted, let them explore those gifts in the most advanced class they can handle.

This is just a stupid requirement put innplace for the sake of change.

Incorrect. It's two electives that a kid has to have as sequential. So language and band would both work. It changed from one set of sequential classes to two sets just in the past few years.

[Anonymous]

11:01 here. On second floor thought, It might be different by school. So check with your own kid's high school.

[Anonymous]

My kid took Advanced Computer Programming in 9th grade and is now in AP Computer Science. Seems sequential to me, right? But the counselor is saying that is not sequential. Huh?

OK, fine, so he will take Honors Biology in 9th and then AP Biology in 11th. Nope, that doesn't count either. What about Spanish 3 and then Spanish 4? No dice. What about Calc BC and Multvar Calc? Sorry.

It's a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do languages count for this?

No.

So if you have a kid who is a gifted musician, for example, who qualifies for the highest choir/orchestra/band class as a freshman and wants to take advanced choir/orchestra/band all four years, plus their foreign language 4 years through AP, and extra math classes in their open elective spots, they have not fulfilled the "sequential" requirement because math and language don't count and their "fun" music elective was allon the same level.

So they either have to drop down in music their first year, or drop the extra math classes for 2 years to take an elective they are not interested in, just so they can check the stupid sequential electives box.

I hope that Virginia removes this requirement now that the government has changed hands back to republicans.

Maybe Chap Peterson can work with that republican education person from southern Virginia to set this requirement right.

Kids shoulc be able to use their high school elective classes on whatever they feel helps them to discover themselves. It is 1-2 classes per year. If they want to dabble, let them dabble. If they are gifted, let them explore those gifts in the most advanced class they can handle.

This is just a stupid requirement put innplace for the sake of change.

FWIW, my kid's counselor in APS said she was fine in satisfying the elective requirement with being in the top band all 4 years. Really, the 'advanced" vs "regular" diploma designation is pretty meaningless, more about encouraging kids to take what they should for college prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do languages count for this?

No.

So if you have a kid who is a gifted musician, for example, who qualifies for the highest choir/orchestra/band class as a freshman and wants to take advanced choir/orchestra/band all four years, plus their foreign language 4 years through AP, and extra math classes in their open elective spots, they have not fulfilled the "sequential" requirement because math and language don't count and their "fun" music elective was allon the same level.

So they either have to drop down in music their first year, or drop the extra math classes for 2 years to take an elective they are not interested in, just so they can check the stupid sequential electives box.

I hope that Virginia removes this requirement now that the government has changed hands back to republicans.

Maybe Chap Peterson can work with that republican education person from southern Virginia to set this requirement right.

Kids shoulc be able to use their high school elective classes on whatever they feel helps them to discover themselves. It is 1-2 classes per year. If they want to dabble, let them dabble. If they are gifted, let them explore those gifts in the most advanced class they can handle.

This is just a stupid requirement put innplace for the sake of change.

Incorrect. It's two electives that a kid has to have as sequential. So language and band would both work. It changed from one set of sequential classes to two sets just in the past few years.

In the advanced diploma, there is a separate requirement for language so that doesn't count as the "elective"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, parent of an ES kid here and this is the first I am hearing about this but it sounds stupid. Hopefully it is gone in 4 years and we don't have to deal with it.

So my kid could have to blow electives on taking two course that are sequential even if he doesn't like an intro elective and wants to try something else? What the hell?

What is the logic behind this?

Kids take all of their core classes in sequence, what is the point of forcing electives in sequence? What is the educational reason for requiring this?

HA! You think that is crazy, what about the fact that they are also REQUIRED to take one VIRTUAL course in High School!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid took Advanced Computer Programming in 9th grade and is now in AP Computer Science. Seems sequential to me, right? But the counselor is saying that is not sequential. Huh?

OK, fine, so he will take Honors Biology in 9th and then AP Biology in 11th. Nope, that doesn't count either. What about Spanish 3 and then Spanish 4? No dice. What about Calc BC and Multvar Calc? Sorry.

It's a mess.

Because these re NOT ELECTIVES, they are CORE classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, is this an actual "requirement" if someone just doesn't, do they not graduate?

Or is this just a thing "They" want you to do.

It's part of the VA state requirements. I thought it was just for advanced diploma but just looked up the requirements and it's also part of the standard diploma. However, standard doesn't have a world language requirement so maybe for that one Spanish 1-2 would cover it? Only not required for the modified standard with is for students with disabilities.

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/advanced_studies.shtml
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/standard.shtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, parent of an ES kid here and this is the first I am hearing about this but it sounds stupid. Hopefully it is gone in 4 years and we don't have to deal with it.

So my kid could have to blow electives on taking two course that are sequential even if he doesn't like an intro elective and wants to try something else? What the hell?

What is the logic behind this?

Kids take all of their core classes in sequence, what is the point of forcing electives in sequence? What is the educational reason for requiring this?

HA! You think that is crazy, what about the fact that they are also REQUIRED to take one VIRTUAL course in High School!

That virtual class is Econ & Personal Finance. Even if you take it at school it has a virtual component so everyone gets that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, parent of an ES kid here and this is the first I am hearing about this but it sounds stupid. Hopefully it is gone in 4 years and we don't have to deal with it.

So my kid could have to blow electives on taking two course that are sequential even if he doesn't like an intro elective and wants to try something else? What the hell?

What is the logic behind this?

Kids take all of their core classes in sequence, what is the point of forcing electives in sequence? What is the educational reason for requiring this?

HA! You think that is crazy, what about the fact that they are also REQUIRED to take one VIRTUAL course in High School!

That virtual class is Econ & Personal Finance. Even if you take it at school it has a virtual component so everyone gets that.

Why don't they just state that ONLY Econ and Personal Finance is required? Yet BOTH are on the requirements Econ Person al Finance and one virtual course.... Seems silly that both are listed as requirements. My kid is taking the Econ personal Finance in the summer(all virtual) so I guess that checks the box(or boxes??)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid took Advanced Computer Programming in 9th grade and is now in AP Computer Science. Seems sequential to me, right? But the counselor is saying that is not sequential. Huh?

OK, fine, so he will take Honors Biology in 9th and then AP Biology in 11th. Nope, that doesn't count either. What about Spanish 3 and then Spanish 4? No dice. What about Calc BC and Multvar Calc? Sorry.

It's a mess.

Because these re NOT ELECTIVES, they are CORE classes

Last I checked, computer science was not required as a core class.

But regardless of that, the problem is that they do not count extra math and science classes as "electives." So perhaps a "science-y" kid wanted to take Oceanography and Environmental Science and Genetics in their elective spots. That wouldn't count. Neither would AP Psych and AP Human Geography. So my kid will be forced to take Art 1 and 2 even though he has no interest in Art?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid took Advanced Computer Programming in 9th grade and is now in AP Computer Science. Seems sequential to me, right? But the counselor is saying that is not sequential. Huh?

OK, fine, so he will take Honors Biology in 9th and then AP Biology in 11th. Nope, that doesn't count either. What about Spanish 3 and then Spanish 4? No dice. What about Calc BC and Multvar Calc? Sorry.

It's a mess.

Because these re NOT ELECTIVES, they are CORE classes

Last I checked, computer science was not required as a core class.

But regardless of that, the problem is that they do not count extra math and science classes as "electives." So perhaps a "science-y" kid wanted to take Oceanography and Environmental Science and Genetics in their elective spots. That wouldn't count. Neither would AP Psych and AP Human Geography. So my kid will be forced to take Art 1 and 2 even though he has no interest in Art?

I would ask the counselor why your son was not advised what to take as a sequence to the Adv Computer Programming. Why aren't these kids getting this info from the counselors(isn't it their job to guide them correctly with course requirements and course load?). Kids are in the midst of choosing courses for next year, I'd request a meeting with said counselor at this point.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, my kid's counselor in APS said she was fine in satisfying the elective requirement with being in the top band all 4 years. Really, the 'advanced" vs "regular" diploma designation is pretty meaningless, more about encouraging kids to take what they should for college prep.

My FCPS kids weren't in orchestra, but my good friend's child made the top orchestra freshman year, and received the same advice from their FCPS counselor. So it seems like at least the requirement is NOT unfair to those kids.

Still a dumb requirement, IMO, but at least not penalizing the kids who make top band and orchestra as 9th graders.

[Anonymous]

Programming is under CTE and AP CS is under math, prob why it was not approved.

My kid used Comp Sci A and Comp Sci AB for this requirement. He will not get the advanced diploma because he never took a CTE or arts class. Oh well!