Can you explain sequential electives requirement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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??)

It's definitely silly. I always figured that virtual thing was in there due to lobbying from some ed tech company,

[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

Same boat Op.

My rising 10th grader us trying to decide on electives, but she feels stressed by the sequential elective policy. She's worried she will be "commiteed" to a certain elective for 2 yrs.

What if she doesn't like/struggles with/finds something new when it comes to planning for her Jr year (yes, not having PE take up a slot helps, but that seems to be automatically filled with the mandatory Personal Finance class) and doesn't want to take a 2nd year/level 2 of XYZ?

Why can't fcps just let the kids decide w/o this sequential stuff? If a kid likes Multimedia 101, great, take Multimedia 102 next year. If your kid hated it, no problem. Choose something else next year. None of this "you better take XYZ Level 2 bc it's fcps policy. And sorry, takng Spanish 2 doesn't count. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an FCPS requirement for HS. How do you satisfy it? For example, would AP Macro/Micro satisfy it? If not, can you give an example that would?

Direct answer to your question: Ceramics 1 and 2. Kid loves the teacher, loves ceramics. It is her happy place.

[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?

It is about job security for the music are art teachers to ensure that the music and art kids can't get away with only 1 years' worth of art or music and then take say, CS, or other elective academic subject, at the cost of lower enrollment and therefore lower FTE count for the art/music teachers. Count on the bureaucracy to preserve itself at all costs. Kid's educational goals or considerations be damned!

I don't think so.

It penalizes the music kids, particularly the ones on either end who are in the most advanced level from the beginning, and the ones who love to sing but sound like a frog and will never make it into the audition ensembles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine with it if they would drop the PE requirement, that at least opens slots for this

True.

[Anonymous]

CTE: BUSINESS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CTE: FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES

CTE: TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION

FINE ARTS: MUSIC

FINE ARTS: THEATRE ARTS

FINE ARTS: VISUAL ARTS


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❏ 117100 Creative Writing
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❏ 116700 LGBTQ+ Perspectives in Literature

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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!

Isn't this required for the standard diploma too?

https://www.fcps.edu/graduation-requirements-and-course-planning/first-time-ninth-2018-19

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CTE: BUSINESS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CTE: FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES

CTE: TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION

FINE ARTS: MUSIC

FINE ARTS: THEATRE ARTS

FINE ARTS: VISUAL ARTS


Also among many more:

Journalism 1
❏ 121000 Journalism 2
❏ 121100 Journalism 3
❏ 121200 Journalism 4
❏ 122000 Broadcast Journalism 1
❏ 122012 Broadcast Journalism 2
❏ 122013 Broadcast Journalism 3
❏ 122014 Broadcast Journalism 4
❏ 121500 Photojournalism 1
❏ 121600 Photojournalism 2
❏ 121700 Photojournalism 3
❏ 121714 Photojournalism 4
❏ 117100 Creative Writing
❏ 144600 Film Study (Grades 11/12)
❏ 116700 LGBTQ+ Perspectives in Literature

But it takes away the opportunity for kids to experiment with different electives and locks them into one path.

What if a kid wants to take drawing as a freshman, engineering as a sophomore, journalism and an extra science class as a junior, guitar and leadership as a senior?

They can't as none of those classes are sequential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Computer Science and AP Computer Science A are both math electives that are not core classes. According to #2 here, they should comply:

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/guidelines_sequent_electives.pdf

[Anonymous]

It says: "courses to satisfy this requirement shall include at least two sequential electives as required by the Standards of Quality."

Does that mean 1 set of an elective 1 and 2 and then another set of an elective 1 and 2?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It says: "courses to satisfy this requirement shall include at least two sequential electives as required by the Standards of Quality."

Does that mean 1 set of an elective 1 and 2 and then another set of an elective 1 and 2?

It means that whoever wrote the requirement was very careful in their phrasing. I think the requirement is one set, but it reads like you need two sets, i.e. two sequential (implying two sequences).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine with it if they would drop the PE requirement, that at least opens slots for this

True.

+2
Especially if my kid plays sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an FCPS requirement for HS. How do you satisfy it? For example, would AP Macro/Micro satisfy it? If not, can you give an example that would?

Direct answer to your question: Ceramics 1 and 2. Kid loves the teacher, loves ceramics. It is her happy place.

What if my rising 11th grader hates Ceramics 1 and, obviously, doesn't want to take Ceramics 2? That means as a Junior, he has to start the whole elective sequence thing all over again....that sucks to have to do this bc it takes up 2 precious slots Jr and Sr. year.

[Anonymous]

I am so confused! I have a class of 2020 kid and 2022 kid so maybe they weren’t under this state law. But I also have a class of 2025 kid and didn’t know about this. Hopefully she does and has considered it in her course planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CTE: BUSINESS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CTE: FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES

CTE: TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION

FINE ARTS: MUSIC

FINE ARTS: THEATRE ARTS

FINE ARTS: VISUAL ARTS


Also among many more:

Journalism 1
❏ 121000 Journalism 2
❏ 121100 Journalism 3
❏ 121200 Journalism 4
❏ 122000 Broadcast Journalism 1
❏ 122012 Broadcast Journalism 2
❏ 122013 Broadcast Journalism 3
❏ 122014 Broadcast Journalism 4
❏ 121500 Photojournalism 1
❏ 121600 Photojournalism 2
❏ 121700 Photojournalism 3
❏ 121714 Photojournalism 4
❏ 117100 Creative Writing
❏ 144600 Film Study (Grades 11/12)
❏ 116700 LGBTQ+ Perspectives in Literature

Not every school has the same offerings. I looked at my DS future school and they don't have many of those listed classes. And some of those are sequenced, like Creative Writing, Film Study, and LGBTQ.

It is a ridiculous requirement. Allow the kids to just take the electives that they want and don't worry about sequencing.