TJ schedules

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain the TJ schedule to me? Is it a block schedule or do they have wbwrybperiod every day?

Also can someone give me an example of what a student might take each year?

[Anonymous]

There is an 8th period where no academic classes are scheduled for activities, makeup sessions with teachers, tutoring, etc.

Monday, all academic classes meet (periods 1-7)
Tu/Th Periods 1-4 (block)
W/F Periods 5-8 (block)

Here is info on schedule planning:

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/3145

[Anonymous]

Here are the Senior Lab pre-refs that must be scheduled in addition to normal classes. Students are instructed to take the pre-reds for two labs, because not every student gets their first choice.

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/2761

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an 8th period where no academic classes are scheduled for activities, makeup sessions with teachers, tutoring, etc.

Monday, all academic classes meet (periods 1-7)
Tu/Th Periods 1-4 (block)
W/F Periods 5-8 (block)

Here is info on schedule planning:

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/3145

Thanks!

Is it always that way, or does it sometimes switch up? If, for example, there is a snow day on Wednesday, or a holiday, does the next day switch?

I'm asking because my kid needs a modified schedule to allow for standing medical appointments. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth having him apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an 8th period where no academic classes are scheduled for activities, makeup sessions with teachers, tutoring, etc.

Monday, all academic classes meet (periods 1-7)
Tu/Th Periods 1-4 (block)
W/F Periods 5-8 (block)

Here is info on schedule planning:

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/3145

Thanks!

Is it always that way, or does it sometimes switch up? If, for example, there is a snow day on Wednesday, or a holiday, does the next day switch?

I'm asking because my kid needs a modified schedule to allow for standing medical appointments. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth having him apply.

They try to keep things constant, and don’t switch up every time there is a snow day. But, things can and do switch. For example, PSAT day, J Day, TJStar, assemblies. Plus, beginning around AP exams, anchor days (Periods 1-7) disappear for the year, and they just alternate between red (period 1-4) and blue (period 5-8) days. So one week red days are M, W, F and the next are. Tu, Th until the end of the year.

Legally, if you ask, TJ has to tell you they will try to accommodate a modified schedule under an IEP. iRL, I can’t imagine that working. Your kid needs to be there every minute possible. They can’t get all the requirements in in 6 classes. Even with summer school, many kids are pushed to get all the extra requirements. And even if your kid was willing to miss 8th period, some are mandatory— they are used for extra class meetings, for test retakes, for Required attendance events.

I have a kid at TJ under a 504 plan, and TJ is very clear— they will not modify the core curriculum to accommodate a disability. Your kid might be able to get extended time for math tests with good documentation. But, they can’t opt out of any piece of the curriculum, even for a disability. I would not plan on having your kid skip 8th period, or any other period once a week. Even if you can force TJ to go along, you are setting your kid up to fail when they aren’t there to work on the group presentation or do the physics retake during the only period where it is available or compete in the robot competition for IBET or take an afternoon AP exam or...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an 8th period where no academic classes are scheduled for activities, makeup sessions with teachers, tutoring, etc.

Monday, all academic classes meet (periods 1-7)
Tu/Th Periods 1-4 (block)
W/F Periods 5-8 (block)

Here is info on schedule planning:

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/3145

Thanks!

Is it always that way, or does it sometimes switch up? If, for example, there is a snow day on Wednesday, or a holiday, does the next day switch?

I'm asking because my kid needs a modified schedule to allow for standing medical appointments. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth having him apply.

They try to keep things constant, and don’t switch up every time there is a snow day. But, things can and do switch. For example, PSAT day, J Day, TJStar, assemblies. Plus, beginning around AP exams, anchor days (Periods 1-7) disappear for the year, and they just alternate between red (period 1-4) and blue (period 5-8) days. So one week red days are M, W, F and the next are. Tu, Th until the end of the year.

Legally, if you ask, TJ has to tell you they will try to accommodate a modified schedule under an IEP. iRL, I can’t imagine that working. Your kid needs to be there every minute possible. They can’t get all the requirements in in 6 classes. Even with summer school, many kids are pushed to get all the extra requirements. And even if your kid was willing to miss 8th period, some are mandatory— they are used for extra class meetings, for test retakes, for Required attendance events.

I have a kid at TJ under a 504 plan, and TJ is very clear— they will not modify the core curriculum to accommodate a disability. Your kid might be able to get extended time for math tests with good documentation. But, they can’t opt out of any piece of the curriculum, even for a disability. I would not plan on having your kid skip 8th period, or any other period once a week. Even if you can force TJ to go along, you are setting your kid up to fail when they aren’t there to work on the group presentation or do the physics retake during the only period where it is available or compete in the robot competition for IBET or take an afternoon AP exam or...

Thanks!

That's helpful. DS is at the point where he'd require substantial modifications to schedule (e.g. half day homebound, fifth year), but not curriculum wherever he goes, and will almost certainly be skipping "mandatory" things, and dong things during at times when they aren't available to peers. So, this is about more than skipping one class.

Are there any parents of kids with IEP's at TJ who can share their experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an 8th period where no academic classes are scheduled for activities, makeup sessions with teachers, tutoring, etc.

Monday, all academic classes meet (periods 1-7)
Tu/Th Periods 1-4 (block)
W/F Periods 5-8 (block)

Here is info on schedule planning:

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/3145

Thanks!

Is it always that way, or does it sometimes switch up? If, for example, there is a snow day on Wednesday, or a holiday, does the next day switch?

I'm asking because my kid needs a modified schedule to allow for standing medical appointments. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth having him apply.

They try to keep things constant, and don’t switch up every time there is a snow day. But, things can and do switch. For example, PSAT day, J Day, TJStar, assemblies. Plus, beginning around AP exams, anchor days (Periods 1-7) disappear for the year, and they just alternate between red (period 1-4) and blue (period 5-8) days. So one week red days are M, W, F and the next are. Tu, Th until the end of the year.

Legally, if you ask, TJ has to tell you they will try to accommodate a modified schedule under an IEP. iRL, I can’t imagine that working. Your kid needs to be there every minute possible. They can’t get all the requirements in in 6 classes. Even with summer school, many kids are pushed to get all the extra requirements. And even if your kid was willing to miss 8th period, some are mandatory— they are used for extra class meetings, for test retakes, for Required attendance events.

I have a kid at TJ under a 504 plan, and TJ is very clear— they will not modify the core curriculum to accommodate a disability. Your kid might be able to get extended time for math tests with good documentation. But, they can’t opt out of any piece of the curriculum, even for a disability. I would not plan on having your kid skip 8th period, or any other period once a week. Even if you can force TJ to go along, you are setting your kid up to fail when they aren’t there to work on the group presentation or do the physics retake during the only period where it is available or compete in the robot competition for IBET or take an afternoon AP exam or...

Thanks!

That's helpful. DS is at the point where he'd require substantial modifications to schedule (e.g. half day homebound, fifth year), but not curriculum wherever he goes, and will almost certainly be skipping "mandatory" things, and dong things during at times when they aren't available to peers. So, this is about more than skipping one class.

Are there any parents of kids with IEP's at TJ who can share their experience?

My kid has a 504. TJ would not make this type of modification, because the “mandatory” things are, in fact, mandatory and not “mandatory”. Because it would be impossible to complete the coursework required for a Jefferson diploma with this schedule— and students are required to complete the Jefferson diploma. And because group work, lab work and being physically present in class every day is essential to the curriculum. If your kid isn’t there to complete a group project, build devices in electronics, build his robot, do his part of the presentation, participate in peer editing of papers, etc., etc., he will fail. TJ isn’t just a high school. It’s a full curriculum that is very hands on. It’s a lot more than just access to advanced math classes. You can’t just skip Senior Lab or design tech or other classes that don’t work. It’s not an a la charge education. You do it all— every paper, project, assignment, presentation, extra class and mandatory event, or you drop back.

TJ believes— and I think they are correct on this— that if a kid cannot complete 100% of the curriculum for whatever reason— too hard, too stressful, they hate it, illness, family problems, then they can get a good, free public education at their base school, which is set up to handle accommodate. And that TJ is not required to make more than minimal accommodations for students that do not impact the Jefferson diploma requirements.

Many kids with even short term physical problems, like mono, end up having to drop back to their base school. My kid had a random physical problem unrelated to the 504. They missed about a two days of school a month for a semester, and felt ill many days they attended. They then had surgery which corrected the issue. Their grades took a big hit that semester, and we came very close to having to drop this kid back to the base school. If the problem had not been resolved when it was, my kid would definitely not still be at TJ. They simply missed too many classes where hands on work was being done.

I think you are underestimating what the TJ curriculum entails. And I am not sure why you would put a kid with health problems in a situation that a healthy kid who never missed school would find incredibly stressful. You would be setting him up to fail. No matter how smart the kid is, TJ just won’t work for a kid who is homebound half time and cannot be physically present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an 8th period where no academic classes are scheduled for activities, makeup sessions with teachers, tutoring, etc.

Monday, all academic classes meet (periods 1-7)
Tu/Th Periods 1-4 (block)
W/F Periods 5-8 (block)

Here is info on schedule planning:

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/3145

Thanks!

Is it always that way, or does it sometimes switch up? If, for example, there is a snow day on Wednesday, or a holiday, does the next day switch?

I'm asking because my kid needs a modified schedule to allow for standing medical appointments. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth having him apply.

They try to keep things constant, and don’t switch up every time there is a snow day. But, things can and do switch. For example, PSAT day, J Day, TJStar, assemblies. Plus, beginning around AP exams, anchor days (Periods 1-7) disappear for the year, and they just alternate between red (period 1-4) and blue (period 5-8) days. So one week red days are M, W, F and the next are. Tu, Th until the end of the year.

Legally, if you ask, TJ has to tell you they will try to accommodate a modified schedule under an IEP. iRL, I can’t imagine that working. Your kid needs to be there every minute possible. They can’t get all the requirements in in 6 classes. Even with summer school, many kids are pushed to get all the extra requirements. And even if your kid was willing to miss 8th period, some are mandatory— they are used for extra class meetings, for test retakes, for Required attendance events.

I have a kid at TJ under a 504 plan, and TJ is very clear— they will not modify the core curriculum to accommodate a disability. Your kid might be able to get extended time for math tests with good documentation. But, they can’t opt out of any piece of the curriculum, even for a disability. I would not plan on having your kid skip 8th period, or any other period once a week. Even if you can force TJ to go along, you are setting your kid up to fail when they aren’t there to work on the group presentation or do the physics retake during the only period where it is available or compete in the robot competition for IBET or take an afternoon AP exam or...

Thanks!

That's helpful. DS is at the point where he'd require substantial modifications to schedule (e.g. half day homebound, fifth year), but not curriculum wherever he goes, and will almost certainly be skipping "mandatory" things, and dong things during at times when they aren't available to peers. So, this is about more than skipping one class.

Are there any parents of kids with IEP's at TJ who can share their experience?

My kid has a 504. TJ would not make this type of modification, because the “mandatory” things are, in fact, mandatory and not “mandatory”. Because it would be impossible to complete the coursework required for a Jefferson diploma with this schedule— and students are required to complete the Jefferson diploma. And because group work, lab work and being physically present in class every day is essential to the curriculum. If your kid isn’t there to complete a group project, build devices in electronics, build his robot, do his part of the presentation, participate in peer editing of papers, etc., etc., he will fail. TJ isn’t just a high school. It’s a full curriculum that is very hands on. It’s a lot more than just access to advanced math classes. You can’t just skip Senior Lab or design tech or other classes that don’t work. It’s not an a la charge education. You do it all— every paper, project, assignment, presentation, extra class and mandatory event, or you drop back.

TJ believes— and I think they are correct on this— that if a kid cannot complete 100% of the curriculum for whatever reason— too hard, too stressful, they hate it, illness, family problems, then they can get a good, free public education at their base school, which is set up to handle accommodate. And that TJ is not required to make more than minimal accommodations for students that do not impact the Jefferson diploma requirements.

Many kids with even short term physical problems, like mono, end up having to drop back to their base school. My kid had a random physical problem unrelated to the 504. They missed about a two days of school a month for a semester, and felt ill many days they attended. They then had surgery which corrected the issue. Their grades took a big hit that semester, and we came very close to having to drop this kid back to the base school. If the problem had not been resolved when it was, my kid would definitely not still be at TJ. They simply missed too many classes where hands on work was being done.

I think you are underestimating what the TJ curriculum entails. And I am not sure why you would put a kid with health problems in a situation that a healthy kid who never missed school would find incredibly stressful. You would be setting him up to fail. No matter how smart the kid is, TJ just won’t work for a kid who is homebound half time and cannot be physically present.

No OP, but what you described is wholly against the law when it comes to IEPs.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure it’s against the law, because it’s a selective magnet, and not a base school. Kids have to opt in, and if they do, they know they have to complete the entire curriculum.

If your kid has an intellectual disability and can’t do the work, they don’t get to go to TJ and get a SPED curriculum.

If you kid goes below a 3.0, they can be dropped back to the base school.

If they have an emotional disability and can’t manage stress, they don’t get to go to TJ and have fewer assignments or easier grading or fewer classes.

If your kid is tone deaf, they don’t get to go to a selective music magnet and skip the instrument playing part.

If your kid has auditory processing issues, they don’t get to go to a foreign Language immersion magnet and insist that they be educated in English.

And if your kid has health issues and can only be in the classroom halftime, they don’t get to go to TJ and skip required group projects, required lab assignments, required presentations, required tests, required in class discussions or not completed the required classes, etc.

As a magnet, TJ gets to only educate kids who can make reasonable progress in the areas essential to its educational mission. It will make minor tweaks for disabilities— like wheelchair use, some extended time on certain tests, an assistant for deaf children. But, it will not water down the requirements.

You can sue. But I doubt you will win if you are asking them to compromise on core academic requirements. Your kid can still get a FAPE— in their base school.

[Anonymous]

OP here,

My kid will need substantial accommodations wherever he goes. None of those accommodations change the curriculum. That’s pretty much the definition of accommodations.

Ideally if he attends half time, it would be a consistent half time, so for example he goes to periods 1. 2, 3 and 4 consistently and takes 2 classes through the FCPS online system. Add in some summer classes, and some credits carried over from middle school, and maybe a fifth year, and hopefully he would make it through.

If there is anyone whose child has been to TJ with an IEP, I would love to hear from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

My kid will need substantial accommodations wherever he goes. None of those accommodations change the curriculum. That’s pretty much the definition of accommodations.

Ideally if he attends half time, it would be a consistent half time, so for example he goes to periods 1. 2, 3 and 4 consistently and takes 2 classes through the FCPS online system. Add in some summer classes, and some credits carried over from middle school, and maybe a fifth year, and hopefully he would make it through.

If there is anyone whose child has been to TJ with an IEP, I would love to hear from them.

Just FYI— TJ’s classes are so far above what is taught elsewhere that the list of classes they will accept from online is very short. Some history credits (9th and 12th grade), Spanish 3, PE, EPF are the only core requirements. Middle school math doesn’t help— your kid will still need 4 years of TJ math. Only foreign language would transfer.

FCPS will allow 2 online classes, but TJ will only allow 1 online credit per year in 9-11 and 2 in 12. You can’t take easy FCPS biology instead of TJ. Or skip 2 block HUM, or not do a senior lab. What you are trying to do literally can’t be done. There are too many classes that your kid is required to take at TJ, too many restrictions on online classes and the TJ diploma requires too many extras. And 8th period isn’t optional.

You really need to talk to TJ student services before going too far down this road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

My kid will need substantial accommodations wherever he goes. None of those accommodations change the curriculum. That’s pretty much the definition of accommodations.

Ideally if he attends half time, it would be a consistent half time, so for example he goes to periods 1. 2, 3 and 4 consistently and takes 2 classes through the FCPS online system. Add in some summer classes, and some credits carried over from middle school, and maybe a fifth year, and hopefully he would make it through.

If there is anyone whose child has been to TJ with an IEP, I would love to hear from them.

Accommodations definitely change the curriculum if every kids has to take the much harder TJ version of a class and yours can coast through the online version— and most FCPS online classes aren’t even honors. If every kid takes Calculus based Geisystems with Bio, Chen and Physics as pre-recs and yours takes watered down FCPS non-honors Earth science, that changes the curriculum. If every kid has to take integrated 2 block humanities and deal with all the extra projects and your kid has non-honors US History, that changes the curricum. If your kid doesn’t do TJ level senior labs, or senior lab pre-recs, that changes the curriculum.

You are asking for your kid to sort of attend TJ, and take watered down on-honors classes while every other kid has to take TJ level classes. That isn’t an accommodation. It’s changing the curriculum.

Believe me, lots of kids want to take online history instead of HUM 1 or 2. But, integrated Humanities is a core part of the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

OP, for what it is worth, I have one child at TJ (rising Junior) and a younger one in starting middle school school. My younger child has a significant physical disability (cannot walk and needs almost total assistance for ADLs) and is extremely bright.

I personally would never in a million years send my younger child to TJ after seeing what the oldest has had to do. Freshman year was not too bad, but sophomore year required total and complete focus. The classes move very fast and there is NO time whatsoever to catch-up. The group projects have been FABULOUS, but have required an investment of time.

My younger child missed 12 days of school last year due to illnesses and a (short) hospitalization. This is on top of missing partial days here and there for doctors appts and equipment appointments. For us, younger child will be best served at our base school where things are a slower pace and the honors/AP classes will be appropriate. I would rather challenge appropriately than put a child with a lot going on jntk a situation where they are likely to fail.

Just sharing my experience - there is such a range of SNs, so our situation might be completely irrelevant to what you are dealing with. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

My kid will need substantial accommodations wherever he goes. None of those accommodations change the curriculum. That’s pretty much the definition of accommodations.

Ideally if he attends half time, it would be a consistent half time, so for example he goes to periods 1. 2, 3 and 4 consistently and takes 2 classes through the FCPS online system. Add in some summer classes, and some credits carried over from middle school, and maybe a fifth year, and hopefully he would make it through.

If there is anyone whose child has been to TJ with an IEP, I would love to hear from them.

Accommodations definitely change the curriculum if every kids has to take the much harder TJ version of a class and yours can coast through the online version— and most FCPS online classes aren’t even honors. If every kid takes Calculus based Geisystems with Bio, Chen and Physics as pre-recs and yours takes watered down FCPS non-honors Earth science, that changes the curriculum. If every kid has to take integrated 2 block humanities and deal with all the extra projects and your kid has non-honors US History, that changes the curricum. If your kid doesn’t do TJ level senior labs, or senior lab pre-recs, that changes the curriculum.

You are asking for your kid to sort of attend TJ, and take watered down on-honors classes while every other kid has to take TJ level classes. That isn’t an accommodation. It’s changing the curriculum.

Believe me, lots of kids want to take online history instead of HUM 1 or 2. But, integrated Humanities is a core part of the curriculum.

OP here,

Just to be clear, FCPS's online classes have plenty of honors and AP options. But yes, we would of course expect the math and science classes to be amongst those that he'd take at TJ, since they are, from our perspective, the point of the program.

I have to say that this reads like you feel that my kid is getting some kind of unfair advantage in that he might "get to" take online classes, or homebound versions of TJ classes, while attached to medical equipment in a hospital infusion center, while other kids "have to " take TJ classes. I guess if you really feel that way, I don't understand why you send your kid there, because from my perspective being healthy enough to take all of your classes at school seems like the preferable choice.

I'm not clear if you're also the PP above you, but I appreciate the information about which classes students have historically been able to substitute. My son will come in with at least 4 World Language credits, 2 in his native language, and 2 from the language he studied in middle school. If he can move PE, and EPF to the summers, that provides some breathing room in the schedule too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, for what it is worth, I have one child at TJ (rising Junior) and a younger one in starting middle school school. My younger child has a significant physical disability (cannot walk and needs almost total assistance for ADLs) and is extremely bright.

I personally would never in a million years send my younger child to TJ after seeing what the oldest has had to do. Freshman year was not too bad, but sophomore year required total and complete focus. The classes move very fast and there is NO time whatsoever to catch-up. The group projects have been FABULOUS, but have required an investment of time.

My younger child missed 12 days of school last year due to illnesses and a (short) hospitalization. This is on top of missing partial days here and there for doctors appts and equipment appointments. For us, younger child will be best served at our base school where things are a slower pace and the honors/AP classes will be appropriate. I would rather challenge appropriately than put a child with a lot going on jntk a situation where they are likely to fail.

Just sharing my experience - there is such a range of SNs, so our situation might be completely irrelevant to what you are dealing with. Good luck!

Thank you!

This is really helpful. Can you talk about how FCPS has been for your younger child? We are moving to the area, due to jobs, and trying to figure out schooling. DS is a rising 7th grader, but spent all but the first few days of this year on home/hospital, which we supplement with tutoring, and online classes.

Because he's going into 7th, we've got some time, but I feel like if there was any hope of TJ working we'd need to live close, which is why I'm asking now. But I'd also love to hear how the district has supported your son, and whether you have any strategies to share!