Reply to Can class of ‘28 take both semesters of health in 10th grade?

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[quote=Anonymous]Many, if not all, course requirements have their basis in ensuring an understanding of basic skills that allow for (even if they don't guarantee) individual success, and, as a consequence, improve societal contributions/reduce societal burdens.  Both the individual and societal benefits are important, and new or changed requirements are natural consequences of societal development, though they often lag considerably.

That said, MCPS does not, and public school systems in general do not, offer [i]efficient[/i] ways of demonstrating existing mastery of those skill sets to allow avoidance of specific coursework, which should not be necessary and, indeed, would be redundant for those having mastered the skills through alternatives -- self-study, extracurricular activities, etc.  They should make this a priority, and both Health and the new personal finance requirement being considered would be excellent candidates for test-outs and other rigorous alternatives.

It's not as though testing out or the like isn't envisioned.  Even something as fundamental as Algebra I isn't required by the state -- one can show mastery by successful completion of a course for which Algebra I is a prerequisite (e.g., Algebra II).  How to do that?  Test-out.  (I'd not advise that, though, without a very broad and strong independent knowledge base and great consideration for social & knock-on effects.)

It's just that the apparatus for doing so isn't robust.  It's not clear that the costs of such will be less than the instructional savings (if any -- that slot in Health A/B would end up as a student's elective), but there should be some leeway given, there, in acknowledgement of the benefit to students (course selection/schedule flexibility, in addition to the aforementioned avoidance of devoting time in class to something already mastered).

Thinking of requirements without common-sense alternatives/accommodations, I'm reminded of this recent plum:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/06/europe/belgian-couple-bureaucratic-struggle-french-intl/index.html

Let's be better than France, here.[/quote]

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