The science department here at Waterford High School has made a decision to add new science courses to the curriculum.
On the Waterford High School page under “Program of Studies,” students can look specifically at the science department and see the courses being changed in the future school years..
Mrs. Pesko, a chemistry teacher and the head science department here at WHS, explains what is going on for next school year’s academics in science. There is a problem with students not taking many science classes; including chemistry and physics because it is not a requirement. Pesko says, “Population of kids aren’t getting the concepts.” The science teachers also want students to have more opportunities to explore science.
Eleventh grade students will have to take the NGSS assessment, which tests knowledge on earth science, biology, and physical sciences (chemistry and physics), but since students are not taking certain science classes, it can lower scores for this test. It is important for students to take these new courses, so they can understand science better.
Another reason is that the high school is trying to follow Clark Lane Middle School’s science curriculum. They want it to be similar to how they run it, so they are gonna try and adopt the way they teach their classes. They want the science department to run smoother just how the middle school runs theirs.
There are going to be a few changes for next year’s curriculum, specifically for the class of ‘29 coming up to the high school level.
According to Pesko, integrated science will not be an option to take anymore, and instead, there will be two semester science classes required for the upcoming freshman. Semester 1 will be an ecology class and the second semester will be cell biology. Sophomores will still be taking bio, and the juniors will still have chem. They are officially scratching standardized science classes for all grades and the lowest level will be advanced. Also, all honors classes will still be a full year class and advanced classes will now be semester classes, for all grades.
In the 26-27 school year, the science department will be adding different science electives to the curriculum as well. A couple electives that she listed included engineering and cooking with chemistry. They are hoping that they will be able to make it into reality.
“Changing the curriculum gives students more of an opportunity to explore and more choices with topics that they have never done before,” says Pesko. She and the rest of the science teachers hope that this change will give students more experiences, so they can explore for future careers.
