West Chester Area School District


Level Recommendation Guidelines Advanced Placement:


Advanced Placement, or AP, refers to college-level courses taught according to the syllabi approved by the College Board Advanced Placement Program and/or to courses designed to prepare students for College Board AP tests. Successful performance on AP tests may lead to college credit and/or advanced placement in college courses. While course descriptions provide information about the course content on which the AP exam will be based, WCASD teachers have the flexibility to determine how the content is presented.


Accelerated Honors:


Accelerated Honors courses prepare students for Advanced Placement studies. Courses at this level are designed to provide students with access to the most rigorous curriculum that extends well beyond grade level standards. These courses promote both collaborative and self-directed learning through activities and assessments that emphasize written and oral communication.


Honors:


Honors courses follow a rigorous curriculum prescribed by each department and develop higher-order thinking skills using a challenging pace and enriched content. Both in-class instruction and outside assignments focus on self-directed learning through activities and assessments that emphasize written and oral communication.


Career & College Prep:


Career & College Prep level courses develop students’ essential skills and acquisition of content knowledge within the subject area. This level emphasizes the development of increased rigor through classroom interactions and progressing demands for independent work in preparation for college and career readiness.


Moving From One Level to Another From Year to Year:


If a student performs at a consistently high standard within a Career & College Prep, the student should consider moving to a more demanding level in the succeeding school year. Students who find that a higher level course is too challenging should


consider dropping a level within that content area for the succeeding year.


Changes After the School Year Begins:


Students who wish to change a course and/or level within a content area must follow the guidelines provided by the Administration. Students may consider a level change (e.g. Honors to Accelerated Honors, Honors to Career & College Prep), after September 18.


• Changes from one elective course to another will not be considered after the elective change deadline of March 24, 2020.


• Once the school year begins, students may add electives if seats are available in the place of study halls, lunches, and otherwise unscheduled periods. Students may not drop one elective course and then later schedule a new course in that unscheduled period.


• Once the school year begins, student schedules will not be adjusted to accommodate course change requests, including requests to add electives, except as described above.


• Requests for particular periods and/or teachers will not be considered to ensure an equitable master schedule.


All level changes for full year courses must be completed no later than three weeks after the end of the first semester. All level changes for semester courses must be completed no later than three weeks before the end of the first marking period.


Blended Learning


Blended learning is a dynamic learning format that allows students to experience courses where they interact with the curriculum partially at school and partially through online delivery of content and instruction. Students in these courses will meet with their teachers face-to-face in a traditional setting and will engage in learning activities online. Course descriptions within this guide will indicate the specific formats by courses.


Courses that are a part of the blended learning program follow the same rigorous curriculum as the traditional courses aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards and meet graduation requirements. In addition, our courses use the latest technology tools to engage students,

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