Guidelines for Program Planning

Planning your program of study each academic year is one of the most important tasks a student will complete throughout the four years at Parkland High School. Students will be guided through this process by faculty, counselors, and administrators as they closely follow graduation requirements. Counselors will present an overview of the program of studies book, highlighting prerequisites and course sequences. In addition, all teachers will review the content for next year’s courses and provide guidelines to assist with selection in their specific areas. Listed below are some basic guidelines to follow when selecting courses for the next academic school year:

1. Motivation, interest and aptitude are important factors to consider when selecting courses. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves with the most demanding course of studies they can successfully complete in a given academic year.
2. Previous levels of achievement should be reviewed to determine possible course selection.
3. Graduation requirements must be reviewed each year to determine appropriate progress in all required subject areas.
4. Students must select a complete schedule consisting of a minimum of 6.25 credits each year. Credit and period requirements are listed on the front of the registration sheet for each grade level.
5. Students should review their academic records to identify areas of strength and weakness. This information should be considered when planning for the upcoming academic year.

Teachers and counselors will review the course selections for students, advising them of an appropriate academic program of studies. Teacher recommendations can be a valuable source of information, guiding the student through the correct course sequences. Counselors will meet with each student to review the entire academic schedule and to track graduation requirements. Parents will be contacted if a course selection appears to be too difficult for a student to complete successfully. This determination will be based upon previous classroom performance, test scores and other standardized data. As a team, the student, parent, teacher and counselor will work together to select a challenging, yet realistic, academic program of studies for each pupil at Parkland High School.