Arkansas Board of Education signs off on courses that must be offered in high schools

The Arkansas Board of Education on Thursday approved the courses that must be offered in the state's high schools along with a menu of optional courses.

English for grades nine through 12, algebra I and II, chemistry, and two years of a foreign language are among the courses Arkansas' public high schools must offer to students in the coming school year, the state Board of Education decided Thursday.

On the other hand, previously required journalism and physics courses are now among multiple optional courses that schools can choose to offer as a way to attain the at least 38 units of study required to meet state school accreditation standards.

Some of the other courses on the optional menu include theater, creative writing, debate, calculus, statistics, U.S. government, visual art, band and orchestra.

"It just makes sense. It's about kids. It gives options for students," Deborah Coffman, the state Education Department's assistant commissioner for accountability, said during a break in the meeting about the required and optional courses that will be posted on the agency's website for the school year that starts Aug. 13.

The Education Board's 6-0 vote for the mandatory courses and the menu of optional courses comes after the board in May approved the overhaul of the state standards for accrediting districts and schools. The standards in May required the 38 units but did not specify the courses.

Compliance with Arkansas' accreditation standards is important to school districts because a school or district's failure to meet the standards over time puts the district or school in jeopardy of a range of sanctions -- including closure or annexation to another district -- levied by the state Board of Education.

A school's accreditation status or lack of it also has the potential to affect a high school graduate's ability to be accepted unconditionally into a college or university.

While the state's previous accreditation standards specified most of the minimum 38 courses to be offered at a high school, provisions in the newly revised standards and its appendix are more general, listing only the required subject content areas -- English, math, science and so forth -- to be taught at each school organization level.

For example, under the revised standards, a ninth-through-12th-grade high school must teach six units of English/language arts, five units of science, six units of math, one unit of computer science, two units of the same foreign language, 3.5 units of fine arts, four units of social studies, 1.5 units of health, safety and physical education, and nine units of career and technical education.

Specific courses in each content area are not listed but the new standards document says: "A list of the required courses approved by the State Board of Education is posted annually on the Department website" and "Each public school district shall ensure that all required courses are taught in accordance with the laws of the State of Arkansas and the rules of the Department."

Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key said the list of proposed courses presented and approved Thursday is the first in what will be an annual proposal of high school courses submitted to the Education Board for approval and posting on the Education Department's website: ArkansasEd.org.

Coffman told the Education Board that the flexibility in the courses that can be offered "is moving us closer to student-focused education."

She noted recent changes in state law that call for student success plans for each student beginning in eighth grade. Those plans will map out anticipated high school coursework for students that align with student interests and career goals.

Knowing student interests will help a school customize instruction, she said, adding that a school might offer one course in one year or semester, and then switch to another offering in a different year or semester.

Coffman acknowledged to the Education Board that the time is short for making any course changes before the start of the coming school year. High schools that abide by the former course requirements in the coming year are in compliance with the new requirements.

Moving journalism and physics from the required list of courses to the list of approved options is among the bigger changes, Coffman said.

"That is not to lessen our appreciation and our value of journalism," she said. "But we knew that many of our students are not taking that class. What we are encouraging is that if students are not taking [a course], then offer something else that they will take and that will meet their needs."

"It's our goal to get more courses taught," she added.

While high schools must offer a minimum of 38 units or courses, students must earn 22 course credits to be eligible for graduation.

In the category of English/language arts, in which every high school must teach six units, the newly approved, required courses to be offered are English for grades nine through 12 and a half credit of oral communications.

Each school must offer at least another 1.5 units or courses to meet the standard of six units. The now approved options are critical reading, creative writing, debate, dramatic literature, drama, forensics, journalism, "Literacy Ready," oral communications, transitional English, and approved Advanced Placement college credit courses.

Each of the other subject areas of math, social studies and science also include required courses to be taught plus a list of courses from which to choose to offer.

As another example, in the category of math, six credits must be offered. Required to be offered are algebra I and II, geometry and pre-calculus. Two more units or courses, at a minimum, must be offered to reach the standard of six units. Those options approved Thursday are Advanced Topics and Modeling in Mathematics, algebra III, Bridge to Algebra II, calculus, "Math Ready," mathematical applications and algorithms, quantitative literacy, statistics and approved Advanced Placement courses.

In the fine arts category in which 3.5 units must be taught, one unit must be taught in visual arts. Course options include visual art, studio art or art history courses. Another unit must be taught in instrumental music -- which could be traditional band, jazz band or orchestra. Still another course in vocal music must be offered and two are named on the list. A half credit must be offered in fine arts and nine courses are offered as options, including courses in dance and theater.

Foreign language, computer science, physical education and career education are also addressed in the approved 2018-19 school year course list.

Board member Diane Zook of Melbourne questioned requiring pre-calculus to be offered but making statistics only an approved option. She said that pre-calculus is geared to those who have interests in engineering while statistics has broader applications.

A Section on 07/13/2018

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