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New Comprehensive Course Level Merrimack High School New Comprehensive Course Level

Current Course Levels Advanced Placement Honors College Prep Standard Fundamentals Provide support for students seeking highly challenging coursework /enrichment Provides support for students performing substantially below grade level

Beginning in 2016-17 Provide comprehensive instruction to Standard and College Prep students by combining these two levels into one. New Course Levels Advanced Placement Honors Comprehensive Foundations Combines College Prep and Standard Levels

Rationale Students functioning at the highest and lowest levels are currently well-served. Some students in the middle need to be challenged more, while others need additional support. Students in inclusive, integrated classrooms show academic gains in a number of areas, including improved performance on standardized tests, improved on-task behavior, and increased motivation to learn. They also show better post-graduate outcomes (Hehir, 2006).

Summer Institutes will provide additional support. New Comprehensive courses will be taught at the “College Prep” level with corresponding competencies. In each content area, a special education teacher will be assigned as a learning specialist to collaborate with general education teachers. Summer Institutes will provide additional support.

Timetable To be phased in over four years, beginning with the upcoming freshman class. No change for currently enrolled MHS students.

Projected Outcomes/Benefits A more rigorous education for more students Increased support for struggling students Increased heterogeneous grouping with inherent academic and social benefits

For Class of 2020… End Certificate of Completion Graduation requirements must be met to participate in graduation ceremony

Merrimack High School Summer Institute

Merrimack High School Summer Institute Summer 2016 Preparatory Courses These courses will be designed to promote success in the comprehensive level courses for the upcoming year. Students who are assigned to these courses by the middle school will be required to take them if they wish to take the comprehensive course. Students failing to do so will be required to take the corresponding foundations level course. These courses: Are tuition free, Have transportation provided (for special education students), Award one semester’s credit in applicable discipline. Pre-English 9 Pre-Algebra Pre-World Studies Science skills

Merrimack High School Summer Institute Summer 2016 Credit Recovery Courses These courses will be more traditional summer school offerings focusing on recovering credit for a single semester’s worth of missed credit. Possible alteration to traditional summer school paradigm includes competency targeting allowing students to finish the program early if mastery of needed competencies can be demonstrated. (This also opens the possibility of a student recovering more than one semester’s worth of credit.) These courses: Charge tuition, Have transportation provided (for special education students), Award one semester’s credit in applicable discipline. English 9 English 10 English 11 English 12 Algebra 1 Geometry Civics/Economics World Studies Physical Science Biology

Merrimack High School Summer Institute Summer 2016 Enrichment Courses These courses will be extension opportunities for students who are interested in engaging in learning opportunities during the summer. These courses: Charge tuition, Have transportation provided (for special education students), Award one semester’s credit in applicable discipline. Freshman Seminar Focus on study skills and adjustment to high school. Potentially co-taught by Special Education teacher and Guidance Counselor. Algebra 1 Part 2 Designed to move students into standard or college prep Geometry after taking Algebra 1 Part 1 to get them in pace with their peers. This class would only be offered summer of 2016 since the comprehensive Algebra will only be offered in a single year. AP courses by department (TBD) Electives (TBD)

Merrimack High School Summer Institute Schedule 6 week program each summer. 8:00 to 12:30 Monday-Thursday. There will be two sessions per day (130 minutes each) with 10 minutes’ break between them. This is a total of 52 hours of class time per course.

See the MHS website for… Co-curricular Activities Athletics Guidance Department Information School News Much more! www.sau26.org/mhs