It seems that our HS (private - test admissions) schedule is rather different. Kids register for 7 courses each year but do not have each class every day. Days 1-7 are 5 classes per day with a mandatory mid-morning tutorial, lunch, and some extra time after lunch (40 mins) for advisory, on campus service, clubs, tutorial, or independent work. Day 8 is 4 courses and lunch + service/tutorial while Day 9 is a late start day (for kids not teachers) and only 3 classes + lunch.
As for Math, various streams exist starting in 6th grade but the most advanced kids will do the following:
6th: pre-Algebra,
7th: Algebra,
8th: Geometry,
9th & 10th: a special program for 2 years (a mix of Geometry, Algebra, Trig, and Pre-calc), most of those kids double up and take AP Stats in 10th,
11th: AP Calc AB, and
12th: AP Calc BC + Multivariate with an option to double up w/ a class at GT
The kids who struggle the most with math will likely do the following:
6th: review of 5th to solidify concepts
7th: pre-Algebra
8th: re-visit pre-Algebra & touch on some Algebra
9th: Algebra 1
10th: Geometry
11th: Algebra 2
12th: Pre-Calculus
It is so interesting how many different schedules and programs exist.
I’ll add to mine to say that the reason the school moved from 7 classes a day to 8 classes a year was not to push students ahead. Rather, it was to give students more opportunities to pass classes and graduate. Yes, admin stated that outright. The school has 400-500 freshmen in any given year and typically 200-300 walk across the stage, and I’m told many of those don’t actually get a diploma unless they do summer school.
So they get 32 chances vs 28 to pass 22 classes. However, for those racing for class rank, it does push them harder. The seniors who go to college (~40) are taking 8 AP/DE senior year and often junior year. My S had 9 classes junior year, but one was personal finance online taking in the same period as another online AP class. Non core subject AP are taken online through the state’s virtual program. But the kids are monitored by a teacher teaching a regular/remedial class. It is definitely a different classroom environment…
I know, so many HS’s are so different. IN my school, it is possible to take AP Calculus AB as a freshman through our honors/gifted program.
SoCal here.
IF I had gone to “brick and mortar” it would be 6 periods (lunch is not a period).
Lunch is a set time for all.
0 period is available for a limited number of classes and mandatory for band.
Additionally, our district offers limited online classes.
So, if you really WANTED to you could take 7 on campus and another 2 online for 9.
I AM in online so much more flexible.
6 classes mandatory but more if you can handle it.
I started Algebra in 7th but not “normal”.
Normal is:
Algebra 9th
Geometry 10th
Algebra II 11th
Trig/Pre Calc 12th
Our school has 7 periods and works on a block schedule: 1, 3, 5, 7 and 2, 3, 4, 6. The 3rd period is half the time so that they can split it over two days. Since the school is overcrowded, we have four different lunch periods which are scattered throughout 4th/5th period. For the most part on CC, I have seen mostly 7 periods a year but 99% of ppl have between 6-8 periods.
According to Virginia state standards, the “normal” track is:
8th - Pre-Algebra
9th - Algebra 1
10th - Geometry
11th - Algebra 2
12th (optional) - any “math” class (comp sci / precalc trig / stats etc)
I, however, live in northern Virginia which is such an unreasonably competitive area. Like it’s gotten to the point where the above-mentioned track is for those who are failing and need excessive remediation in math (remember this is the normal/standard track we’re talking about). You know it’s bad when all the jocks (as in the negative connotation, not trying to anger any athletes) and party-types are chilling in AP Calc. Almost everybody is taking Algebra 1 in 8th with a large amount taking it in 7th grade. My track is this:
7th - Pre-Algebra
8th - Algebra 1
9th - Geometry
10th - Algebra 2
11th - Precalc/Trig
12th - AP Calculus BC (for STEM ppl like me or those wanting to boost college apps)
AP Calculus AB / AP Stats / Probability & Stats (for humanities / those who don’t like math)
The humanities kids who took A1 in 7th generally end up doing Calc AB in 11th and then either BC or AP Stats in 12, while the STEM kids generally do BC in 11th and multivar calc/matrix algebra in 12th.
My school only has 5 periods a day, but everyone has 6 classes. We have a rotating schedule with A-F days, and each day you “drop” (don’t have) one class. After 2nd period, everyone has a ~40 minute study period where you can work on homework, get help from teachers, or do band/orchestra/chorus. 4th period is lunch block, so it’s about an hour and a half as opposed to the typical ~50 minute period. Personally, I wish my school had more periods because with only 6 classes total there’s not a lot of room for electives.
There are three tracks for math: standard, accelerated, and honors.
8th - (no honors) accel. - algebra 1, standard - pre-algebra
9th - accel. + honors - geometry, standard - algebra 1
10th - accel. + honors - algebra 2, standard - geometry
11th - accel. + honors - pre-calc, standard - algebra 2
12th - standard - pre-calc, accel. + honors consolidate into AP Calc AB or BC (very few take AP Stats alone)
Fun fact: Honors Pre-Calc is considered the hardest class offered at my school, even more difficult than any of the APs!
My school also doesn’t offer any APs until junior year, and even then you are restricted to 2. So the max you can take at my school is 8, though having all 6/6 of your senior year classes be APs would obviously be a Herculean effort.