<p>in addition to what scualum posted, the other item of note is that UC posts online which high school courses fulfill which requirement, so any student can look up his/her HS.</p>
<p>Yes, Bluebayou is correct … except that this is only for HS that submit info to the UC system to review. I am going to take a guess that these are primarily going to be public schools in CA, but someone correct me if I’m wrong.</p>
<p>The UC system has LOTS of information. There’s already detailed stuff up on stats for the 2010 applicants … by campus, ethnic group, SAT score. They must have the computer program set to aggregate the info once all the students have applied.</p>
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<p>If an instate HS wants its students to be eligible for UC, they MUST submit their curriculum for approval. That includes private high schools, so their info is available online as well.</p>
<p>[University</a> of California Doorways Home](<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/doorways/]University”>http://www.ucop.edu/doorways/)</p>
<p>I am aggravated because, in addition to the UC requirements, our school district insists on life skills, health, a technical art and now a one-semester computer literacy class. And because of budget cuts, there is no summer school and the computer literacy class must be taken at the school so that an entire year is wasted – one semester in computer class, the other doing something else. What bothers me is that there is such limited time for kids to take any other courses besides what they need to graduate and to be UC eligible. My kid wants to do journalism next year because it’s the only way he can be an editor, but he might have to give that up for computer literacy. And the ridiculous thing is that most kids are computer literate practically from the womb. It’s a complete waste and keeps kids from actually taking something they might enjoy and benefit from.</p>
<p>take it up with your district school board. It sure does seem that Comp Literacy is a waste of $$, since most of the kids could probably teach the course. :D</p>
<p>The Health curriculum is required by the State, but it doesn’t have to be a separate course – some districts include it in PE, or a science class.</p>
<p>I do intend to take it up on some level. The school head counselor seems to feel it is an equity issue – if some kids need it in a class, all kids should do it as opposed to testing out. It is the mindset that is destroying our school district. The memo on this came from the board apparently. It makes it very difficult for high-end students to distinguish themselves in terms of taking more interesting courses. I imagine this new requirement will impact music courses, journalism, student government, and extra courses such AP European History, etc. Decisions in our school district are never made with the high-achieving kids in mind.</p>
<p>“primarily going to be public schools in CA, but someone correct me if I’m wrong.”</p>
<p>Maybe primarily, but my kids tiny Christian school is listed, and you can bet everything is defined by UC acceptable or not. forced them to changer their biology text/curriculum, which included many parent 'focus groups".</p>
<p>mimk:</p>
<p>I wish you luck in getting your district’s requirements changed. I don’t think they realize the effect they have in always forcing the entire student body down to the lowest common denominator. My kids could have taught a HS computer literacy course when they were in third grade. </p>
<p>The district my kids went to insisted upon having 2.5 years of required PE rather than the 2.0 years the other districts, including the districts better than ours, have which caused a similar situation to the ‘wasted year’. Our solution was to take the extra .5 year at the local CC by using their workout center (which is actually a very nice one) which allowed my kid to take another AP course instead of wasting the time. Fortunately they were able to do the health class in the summer or I’d be unhappy about that like you are. Realistically, I’m not sure how much money they save by teaching the full health course during the school year vs. the summer anyway assuming a full class. </p>
<p>Your district also needs to realize that they essentially have to compete with the other districts in positioning their upper students well. Unfortunately, they probably aren’t concerned about those students in their zeal to drive everything to the lowest end students.</p>
<p>UC DAD – they are not concerned with the upper students, trust me. I have fought more battles than you can imagine in my role in the parent organization and in my role on the school’s advisory council. I might just see if we can find reasonable solutions at our high school. I just keep telling myself two and a half more years and I am out – it will be like getting out of a dysfunctional relationship. Anyhow, it’s a huge district – one of the largest, if not the largest, in the nation – certainly the largest geographically. Here we are with huge budget cuts, programs and teachers being cut left and right, but there is money for a computer literacy course for kids who are already computer literate. This while the real literacy rate is appallingly low. DS did health at the adult school on independent study – as well as life skills. Can you imagine? The same people who are sinking this school district like the Titanic are teaching our kids life skills. You should have seen the curriculum for THAT. Some of it was decades old – like telling students to look through the yellow pages or newspaper when in need of a job. Not a mention in all of the curriculum about the INTERNET.</p>
<p>mimk6:</p>
<p>For what it is worth, computer literacy is also required at my kids public high school - but you CAN test out - essentially by taking and passing the final exam. </p>
<p>Perhaps if you can meet with your administrators showing that other districts allow for testing out that will strengthen your case.</p>
<p>I actually found the district bulletins on it – seems you can test out which our school has been doing up until now – but now our school wants to make the kids take the class. The fact that the district allows testing out and other options means we have a pretty good case against forcing the kids take it at our school. It just seems that in our district parents have to be ever-vigilant against decisions that don’t make sense and don’t serve students well.</p>
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I feel for you in your fight. While you soldier on, try to think about this as something for the common good of future students in YOUR community. I kept this in my mind as I worked on a parcel tax campaign for our schools last fall, and am happy to note that, despite the current economic conditions, it was a successful effort.</p>
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<p>I’m guessing that your HS has a teacher(s) that would have nothing to do if everyone opted out of the class. And since the credential is probably not transferable to another subject…</p>
<p>A computer literacy class is a required graduation requirement at our school too, but many classes other than the traditional “Intro to Computers” satisfy this requirement, including Journalism, Yearbook, AP Computer Science, and AP Physics C. Seems a sensible solution.</p>
<p>It seems to be resolved today. When the person in charge realized I had the district bulletin, she said she’d figure out a way for the kids to take the test who need to test out. It was one of those things where it’s a hassle to arrange and easier to get the kids to take the class.</p>
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<p>My D’s private school is on the list, as are all the private schools I checked in the Bay Area. It even tells you which classes can be counted for honors. </p>
<p>I agree with Scualum. I didn’t have any problem with the UC requirements, and D’s HS curriculum was set up in such a way, that it would have been hard NOT to meet them.</p>
<p>Thank you :)</p>
<p>This thread took on a life of his own, but my question is answered.</p>