Curriculum
The school day is split into 4 blocks lasting 85 minutes that meet every other day and a 'skinny' period that lasts for 45 minutes and meets every day. The school district requires that students take a number of core academic courses, if they wish to graduate and receive a diploma. This includes Social Studies, English, Mathematics, Science, Art, and Physical Education. The exact amount of academic credit needed to satisfy graduation requirements is determined by the school district.
All students are required by the district to enroll in four subject courses and a Physical Education course. However, the school compels lower-class students to schedule a full day of classes, in order to ensure satisfaction with district graduation requirements. Juniors and Seniors have the option of having an "open period" during the first or last period of the school day (Seniors may have open periods during any period). However, Juniors require parental permission to have an open period. All students are required to take finals.
North is the largest school in Iowa to provide a laptop for every student and faculty member, which it did in the 2011-2012 school year.
Read more about this topic: North High School (Des Moines)
Famous quotes containing the word curriculum:
“If we focus exclusively on teaching our children to read, write, spell, and count in their first years of life, we turn our homes into extensions of school and turn bringing up a child into an exercise in curriculum development. We should be parents first and teachers of academic skills second.”
—Neil Kurshan (20th century)