Frequently Asked Questions – page 1
Questions
COMMUNICATION ARTS
Should a student take two or more
honors courses? What about the
stress?
What is the main difference
between the honors courses and
the regular one?
Is there summer work in the honors
program?
MUSIC
MODERN & CLASSICAL
LANGUAGE
Is the curriculum set or are
electives possible?
Are modern & classical language
courses offered during summer
school?
How many years of foreign
language should a student take?
Do students have the opportunity to
travel to other countries?
Can students earn college credit?
Should incoming 9th grade students
enroll in Spanish 1 or 2?
Which class(es) should an
incoming 9th grade band student
request?
Answers
 Only you and your student can determine the amount of stress they are
able to manage.
 Advantage of honors classes = elevated grade point values that may help
if a student is interested in attending a competitive college.
 Honors courses in the ninth grade year tend to offer a similar curriculum to
regular courses with additional pieces of literature, deeper probing of ideas, more
difficult writing assignments and a faster pace. During the 2nd semester, the
courses begin to diverge.
 By the 10th grade year the curriculum is very different - honor students
read literature pieces of greater maturity, difficulty and complexity, while regular
students typically read more engaging pieces, which are easier to comprehend.
 Yes. At least one book is required reading in the summer.
 A writing assignment is attached to that reading as well.
 Students are accountable the first day of class in August.
 There are no elective choices within the Honors program, as the
department has chosen a sequence of skills and literary selections, representing a
variety of pieces, which we believe will best prepare students for competitive
colleges.
 Students are encouraged to take additional English electives beyond the
honors core.
 Students may not take a foreign language course during the summer in
order to skip or substitute for a year-long course that is offered during the regular
school year.
 It is advisable to take a minimum of two years of the same language at the
high school level, as most colleges require it.
 Highly-competitive colleges will look for 3-4 years of high school foreign
language.
Yes! We offer opportunities to travel to Germany, France, Italy, or
Spanish-speaking countries.
Yes. Students enrolled in levels 3, 4 & 5 may earn college credit by paying a fee to
a sponsoring university.
 Level 2 is appropriate for students who have successfully passed the A/B
levels in middle school.
 Level 1 is appropriate for students with no previous foreign language
experience or if they earned a failing grade at middle school.


1st semester - Symphonic Band (Marching Band)
2nd semester - Concert Band
Frequently Asked Questions – page 2
Questions
Which students are allowed to
participate in the Honors Science
Program at North High?
Can students enter the Honors Science
program after the 9th grade year?
SCIENCE
In what order is it recommended that a
student complete the core curriculum?
What if a student has struggled with
science in the past?
How many credits in science are
recommended by colleges and
universities?
Must the courses be taken in any
particular order?
How do expectations differ in the
honors program from those in the nonhonors courses?
Answers
 Students are recommended to honors classes by their previous year’s
instructor.
 The recommendation is based on the following criteria: performance in
science class, mathematics ability, and the student’s perceived ability to learn
science.
 Students that demonstrate a superior ability in science classes at North
High may be recommended for honors courses.
 Enrollment in an honors science course without the recommendation of a
science instructor is highly discouraged.
 Students wishing to take an AP course should speak with the instructor
before registering for any AP offering.
The majority of the student population would complete the science core curriculum
by following these guidelines:
 9th Grade: Cells & Variation and Evolution & Ecology
 10th Grade: Matter & Change and Forces & Motion in 1D
 11th Grade: Chemistry (1 year)
 12th Grade: Physics (1 year)
Those students enrolled in honors science would follow one of the pathways
outlined in the course guide. The pathway selected will depend on the goals of the
honor student. Members of the science faculty are available for guidance in helping
students make those decisions.
The science faculty has developed courses which address the needs of the student
who has struggled previously in science. These classes are smaller, and concepts
are presented in a manner that allows for more hands-on experiences. They also
incorporate a reduced amount of mathematics, intending to assist students who
struggle with mathematics courses.
General guidelines can be found in the course guide; however, we encourage
additional courses for students who intend to attend more competitive colleges. The
recommended number of science credits for specific colleges and universities
should be investigated by the student and their parents by viewing school websites
or guides (available in the guidance office).
We encourage students to take the courses in the order shown in the course guide,
as this is most logical and advantageous for the student (based upon the content of
each course). Exceptions to this sequence may be considered on an individual
basis.
 Expectations in honors courses differ from course to course.
 Honors courses typically require lengthier reading assignments, integration
of higher-levels of mathematics, more challenging laboratory assignments,
additional projects, and higher overall expectations.
 Honors courses are designed for the top 10% of our students.
Frequently Asked Questions – page 3
Questions
SOCIAL STUDIES
What are the main differences between
Modern American History and Honors
Modern American History?
What are the requirements for
requesting honors social studies
classes?
Which courses will satisfy the
government requirement?
What AP options are available?
MATH
Can students take Honors Algebra 1 in
high school?
Can students take algebra in summer
school, and then enroll in 9th grade
geometry?
If a student has done extremely well in
8th grade Pre-Algebra, can they test-out
of Algebra 1?
If a student is taking Algebra 1 in 9th
grade, can they take Calculus in 12th
grade?
Is it possible for a student to re-enter
the honors programs if he/she takes
Honors Geometry in 9th grade and
drops out of the honors program?
Answers
 Both courses use the same textbook, but the honors class has additional
books to read beyond the textbook. For example, over the summer, honors students
will be expected to read The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and during the year,
The Grapes of Wrath, Hiroshima, and possibly other books will be assigned.
 The honors class uses a more rigorous numerical requirement for the
assignments of grades. (Ex: an “A” requires 93%, rather than the typical 90%, and a
“B” requires at least an 85% average.)
 The honors class also has a higher expectation for most quizzes, tests, and
projects.
In order to enroll in Honors Modern American History, current 8th grade students must
meet the following requirements:
 80% or higher on the Scholastic Reading Inventory
 a score of 3 or higher on the district essay
 a grade of B+ (or higher) in 8th grade US History
 recommendation of the 8th grade US History teacher
To take honors in 10th - 12th grades, students must have the recommendation of the
previous year’s social studies teacher.
Government (one semester) or AP Government and Politics (one year).
We offer six AP social studies courses, each of which are specifically tailored to prepare
students for the AP exams, which may lead to college credit:
 AP European History
 AP Government & Politics
 AP Human Geography
 AP Psychology
 AP U.S. History
 AP World History
No. We do not offer Algebra 1 as an honors course.
 No. All students must complete an entire year of Algebra 1 (8th or 9th
grade) before continuing in mathematics.
 Dual-enrollment in Algebra 1 and Geometry is not allowed.
No. All students must complete an entire year (two semesters) of Algebra 1 before
continuing in mathematics. Algebra 1 is the fundamental course for higher
mathematics and must be studied thoroughly.
 After a student has completed Algebra 1, there are some options that may allow
students to get to Calculus after taking algebra in 9th grade. The most common is to take
Geometry A and Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry in 10th grade, Honors Pre-Calculus in 11th
grade, and AP Calculus AB in 12th grade.
 In order for an Algebra 1 student to be recommended for Honors Geometry they
must earn an "A" in Algebra 1, and the student must score higher than 90% on a
departmental Geometry Readiness Assessment. In order for students to be recommended
for other honors math courses, they must have a 96% test average in the prerequisite
course and the recommendation of their current math teacher. Input regarding the decision
is sought from the student, their parents, the student's math teacher, and one of North
High's department leaders prior to making a final recommendation for an honors course.
 Yes, if a student is successful in a course (usually with a 96% test average and
teacher recommendation), it may be possible to take an honors course the following year.
 Movement at semester is strongly discouraged as the classes often vary
significantly in content sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions – page 4
999
Questions
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Can students take PE during the
summer?
Can a student take health during summer
school?
Can a student re-take a PE class for
additional credit?
Can a student take a PE class as a
Pass/Fail course?
Answers
 Physical Fitness Concepts is offered in the summer to students that
move into the district or need it to graduate because of failing the course. There
is limited space available for current students and incoming 9th grade students.
 The second course of Physical Education may be taken any time in 10th,
th
11 , or 12th grade.
 Students who are most in need of the course in order to fulfill graduation
requirements, such as students who have failed the course in previous
semesters, are given priority enrollment.
 There is limited space available for current students.
 Please note that in the past several years, this course has filled with
students who needed to repeat the course.
 Strength & Conditioning is the only class that may be repeated. This
class is taught on different levels and shows progression each time it is taken.
 Because curriculum and content do not change in other courses, we do
not allow them to be repeated for additional credit.
No. All PE students will receive a letter grade.