HOUSTON – Dec. 12, 2019 – The Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved the 2020-21 Education Planning Guides for middle and high school students as they prepare to select courses for the next school year and plan their paths toward graduation.

“We’re very pleased to offer our students and their families these updated guides so they can see all of their options,” said Chief of Curriculum and Instruction Khechara Bradford. “Our middle and high schools really offer something for everyone, and these guides are a way for our students to select those classes that will help them achieve their goals.”

The guides are published each year and include important updates for families on a range of topics, including graduation requirements, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit options, Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes, exams and testing, grading and class rankings, credit recovery, sports and academic eligibility, and the college admissions process.

They also feature a “Planning for the Future” section that contains yearly checklists to help students make the most of their education and ensure that they are college and career ready when graduation day arrives.

Students will begin the course selection process in January after the winter break. The goal is to complete all selections by the end of the month.

For middle school students, the Education Planning Guide features several new courses, including AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), an elective class that teaches study skills, note-taking, time management, writing and research skills.

For students at Spring Leadership Academy, they will also have the option to take the Leadership Officer Training Corps (LOTC) class for Physical Education credit. Two other new classes are being offered in reading and mathematics to build competency in both subjects.

At the high school level, the district is adding another Advanced Placement class in Computer Science Principles, which will be available at all three of the district’s comprehensive high schools. Students at Westfield High School will have the option of taking a barbering class that could lead to licensure. And finally, the district is expanding its offerings in Spanish at the intermediate to advanced levels.

High school students seeking to earn dual credit through the district’s partnership with Lone Star College will also find it easier to determine how those college classes align with district classes in terms of credits earned.

Both Education Planning Guides are designed to serve as easy-to-read course catalogs that align to the types of course catalogs that students will see when they attend college.

“This is a wonderful service to our community as well as our students,” said Trustee Deborah Jensen, who noted that the district offers a wide variety of programs and options.