Course Development Criteria

Guidelines for curriculum development within the PASS framework

High School Language Art Courses
Course Description Scope & Sequence Sample
English 1 A English IA develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of myths and folk tales, a drama, a novel, poetry, and non-fiction.
English I B English IB develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, poetry, and non-fiction.
English II A English IIA develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, poetry, and the newspaper.
English II B English IIB develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, poetry, and essays.
English III A English IIIA develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, poetry and nonfiction.
English III B English IIIB develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, poetry, and non-fiction.
English IV A English IVA develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, and units on continuing your education/finding a job and preparing a research paper.
English IV B English IVB develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and producing skills through the study of short stories, a drama, a novel, poetry, and non-fiction.
Creative Writing This course covers the full spectrum of writing genres ranging from short stories, novels, plays and poetry, to the various forms of essays and nonfiction.
Learning English Through Literature Learning English Through Literature develops and strengthens reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and producing skills, through the study of the newspaper, poetry, story genre, and the novel.
High School Mathematics Courses
Course Description Scope & Sequence Sample
Algebra I A Algebra I A is a study of algebraic concepts including measurement and mathematical reasoning; algebraic expressions; factoring; and equations.
Algebra I B Algebra I B is a study of linear functions; inequalities, absolute value, and radicals; quadratic functions, circles, modeling exponential growth and decay; systems of equations and inequalities; and probability and statistics.
Algebra II A Algebra II A addresses linear equations and functions, systems of linear equations and inequalities, quadratic functions, polynomial functions and their graphs, and power functions and inverses.
Algebra II B Algebra II B addresses exponential and logarithmic functions, rational functions and their graphs, quadratic relations and conic sections, fundamentals of trigonometry, and probability and statistics.
Geometry A Plane and solid geometry are examined visually, analytically, and logically. Constructions are made with a compass and straight edge and by folding paper. Geometric concepts beginning with basic points....
Geometry B Students study and analyze circles and arcs. Tangents, secants, and chords and the angles they form are examined. Concurrent lines are found in triangles while studying altitudes, angle bisectors, and....
Personal Finance This course could also be called consumer math. It is a course about making decisions and solving problems. Studying math skills and money handling as they relate to the responsibilities faced by....
High School Science Courses
Course Description Scope & Sequence Sample
Biology A Biology A provides a comprehensive exploration of the definition of life, the scientific method, cell structure, the chemical processes for energy production, life at the cellular and multicellular levels, and the various body systems that work together to sustain life.
Biology B Biology B provides a comprehensive exploration of reproduction, genetics, classification of various organisms, evolution, and ecology.
Environmental Science A Environmental Science A provides a comprehensive exploration of ecosystem structures and functions, studies the various global biomes, and the relationships between natural and human populations.
Environmental Science B Environmental Science B provides a comprehensive exploration of various sources of energy, the structure and function of the atmosphere, the water cycle and factors impacting this valuable resource, the land and its responsible management, and the environmental movement over the years.
High School Social Studies Courses
Course Description Scope & Sequence Sample
Economics With Financial Literacy In this one-semester course, students will learn the major economic concepts and theories covering how people use scarce resources like time, land, or money, to meet their needs or wants.
U. S. Government This one-semester offering is divided into five units of study. Essential questions addressed include the historic basis for the United States’ form of government and the events leading up to the writing of the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. History A U.S. History A begins with the Reconstruction period following the Civil War and covers up through the government policies and business practices that brought high levels of American prosperity after WWI, but led to world-wide economic collapse by the end of the 1920s.
U.S. History B U.S. History B begins with the policies of F.D. Roosevelt that led the U.S. out of the Great Depression, and the formation of alliances that brought about victory in WWII. The course then addresses the Cold War, the turmoil and changes of the 1960s through the 1980s, and moves up to present-day inroads and challenges facing this country and the world.
World Geography World Geography covers geography in all areas of the world, the impact humans have on our environment, methods geographers use, the value of geography, and careers in geography.
World Geography A World Geography A provides an introduction to the study of geography and the basic skills that are applied to investigation of the physical characteristics of the world. The course then focuses on the regions and countries of the Western Hemisphere and the role geography has played.
World Geography B World Geography B focuses on the regions and countries of the Eastern Hemisphere and the role geography has played both historically and in the present.
World History A World History A starts the journey with global prehistory and ancient times and carries it through the Industrial Revolutions and European imperialism of the 19th century.
World History B World History B begins with World War I and the revolutions of the early 20th century and ends with the modern world and current global issues.
Other High School Courses
Course Description Scope & Sequence Sample
Career Connections This course is designed to help students find out more about their interests, talents, values, and goals in life.
Study Skills This course helps students explore the different types of learning styles, and discover how their own personal abilities work best for them in different situations.
Your Health Students will have a chance to: assess their own personal health and the health of other teens, review the health of their community, evaluate the risks they face and practice reducing those risks, build their skills to be healthy and stay healthy, consider the relationships they are part of or want to be part of, and create their own health plans to care for themselves both now and in the future.