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Dear Parents and Students,
This edition of the Ludlow High School Program of Studies reflects the course work needed to complete the high school’s graduation requirements and put together a course of study appropriate for each high school student.
As part of Ludlow High School's mission, it is our intent to stress a high level of academic achievement for all students and to continue developing programs to meet the needs of students who may be going on to college or on to the world-of-work. Our goal is to provide a meaningful educational experience for every student. The course selection process, however, should not be restricted to the use of this publication. Information from the student's teachers, counselor, and Curriculum and Instructional Leaders (CILs) should also be sought before the actual selection of courses. Interest, abilities, past performance, goals, and objectives for the future are all important factors.
Please take the necessary time now to set the appropriate course for all four years of the high school journey. Your thoughtful and careful attention to the course selection process will help us to develop the best schedule possible. We must have accurate data when we make decisions regarding the number of sections of each course, teaching assignments, and the placement of courses. The selection of courses is a serious matter. It is very difficult to accommodate changes after teaching assignments and budgetary decisions have been made. Therefore, the only changes considered will be those necessary due to course failures, scheduling conflicts, or the cancellation of courses due to insufficient enrollment or available faculty to teach the course.
In order for us to design a master schedule, which is as conflict-free as possible, we need your help. We encourage you to use all of the resources of the school before finalizing a program of studies for the coming year.
Sincerely,
Gordon C. Smith
Principal
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Ludlow High School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., a non-governmental, nationally recognized organization whose affiliated institutions include elementary schools through collegiate institutions offering post-graduate instruction.
Accreditation of an institution by the New England Association indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer-group review process. An accredited school or college is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and given reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.
Accreditation by the New England Association is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of the quality of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.
Inquiries regarding the status of an institution's accreditation by the New England Association should be directed to the administrative staff of the school or college. Individuals may also contact the Association:
ACADEMIC LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
The Ludlow High School graduate will...
INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL STUDENTS SELECTING COURSES FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR
A. Students are to use the Program of Studies and the Course Selection Sheet to identify the appropriate course selections.
B. Classroom teachers will make recommendations for sequential courses. Parents/students in Grades 9-11 who disagree with the teacher's recommendation may sign a Waiver Form to select another course. Waivers are not available to incoming Grade 9 students. Waivers are also not allowed for Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
C. Students should then fill in the course selection sheet by circling the course name and the exact code number for the selected course.
D. Parents and students should sign the completed Course Selection Sheet, which is to be turned into the guidance office to complete the pre-scheduling process. Parents/students should make an appointment with the guidance counselor if there is disagreement or concerns about the proposed course selections.
E. STUDENTS/PARENTS/GUARDIANS SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL IN SELECTING COURSES. STUDENTS WHO HAVE SELECTED COURSES AND HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THEM MUST REMAIN IN THOSE COURSES. IF THE STUDENT'S ABILITY LEVEL AND THE COURSE ARE INCONGRUOUS, THEN THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE WILL RENDER A DECISION ABOUT COURSE CHANGE REQUESTS. HOWEVER, ANY COURSE CHANGE REQUEST MUST BE REQUESTED WITHIN 10 SCHOOL DAYS AFTER THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS. ONLY IN RARE SITUATIONS WITH EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES WILL SCHEDULE CHANGES BE MADE AFTER THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL. NO COURSE CHANGE WILL OCCUR AFTER QUARTER 1 EXCEPT FOR THOSE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WHO HAVE A TEAM MEETING NECESSITATING A COURSE CHANGE OR CHANGES.
The course offerings in each of these levels are designed to prepare the students for their post-high school destinations by blending appropriate levels of rigor with needed content exposure. The courses in the academic levels also recognize that students come to Ludlow High School with varied reading, writing, and mathematical abilities from middle school. The academic levels are structured to allow students to be successful at their ability levels if they apply the proper effort.
It is also important to know that our course selection process allows students to select different courses from different levels. For example, a student may select to take English from the Essentials (CP) because he/she has some difficulty reading; however, because he/she has strong math skills and grades, he/she can also select an honors math course, if the entering freshman student receives the recommendation for honors level based upon the math placement test results/course grades/BMS teacher recommendation, or if the LHS student receives the LHS teacher recommendation/course grades for honors level.
Students are encouraged to create a 4-year plan of proposed courses as they enter high school and then revise that plan with their guidance counselor at least once each year.
Ludlow High School offers students eight Advanced Placement (AP) courses in six academic disciplines: Art, English, modern language, mathematics, science, and social studies. These courses are taught as introductory-level college courses with the accompanying reading and work level. Although students may take more than one AP course at a time, they must be aware of the demands on their time that this will entail. In all disciplines, summer reading and writing are required and assigned before the summer vacation.
Students are encouraged to take national examinations given by the College Board in the spring of each year. A fee is charged for these exams. These exams may qualify students for college credit or advanced standing, depending upon the score they receive on the examination and the regulations of a particular college.
Advanced Placement credit and weight (5 quality points) will be awarded for a course only if the students takes the national Advanced Placement exam. Honors credit and weight (4 quality points) will be awarded for a course if the student does not take the Advanced Placement exam.
The courses offered in each discipline are listed below.
ART DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
MODERN LANGUAGE
MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH
Grade AP/Honors Standard (CP) Essentials (CP) 12 AP English Major British Authors Selected Literature 11 Honors American Literature American Literature Lit. by Americans 10 Honors English 10 English 10 English 10 9 Honors English 9 English 9 English 9 MATH
Grade AP/Honors Standard (CP) Essentials (CP) 12 AP Calculus AB
11 Honors Pre-Calculus or
Honors AnalysisAlgebra 2 Applied Algebra 2 10 Honors Algebra 2 Geometry Applied Geometry 2 9 Honors Geometry Algebra 1 Applied Algebra 1 SCIENCE
Grade AP/Honors Standard (CP) Essentials (CP) 12 AP Chemistry/AP Biology
Honors Anatomy/Honors PhysicsAnatomy & Physiology
11 AP Chemistry/AP Biology
Honors Anatomy/Honors PHysicsGeneral Chemistry/
Conceptual ChemistryEnvironmental Science 10 Honors Chemistry Biology Essentials of Biology 9 Honors Biology Introductory Physics Introductory Physics SOCIAL STUDIES
Grade AP/Honors Standard (CP) Essentials (CP) 12 AP US Government US Government US Government 11 AP US History 11 US History 11 US History 11 10 Honors Global Perspectives/
AP US history 10Global Perspectives/
US History 10Global Perspectives/
US History 109 Honors Western Civilization Western Civilization Western Civilization MODERN LANGUAGES
AP/Honors Standard (CP) Essentials (CP)
AP Spanish Language Spanish 4
French 4
Portuguese 4none
Honors Spanish 4
Honors French 4Spanish 3
French 3
Portuguese 3none
Honors Spanish 3
Honors French 3Spanish 2
French 2
Portuguese 2none Students can start a modern language any year, except senior
yearHonors Spanish 2
Honors French 2Spanish 1
French 1
Portuguese 1none