Schools
Piedmont High Adds 11th-Grade Honors English Course
School board approves new 'rigorous' offering Wednesday.
The Piedmont school board Wednesday night unanimously approved a rigorous honors English course for juniors.
High school principal Randy Booker said Honors English 5-6 will support “students who are eager for rigor and depth” and enhance transcripts in the “competitive college environment.”
He praised the high school site council for its work in debating the course, for “fierce and candid conversation, but also a safe conversation.”
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The course will have the following prerequisites:
- An A or A-minus in freshman and sophomore English;
- Scoring 5 out of 6 on the sophomore writing assessment;
- Passing an entry test for vocabulary and reading comprehension;
- Getting recommendations from previous English teachers.
Board member Ray Gadbois encouraged “students and parents to think about whether they’re ready for this course,” not just take it to help in the college admission process. He expressed concern about the trend for “hyper-competitiveness” in college preparation.
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Mary Kelly, a parent who served on the English Language Arts Curriculum Council, commended the skill of administrators in leading the process. “I felt like I had a thorough chance to offer my opinion on every detail along the way,” she said. “I felt respected.”