Pine-Richland board to vote on programs of studies for high school, middle school

Pine-Richland School Board is scheduled to vote Jan. 22 on programs of studies for the high school and middle school for 2024-25.

During the board’s Jan. 8 planning meeting, administrators presented information on updates to the programs, which have been subjected to continuous review and modifications since their introduction in 2013.

The intention is to provide resources for students’ families “to make good, informed decisions,” according to Michael Pasquinelli, assistant superintendent of secondary education and curriculum.

“Most importantly, it’s selecting the right course for each child,” he said. “And that’s what the program of studies is all about.”

Among the updates for Pine-Richland High School is an improved process for a student and his or her family requesting a waiver “to take a course that doesn’t align with a teacher’s recommendation,” Principal Frank Hernandez said. As an example, he told the board:

“Maybe I am recommended by my teacher for Algebra II, but I want to be a finance major, and I want to take Honors Algebra II. I would complete a waiver, then, to go into that class.”

Waivers now are granted automatically, but the new process will involve several steps, including review by counselors and administrators

“We feel that this would tighten things up for us so that we can further educate our students and families on the right course for the right student, while also offering us an opportunity to look at more comprehensive data before we make a decision,” Hernandez said.

Among the changes at Pine-Richland Middle School is the offering of more instruction for seventh graders who are interested in learning German, Spanish or French.

The current setup is for students to take 22 or 23 days’ worth of each language. Next school year, they will receive 90 days of instruction in the single language of their choice.

“We’re going to get a lot more depth and be able to take it much further than we have before,” Principal David Kristofic said, in preparing students for full-year courses in ensuing years.

Meanwhile, educators are focusing on students’ transition from middle school to high school.

“We know that it’s a very exciting time for the eighth graders, to be heading to ninth grade,” Nicole Berezo, middle school assistant principal, said. “But it also can be a very nerve-wracking time.”

On Jan. 24, her students will visit the high school for a review of the program of studies by administrators. Then on Feb. 8, high school students plan to visit middle school classes and offer to answer questions.

An emphasis for the programs of studies continues to be preparedness for the future. The process facilitated by a postsecondary readiness platform called Naviance, which allows students to create electronic portfolios.

“Our students would take self-discovery assessments to help them identify how their likes, their interests are aligned to potential colleges and careers,” Hernandez said, with the resulting scheduling of applicable courses.

Families will receive further information about the programs of studies following school board approval.

Watch a video of the Jan. 8 school board planning meeting.