With the diversity of classes offered at IHS, high school should be a time of experimentation: a chance for students to explore distinctive academic interests and discover subjects they may not have encountered before. Yet shortcomings in the course selection process often prevent students from exploring these opportunities to their fullest extent. From limited information about course offerings to a complicated course change process, students face unnecessary barriers to building schedules that reflect their interests and goals. The Tattler Editorial Board urges administrators to make the course selection process more transparent and flexible so that every student has a meaningful opportunity to explore what IHS has to offer.
When students enter IHS their freshman year, there is little flexibility in the courses they are able to take. Aside from a few electives, the freshman schedule is largely predetermined, as many classes are necessary to fulfill graduation requirements. Because their schedules are already structured for them, many freshmen do not have the opportunity or the information to explore the breadth of courses available at IHS before entering their sophomore year. This can set a pattern for the rest of high school: students follow the paths they know rather than discovering the opportunities they do not.
Some offerings, especially for underclassmen, are difficult to discover. For example, AP Psychology and Human Geography are both available to sophomores with a recommendation from their freshman-year global studies teacher. Similarly, AP Chemistry is available to sophomores who take a placement test and then win a lottery for a spot. Other unique electives are buried deep within the Program of Studies and can only be found out through careful research or word of mouth. These opportunities may be valuable, but they are not always apparent to the students who could benefit from them. Students who happen to hear about an opportunity from others or have parents that are willing to advocate for their spot in a class have an advantage over those with less access to information.
Students who are unaware of opportunities such as BOCES and New Visions programs face additional barriers when planning their schedules. Because these programs occupy a significant portion of a student’s schedule, discovering them too late can make it difficult to accommodate certain coursework. Senior Emily Ralph ’27, who will participate in the New Visions Life Sciences Program this year, experienced this firsthand. Because she was not made aware of New Visions early enough in high school, she was unable to fit a physics course into her four years. She worries that this could create a barrier when applying to colleges, as some institutions require physics for admission eligibility.
However, even when students do know about a class or program, the difficulty of changing their schedules can discourage them from trying it. Once the first two weeks of school have passed, students must go through a lengthy process of obtaining signatures from their parents, teachers, and administrators in order to drop a course. As a result, students may hesitate to enroll in a course because they are worried about becoming stuck in a class they do not enjoy or cannot handle.
Taken together, these barriers undermine the central purpose of course selection, which should be allowing students to build an education around their individual interests, abilities, and goals.
The solution begins with giving students more information earlier. Younger students may not yet understand which courses they will need to take over the following four years, nor are they necessarily aware of the full range of opportunities available to them. With guidance counselors already carrying substantial workloads, it is not feasible for them to meet individually and thoroughly with every student. The Tattler Editorial Board therefore suggests that the guidance department enlist upperclassmen to help introduce underclassmen to course offerings and structuring their schedule around programs like New Visions and BOCES. Freshmen, in particular, should have the opportunity to meet with an upperclassman who can explain what their four years at IHS might look like and highlight opportunities they may otherwise overlook.
More time should be devoted to explaining course selection to underclassmen. The current system provides presentations about the classes students will take the following year, but these presentations tend to focus on the standard tracks students typically follow to fulfill their graduation requirements rather than the full range of electives and alternative pathways available. Around course selection time, teachers from each subject area should offer presentations that explain the options within their disciplines. Science teachers could explain the different science tracks, math teachers could outline alternative math classes, and social studies teachers could highlight unique electives. While some teachers have already implemented this practice, it should be standardized within and across departments. By making these options explicit, IHS can ensure that less familiar opportunities do not simply fly under students’ radars.
The Tattler Editorial Board also believes the first five weeks of school should serve as an experimentation period, during which students can freely add or drop classes that have available capacity and for which they meet the prerequisites. This would allow students to experience courses before committing to them for an entire year, making it easier to discover classes that genuinely interest them without jeopardizing their academic standing.
Ultimately, making course selection more transparent and flexible will give students the information and freedom they need to make informed decisions about their own education. High school should be an opportunity for students to explore diverse opportunities simply because they are curious about them, and IHS should enable that. By expanding guidance, making course offerings more transparent and creating greater flexibility in scheduling, the school can ensure that students are shaping an education that reflects their individual interests and potential.
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