District begins staged redesign of high school program of studies, aims for December finish

Curriculum staff presented a staged plan to redesign the high school program of studies and asked the Education, Policy & Review Committee to review the first-format draft.
Staff said the new document will present the program’s purpose up front, include an academic planning and course-selection overview, list counselor contacts and provide a clearer timeline for families. The presenter said the district is testing a four-stage approval process so the committee can review sections in digestible stages rather than approving a single, large document at once.
The department plans to incorporate the East Stroudsburg Cyber Academy (ESCA) into scheduling timelines so cyber students have equal access to counselor meetings and course information, but staff said the final format for integrating ESCA will be determined after drafting the cyber timeline.
Staff said graduation pathways and academic policies will be restated in user-friendly language and aligned with district policy so students and parents can understand what is needed to reach honors or other pathways. The presenter said prerequisites, class-rank rules and transcript handling for students transferring from alternative programs (for example Bucksmont Academy, referenced in discussion) are being reviewed for consistency.
The department expects to bring a polished, board-ready program-of-studies document to the December EPR meeting. Committee members thanked staff for the staged approach and asked that feedback be sent directly to the presenter ahead of subsequent EPR meetings.
No formal votes on policy changes were taken during the discussion; staff said they will return with draft policy alignments and course descriptions in later stages.