Committee approves removing tech-credit graduation requirement and alters ELA and science sequencing

The school committee voted unanimously to remove a separate technology graduation credit and fold it into a seven-elective requirement for high-school graduation, a change administrators said will keep the districts overall credit requirement at 24 while giving scheduling flexibility.

"It would read seven elective credits because you're still getting 24," said the presenter while explaining how the technology requirement would be absorbed into electives and how the district plans to preserve technology pathways and staffing.

The committee also approved a package of program-of-studies changes affecting English language arts and science. ELA changes include moving American literature to a full-year junior course (with AP English options available to juniors or seniors) and adding semester-length senior electives such as dystopian literature, media criticism and British literature to broaden senior scheduling options. Science sequencing was revised so a foundational environmental-science course is offered to most freshmen, biology is positioned in sophomore year to align with MCAS testing, and chemistry and biomedical pathways follow for students as appropriate.

Committee members asked about maintaining course enrollment levels to protect staffing in technology and arts courses, and about MCAS alignment with algebra sequencing; administrators said the changes were intended to align science with math readiness and to preserve elective choices. Motions to adopt the technology-credit change, ELA revisions and science-sequencing revamp were each moved and seconded and passed by the committee.