In order to improve and strengthen the social studies curriculum, several changes have been made to what classes will be available starting next school year.
The most prominent change being made is the reduction of now year-long AP U.S. Government to a semester-long class and the deletion of U.S. Government from the curriculum. For their senior year, students must choose to take two of the three classes that will be available next year: AP U.S. Government, Constitutional Law and Political Participation.
“There was some feeling that they wanted to create more flexibility senior year for students,” social studies department chair Jeff Wieland said. “The trade-off for that is that it puts an awful lot of stress on [AP U.S. Government teacher] Mr. Strickland to condense all of that into a semester.”
Along with this change, sophomores will no longer be required to take an economics class. Instead, they will take the year-long class World History and economics will instead be offered as a career and technical education course.
However, neither of these changes were the first to be made to the curriculum. Before this school year, freshmen were required to take World Studies. Starting this year, freshmen were required to take Civics and World Geography. According to Wieland, Civics will be more beneficial for students when they have to take U.S. Government as seniors.
“The one area we had to make a compromise is that this year’s sophomores and juniors don’t get a foundation course,” Wieland said. “This year’s freshmen had a semester of Civics and World Geography.”
Wieland also recognizes certain drawbacks for future seniors taking AP U.S. Government in either semester.
“If you took it first semester, then you have the whole [second] semester [before you can take the AP test],” Wieland said. “If you take it second semester you lose [what you learn in] May. I think kids are going to have to choose what fits them best. It’s not ideal either way.”
Wieland said that he believed it would also be beneficial for seniors to take an economics class because they will soon have to manage their money, something counselor Erin Hayes agrees with.
“Consumer Economics is a useful class and offers more relevant information to graduating seniors,” Hayes said.
Compared to other school districts, the changes are not out of place. In the Blue Valley School District and the Olathe School District, both U.S. Government and AP U.S. Government are semester-long classes. In the Shawnee Mission School District, only AP Government is available and lasts for one semester.
The changes to the curriculum did not phase junior AP U.S. History student Stephen McEnery and his choice to take AP U.S. Government. Instead, he found a positive side to the change.
“[The new curriculum] didn’t really change my decision at all. I was already planning on taking [AP] Government,” McEnery said. “The only effect it’s had on me is that it’s opened up another semester for me.”
