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Show Granite School District Widens Curriculum " i. ;- ." A - ". ...... .... v . - - - ' ' - ' .. " - . " With Adoption of New Multiple Track Program The Granite School District is once again demonstrating its alertness and outstanding leadership among Utah secondary secon-dary education districts by leading out in the new "multiple "mul-tiple track" curriculum program. pro-gram. Dr. Kenneth C. Farrer, assistant assis-tant superintendent in charge of curriculum, explained that the new multiple track pro- gram is designed to differentiate differen-tiate between the capabilities, interests and aptitudes of students by providing three separate curriculum programs for them to choose from. This does away with the traditional but inadequate concept of all going through school on a single track and coming out like rubber stamped prototypes, with identical diplomas but still with their individual differences. dif-ferences. The new program is also patterned to help step up the quality of learning to upgrade American students to a point more nearly comparable to some of the better European educational programs. The three tracks are designated desig-nated respectively Academic studies, General Studies, and Specialized Studies, with a general core of three and a half units on the tenth grade level being the only segment of the curriculum common to all three. All three tracks will fulfill ful-fill requirements for graduation gradua-tion under specifications of the State Board of Education and also for college entrance requirements re-quirements to the major universities univer-sities of the state, Dr. Farrer said. The academic studies curriculum curri-culum consists of a more comprehensive com-prehensive and broad track with nine and a half units of specified fundamentals: math-matics math-matics 2, Science 2, English 11 and 12, foreign languages 2, social studies 1, and physical education This leaves a total of 8 elective elec-tive units to complete the full course of 21 units possible. Although only 18 are required for graduation under state specifications, the leeway per- mits the student extra time for a third year seminary course, released time for work or for student activities, remedial or repeated classes, supervised study, or participation participa-tion in school service groups. The General Studies track leaves more leeway, specifying only five and a half units beyond be-yond the common core of three and a half, leaving a total of 12 electives, one of which must be elected to comply with state requirements. This leeway gives the student freedom to follow special or new interests and aptitudes more easily, such as directing his efforts toward a more specialized career, diversifying his activities activi-ties more, or allowing for work release time for catching up class work which he may have fallen behind in or to do extra credit work, etc. The Specialized studies track is one in which the student is quite strictly regimented, but which he may wish to select to follow through toward a specialized career. In addition to the three and a half cor units and five and a half state required units he must take an additional specified 4 and a half units in his chosen field, leaving only 7 and a half as electives. The multiple track curriculum curricu-lum wiU necessitate a close guidance and supervision of the student's progress through . the three years of high school, Dr. Farrer said, but its advantages advan-tages are many and it is hoped that students who graduate under the program will be better qualified to continue their college work or be better prepared to face competitive life after graduation. |