If students are not planning to take Intro Physics in 9th grade, Chemistry in 10th grade, and Biology in 11th grade, they must communicate this to their science teacher during course the course registration time period or complete the Sequence Deviation form here with their plan to be approved by their teacher & the Department Head.
The NNHS Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) Department acknowledges that placement in science courses can be tricky because students are moving from physics to chemistry to biology, three distinctly different disciplines. Therefore, we have put in place the following course placement appeal process. It is important for students and families to know that not all NNHS departments have similar appeal procedures since our disciplines are different in their placement intricacies.
Process:
Students and Families should discuss placement with the student's science teacher in the weeks leading up to the date by which teachers must enter course recommendation (March 4, 2025). All initial questions should be addressed to the STE teacher.
The student should make it clear to their teacher if they would like to be registered for a course that is at a higher level than what the teacher recommends.
The teacher will document this discrepancy and work with student to identify areas of improvement needed through the spring. A placement decision will be re-evaluated in May, 2025.
If in May the student and family still do not agree with the placement decision of the family, the family may decide to sign a "family decision" override letter acknowledging their student would like to move forward with the level change against the recommendation of the department. In order to override, students will be required to prepare by enrolling in additional WIN courses in May/June.
The student may complete this google appeal form if they wish to submit additional information about a request to their teacher & department head. In this case, the form should be submitted by the end of the school day March 10, 2024. Appeals submitted via this form will still follow the same process outlined above. If a student-teacher conversation documenting the student request for a higher level course has been had prior to March 4, 2024, the form is not required.