Other Classes
Course Description Key
Descriptions of the courses offered at San Marcos High School are outlined in the following pages. Students should take note of the grade levels at which the course may be taken, prerequisites, and the length of the course (semester or year-long).
Some of the abbreviations commonly used in this section are explained below.
A-G Designation UC/CSU admission requirements (identifies courses that meet the entrance requirements of that school)
AP Advanced Placement (designates classes to prepare students for the Advanced Placement exams, which may result in a student’s receiving college credit for a course, even though the course was completed in high school
ELD English Language Development (designates English classes for those learning English as a second language).
(P) College preparatory (designates classes accepted by colleges and universities for purposes of meeting their entrance requirements)
(H) Honors (designates honors classes designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement classes)
Grade level: 9-11
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective or B - English
Recommended Previous Course of Study: None
Note: This class can be used to meet one year of the English 11 or 12 SMUSD graduation requirement and A-G English requirement. There are some out-of-state and private universities that do not recognize this class as an English class.
AP Capstone is a College Board program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communications skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions.
AP Capstone comprises two AP courses – AP Seminar and AP Research – and is designed to complement and enhance the discipline-specific study in other AP courses. Participating schools can use the AP Capstone program to provide unique research opportunities for current AP students, or to expand access to AP by encouraging students to master the argument-based writing skills that the AP Capstone program develops.
AP CAPSTONE RESEARCH - 05200
Grade level: 10-12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective (grades 10-12)
Recommended Previous Course of Study: Completion of AP Seminar
AP Research is the second course in the AP Capstone™ program. AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research. If you earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of your choosing, you will receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. This signifies outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Alternatively, if you earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research only, you will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
Grade level: 11-12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: NONE
This course introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Included in the course are facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major fields of psychology and an overview of the methods psychologists use in their research and practice. This course is equivalent to a college course in introductory psychology. Students are expected to successfully prepare for the Advanced Placement test given in the spring. Instruction is differentiated in order to provide the depth, complexity, novelty, and pacing required by state gifted standards and to prepare students for the Advanced Placement program. Some of the domains or topics that will be covered include the biological domain, the cognitive domain, developmental psychology, abnormal behavior, personality, and therapy.
PSYCHOLOGY (P) 05104
Grade level: 9-12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: NONE
This course is a course designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Topics include: the brain and nervous system, personality, schizophrenia, depression, perception, intelligence, motivation, emotion, child development, memory, relationships and MORE!
Grade level: 9-12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: Appointment or election as an ASB officer, class officer, or commissioner, or teacher approval. (Repeatable)
This course provides an opportunity for students to practice democratic leadership in practical school situations. Students share with adults the responsibility of planning and organizing assemblies, meetings, social and recreational gatherings, rallies, elections, and other events.
Grade level: 9
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: Application to the program and teacher recommendation.
AVID (ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION) is a high-school program designed to motivate and prepare students who plan to attend a four-year university. The two main focuses are College readiness and College acceptance. AVID is an academic, regularly scheduled elective program based on the inquiry method and collaborative grouping. The main components of the program are academic instruction, tutorial support, SAT/ACT test-taking strategies, college note taking, and goal setting (4 year planning). Minimum GPA of 2.0 required.
AVID Application (For students who would like to join the program, not returning AVID students.)
AVID 10/11 - 02101/03101
Grade level: 10-11
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: New students must submit an application
AVID is a high-school program designed to motivate and prepare students who plan to attend a four-year university. The two main focuses are College readiness and College acceptance. AVID Sophomores and Juniors explore careers and colleges as well as prepare for personal statements and familiarity with the college process (application and test prep).
AVID Application (For students who would like to join the program, not returning AVID students.)
AVID SENIOR SEMINAR (P) - 04101
Grade level: 12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: Prior enrollment in AVID for at least 1 year (enrollment in 11th grade AVID mandatory) and teacher recommendation. Concurrent enrollment in honors or Advanced Placement class also required.
Seniors complete college applications, scholarship applications, EOP applications, the FAFSA, provide leadership to AVID underclassmen and get help with academic research papers.
AVID STUDENT TUTOR - 05101
Grade level: 11-12
A-G Designation: NA
Recommended Previous Course of Study: Teacher Recommendation
AVID Student Tutor is a one year elective course that provides structured assistance to AVID students in all college- prep core academic classes. Student tutors will tutor small groups of AVID students twice a week during the tutorial portion of the AVID elective class, and assist students with their organizational skills to enhance academic success. AV- ID student tutors are expected to have excelled in at least two core academic subjects. Tutors will receive instruction and training using the inquiry method that encourages higher level thinking by students.
Grade level: 11-12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: None
Personal Finance is a two semester course that presents students with essential knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about real world financial issues. Students will learn how educational, occupational and personal financial decisions influence future earning potential. Students will learn how to apply decision-making skills to evaluate economic choices and set personal long term goals. The course content is designed to help students become financially literate so that they will make wise spending, saving, and credit decisions to achieve personal financial success.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - 05013
Grade level: 9-12
A-G Designation: NA
Recommended Previous Course of Study: None
Personal development is a course available to students in grades 9-12, which focuses on the executive skills necessary to succeed in college preparatory/ advanced courses and the social-emotional skills which will help students become more confident and self-assured. Some of the SEL skills include: responsibility, setting/maintaining and achieving goals, self-esteem, self-compassion, peer pressure, motivation, choices, and determination. Understanding that school is one part academics and one part self-growth, students will have the support and space to develop the skills to be successful in their education and developmental growth. In addition, students are provided with time to receive homework assistance and grade check-ins.
Grade level: 11-12
A-G Designation: G - College Prep Elective
Recommended Previous Course of Study: None
This two-semester course will investigate the relationship between the minds of individuals and their collective constructions of society, culture, and patterns of human interaction. Students will complete one semester of sociology, one semester of philosophy, and a capstone project in which students synthesize their learning. Broadly, Sociology examines socialization processes, social interactions, institutions, inequality, and change. Philosophy examines the nature of knowledge and how humans claim to understand that knowledge through the study of logic, reasoning, ethics and reality.
TEACHER AIDE - 0506
NURSE AIDE - 0507
LIBRARY AIDE - 0503
ATTENDANCE AIDE - 0501
Grade level: 11-12
A-G Designation: NA
Recommended Previous Course of Study: Consent of the supervising staff member.
A student may elect to work in several areas on campus as an aide. Regular and consistent attendance is required and confidentiality is expected. Students must obtain written permission from the staff member for whom they will be working before registering as an aide. Teachers are limited to one (1) aide per day. A maximum of 10 aide credits may be applied toward graduation.