An Electives Program in a Small High School? It Works!

Abstract

problems of democracy, and for the second, an American literature course which paralleled American history. These initial two years of the curriculum proved especially successful in providing: (1) the opportunity for a close correlation between English and social studies, (2) an incentive factor produced by the age differential within each classroom, and (3) the institution of the system which allowed students to select their own ability levels. This was especially in keeping with our overall school philosophy of encouraging each student to become increasingly more responsible for his own education. Since the first two phases of our threeyear cyclical program allowed students to phase themselves within a single theme, our concern for stage three centered upon the insertion of breadth and variety into the curriculum. Meetings with the English and social studies staffs resulted in the determination to offer an