Honors Courses at Grand Oaks High School

As an incoming freshman, my son participates in multiple extracurricular activities. He doesn’t want to begin his high school career with and AP class (geography), but doesn’t want to take a level class. He has taken honors/advanced classes since 5th grade. Only offering two options is unfair to incoming 9th graders as they navigate new school, activities, classes, and more.

Bring back the honors classes. There are already far too few options as it is for these kids.

My children are best suited for a middle of the road academic rigor course. AP along with all the extra curricular activities they do is too much but they are capable of being pushed more than a level class. Not having honors classes also will hurt their class standing creating a vast space between those who do level and AP. This will directly impact their ability to gain scholarships against peers from other schools who do offer honors classes against whom they must compete for money as well as admission to schools.

Eliminating honors courses will have a terrible impact on our students’ education, and in turn, our community.

Please keep Honors classes as an option!!

This is not the best way to help our children receive the best education. Honors classes is important to have for those students. The only “honors” classes CANNOT only be college level courses. Students should not have to take all college level courses in order to push themselves. That is a lot for many students while level classes does not push enough. Also, it creates quite a lot on teachers. Please bring honors classes back. This reflects poor leadership and poor education for the school.

Please keep honors class

Please reconsider dropping honors classes. AP is not for everyone which many AP teachers can attest to. I have a personal experience of encountering a difficult AP class, failing and being immediately dropped to the on-level version. While it was obvious that the AP course wasn’t for me at the time, neither was the on-level course and I earned straight 100s with no challenge or rigor whatsoever, plus had to be side-by-side with more disruptive students. If a student immediately has to go to on-level without an opportunity for being challenged further as AP classes do, they are setting themselves up for failure at a time where they need to set themselves up for success with college on the horizon.

Honors classes are an important option for students interested in excelling in high school instead of trying to tackle college at the same time. And what kid can handle an entire load of all AP classes? That’s insane. Let the teens be teens and focus on their high school education. Bring back honors classes!

Honors courses serve as a crucial pathway for high-achieving students in High School. Eliminating them diminishes educational rigor and long-term student success. These classes foster personal growth, strengthen college applications through better GPAs, and inspire greater career aspirations. Schools thrive when they actively support high performance, it motivates students to reach their full potential. Please bring back the Honors program.

This is harmful yo many students. We need honors!!

4 months ago Featured

With a school this size, it is imperative that you have appropriate choices for our students and only offering levels classes and AP in certain subjects severely limits our students options. This change was made after course selection and this is not a district wide change. Please bring them back.

My college-aged son's experiences in his GOHS level classes were busy work, minimal teaching due to behavior problems and class management, learning independently, and having to do group projects mostly on his own to guarantee an A. My sophomore signed up for Honors Physics next year. He has too many AP classes to take another one, but I don't want him in a level class. I wish MORE honors classes were offered for Juniors and Seniors at Grand Oaks!!! Give them the option of Honors English, Math, and History. Don't take away the honors classes that are actually offered. As a previous teacher for 8th grade math, I much preferred teaching honors versus level! Overall, there was a huge difference in the classes in terms of students caring about learning. I want my son to be in an environment at GOHS with students who are challenged without being forced to take more 6.0 classes than he is able to handle with his schedule.

Bring Honors Courses BACK!!

Students need an option between level and AP/DC. Not all students who would be successful in an honors level course will be successful in an AP level class. In regards to AP Physics specifically, it is actually the AP test with the lowest pass rate (approx 47%). While the school hopes students who would normally be in honors would choose AP orDC instead, it is very likely that many of those students will choose levels options because they feel like they will be more successful. The loss to honors classes will also very likely have a negative effect on many student’s GPAs which can effect their college admissions.

Please don’t get rid of honors classes at Grand Oaks. I HAE an athlete with real ambitions to play D1 sports. He is very bright, but because of the hours he puts forth weekly for his sport, he isn’t always able to take AP classes. Honors classes allow him to work at a higher level than “levels” classes but not quite the rigor of an AP class.

My kids don't want to take all AP or DC classes. They would like to select several AP classes that complement their strengths and interests. They would like more challenge than they will get in a level class. Honors classes are the perfect solution. Please don't eliminate them.

I don't understand why you would change something that brings so many benefits to students.

It’s a conflict to not meet the needs of the community by not providing suitable classes for children who are above grade level.

Honors classes are a perfect balance between levels and AP, it’s not fair for kids to feel like they have to be in stupid classes just because they can’t manage the work load AP gives