Curriculum & Instruction Roundtable: Non-Mandated Programs

The Community Roundtable on curriculum and instruction that was held on Tuesday, Oct. 13, included lively discussion on a variety of topics. In order to keep the conversation going, we invite readers to post their thoughts on each question that was presented to participants at the Community Roundtable. Click here for notes on what was discussed at the Community Roundtable.

Broadalbin-Perth is committed to providing an educational program that is rigorous, relevant, and focused on maintaining high learning standards. Throughout the years, the community has supported many school budgets that proposed curriculum offerings and services above and beyond what is required by education law in New York State as a means to meet that goal.

For example, Broadalbin-Perth High School offers students the opportunity to participate in up to 12 courses through SUPA, FMCC, or the University at Albany; Broadalbin-Perth Middle School offers numerous enrichment opportunities for students; and at the elementary level, all children in the district have the opportunity to enroll in a Universal Pre-Kindergarten program.

Other non-mandated programs and services currently offered by the district include things such as field trips, psychological services, athletics, expanded art and music programs, and additional adult classroom support. While not required by the state or federal governments, programs and services such as these have been shown to improve the overall educational experience for our students.

Given the current economic climate and the district’s financial situation, do you think the district should continue to offer these types of non-mandated programs and services?

Additional Information

• Out of 657 high schoolers, 141 (21.5%) are currently enrolled in SUPA, FMCC or UAlbany courses. Within the HFM BOCES region, Broadalbin-Perth offers one of the largest selections of college level credit-bearing courses.
• Non-mandated areas of instruction offered at The Learning Community include art, music, technology and the media center; at the Intermediate School, science, art, music and the media center; at the Middle School, additional units of technology, computers, foreign language, art and health, as well as the media center; at the High School, additional credits of English, math, social studies, science, foreign language and fine arts, as well as all business classes, which are electives.
• The New York State Education Department guidelines for mandated instruction can be found online at www.nysed.gov/part100.