Skip To Main Content

Logo Title

Academic Program

Scope, Sequence, and Course Placement Philosophy

Newton North has a commitment to opportunity, access, and excellence for all students. The scope and sequence of courses in each department has been designed to support these overarching goals. Courses include an articulation of content and skills that can be developed and learned within a developmentally appropriate community of learners at each grade level. The curriculum is designed to support the continuous academic, social and skill development growth for all students. A core value at North is that all students are appropriately challenged and supported both in terms of the work in individual classes and more broadly across a student’s schedule.
As students consider their course load, we support them in finding an appropriate level of stretch and balance within their classes. Teachers consider this placement philosophy when making course level recommendations. 

Course Levels

Following are the levels at which courses are offered at Newton North High School. 

  • Honors (H)
  • Advanced College Prep (ACP)
  • College Prep (CP)
  • No Level

All courses at Newton North High School include academic rigor* where “Academic Rigor can be defined as creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels.”

All courses in Newton Public Schools are rigorous learning environments which center the skills described in the Portrait of a Learner, and provide scaffolding as needed to help students to:

  • Foster intellectual curiosity and develop independent learner strategies.  
  • Connect concepts to their lives and the larger world/society.
  • Think creatively and critically to develop arguments and solve problems. 

The curriculum level (CP, ACP, Honors/AP) represent the depth and complexity of tasks required to meet course expectations.  

  • CP: Meeting course expectations requires proficiency with the content and skills that comprise the priority state standards.
  • ACP: Meeting course expectations requires proficiency with an increased skill depth and content complexity relative to the priority state standards, and across additional indicators from the state standards.
  • H: Meeting course expectations requires proficiency with an increased skill depth and content complexity relative to the priority state standards, and across the majority of additional indicators from the state standards.

Multilevel Course Offerings

Multilevel courses contain students who are individually registered for different levels and learn in the same classroom community.

We believe in the power of multilevel courses which:

  • Provide a rich experience for students within a diverse learning community.
  • Increase access and equity for all students by dismantling structures where implicit bias results in a sorting of students by race, gender, ability and/or socioeconomic status based on the subject area and level.
  • Provide students with access to support and opportunity for challenge in the same learning community.
  • Allow Newton North to offer classes that may not have enough enrollment to run as single-level classes.

Newton North may make the decision to run other multilevel courses after registration occurs in order to meet our student requests and address equity concerns. Students should sign up for courses and levels that meet their need for support and challenge.

*Baylor University. (n.d.). Instructor resources: Academic rigor.