Towards the end of last semester, a Google form sent out to Oak Park High School students proposed a chance to retake their first semester of Algebra 1 or Geometry if they failed the first semester of the class. The idea was initially posed as an alternative to summer school.
“We know a lot of students sometimes use their summer break to make up classes,” Smith said.
The form was sent out to gauge student interest. Due to a variety of factors including lack of responses, OPHS did not continue with the class.
“I received just under 20 students who told me they were interested in the opportunity,” Assistant Principal Natalie Smith said.
The class was designed with the intention of giving students a better foundation for the second semester while also improving their GPAs.
“[By taking] the first-semester material that is a building block to do well in the second semester, and to see it again and improve upon it during the spring semester, [students] could get their grade pulled up from first semester, while also looking back at the old concepts,” Smith said.
Had interest been higher, whether they took Algebra 1 or Geometry, students could have had the opportunity to remediate a semester one failing grade.
“We were just putting out some feelers to see if students would be interested in finding a way if they weren’t doing so well in their Algebra One or Geometry class to have an opportunity to make up credits,” Smith said.
This semester, students still have the option to go to any math teacher during support or Math Honors Society for extra help. If a student fails a class in the first semester, they can talk to their counselor to find the best option for them.