Wayland High School’s Program of Study serves as a major input into defining the Educational Program Specification for the High School facility. The Educational Program Specification defines the size, number and use of the academic and educational spaces needed at Wayland High School. It does not represent a building design, and does not include spaces such as hallways, mechanical rooms, restrooms, and walls. It will be used to develop the building designs, and to prepare preliminary cost estimates.
In 2004, HMFH Architects prepared a proposed Educational Program Specification for Wayland High School. When the MSBA approves Wayland to move forward with a High School project, this information will serve as one input into creating a new Educational Program Specification. The 2004 specification consisted of a Narrative and two tables: the Educational Specification Tables and Academic Area Matrices, and the Basic Educational Space for Planned Program. A white paper was also created to summarize the specification, describe its purpose and use, and highlight its key assumptions and characteristics. The full text of the Narrative, as well as the spreadsheets, are available at the Town Library and on the School Committee's website. A link to the white paper is included below.
WHS Academic Overview
A minimum of seventy-six credits is required for students to graduate from WHS. These credits are distributed as follows:
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English 16 credits
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Social Studies 12 credits
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Mathematics 8 credits
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Science 8 credits
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Physical Education 4 credits
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Additional Courses 28 credits
Most students take five major courses, an elective and physical education each year; some students take more and, in unusual educational plans, the school administration may approve an alternative plan. Student schedules include free periods for independent study, collaborative study, socialization, and extracurricular activities.
The WHS program offerings include:
Most of the academic departments offer coursework on multiple instructional levels including introductory college, college, honors and advanced placement levels.
In addition to the program offerings described above, additional opportunities are offered to WHS students outside the high school. These programs include the following:
Other Information about WHS
WHS is organized on a single session day that begins at 7:30 A.M. and ends at 2:15 P.M. (1:05 on Wednesday) operating on an 8-day, 8-period cycle with 6 of the 8 periods meeting each day.
There is an extensive co-curricular and extra-curricular program which includes a variety of clubs, fine arts groups, service organizations and athletic teams. Students are encouraged to become involved in these activities to enhance and to enrich their educational experience at Wayland High School.
When students have unassigned class periods there are several choices open to them. The media center, the Academic Center, the commons and some of the reference areas are open every period for study. Students are encouraged to meet with their teachers during their free blocks.
Numerous Services are available to students at WHS. These include:
For more information:
Details by Subject Area:
ENGLISH – English courses teach writing through a sequenced process approach and literature through exploring the reader's creative interaction with the text. During the first two years of the program, students are introduced to different types of personal and expository discourse, to the elements of fiction, poetry, and drama, and to various ways of making connections among their readings. In the latter two years, students devote greater attention to the study of national and cultural literatures and to the study of literary traditions.
MATHEMATICS - The mathematics curriculum offers each student an opportunity to realize his or her potential as a critical and logical thinker. Coursework includes algebra, geometry, calculus, financial literacy, statistics and discrete mathematics.
SOCIAL STUDIES - The social studies aims to prepare students for their future roles as voting citizens of a democratic world power whose actions will have a major influence in world affairs over the decades ahead. Students will be introduced to the historical and cultural influences which have shaped the world of the present, both in the United States and elsewhere. They will be helped to develop and apply the intellectual and analytical tools of many of the social sciences to deepen and broaden their understanding of past trends, current events and potential future developments.
SCIENCE - The science program emphasizes the development of concepts and skills students need to demonstrate a reasonable command of a science knowledge base and to interpret the world around them using a scientific approach. The science program fosters the development of a personal interest in and an understanding of the impact of science on society as a whole. All of the honors and college sequence courses include a double period laboratory section within their structure. Coursework includes physical science, biology, chemistry, physics and principles of technology. Electives include environmental science, meteorology and climate change.
CLASSICAL STUDIES AND MODERN LANGUAGES – This department offers a five-year course of study in French, Latin and Spanish, from a first year introductory course to the advanced placement fifth year class. Also provided by the department are seven electives, two of which are full-year courses and five semester courses.
BUSINESS - WHS Business Education program helps students develop an understanding of the modern business organization and investing operations. The Business Education program offers an array of courses, including Business Law, Principles of Entrepreneurship and Business Management, Introduction to the Stock Market and Investing and The Creative Economy. The courses rely heavily on case-based teaching methodologies.
COMPUTER SCIENCE - Students learn the basics of computer programming, the fundamentals of computer architecture, program design, and algorithms, as well as the professional, ethical, and social implications of computer use will be covered. Through the Multimedia courses, students learn to create presentations, web pages and short videos.
FINE ARTS – The Fine Arts program at WHS is a broad program covering theater, art and music. The theater program develops the life skills of speaking, reading, writing and concentration through the study of drama and human behavior. Courses include communication studies, film studies and the study of Shakespeare. The Art curriculum explores the elements and principles of design through drawing, color theory, 2-D design and printmaking. More advanced coursework include ceramics, metalwork and jewelry. The Music program teaches composition through the learning of ear training, music theory and harmony. The program includes music appreciation, orchestra, chamber music, chorale, acapella, as well as wind and jazz ensembles.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Physical education is required to meet the requirements for graduation. Programs are offered with attention to wellness, lifetime sports and cooperative challenges.
TEC INTERNSHIP - The Education Cooperative (TEC) offers our students the opportunity to explore future career directions through its internship program. These 60 hours unpaid internships are available to juniors and seniors. It allows students to gain additional experience and information that can help them make more informed decisions about college majors and career paths. The program is designed to provide students with first-hand experience in specific business, professional, and vocational settings.
EXTENDED INTERNSHIP - This program gives students opportunities to receive on-the-job skills and training in a career field that interests them during their junior and senior years in high school. Students take 3 academic courses and physical education and work at their internship placements 12-20 hours per week. Our industry partners include local businesses and industries in the areas of health care, education and hotel management. New industry clusters include computer technology, banking and finance and retailing.
MINUTEMAN - WHS works in coordination with Minuteman Regional Technical High School in Lexington, to give WHS students a chance to explore an elective that is not offered at WHS. Students choose an available class/field that they are interested in such as electrical wiring, childcare, graphic arts (to name a few) and they attend Minuteman in the morning and return to WHS for their academic classes in the afternoon.
INDEPENDENT STUDY - This program is designed to provide additional academic opportunities for students through learning experiences not available in the traditional school environment.
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION - Work Study is provided for junior or senior students who desire to gain work experience while they continue their academic program. Students must be employed for a minimum of 15 hours a week. One credit is given for each quarter of successful participation in an approved job setting.
GUIDANCE SERVICES - The guidance services at Wayland High School are designed to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of students at each grade level. Upon entering the ninth grade, students are assigned a guidance counselor who works with them throughout the four years at Wayland High School. The guidance counselor is interested in assisting students to achieve their maximum potential academically while encouraging social and extracurricular experiences that provide maximum personal growth.
LEARNING
RESOURCE TEAM - The LRT is part of the
system-wide special education department,
dedicated to the overall education of students
with special needs, and their inclusion into the
high school. The primary goals of the team are
to strengthen students’ academic skills, to
encourage positive, active participation in
their education, and to build their self-respect
and respect for others. The LRT is available
only to those students who have educational
plans under IDEA regulations.
RESOURCE ROOM -
Resource room instruction is individualized and
based on the needs of the student’s
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Areas
covered include study and organizational skills,
preparation for tests, reading comprehension,
math, the writing process, and affective
support.
ACADEMIC CENTER - The Academic Center is available to students for tutorial assistance in all areas of the curriculum. It is staffed by one teacher, National Honor Society students, and volunteers from the community. Students are paired up with a tutor usually twice a cycle to work on classes they are having difficulty with. The center is usually open from 7:30 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon, except on Fridays and holidays when a special schedule is followed. Assistance with midterm and final exams are just a few of the programs that available during evening hours.
MEDIA SERVICES - The media center provides individualized and group services for both students and teachers. Students use the center to study, to do their homework, and to use the center's resources to complete their course projects requiring research. Teachers bring their classes to the Media Center for library/media instruction, for group research work, and for video viewing. Teachers also use the resources to plan and to prepare units in the curriculum, to produce media materials for their classrooms, and to do individual research for their own professional development. Both print and non-print materials are housed in the center and accessed through the computerized public access catalog. Resources include over 18,000 volumes in print, over 100 periodicals in hard copy, extensive information files, videotapes, microfilm, and microfiche. A computer lab located on the lower level provides individual and class access to Internet searching, multi-media production, and word processing. Clusters of computers on the upper level, as well as those in the lab provide access to numerous on-line databases. The media center is open from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. during the week and until 2:15 on Wednesday.
HEALTH SERVICES - School health services are provided to protect and improve student health enabling students to gain the greatest benefit from the school experience. Services include first aid for accident and illness; vision and hearing testing of 10th and 11th grade students; postural screening for 9th graders; counseling; promotion of regular health supervision by family physician; adjustment of academic program when required by illness or handicap; and provision of a safe school environment. The health room is open during school hours.
