High school science curriculum change

The Columbia County Board of Education is now in the process of revising the high school science curriculum, a change which will affect students next year.

The board has tentatively approved the recommendations of the Science Curriculum Committee. The recommendations change the order science courses are taken in high school. Current high schoolers will not be affected by this change.

The new curriculum will require ninth graders in the fall of 2002 to pass a unit of biology, chemistry and physics.

Vocational/technical students will take applied physics, biology and chemistry in that order from ninth through 11th grade.

College prep students will take college prep physics, college prep biology and college prep chemistry from ninth through 11th grade.

Students who take algebra I in eighth grade can take the college prep sequence or honor biology, honor chemistry and honor physics in that order from ninth through 11th grade.

The curriculum change is expected to come up for a final vote at the board meeting Tuesday night in Appling.