Curriculum
Ottumwa High School utilizes a seven-period school day, with classes beginning at 8:15 am and ending at 3:00 p.m. School is also dismissed at 12:30 p.m. on every second Wednesday of each month for faculty meetings. All students are required to take several core academic classes, including three years of language arts, two years of mathematics, three years of social studies, two years of science, and four years of physical education to graduate and receive a diploma.
As of the 06-07 school year, they mandated an advisory period for all grades. A twenty minute class to set kids in the right direction, and plan their future. Students have the same teacher all four years. It's held between third and fourth period. Students listen to announcements on Tuesday and Fridays. Also used to better organize assemblys, inform students on schedule changes, grade updates, and ITED testing. While many people are opposed to the advisory program for shortening each class, some students say it's an okay program. Black binders hold activities to get your goals accomplished towards a better future. Most of these are seen as useless, busy work. Every person in the building has an advisory including the principal and school nurse. So therefore, going to the nurse is not allowed during advisory. Neither is going to the bathroom allowed. It counts for half a credit per semester if all advisory activities are completed.
46 credits are required, and each daily semester-long course is one credit. A student must have a course load of at least 5½ credits per semester; students are assisted by the faculty when choosing their classes.
The 08-09 school year saw the elimination of the study hall.
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“If we focus exclusively on teaching our children to read, write, spell, and count in their first years of life, we turn our homes into extensions of school and turn bringing up a child into an exercise in curriculum development. We should be parents first and teachers of academic skills second.”
—Neil Kurshan (20th century)