Course Catalog

Each year students work on knowledge and skills in the areas of Reading Comprehension, Writing, Vocabulary, Collaborative Communication, and Language. For more information on course standards for each grade level, see the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education English Language Arts Standards.

4 Credits Required for Graduation

Each year students work on knowledge and skills in the areas of Number Concepts and Computations, Proportional Relationships, Algebra, Geometry and Measurement, and Statistics and Probability. For more information on course standards for each grade level, see the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Math Standards.

4 Credits Required for Graduation

Each year students work on knowledge and skills in the areas of Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science. Engineering, Technology, and Application of Science skills are embedded in the content in each course. For more information on course standards for each grade level, see the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Science Standards.

3 Credits Required for Graduation

Each year students work on knowledge and skills skills in the areas of Civics, Economics, Geography, and History. For more information on course standards for each grade level, see the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Social Studies Standards.

3 Credits Required for Graduation: World History, US History, Civics, and Economics

To ensure that each student’s personal experience is in preparation for their life after high school, students will enroll in the career readiness courses listed below to complete a coherent sequence of experiences aligned with Arkansas College and Career Readiness standards required for graduation.  Students will use these courses as a vehicle to help prepare them for college and career success, to fully experience all of the opportunities available to them, and create and manage an online student success portfolio. *Students will earn Personal Communication credit (0.5) upon completion of Keystone.

The objectives for foreign language courses are to communicate ideas (to understand, speak, read, and write the language), and increase communicative and cultural proficiency in Spanish language. For more information on course standards for each grade level, see the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education World Language Standards.

The Arkansas Health & Safety and Physical Education Standards provide opportunities for students to demonstrate competency in the following domains: Human Growth and Development • Healthy Skills and Relationships • Nutrition • Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs • Personal Health and Safety • Disease Prevention and Control • Mental and Emotional Health • Physical Competence • Knowledge and Understanding • Motivation and Confidence For more information on grade level Arkansas standards for Health and Physical Education, Health and Physical Education Standards and Courses.

All students are required to take PE/Health or Athletics each year in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade.

A NOTE ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL: A ½ credit of physical education is required for graduation.  Only ONE credit of P.E. or Athletics can count toward the 24 required credits for graduation.

PRHS offers concurrent classes through Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC). We encourage seniors to consider the necessary time-management, dedication, and self-motivation required to be successful in these courses.

We encourage students to take AP courses in their sophomore and junior years before seeking enrollment in concurrent courses their senior year.

Students in Early College Experience courses can earn 3 college credits and 1 high school credit for each course if a grade of a C or higher is earned. Even though the concurrent course is only a semester long, students earning a C or higher will get a full year of high school credit. However, students who earn a D will earn 0 college credit and 0.5 high school credit, requiring they take another semester of a high school class in the same subject. Students earning an F will be required to take an entire year of a high school class in the same subject.

Students interested in taking a concurrent course will help cover enrollment costs with a non-refundable $50 fee, be responsible for acquiring textbooks, and must sign the Concurrent Course Expectations Contract.

To qualify for concurrent courses, a student must meet Admission Requirements:

• Have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading system
• Have an appropriate placement score on the Aspire, ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer Next Gen

Students interested in taking courses not on the suggested course list aligned to a equivalent high school course credit will need approval from the campus counselor. Students must complete all steps EACH SEMESTER and meet NWACC requirements before concurrent courses will be placed on their schedule.

The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a program of college-level courses organized by The College Board. Colleges may grant college credit (hours), placement in certain college courses, or both, to students who take the AP test and score well enough to meet the criteria for the college in which they enroll. Students are responsible for contacting the college of their choice to determine if credit will be awarded.

Freshmen and Sophomores who are interested in the AP program are encouraged to enroll in the Advanced Academics courses available. Refer to the course catalog for more information on available Advanced Academics courses.

Be aware that Arkansas Law requires that students enrolled in AP classes are awarded GPA points on a 5-point grading scale only if they take the affiliated AP test.

Arkansas Department of Higher Education Advanced Placement Policy

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education Coordinating (ADHEC) Board has established a set of guidelines by which state institutions must award course credit for advanced placement exams to students who score a 3 or higher. The ADHEC Board has assigned courses under the Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) to AP relevant exams. An institution is not required to award credit for an AP exam if the institution does not offer the corresponding ACTS course.  For more information, visit the Arkansas Department of Higher Education Advanced Placement Policy website. 

The following table lists PRHS AP exams and the corresponding ACTS courses. AP exams without a corresponding ACTS course listed below will be awarded credit at the discretion of the institution.

Click on the link to learn more about each pathway.

• Agriculture: Power, Technical, and Structural Systems
• Agriculture: Animal Science
• Computer Science
• Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management
• Design and Media
• Education
• Healthcare Services
• Marketing and Sales

The Arkansas Fine Arts Academic Standards allow students to participate in the four artistic processes, both cognitive and physical, with which artists in every discipline learn and make art: creating, performing or presenting, responding, and connecting. These are the basis of the four domains that stretch across all disciplines, grade levels, and courses in the standards. For more information on grade level Arkansas standards for visual and performing arts, Fine Arts Standards and Courses.

Click to learn more about the Fine Arts pathways in Pea Ridge.

• Performing Arts- Theatre
• Performing Arts- Vocal Music
• Performing Arts- Instrumental
• Fine Arts- Visual Art

Purpose

Career Practicums provide a career focused, on-the-job-learning option that includes a combination of classroom instruction and paid or unpaid on-the-job training that concludes with a portable credential of value.  Courses are aligned to a Pea Ridge Program of Study and require competency-based classroom and worksite instruction tailored to meet the needs of individual students.

Career Practicum Classroom Instruction

Each career practicum includes classroom instruction that focuses on soft skills required by employers (provided in Pea Ridge CCR courses and WorkKeys curriculum).  Pea Ridge CCR courses in 11th and 12th grade are 0.5 credit hours and scheduled for one semester each.

• Students are required to attend their CCR class each day in order to meet the state-required 18 hours of classroom instruction. 
• During the semester in which a student is not enrolled in a CCR class, students will be expected to report during assigned Practicum time on Tuesdays and Thursdays to meet state requirements for classroom instruction hours. 
• Content will include: 
  • Basic skills in literacy, math, and the workplace 
  • Interpersonal skills in self-management, creative thinking, critical thinking, decision-making, teamwork, and problem-solving
  • Workplace skills in business etiquette, communication, work habits, work effectiveness, leadership, and business writing

Implementation

Career Practicum courses are offered in the following Programs of Study:

• Agriculture
• Computer Science  
• Culinary Arts
• Design and Media
• Education
• Health Sciences 
• Marketing & Sales

Enrollment capacity will be based on availability of practicum placements and will be announced each year during the application process.  Upon application approval, students will receive Career Practicum offers from area businesses and will have the ability to choose practicum site location. 

Practicum Enrollment Requirements

Students pursuing a Career Practicum opportunity related to their pathway must meet the following requirements: 

• Cumulative 2.5 GPA
• Minimum of two foundational courses within Career Practicum Pathway
• Completion of Student Success Plan or on-track status 
• Recommendation by pathway teacher and application approval 
• At least 16 years old and classified as a senior

In order to maintain placement in a Career Practicum, students must:

• Maintain regular attendance in all courses and at practicum site placement 
• Maintain on-track status for graduation requirements 

Student Recruitment and Application Process

• Each Pea Ridge Program of Study will receive 10 nomination placements.
• Pea Ridge Program Teachers will nominate students to fill each of the 10 placements.
• Students will be notified of their nomination and will receive an application packet upon acceptance of their nomination.
• Applications will be reviewed for program requirements and students will be notified of their approval status.
• Site locations will review student profiles and select from the pool of applicants.
• Once students have been approved, they will receive site location opportunities specific to their program of study. If selected for more than one site location, students will be given the opportunity to select the site of their choice.
• Students will sign site contracts outlining site-specific and job-specific practicum expectations.

Scholarship Opportunities

Students successfully completing Career Practicums will be given priority consideration each year for local scholarships reserved for college and career preparation.