BHS Course Catalog
Special Education
Study Skills (1 term or 2 terms A/B, .5 credit)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by the student’s identified needs
Level: Fr, Soph, Jr, Sr
Fee: None
This course is designed to teach students’ executive functioning skills with an opportunity to apply these skills to assignments from their current classes. Additional skills taught in this course may include reading strategies such as summarizing, note-taking from text and lecture, outlining, and test preparation. Students may also receive individualized interventions during this class as determined by their IEP team. This course will be individualized to meet students’ IEP goals and can be repeated.
Reading/Writing Workshop (4 terms, 2 credits)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Fr, Soph
Fee: $53.50
This course is designed to assist students in developing reading and writing strategies that can be used in general informational, recreational, and content area reading and writing. Strategies are utilized to address word attack and comprehension skills, vocabulary, reading rate, and fluency. In addition, sentence structure, paragraph structure, five-paragraph essay structure, editing, and grammar skills are also taught. This course will be individualized to meet students’ IEP goals and can be repeated.
Essentials English III (2 terms, 1 credit)
Prerequisite: English 1, English 2 or RWW
Level: Junior
Fee: $39.00
In this one semester course, students will analyze how writing style, themes, and characters have both evolved over time and been influenced by writings of the past. Students will be asked to participate in seminar-style discussions of both whole-class and independent reading material.
Essentials IRW (Integrated Reading & Writing) (2 terms, 1 credit)
Prerequisite: English 1, 2, & 3
Level: Senior
Fee: $29.00
Course Description: This course is based on the belief that all individuals can succeed in the English Classroom. Students benefit from whole group instruction, small group, partner time, as well as independent reading. Along with literature instruction, students will focus on reading strategies, organizational skills, and writing techniques.
Functional Math (4 terms, 2 credits)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Fr, Soph, Jr, Sr
Fee: None
This year-long course is designed to assist students with their development of fundamental math skills. Students receive intervention to address skill gaps, focusing on skills such as daily functional tasks including measuring, ratios, calculating discounts, etc., as well as prerequisite skills for high school algebra and geometry courses. Students also receive direct instruction on introductory algebraic concepts that set the foundation for success in future algebra courses and develop skills that will be used in science and business-related courses at the high school. This approach helps students grow in their daily functional math skills, build underdeveloped skills taught in previous mathematics courses, and prepares them for future courses.
Essentials Algebra (4 terms, 1 Algebra credit, 1 Math Elective Credit)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Fr, Soph
Fee: None (TI-84 or equivalent is required)
This course is designed to assist students with specific deficits in the areas of math. The focus of the course is on the essential skills of Algebra, including variables and linear equations, graphing techniques, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving. The material is paced to permit for mastery of content and further skill development. Topics include: expressions, equations, inequalities, linear models, systems of equations & inequalities, exponents, polynomials, functions, factoring, sequences and exponential representations.
Essentials Intermediate Algebra (4 terms, 1 IA credit, 1 Math Elective Credit)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Soph, Jr
Fee: None (TI-84 or equivalent is required)
This course is designed to assist students with specific deficits in the areas of math. This is the study of algebra, its applications and is paced to permit for mastery of content and further skill development. Topics include: functions, solving & graphing, quadratics, advanced systems of equations, radicals, expressions & equations, probability and statistics.
Essentials Geometry (2 terms, 1 credit)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Jr, Sr
Fee: None (TI-84 or equivalent is required)
This course is designed to assist students with specific deficits in the areas of math. The focus of the course is on the essential skills of Geometry, including study of geometric equations, multiple step equation techniques, abstract reasoning skills, and problem-solving skills. The material is paced to permit for mastery of content and further skill development. Topics include: points, lines, and planes, measuring segments, distance/midpoint, triangle/polygon angle measures, Pythagorean theorem, and more.
Essentials Transition to College Math (2 terms, 1 credit)
Level: Senior
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Fee: None (TI-84 or equivalent is required)
This Transition to College Math course is designed to assist students with specific deficits in the areas of math and for those students who need additional preparation and review in order to be college and career-ready in mathematics. The course is specifically designed to prepare students for college placement exams that are used by colleges and universities to determine what courses freshmen are eligible for and for career/trades examinations. The material is paced to permit mastery of content and further problem-solving skill development. Topics include ratio, proportions, percent, algebraic expressions, functions, linear models, statistics & probability, and geometry concepts.
Employability Skills (4 terms, 2 credits)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Jr, Sr (Course can be repeated)
Fee: None
Students in this course will gain awareness and understanding of their disability and skills, and develop their ability to confidently advocate for their accommodations not only in the school environment but also in community environments such as the workplace. Students will also explore post-secondary options and gain pre-vocational skills while participating in community service/service learning and jobs within BHS.
Essentials Government (1 term, 1/2 credit)
Prerequisite: Placement determined by student’s identified needs
Level: Senior
Fee: None
This course fulfills the United States Constitution requirement for the State of Illinois. The course covers the basis for democracy, the working principles of our constitution, and the function of the three branches of government. The course will provide information to allow the student to become an informed citizen of the United States. A great emphasis will also be placed on reading, writing, research, and critical thinking skills so that the student will be capable of participating in our governmental process.