Springs’ KEYS College and Career Prep program has begun offering Personalized Options Programs (POP), a new learning opportunity that allows students both greater flexibility and the chance to focus on a few courses at a time.
Rather than taking six courses with few choices in the traditional program, Principal Jen Martin explained, POP students focus on three courses at a time (or more, if the student chooses). Each course is broken up into three sprints with many options from which to choose for six weeks, essentially taking a semester for one year-long course. This is repeated again for the second semester where the student earns all of the units in one year but with a specified and personalized focus.
As KEYS staff rolls out POP for grades 9 and 10 in all courses, students will be allowed to take electives and additional makeup courses for grades 11-12 this year, and the following year all grades will follow the same system.
In other KEYS news, this year KEYS Individualized Learning Program (ILP) students are able to participate in Springs CIF sports. A live meeting to generate student interest is set for mid-August. KEYS and other ILP students have the ability to practice, play and earn CIF recognition in sports often found only in traditional school environments. Principal Martin said, “Offering this opportunity for our KEYS students is just another way we can ensure that we are truly offering a full spectrum of engagement for all.”
