The Curriculum

The Vermont Framework
of Standards

In 1996, the State of Vermont published its curriculum Framework, an outline of standards for the essential knowledge and skills all students should learn in school. There are two types of standards. One set, called the "Vital Results," identifies essential skills: the things students should be able to do. Skills are ways of thinking, working, communicating, and investigating, as well as behaviors and attitudes related to success in school and beyond. These skills are developed in all kinds of studies; they cut across the academic fields or disciplines.

Another set of standards represents those specific disciplines, organized into three "Fields of Knowledge"--Arts, Language, and Literature; History and Social Sciences; and Science, Mathematics, and Technology. Essential knowledge is what students should know. It includes the most important and enduring ideas, concepts, information, and issues from the varied disciplines.

The purpose of the Framework is to improve student learning. It defines the aims of a good education in Vermont, and calls on schools to provide the learning opportunities needed for all students to achieve those aims. The Framework is not mandatory. Schools are not required to adopt it--but they are invited to use it. At Thetford Academy, we have used the Framework Standards as a guide for analyzing our own curriculum. Teachers have compared the knowledge and skills taught in TA courses with those in the Framework, in order to identify the opportunities students here have for meeting state standards.

The Course Guide (select on menu below) includes some results of that analysis. TA addresses the Fields of Knowledge primarily through its academic departments. The Vital Results, or skill standards, are addressed in many courses. Throughout the course descriptions, you will find references to the Framework Standards. They appear in some cases as topic references (for example, the standard for Reasoning and Problem Solving). In some places, there are also number references keyed to the Framework outline. In some cases, course descriptions also use the language of the Framework in defining expectations for students. (For example, the description for Senior English*****) The purpose of these references is to show, in a general way, how the TA curriculum aligns with the Vermont Framework. We hope that readers of this Guide--students, families, teachers, and community members--will begin to gain some familiarity with the Framework. It represents our state's answer to an important question: What should students know and be able to do, and how well should they perform? Copies of the complete Framework outline are available from our school office.

The Course Syllabus

Every course at TA also has a syllabus, or course outline, that defines its specific expectations and methods. Each syllabus gives course objectives (what students should know and be able to do if they complete the course successfully), major topics and their sequence (the organization of the study), assessment procedures (ways students will show what they know and how they will be evaluated), and resources (the books, equipment, and other materials student will use to learn). Students receive the syllabus at the start of each course. Also, the syllabus for each course will soon be posted on this website. Meanwhile, copies of every syllabus are available from the school office, or from individual teachers. The syllabi will reflect the alignment of our courses with Vermont's Framework, in more detail than the summaries in the Curriculum Guide can provide. If you want to know more about expectations and learning opportunities in any TA course, please ask to see its syllabus.

2008 Honors Celebration

Course Guide (2.2MB)

TA Policies

Diploma Requirements

..... Students must earn a total of 24 credits, distributed as follows:

Credit distribution :

• English : 4 credits: ninth and tenth grade English plus at least one elected credit each year in eleventh and twelfth grades
• Mathematics : 3 credits
• Social Studies : 3 credits which include 1 credit from Grade 9 History/English, U.S. History to 1865 and U.S. History Since 1865
• Science : 3 credits, including Conceptual Physical Science or Horticulture or Food Science, and Biology
• Health and Physical Education : 1 1/2 credits Arts : 1 credit, in any of the following: Art, Chorus, Band, Instrumental Music, Drama, Industrial Arts/Design Technology
• Computer Literacy : 1/4 credit
• Competencies :
• Keyboarding: proficiency tested, earns 1/4 credit following completion of Computer Literacy
• Mathematics Competency: proficiency tested between May of junior year and April of senior year

Promotion Requirements

• No student may be registered as a member of the junior class with fewer than 9 credits earned.
• No student may be registered as a member of the senior class unless he or she has filed an approved course of study which will meet the diploma requirements.

Policy on College Courses and Credit

If a TA student is taking a college course for graduation credit, the course will appear on the transcript and be factored into the grade point average (GPA). If the course is taken as an elective, no prior decision about grade posting is necessary; the student can decide at the end of the course whether or not to include it in the Academy transcript.

Diploma Requirement Waiver

A student may request a diploma requirement waiver by petitioning the Standards Committee of the Department Coordinators. Application for a waiver must normally be made before entering the senior year. Consult the Guidance Office for details.

Credit for Independent Study

Students at Thetford Academy may pursue independent learning in a variety of ways, through the Challenge program, Independent Course Study, or Work-Based Learning. Students interested in taking responsibility for learning independently should consult their advisor or school counselor for specific requirements.

What will you do after graduation?

During the high school years, students start to make the choices which shape their adult lives. It is a time for testing personal skills and interests and for exploration of possible adult vocations. The Academy offers a wide range of choices and the counseling and guidance needed to help students with their search.

1. Go to work directly . If so, consider concentrating in a technical field which will give you marketable skills or a good base for learning on the job as an apprentice. Students may apply for admission to River Bend or Hartford Career and Technical Center at the end of their sophomore year at the Academy. If accepted, they spend their junior and senior years taking a half day of work at the center and a half day at the Academy. Two-year programs include one embedded credit in either English, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies. (Embedded credit means that the program includes applied study of a particular academic field of knowledge along with the technical study.) At graduation, a student receives certification in a vocational area as well as a high school diploma from Thetford Academy . See course descriptions on pages 74-81.

2. Get advanced vocational training in a specialized school . If so, read up on the requirements for the schools in which you have an interest, and take a Career and Technical Center program with the strongest English and mathematics program you can manage. (Don’t overlook the advanced vocational training available in the armed services. Check with the recruiting officers when they visit the Academy.)

3. Go to college . There are many different kinds of opportunities in college, and admission requirements are also quite varied. Each year, Thetford Academy students gain admission to a wide range of schools, including the most selective private colleges in the nation, large universities and small liberal arts colleges in a variety of states, and specialized trade and technical institutes. Four-year colleges and universities with competitive admission standards (such as the University of Vermont , Dartmouth , or Middlebury) look for excellence and in-depth work in English, math, science, social studies and foreign language. Four-year colleges offering undergraduate professional or vocational majors (engineering, education, business, agriculture, etc.) often have special admission requirements to fit their fields of specialty. For instance, technical colleges usually want strong mathematics and science and may not require foreign languages. Two-year colleges leading to an associate degree, while usually less demanding, shouldn’t be overlooked if their program is right for you.

You should start exploring college opportunities and requirements early in your high school years. The Guidance Office has an excellent collection of catalogs and reference materials. The Academy provides information for families and students in evening programs each year, as well as College Fair trips and extensive individual counseling.

4. Consider an interim year. Instead of going directly to college, some students choose to spend a year exploring alternative experiences. Hundreds of opportunities exist to work, travel, volunteer, or just do something different. In general, colleges are very supportive if a student decides to take an interim year. The Guidance Department recommends that students complete the college application process while at TA and once accepted to college, defer enrollment. Resources are available in the Guidance Office to assist a student in finding the right interim year opportunity.

Majors and Honors Programs

During the high school years students start to make the choices which shape their adult lives. It is a time for testing of personal skills and interests and for exploration of possible adult vocations. The Academy offers a wide range of choices and the counseling and guidance needed to help students with their search. We recommend that students make a two-year plan as they enter the ninth grade and then re-examine and revise this plan, if necessary, each year thereafter. To help students organize their plans, the Academy clusters large groups of courses into "majors" and smaller groups into "honors programs." It is possible with careful planning to carry more than one major and quite possible to carry more than one honors program. Your two-year plan, re-examined and refined each year, will help you get the education you want and need in order to prepare you for your next step in life.

MAJORS: (All requirements are in addition to basic diploma requirements)

I. Liberal Arts Major (leading to competitive four year college admissions)

English - 4 credits in college preparatory courses.

Mathematics - Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry.

French or Latin - at least a 3 credit sequence in one language.

Social Studies - World History I or II, U.S. History and Government plus 1 additional college preparatory course.

Science - Physical Science, Biology - The Living World and 1 additional college preparatory course.
(A fourth credit in math and foreign language is recommended. Both chemistry and physics are recommended.)

II. General Studies (leading to two and four year college admissions)

English - 4 credits

Math - As much as possible. Three years are required, including Algebra I.

French or Latin - At least two years are recommended.

Social Studies - World Cultures, US History, and at least one additional course.
Science - Physical Science, Biology - Visualizing Life and at least one additional course.

III. Vocational Majors at Technical Vocational Centers (leading to vocational/technical schools, the military or the work force directly after graduation)

Students may apply for admission to River Bend (Oxbow) or Hartford Technical Vocational Center at the end of their sophomore year at the Academy. If accepted, they spend their junior and senior years taking a full morning of work at the center and an afternoon at the Academy. At graduation, a student receives certification in a vocational area as well as a high school diploma from the Academy.

Honors Program

All departments offer an Honors designation to graduating seniors who take a prescribed set of courses and achieve an average specified in those courses.

• Art : 2 1/2 full credits; one course must be in the junior or senior year: at least an A- average
• Design Technology Honors: 3 credits in Design Tech, one in Introduction to Design Tech, two credits in one of the three Advanced Design Tech areas: at least an A- average with no grade lower than a B
• Drama: 3 full credits; 1 must be in the junior and seniors years: an A- or higher in each course
• English : 3 credits in the junior-senior courses with an A (93 or higher) in each course
• Language: Four levels of the same language, with an average of at least an A- and no grade lower than B-
• Mathematics : Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus and Calculus: final grade of B or better in each course
• Music : 3 full credits; 1 1/2 must be in the junior and senior years: at least an A- average with no grade lower than B
• Physical Education : All required courses in grades 9-11 plus one elective: A- or higher in each course
• Social Studies : 4 credits in Social Studies courses with an overall average of at least A-
• Science : Conceptual Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, and one additional course from Physics, Chemistry II, Marine Biology or Human Genetics: no grade below A at Thetford Academy
• Vocational : Honors level work is determined at the River Bend and Hartford Career and Technical Centers . An average of B or better, over a two-year period, usually earns a certificate with distinction.