Academics

AP Computer Science Principles: (Grade 11 or Grade 12)

Computer science is everywhere, from our smartphones and video games to music, medicine, and much more.AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) can help you understand how computing and technology influencethe world around you. Learn how to creatively address real-world issues while using the same tools andprocesses that artists, writers, computer scientists, and engineers use to bring ideas to life.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Successfully passed Algebra II/Trigonometry.

AP Computer Science A: (Grade 12)

AP Computer Science A introduces students to computer science through programming. Fundamental topicsin this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets ofdata, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, theanalysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. The courseemphasizes object-oriented programming and design using the Java programming language.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Successfully passed Bridge to Computer Science (with Mendoza / Luong) OR successfully completed AP Computer Science Principles.

AP English Literature and Composition (Grade 11)

Learn to analyze and interpret imaginative literature through the careful reading and critical analysis ofrepresentative works from various genres and periods.Explore literary elements such as a work’s structure, style and themes, as well as the use of figurativelanguage, imagery, symbolism and tone. Develop your writing skills as you express your ideas and analysis inexpository, analytical, and argumentative essays.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Earned a 90% or higher in their current English course.
• Completed a writing sample.

AP English Language and Composition (Grade 12)

Learn about the elements that define effective argument and composition through the critical analysis andinterpretation of complex texts.

Understand the interactions among a writer’s purpose, audience, subject, and genre and how each of thesecontributes to effective writing. Enhance your own writing skills and understand better each stage of thewriting process as you develop expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Earned a 90% or higher in their current English course.
• Completed a writing sample.

AP African American Studies (Grades 11 & 12)

AP African American Studies offers a rich, source-based encounter with African American experiences. You’llexplore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to contemporary challenges and achievements.Drawing from disciplines including history, literature, the arts, geography, science, and law, you’ll study the vitalcontributions and experiences of African Americans and members of Black communities within the broadercontext of the African diaspora.

Throughout the course, you’ll examine different themes from a variety of perspectives, ultimately choosing atopic of focus for your individual student project, where you’ll define a research topic and present yourargument.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Earned 85% or higher in their current English and social studies courses.

Drama (Grade11)

The Drama course is an introduction to the theater. Students will become acquainted with the history of thetheater and various significant plays This course provides students opportunities to develop an appreciationand respect for the craft of acting as well as for the collaborative effort of all involved in producing works oftheater. In addition to acting, areas of technical production such as make-up, lighting, costuming, and setdesign will be studied. Attention is also given to improvement of personal and interpersonal skills throughcollaborative work and dramatic activities including improvisation and presentations. In addition, businessmanagement skills, related to the production of a play, will be introduced. Class requirements may also includeparticipation in a production, whether on stage or behind the scenes, as a final project demonstrating the skillsand knowledge taught in this course. A list of supplementary readings that complement the anchor texts willbe provided to the students. Students are expected to independently read a minimum of two supplementarytexts for each anchor text.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents.

Drama Advanced Performance and Production (Grade 12)

Building upon the foundational skills developed in Drama I, this course challenges students to refine theiracting, writing, and production abilities through the creation of original video projects. Students will apply theirknowledge of improvisation, character development, and storytelling to produce works such as the EdisonCommercial and Improvisation How-To Videos. A key component of the course includes collaboration with theFilm and Production shop class, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, anddirecting.

In addition to performance, students will explore advanced aspects of technical theater, including set andcostume design, lighting, and stage management, deepening their understanding of the behind-the-sceneswork that brings productions to life. Through collaborative projects, students will enhance their personal andinterpersonal skills, fostering creativity, adaptability, and leadership.

As a culminating project, students will contribute to a final production project—demonstrating their mastery ofthe techniques studied throughout the course. A list of supplementary readings that complement the coursecontent will be provided, and students are expected to independently read a minimum of two supplementarytexts for each anchor text.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents.

Creative Writing (Grade 11)

The creative writing class involves intense creative writing skills and is designed for students who enjoy writingas a form of art and personal expression. This course invites cross-curricular involvement and studentengagement. In this course, students will explore the elements of numerous literary genres such as shortfiction, poetry, and drama. To develop their creative writing, students will engage in writing workshops, literaryelement development lessons, writing/author studies, and peer reviews/conferences. To show evidence ofwriting development throughout the course, students will be required to engage in writing community activitiesthat require sharing one’s work and in publishing one’s writing beyond the classroom setting. Finally, studentswill design, edit, and contribute writing pieces to Edison High School’s literary magazine. In addition to thenumerous writing components of this class, students will also be responsible to read supplementary texts.Students will be expected to complete a large amount of class work, homework and demanding projects. Dueto the challenging and rigorous work required by this course, they are given additional weight in the grade pointaverage.

Students must have:

• Interview
• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents.

Creative Writing (Grade 12)

The 12th grade Creative Writing class builds on the intense creative writing skills developed in the introductorycourse. In this course, students will hone the skills needed to publish the school's literary magazine, The EdisonSpark and produce the Fall issue of the magazine. They will prepare training materials and lead trainingsessions for the introductory creative writing course, guiding and mentoring them in literary magazineproduction for the Spring Issue. In addition, students will explore additional creative writing genres such asdystopian fiction, short stories, drama, songwriting and satire. They will have the opportunity to refine theirwriting through student-led writing workshops. These writing workshops will be a rigorous process throughwhich students will both provide and receive detailed analysis of writing and constructive criticism whilefostering ongoing revision and goal setting. Upon completion of the course, each student will haveconstructed a portfolio of workshopped writing and magazine contributions. Due to the challenging andrigorous work required by this course, they are given additional weight in the grade point average.

Students must have:

• Interview
• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents.

Journalism - Introductory Journalism (Grade 11)

This introductory course provides students with a strong foundation in journalistic writing while offeringhands-on experience in producing The Edison Light, the school’s award-winning newspaper. Students willexplore various types of articles, including general news, features, sports, opinions, arts and entertainment, andtechnology.

Through interviewing, researching, and writing, students will learn how to craft engaging and informativearticles tailored to different audiences. They will also practice writing compelling headlines, structuring stronglead statements, and developing their own journalistic voice. In addition, students will participate in the editingand production process, ensuring high-quality content for publication.

Throughout the course, students will gain skills required to contribute to the monthly publication of The EdisonLight and read supplementary texts to deepen their understanding of journalism. This course is ideal for11th-grade students looking to sharpen their writing skills, enhance their storytelling abilities, and gain practicalexperience in media and communications.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents.

Journalism (Grade 12)

This course emphasizes the skills and knowledge required to produce a newspaper and contributes to theproduction of the school’s newspaper. Students will conduct interviews, write in a variety of journalistic forms,discuss editorial positions, and help produce and edit the newspaper. Topics will include, but are not limited to:journalistic credibility, newspaper writing, an analysis of the First Amendment and biases in publications.Students will also learn to write headlines and compose lead statements. The award winning newspaper, TheEdison Light, will be published monthly. In addition to the numerous writing components of this class, studentswill also be responsible to read supplementary texts.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.
• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents.

Storytelling and Media (Storytelling for Impact: Communication through Narrative) (Grades 11 & 12)

Storytelling will be explored in a whole new realm with the STORYTELLING AND MEDIA class. This coursetakes an innovative approach to the types of stories we tell, as well as the mediums through which we tellthem. Our coursework includes building community among our students, analyzing and mastering storytellingcomponents, and learning to navigate between formal and informal writing. Together, we will master telling andeffectively presenting your narrative, in a weekly media installment produced, written, and directed by ourstudents! If you are interested in growing your writing and story analysis capabilities, while also expanding yourability to navigate different media and technology areas, this is the place to be.

Students must have:

• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents
• At least an 80 in ELA at the end of their 2025/26 Spring Term
• At least an 80 in your CTE program
• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.

True Crime: Justice, Society, and Media (Grade 12)

This course examines the cultural fascination with true crime through psychology, ethics, and the criminaljustice system. Students will study how crime stories are constructed, how they influence public opinion, andthe responsibilities of journalists and media creators

Students will gain real-world insight through courtroom visits, interactions with legal and law enforcementprofessionals, and participation in a mock jury. In the second half of the year, students will research local truecrime cases and produce a long-form investigative project in the form of a podcast or documentary,emphasizing ethical storytelling and factual accuracy.

Students must have:

• Successfully passed the English Language Arts Regents
• At least an 85 in ELA at the end of their 2025/26 Spring Term
• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their English teacher.

AP Spanish Language and Culture

Develop your Spanish language skills and learn about the cultures in Spanish-speaking parts of the world.You’ll practice communicating in Spanish and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films,music, and books.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Received a recommendation from their current Spanish teacher
• Passed the Spanish Department Interview conducted ENTIRELY in Spanish.

Spanish II

The goal of the class is to continue to speak the language and understand it as spoken by the teacher, fellowstudents, and by native speakers in both text-based recordings and in a variety of authentic media sources;read authentic language samples and learn the new vocabulary in the reading; write short samples in Spanishwhile mastering the new structures and grammar; and correct persistent errors in pronunciation. All skills aretreated with equal emphasis, as are the World Language modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive,and presentational.

Students must have:

• There are no requirements to be placed in the class but the students should have a desire to continue their learning of the language.

AP Precalculus (Grade 11 or 12)

In AP Precalculus, students explore everyday situations using mathematical tools and lenses. Through regularpractice, students build deep mastery of modeling and functions, and they examine scenarios through multiplerepresentations. They will learn how to observe, explore, and build mathematical meaning from dynamicsystems, an important practice for thriving in an ever-changing world. AP Precalculus prepares students forother higher-level mathematics and science courses. The framework delineates content and skills common tocollege precalculus courses that are foundational for careers in mathematics, physics, biology, health science,social science, and data science.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Math teacher.
• Earned 80% or higher in Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus or Calculus courses.
• Students are currently enrolled in Algebra 2, Precalculus or Calculus.

AP Calculus AB (Grade 11 or 12)

AP Calculus AB is roughly equivalent to a first semester college calculus course devoted to topics indifferential and integral calculus. The AP course covers topics in these areas, including concepts and skills oflimits, derivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. You’ll learn how to approachcalculus concepts and problems when they are represented graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally,and how to make connections amongst these representations. You will learn how to use technology to helpsolve problems, experiment, interpret results, and support conclusions.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Math teacher.
• Earned a 90% or higher in Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, AP Precalculus or Calculus courses.
• Students are currently enrolled in Algebra 2, Precalculus, AP Precalculus or Calculus.

AP Calculus BC (Grade 12)

AP Calculus BC is roughly equivalent to both first and second semester college calculus courses and extendsthe content learned in AB to different types of equations and introduces the topic of sequences and series.This course covers topics in differential and integral calculus, including concepts and skills of limits,derivatives, definite integrals, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and series. You will learn how toapproach calculus concepts and problems when they are represented graphically, numerically, analytically, andverbally, and to make connections amongst these representations. You will also learn how to use technology tohelp solve problems, experiment, interpret results, and support conclusions.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current AP Calculus AB Math teacher.
• Scored a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam.

AP Statistics (Grade 12)

Learn about the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data.Develop analytical and critical thinking skills as you learn to describe data patterns and departures frompatterns, plan and conduct studies, use probability and simulation to explore random phenomena, estimatepopulation parameters, test hypotheses, and make statistical inferences.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Math & English teacher.
• Earned a 90% or higher in Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, AP Precalculus or Calculus courses AND a 90% or higher in their English courses.

AP Biology

(possible double period class, due to lengthy labs) **Subject to budget availability**

Learn about the core scientific principles, theories, and processes governing living organisms, biologicalsystems, and natural phenomena.

Understand key science practices you can use to develop explanations and predictions of natural phenomena,which you will test and refine through laboratory investigations. Develop advanced reasoning and inquiry skillsas you design experiments, collect and analyze data using mathematics and other methods, and interpret thatdata to draw conclusions.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Chemistry (class and Regents) grade of 80% or higher
• Living Environment/Biology Regents grade of 85% or higher

AP Chemistry

(double period class once a week, due to lengthy labs) ** Subject to budget availability**

Cultivate an understanding of chemistry through inquiry-based investigations, exploring topics such as atomicstructure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Science teacher.
• A grade of 90+ in Chemistry, CC Algebra I, and CC Algebra 2/Trigonometry (you could take this course concomitantly)

AP Physics 1

(double period class once a week, due to lengthy labs) ** Subject to budget availability**

AP® Physics 1 is an algebra-based course in general physics that meets for 45 minuteseach day for the entire school year, plus an extra lab period each week. General physics topics presentedduring the course closely follow those outlined by the College Board and also mirror an introductory-leveluniversity physics course.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Science teacher.
• A grade of 80+ in the Physics Regents and Chemistry Regents, Algebra I Regents, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry (you could take this course concomitantly)

AP Psychology

Explore the concepts, theories, perspectives, phenomena, and behaviors associated with the subfields and
research areas of psychology. Analyze the methods psychologists use to study various types of behavior and
mental processes and evaluate the validity and significance of their contributions.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Science teacher.
• A grade of 90+ in Living Environment/Biology, Chemistry and English classes.

Model UN/AP Comparative Government (Grade 11 or 12)

The course uses a comparative approach to examine the political structures; policies; and political, economic,and social challenges of six selected countries: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom.Students cultivate their understanding of comparative government and politics through analysis of data andtext-based sources as they explore topics like power and authority, legitimacy and stability, democratization,internal and external forces, and methods of political analysis. These skills would be used by delegates as theythen prepare for MUN conferences.

Students must have:

• Succeeded in the interview process.

AP Human Geography (Grade 11 or 12)

Explore how humans have understood, used, and changed the surface of Earth. You’ll use the tools andthinking processes of geographers to examine patterns of human population, migration, and land use.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Social Studies teacher.
• A grade of 90 or better in their current Social Studies class (85 if an AP course)

AP World History: Modern (Grade 10)

Learn to weigh evidence and interpretations as you build your knowledge of world historical processes andthemes. Develop your ability to draw conclusions and use informed reasoning to present your argumentsclearly and persuasively in essay format.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Social Studies teacher.
• A grade of 90 or better in their current Social Studies class (85 if an AP course)

AP US History (Grade 11)

Learn about the developments that have shaped U.S. history through the critical analysis of historical eventsand materials. Learn to weigh evidence and interpretations as you build your factual knowledge of U.S. history.Develop your ability to draw conclusions and use informed reasoning to present your arguments clearly andpersuasively in essay format.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Social Studies teacher.
• A grade of 90 or better in their current Social Studies class (85 if an AP course)

AP US Government and Politics (Grade 12)

Study constitutional underpinnings, civil liberties and civil rights, political culture and socialization, citizenparticipation and influence, political institutions and policy making that are the foundation of modern U.S.government and politics. Interpret classic and contemporary political writings and apply pertinent SupremeCourt rulings to enduring social and political issues in this country.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Social Studies teacher.
• A grade of 90 or better in their current Social Studies class (85 if an AP course)

AP Macroeconomics (Grade 12)

Explore the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. You’ll use graphs, charts,and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Social Studies teacher.
• A grade of 90 or better in their current Social Studies class (85 if an AP course)

AP Art History (Grade 11 or 12)

Explore the history of art across the globe from prehistory to the present. You’ll analyze works of art throughobservation, discussion, reading, and research.

Students must have:

• School attendance rate of 90% or above.
• Recommendation from their current Social Studies teacher.
• A grade of 90 or better in their current Social Studies class (85 if an AP course)

Peer Group Connection (Grade 12)

Peer Group Connection (PGC) is a leadership program developed by Princeton University over 40 years ago.PGC, run by the Center for Supportive Schools, is a nationally renowned program intended to train senior peerleaders to conduct weekly outreaches with the freshmen. These outreaches are structured to supportfreshmen on their social and emotional transition to high school. Through a rigorous leadership trainingprogram, seniors become equipped to mentor our freshmen as they navigate through their first year of highschool. Seniors receive a nationally recognized certification in Peer Leadership. They also receive course creditand 60 hours of community service upon completion of the program.

Students must have:

• Succeeded in the interview process.