Academics & Scheduling

Staples High School offers a broad and deep curriculum designed to support each student through their high school experience and in preparation for the future. At its core is the notion that the path to success and fulfillment may look entirely different from one student to another. In planning their course of studies, students are encouraged to focus on their own individual strengths, challenges, interests, and post-high school goals and consider the following:

• Successes and difficulties in current courses and courses previously taken

• Course and level recommendations made by teachers

• Input from school counselor and other knowledgeable school staff (ex. PPT/504 team)

• Graduation requirements of Staples High School

• Course descriptions, prerequisites, and guidelines found in the Program of Studies

• Knowledge and skills expected within potential career choices

• NCAA eligibility core-course requirements

• Subject area requirements for prospective colleges and universities

• Feelings of pressure experienced around grades and achievement

• Capacity to cope with stress and problem-solve through challenging situations

• Genuine personal interests and opportunities for enrichment and enjoyment

• Out of school commitments, time management skills, and level of independent work habits to balance various demands

For students who plan to attend a four-year college directly after Staples, most institutions consider the strength of a student’s curriculum and the student’s grades to be the most important factors in the admission process. That being said, the Staples High School Administration, School Counseling Department, and Faculty advocate for the importance of taking an appropriately challenging program that balances a student’s academic aspirations with their emotional well-being.