Counseling

One of the most common questions we are asked is, "What does a typical student schedule look like?" The answer is, there really isn't such a thing as a typical schedule. All student schedules are highly individualized to reflect their prior educational credits and college coursework. As a result, it's rare that two student schedules look alike. Many students opt to take coursework at non-traditional times, including evening and weekend courses. In creating their academic schedules, each student is counseled by high school and college counselors on an ongoing basis.

With that in mind, here are a few sample student schedules.

Graduation Requirements

Students at Oakland Early College must meet the following MINIMUM requirements to
receive a early college / high school diploma:

• 4 credits of Math, including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and a fourth math credit taken in their senior year
• 4 credits of ELA, including Freshman and Senior Comp, American Literature and World Literature.
• 3 credits of Science including Biology and either Chemistry or Physics or both
• 3 credits of Social Studies, including:
  • .5 credit of Civics
  • .5 credit of Economics
  • 1 credit each of U.S. History and World History
• .5 credits of Physical Education
• .5 credits of Health Education
• 1 credits of Arts
• 2 credits of World Language
• Life or Academic Skills (prorated)
• Capstone/Related Experiences through 13th Seminar.
• FOCUS/Seminar credit for each semester as an OEC student.
• A minimum of 30 college credits

*College coursework may be taken to meet high school graduation requirements.

• College Courses (OCC)

All college courses are included in High School GPAs and transcripts. The following OCC courses will be weighted with an additional 0.5 GPA points. 

• All 4 credit courses
  • Except
    • Foundations of Humanities
    • Elementary Algebra and below 
    • Academic Literacy I and II
    • Introductory Chemistry
• Other Courses
  • Accounting Procedures
  • All Culinary Arts Courses
  • Nutrition
  • Trigonometry
  • Pharmacology for Nurses
  • Intro to Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Sign Language 3, 4, 5, and 6

Other courses may be considered. Please see Head of School for further information.

Oakland Early College Course Offerings 2022-2023 School Year

13th Seminar

A capstone course required for all of our 13th year students.  Students will learn about continuing their education through college presentations and visits, receive assistance with college applications, prepare a professional portfolio, participate in a mock professional interview, participate in a 40 hour volunteer internship, complete a financial literacy budget project, and present a capstone project prior to graduating in the spring.

Algebra II

This class covers mathematical topics such as problem solving, graphing with and without a graphing calculator, functions, sequences, complex systems, logarithms, matrices, trigonometry, and complex numbers.  The Algebra II coursework is rooted in mastery over time and designed to incorporate multiple mediums of instruction and further prepares students for collegiate mathematics.

American Literature

This literature-based course will allow students to refine their writing, vocabulary, and grammatical skills while developing their independent thinking and reasoning skills through the analysis of American literature, both classic and contemporary. Writing experiences include logical structure of writing a paper with textual evidence and valid sources, formal literary analysis, independent reading, and impromptu writing.

Biology

Biology is defined as the science of life and is the study of all living things.  Its focus includes the study of the microscopic structure of single cells, the individual and collective history of organisms, and the global interactions of all organisms. Through group work, independent projects, and a variety of learning strategies, students will investigate the themes that exists in biology, such as systems, structure and function, homeostasis, all while investigating the diversity in the biosphere.

Chemistry

Chemistry is a branch of the physical sciences.  It is defined as the study of the composition of matter and the changes that matter undergoes since living and nonliving things are made of matter.  Chemistry affects all aspects of life and most natural events. Through lab experiments, problem solving applications, and a variety of learning strategies, students will gain an understanding of introductory chemical bonding and reactions, nomenclature, stoichiometry, acid and base properties, and thermochemistry.

Civics

The civics content engages students in thinking critically about civic life, politics, government and social justice. Students will study the origins and foundations of the American political system to understand how the Constitution functions to embody the purposes, values and principles of American Constitutional Democracy. Students will further examine the relationship of the United States and its role in world affairs. In addition, students will acquire skills to help them as citizens to identify, describe, explain, and analyze information and arguments as well as evaluate, take and defend positions on public policies. The acquisition of knowledge and skills and the development of civic values take place within a variety of contexts. Understanding of home, school, community, state, nation, and the world are especially important in civic education.

Economics

Students will understand how economies function and how to apply the concepts and principles of economics to their lives as individuals and as citizens.  Understanding and applying these concepts and principles should help students make sense of daily events and enable them to analyze, investigate, and develop practical thinking about economic challenges and public policies. Students will learn to use their minds to think critically about globalization so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our nation’s global economy. Course content involves individual and household choices, personal finance issues, business and entrepreneurial decisions, and public policy. Students analyze and study economic concepts and principles in three contextual areas: individual and household context, a business context, and a government or public context. Students focus on four content areas, including the market Economy, the National Economy, the International Economy, and Personal Finance.

English 12

This course will help students write confidently and effectively in their academic, professional, and social environments.  Students will develop critical thinking skills by analyzing choices that writers, speakers, and readers use to communicate in a meaningful and purposeful manner.  Students will be encouraged to view writing and its practice as a recursive process vital for personal understanding and growth. A variety of writing genres will be explored in which development of inquiry and research skills will be required.  Grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions will be covered throughout the year. The goal is to see writing and language as a fun and powerful communication tool.

Formal Topics

This math course refreshes topics previously taught in Algebra One, Geometry, and Algebra Two.  Trigonometry topics will be covered. The goal of this course is to strengthen math skills to help students be more successful in their transition to math at the college level.  The course also focuses on preparing students for the math section of the ACT and SAT.

Focus: College/Career Preparation

FOCUS (Fundamentals of Cultivating Universal Success): College/Career Preparation is a required class for all OEC students in grades 10 and 11. The goal in this course is to develop leadership skills and provide students opportunities to put their skills to use in realistic situations, helping members of our community. We work on developing and strengthening skills in the areas of listening, written and oral communication, goal setting, time management,  problem solving, decision making, organization, committee work and citizenship development. Soft skills will be sharpened, and students will gain a better understanding of themselves and others.

FOCUS 11/12  

Focus 11/12 is a course designed to strengthen skills necessary for students in their 11th and 12th grade year at Oakland Early College.  Six main areas will be introduced: team building/community activities, test taking skills, public speaking, academic support, mini units (informative text and financial literacy), and college/career research.  Students will be encouraged to examine their “after graduation” plans and begin working on their college applications.

Geometry

Geometry is a model Geometry course with continued reinforcement of algebra. In this challenging course, students continue with their examination of quadratic functions via translational geometry. Boolean algebra prepares students for the classic geometry topics of parallel lines, triangle congruence and similarity, which will be developed by the students in the form of proof. Finally, trigonometry and special right triangles are explored both symbolically and through real-life models. Emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking skills as they relate to logical reasoning and argument.

Physics

Physics is the science of matter, energy, and how they interact. Throughout this course students will analyze physical situations that occur everyday in nature in hopes of explaining how things work.  The course will focus primarily on mechanics – Newton’s laws, momentum, energy, and linear, projectile, rotations, and circular motion. Students will also explore sound, light, electricity, and magnetism.

Precalculus

Function analysis and applications showcase this course.  Transcendental functions continue to play a key role, as properties of logarithms and translations of trigonometric functions are developed and expanded.  This challenging course provides the background necessary for success at the collegiate level.

Spanish 1

As our world increasingly becomes multi-cultural, foreign language education assumes an important role in school.  Students will develop foreign language skills that will enable them to effectively communicate useful information in common situations.  Students will learn skills centered on the 5 C's (Communication, Culture, Communities, Connections, and comparisons) of ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages). Students will learn to develop listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.  This class will also study the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.

This course is recommended for students who have zero to little prior knowledge of the Spanish language or who would like a refresher class before continuing on to Spanish 2.

Spanish 2

Spanish 2 continues to build upon skills introduced during Spanish One.  Students will work on improving oral proficiency, expanding vocabulary and advancing grammar skills to further their communication skills. This class will also study the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world and focus on the 5 C’s of ACTFL. This course is recommended for students who have shown a mastery of Spanish 1 content by having earned a C or above.

Statistics

This course is designed to give student an understanding of how statistics are used in real-life situations.  Students will learn how to set up their own statistical studies and learn how to interpret categorical and quantitative data.  Students will also learn how to use technology to interpret and model data.

United States (US) History

In American History students study the history of the United States from the Reconstruction Era to present times. During this course, students will not only learn how the events in history affected the US then, but also how those events shaped the country we are to today.  In this course, students will be exposed to multiple viewpoints while learning about the people and events that influenced our country. They will engage in a variety of activities and will be asked to use their knowledge of the past to try to make sense out of the present. Students will study our nation’s founding political ideals, and will critically evaluate times and places where people challenged, violated or expanded those ideals. Through a disciplined study of history, students will develop the skills for critical thought, analysis and expression that are essential for citizens in a democratic society.

World History

This course provides a global and comparative approach to studying the world and its past.  The goal of this course is to develop a greater understanding of the development of worldwide events, processes, and interactions amongst the world’s people, cultures, religions, societies, and environment.  The course will cover the historical periods through eras focused on geography, societal developments, regional developments, colonization, conflict, and developed partnerships/alliances. Students will work at three interconnected spatial scales: the global, interregional, and regional. Students will focus on the causes, consequences, and patterns of changes in human governance systems and changes over time as well as interactions among societies and regions, including trade, war, diplomacy, and international institutions. The impact of demographic, technological, environmental, and economic changes on people, their culture, and their environment will also be addressed. Students will explore cultural, intellectual, religious, and social changes across the world and the relationship between the environment and global and regional developments in population, settlement, economy, and politics.

World Literature

Students will be exposed to works of literature from the ancient Sumerians to the more modern Irish.  There will be an emphasis on literary analysis and composition. Students will study various genres of classic and contemporary world literature. Narrative and informational texts will be read and analyzed with a special focus on a universal look at literature across time and cultures. Students will also study and practice forms of writing, editing, and grammatical structures. Students will prepare for college prep standardized testing success in English and writing sections.