SEARCY SCHOOL DISTRICT

SMART CORE/CORECURRICULUM REVIEW

Smart Core is the college- and career-ready set of courses that is the default curriculum for all Arkansas public high school students as determined by the Arkansas Department of Education.

All students are required to participate in the Smart Core Curriculum unless their parents or guardians, or the students if they are 18 years of age or older, sign a Smart Core Waiver Form to not participate.

Those students not participating in the Smart Core Curriculum will be required to fulfill the Core Curriculum or the requirements of their IEP (when applicable) to be eligible for graduation.

A student opting out of the Smart Core Curriculum must have a signed Smart Core Waiver Form on file with the school counselor .

The signed Smart Core Waiver Form shall be attached to the student’s permanent transcript.

Students initially choosing the Core Curriculum may subsequently change to the Smart Core Curriculum providing they would be able to complete the required course of study by the end of their senior year.

Students wishing to change their choice of curriculums must consult with their counselor to determine the feasibility of changing.

While there are similarities between the Smart Core and Core curriculums, following the Core Curriculum may not qualify students for some scholarships and admission to certain colleges could be jeopardized.

The primary differences between the Smart Core Curriculum and Core Curriculum are:

1.) Smart Core requires an additional higher level math beyond Algebra II.2.) Smart Core requires an additional higher level science beyond biology.3.) To be eligible for the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship students must follow the Smart Core Curriculum.

A Smart Core Waiver Form or a Smart Core Informed Consent Form is required to be signed prior to registering for seventh grade classes, or if enrolling in the district for seventh through twelfth grade classes.

Additional information about the Smart Core Policy may be found in the AJHS Student Handbook, pages 57-58.

Smart Core Forms are located on pages 63-64 of the Student Handbook.

The outline of the Smart Core Curriculum is on the Smart Core Informed Consent Form on page 64 of the handbook, while the Core Curriculum is outlined on the Smart Core Waiver Form on page 63.

If you have questions or comments about Smart Core Curriculum or Core Curriculum, please contact the school counselor at 501-268-3158.