The Chandler Unified School District is planning to offer a high school semiconductor course starting next school year, believed to be the first in the nation.
Honors Semiconductors 1 was one of the new classes proposed to be added to the course catalog at the October 23 board meeting.
This was presented as an information item along with other changes. The board is scheduled to vote on the addition at its next meeting Nov. 13.
“This is really exciting,” board member Kurt Rolls said. “Kudos to the robotics and engineering. We are moving very quickly on this and I want to give credit to them for making this available.
“The most exciting thing is the Honors Semiconductor class. I don’t know if anyone else in the state, or maybe the country, has this that I’ve heard of.”
Classes added to the high school catalog include Honors Semiconductor; Recognizes robotics and engineering technology (1 and 2). Targeted English language development. E-sports; English literature and performance. mentorship, internships, careers; and creative musicality.
The Honors Semiconductor course is available at Hamilton, and the Honors Robotics and Engineering course is available at four high schools: Basha, Castile, Hamilton, and Perry.
According to the semiconductor course description, learners will delve into the basic concepts of both DC and AC electrical circuits, analyze various circuits, calculate expected values, and verify those calculations through practical measurements.
The district is working with the University of Arizona to develop the course. These two organizations followed similar paths in developing CUSD’s cybersecurity courses.
The district held a summer camp on the topic, which was so popular with students that applications closed within hours of opening.
The Robotics and Engineering description states that this class delves deeper into the complex systems and technologies that drive modern automation and robotics.
English courses are primarily aimed at helping students who speak another language and are struggling to catch up with the other language. Esports classes are aimed at those who compete in junior varsity and varsity games. English Literature and Performance is for those interested in theatre.
Mentorship Internship Careers pairs students with companies to gain real-world experience. Creative musicality explores sound and how it relates to the generation of new musical expressions.
District officials also presented several new proposed courses in the middle school catalog.
These classes are targeted ELD (same as the high school version, but for younger grades). And discover your own path. This course serves as an introduction to the dozens of technical education options available to students when they reach high school.
This class is designed to help students develop the skills they need to make informed decisions about their future.
Director Jason Olive said he was impressed by the number of options students have in the course catalog.
“There are 186 pages, so don’t try to read them all at once,” Olive says. “Even if you go to high school for 20 years, you’ll never get the same thing twice. It’s really amazing.”
Board President Barb Moszen thanked officials for detailing the path so students knew which courses they needed to take and when to reach their desired goals. He said he was there.
“They can look through this and say this is my plan, and my parents can say this is their plan,” she said.
