Old Rochester Regional High School will introduce several new course options for students who need extra help.

Two English language arts skills classes will be added to supplement students' learning in grades nine and ten. Those students who are struggling will be identified, in part, using standardized test scores.

The full-year classes will be in addition to students’ regular English courses. They will meet for fewer sections and be worth half a credit.

A similar option will be given for math.

“This will be needed for Algebra I support to fill gaps for students and continue to build on these skills in tenth grade,” said Principal Mike Devoll.

And without a good foundation in Algebra I and geometry, “success in Algebra II becomes almost impossible,” he said.

Sign language will also be offered for students, and Devoll hopes it will target those who may not do well in a foreign language.

While the school has no foreign language requirement, many universities do, and some will accept sign language as an option. Currently, 28 seniors do not have any foreign language credits.

“It does a lot to help students go off to a four-year school who wouldn’t be able to get in,” he said.

The class will only be offered if enough students sign up for it, and Devoll does not anticipate that it would take away from other language courses at the school.

“I don’t see this as having a detriment to our other offerings,” Devoll said.

Other new offerings include several physical education courses for upperclassmen, following last year’s decision to require four years of PE. Students can also fulfill the requirement through sports or extracurricular physical activity.

An introduction to epidemiology will also be added as a half-year elective. The chemistry teacher who will offer the course is also forming the curriculum and will not require a textbook, so there is no extra cost, said Devoll.

He noted that more course updates may be proposed in January.