By Lexi Paidas ’17

The school has decided to bring back the teacher-recommendation system as part of the process in which students choose their courses for next year. As students again use the computer-based registration system introduced last year, they will be able to consider whether their current teachers recommend them for on-level, honors or AP classes.

“[The recommendation system] is a huge value; it helps students know what is really appropriate [for them to take] with their teacher’s guidance,” said Elizabeth Al-Atrash, the head of the Counseling Department. A second benefit of providing a reference for counselors is that they are able to consider whether or not to allow students to switch out of a class next school year. If a student was recommended for the lower-level class, the counselor will be more willing to permit that student to transfer to the less rigorous class.

Last year, a MCPS-wide switch mandated that all schools use the new electronic registering system. This system did not have an element to it that allowed students to view or consider teacher recommendations. According to Al-Atrash, although in previous years students had the benefit of a teacher recommendation system, Sherwood’s leadership team thought that students would be able to consider their grades in their current classes and be able to self-select their courses for the following year.

This year Sherwood will be supplementing the electronic system with a paper form that will be given to all students before the registration process takes place. The form will have teacher recommendations with the formal class titles. This will allow students to avoid some of the mistakes made last year, such as choosing incorrect classes by accident, and will allow them to take into consideration which courses their teachers think are best for them.

Although teachers make recommendations based on how students have performed in their classes and how much effort they have observed students put into their studies, “ultimately it is students’ and their family’s choice as to what classes they are taking,” said Al-Atrash.