ANSWER:

The Middle School Reform (MSR) Initiative includes a variety of core academic courses, elective courses, and elective pathways. The core academic courses in Science, English, and World Studies are available to all 38 middle schools. The electives and elective pathways were restricted to the Phase I and Phase II MSR schools, the Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC), and other selected middle schools. Due to budgetary restrictions, expansion of the electives to other middle schools was discontinued.

The electives are categorized as independent courses that can be taken separately or linked with other courses to form a program pathway. There are eight independent elective courses that are not affiliated with a pathway, and they range in cost from $700 to $30,000 per course. There are four pathways consisting of three courses each that are offered in grades 6, 7, and 8. The approximate cost of each pathway, including the three courses for grades 6, 7 and 8, are listed below.

• Dance Pathway ($4,000)
• Website Pathway ($8,800)
• Arts Pathway ($16,300)
• Engineering Pathway ($23,000)

In addition to the costs listed above, there are expenses for facilities modifications that vary depending on the courses implemented and the space available in a given school. To determine the exact cost to implement each elective course or pathway, technology requirements, professional development expectations, annual recurring costs of instructional materials and textbooks, and the eventual replacement of equipment must be considered.