Welcome to our Academic Advising and Curriculum website! Here you will find information from across all of our departments providing descriptions and overviews of the various classes offered at Woodson. Additional information on classes for next year can be found in the online course offering directory, located at the bottom of this page. Additional information regarding the overall academic advising process can be found on the Student Services Academic Advising Padlet, located here. These sites will provide students with valuable information they can use to make the most informed decisions regarding course selections for next year.

Please first review the pre-advising information by clicking on the link below "3rd Period Advisory Lessons." This information provides an overview of the entire academic advising process for each grade level. Students can also check the Student Services Schoology page for 3rd period Advisory lesson slide shows providing additional information about academic advising. Then explore our different departments and course offerings by clicking through the information found in the links below.

As you decide on which classes to take next year, be also sure to keep graduation requirements in mind. For your reference, you can find detailed information on FCPS graduation requirements here. When counselors hold individual course selection meetings with students in the 3rd quarter, they will review individual graduation requirements with each student as well. 

If you have any questions or need any assistance related to academic advising during this time you are welcome to contact your school counselor or the appropriate department chair/teacher/content area administrator. Additionally, this site will remain available throughout the academic advising window until late March as well. 

Please review the materials below in the dropdown menus for details on our core and elective course offerings (core courses are courses that are required to graduate; elective courses are courses that you take by choice in addition to your core academic classes). This information will be instrumental during academic advising and course selection in January, February and March. 

Core Course Information

Information may include the following:

• amount of homework given nightly
• teacher expectations of their students
• projects due throughout the year
• skills needed for success in the course
• differences between the general level/honors level and/or AP level
• time management
• commitment, balance, and work ethic requirements
• work samples from all levels of the course
• differences in textbooks by levels

Regular courses vs. advanced placement and honors courses. What is the difference between them?  What is right for you? View our core course presentations for the upcoming school year.

Elective Course Information

Elective courses are courses that you take by choice in addition to your core academic classes. Please review the information below for more details on elective courses.

Learn More about our Academies

Many students take advantage of learning career/trade skills while still in high school through the hands-on and experiential learning provided by FCPS academy courses. Students must apply to an academy course and, if admitted, they attend most of their classes at Woodson while traveling to their academy either daily or every other day for their academy class. Bus transportation is often provided, but in some cases students must provide their own transportation to and from their academy class. Based on proximity, Woodson students mostly attend Fairfax, Chantilly, and Falls Church academies since bus transportation can typically be provided. However, in some cases, students may be able to take a course through another academy. Students work with their counselor to determine what options might be available and to apply to a course. The application deadline is March 7^th. Late applications are added to a waitlist with no guarantee of being admitted.

To learn more about specific FCPS Academy programs please see the links below. You may also visit the FCPS Academies page for information as well. These sites provide useful information on course options, and many of the sites have videos where you can learn more information about a given course. Many academies will be hosting virtual open houses in the coming weeks as well…additional information can be found on the sites. Please note that links below designated as “student sites” can only be access by students using their FCPS G-Suite account.

FCPS Online Campus

FCPS Online Campus allows students to take an additional course online to supplement what they take in school. Online Campus offers a variety of standard, honors, and AP level courses, and also provides access to additional courses not offered at Woodson. The online campus also has courses students can take over the summer, which can help students advance or catch up on academic credits earned towards graduation requirements. Students must let their counselor know if they’re interested in taking a course through Online Campus, and work with their counselor to complete the required registration paperwork. For more information on Online Campus course offerings, how online classes work in general, and the registration process please click the link below.

FCPS Online Campus Site

Concurrent/Dual Enrollment Courses at NOVA

FCPS partners with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to offer high school students the chance to earn college credit while still in high school. Additionally, some of these courses can count towards both college credit and high school credit. Students must let their counselor know if they’re interested in taking a course concurrent or dual enrollment course, and work with their counselor to complete the required registration paperwork. To learn more about concurrent and dual enrollment between FCPS and NOVA please click the link below.

FCPS Concurrent Enrollment Site

FCPS Dual Enrollment Site