West Middle School -

Core courses are a series or selection of courses that all students must complete before they can move on to the next level in their education or earn a diploma.

Core courses are primarily guided by the Iowa Core, our statewide academic standards. Core courses help ensure that all students, no matter where they live or what school they attend, are well-equipped for post-secondary success. They also help students develop critical-thinking skills that will prepare them for college or the workforce.

Within this section you will find information about your child’s core learning outcomes and goals as well as tips for how you, the parent, can stay engaged in your child’s learning. View the core subject areas below for more information.

English & Language Arts (ELA) courses enable students to learn material faster and more effectively. The mastery of language arts is necessary to meet academic standards through public speaking and persuasive and analytical writing skills.

Health and Physical Education (PE) courses teach students about human anatomy, nutrition, first aid, and much more. These courses encourage our students to practice healthy habits. In turn, healthy students become better learners and better prepared to handle the stressors that come from developing adolescence.

Math courses are some of the most critical in a student’s academic career. These courses teach students to solve problems with reason and analytical thinking skills. Students with a strong knowledge of math better understand the contents of other core and elective subject areas.

Science courses teach students how to think, learn, solve problems, and make informed decisions, which are integral skills in every aspect of a student’s education and life. These are lifelong skills that allow students to generate ideas, weigh decisions intelligently, and even understand public policy-making.

Social Studies courses help students better understand how the world and different societies have evolved. Students who are aware of the world and environment around them are more likely to build skills in comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and synthesis, and creativity.

The core subject areas as described above are supported by the Iowa Core, our statewide academic standards, and the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards.