Berkeley High Universal Ninth Grade?

I am looking for some parent "reviews" of the new universal 9th grade at Berkeley High. What do you think of the curriculum? Is it academically challenging/engaging for more advanced learners? 

Parent Replies

New responses are no longer being accepted.

My advanced-learner daughter was challenged last year mostly by her non-universal classes (Advanced Math 1 and Mandarin), but she was at least engaged in her universal classes, thanks to excellent teachers.  Ethnic studies/social living involved a lot of class discussions and learning about civil rights, some of which was eye-opening to her.  For English, they seemed mostly to read and reflect on books of their own choosing, with some reading and writing essays on stories they read as a class.  Physics was a lot of experiments and what seemed to be a good grounding in the basics.