MONROE - The Monroe School District is considering a new curriculum program it hopes will improve student performance in core subjects.
The program, which is in the planning stage, would focus on the four core subjects of English, math, science, and social studies. Students must perform successfully in all of those subjects to graduate. The ultimate goal is to help students improve their problem-solving abilities and move on to the next level of study - as well as to improve American College Testing exam results.
If the new curriculum proposal is adopted, the district would also increase the number of credits needed for graduation from 24 to 25, because there would be more required core curriculum classes for students. Monroe High School principal Rick Waski, who is on the committee exploring the new program, said a majority of graduates already have more than the 24 required credits when they graduate.
The school board would have to approve an increase in graduation credits. And there's no immediate timetable for the concept to come before the board.
Even so, the program could possibly take effect at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year - implemented in phases with the freshmen class starting the program next year.
Under the proposal, students would be tested in core subject areas in eighth grade and the results would determine where students are placed when they start high school. The students would be placed in one of three categories for each core subject. Students who don't meet the college readiness benchmark would be placed in a prep class while students who test high in a core subject would be placed in an honors category.
"The tests would help provide academic expectations," Waski explained to the school board last month. "We would be able to identify students' strengths and weaknesses and provide them with the help they need to be successful."
While a few people have already raised questions about rigidly categorizing students into achievement levels for their high school career, Waski said that won't happen.
"That's simply not the case," he said.
Waski, Cory Hirsbrunner, district director of instruction, and teachers make up the group that is looking at how to organize and implement the new program.
The program can also help teachers, who must work with different skill levels in each classroom. The program would make it easier for teachers to teach to the skill levels in their classes.
"Teaching to the middle doesn't help students at either end," Hirsbrunner told the board.
Just because a student tests poorly in one subject, doesn't mean the student will necessarily test poorly in all areas, Waski said. A student could be in the prep level class in one subject and an honors level class in another, depending on the test results. For example, a student might be in the prep English but could be in the honors science class.
"We have students who do much better in one class than they do in another class," he told the board.
Waski also said students could advance from the prep level to the honors level. He said students who enter their freshmen year in a prep English class could test into a higher level at the end of the year. There's a possibility they could be moved to a higher level at the end of the semester. The district plans to use testing data throughout the year to track student achievement.
By using the data throughout the year, the district will be able to target what skills a student needs to advance to the next level.
"We want to provide the opportunity for students to develop their skills," he said, adding the district will provide classroom support to help the students.
Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown, voiced his support for the plan at the Nov. 22 board meeting.
"This plan has the potential to be a winner for kids on both ends as well as in the middle," he said.
The program, which is in the planning stage, would focus on the four core subjects of English, math, science, and social studies. Students must perform successfully in all of those subjects to graduate. The ultimate goal is to help students improve their problem-solving abilities and move on to the next level of study - as well as to improve American College Testing exam results.
If the new curriculum proposal is adopted, the district would also increase the number of credits needed for graduation from 24 to 25, because there would be more required core curriculum classes for students. Monroe High School principal Rick Waski, who is on the committee exploring the new program, said a majority of graduates already have more than the 24 required credits when they graduate.
The school board would have to approve an increase in graduation credits. And there's no immediate timetable for the concept to come before the board.
Even so, the program could possibly take effect at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year - implemented in phases with the freshmen class starting the program next year.
Under the proposal, students would be tested in core subject areas in eighth grade and the results would determine where students are placed when they start high school. The students would be placed in one of three categories for each core subject. Students who don't meet the college readiness benchmark would be placed in a prep class while students who test high in a core subject would be placed in an honors category.
"The tests would help provide academic expectations," Waski explained to the school board last month. "We would be able to identify students' strengths and weaknesses and provide them with the help they need to be successful."
While a few people have already raised questions about rigidly categorizing students into achievement levels for their high school career, Waski said that won't happen.
"That's simply not the case," he said.
Waski, Cory Hirsbrunner, district director of instruction, and teachers make up the group that is looking at how to organize and implement the new program.
The program can also help teachers, who must work with different skill levels in each classroom. The program would make it easier for teachers to teach to the skill levels in their classes.
"Teaching to the middle doesn't help students at either end," Hirsbrunner told the board.
Just because a student tests poorly in one subject, doesn't mean the student will necessarily test poorly in all areas, Waski said. A student could be in the prep level class in one subject and an honors level class in another, depending on the test results. For example, a student might be in the prep English but could be in the honors science class.
"We have students who do much better in one class than they do in another class," he told the board.
Waski also said students could advance from the prep level to the honors level. He said students who enter their freshmen year in a prep English class could test into a higher level at the end of the year. There's a possibility they could be moved to a higher level at the end of the semester. The district plans to use testing data throughout the year to track student achievement.
By using the data throughout the year, the district will be able to target what skills a student needs to advance to the next level.
"We want to provide the opportunity for students to develop their skills," he said, adding the district will provide classroom support to help the students.
Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown, voiced his support for the plan at the Nov. 22 board meeting.
"This plan has the potential to be a winner for kids on both ends as well as in the middle," he said.