ETHS Freshman Humanities Changes: Board Meeting Summary

Memo from Dr. Witherspoon re: Freshman Humanities and Increased Honors Classes for the Class of 2008. Distributed at the D202 Meeting on February 11, 2008

At ETHS, we are committed to higher achievement for all students, and committed to offering them the support they need to reach higher achievement. We are striving to challenge more students to take honors classes and to have more rigor than ever in their classes. We are striving to increase the demand for honors and advanced classes. To achieve this we will be making a change at the 9th grade in Freshman Humanities. We currently offer straight honors, mixed honors/regular, regular, and enriched levels of humanities at the freshman level. Next year we will combine the regular and mixed classes as a way of moving students into mor rigorous classes. This change results in only 55 students who would have been in the regular classes who will be in the mixed classes. So next year we will offer straight honors, mixed honors/regular and enriched levels of humanties at the freshman level. By challenging students with more rigorous classes, we will also increase enrollment in honors classes.

Students scoring at or above the 95% on either EXPLORE or MAP with teacher and principals recommendations will be placed in the straight honors classes. Using either of these valid assessments and middle school recommendations as a measure of readiness, we have currently identified over 180 incoming 9th graders who will be in straight honors next year. This means that there will be more students in straight honors next year than are enrolled in those classes this year. Students will be identified for the mixed honors/regular classes based on their stanines from the EXPLORE and MAP tests, teacher recommendations, and principal recommendations.

This change enables us to place a higher emphasis on increasing the rigor for more students in next year's freshman humanities classes, thus increasing the number of students meeting the more difficult honors requirements. We know that the classes students take in the 9th grade have a big impact on their preparation for honors and advanced classes while attending ETHS, and a goal of the district has been to have more students enrolled in honors and advanced classes at all grade levels.

A greater emphasis on increasing the number of students in honors classes is based on solid research that shows student achievement will increase when the following conditions are established:

1. High expectations for student achievement
2. More rigor in curriculum and teaching
3. Acceleration of learning
4. Pre-teachign and support systems for students who are taking more rigorous classes

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Dr. Witherspoon explained the reasons for the changes as a desire to "raise the bar for all students at ETHS," and to avoid restructuring by the state as a result of failure to meet NCLB AYP requirements for five consecutive years. He pointed to "strong research" which indicates that student achievement can be raised by high expectations; increased rigor; acceleration; support; pre-teaching; and an understanding of effective effort.

He explained how the placement would be made in the three tracks. Those placing in the first 3 stanines on the standardized tests (EXPLORE or MAP) fall below average and will be placed in enriched classes, which include extra help and skill building. Those in the 4th stanine, which is in the average range, will also be placed in enriched classes (although they currently are placed in regular classes). Those in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth stanines will be placed in mixed classes. Only those who score above the 95th percentile will be placed in straight honors classes. Those students are classificed as "gifted." Typically, this is the top 5% of a student body but at ETHS is about 20%.

He also clarified misinformation that had been spreading prior to the meeting:

- De-tracking takes years of work
This is not de-tracking, this is raising expectations.

-ETHS plans to get rid of honors
That would be counter-intuitive. They want more kids in honors.

- Watering down the curriculum
"Shame on us if we let that happen." They want to tighten the curriculum and will support teachers to do so.

-Lots of staff development and training are needed
Yes, and the teachers will get it.

- Need to maintain high curriculum standards
They have a good curriculum now and they are strengthening it.

Dr. Witherspoon said that if this is successful it will not only meet the restructuring demands of NCLB but it will make the acheivement close and ultimately disappear as more students are prepared to do challenging work. This is not an isolated proposal, it is part of an eight-point plan. It will support more students and provide more rigor and access to higher level classes.

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There were 30 speakers who commented on the proposal. Many parents were concerned about a lack of transparency in the process and a feeling that the information had not been shared and their voices were not heard prior to the presentation. Some teachers echoed these comments, and had concerns about the implementation and lack of time for staff support and training. Other parents had concerns about the apparent change in parents having final say in their child's placement which appears to be absent from the proposal.

Two teachers at other schools specifically spoke to the issue of de-tracking and said that while de-tracking was a laudable goal and something ETHS should implement at a later date, that this proposal was doomed to failure because it was being implemented incorrectly. They stated that de-tracking requires a three-year timeline, community involvement, staff development and re-norming and redesigning assessments. Teachers need time for coaching and observation and time to relearn how to teach mixed classes appropriately. If implemented incorrectly, teachers are likely to teach to the middle of the class and not the top, resulting in no increase in rigor. A few speakers pointed to the 2005 ETHS study of mixed level Biology classes that showed just the problems that were cited: insufficient time for teacher preparation and a lack of rigor.

Many parents and members of the community praised the plan as overdue, seeing it as a "rising tide that will lift all boats." They praised the superintendent for his vision and willingness to see that all ETHS students have the potential for greatness. Some praised the plan but called for changes to the curriculum so that it can "capture the interests of children of color," another cited the example of The Rescue of Jerusalem as an example of a history which included Black heroes.

Dr. Witherspoon responded to the speakers by saying that the lack of communication was based on the desire to bring the proposal to the board as soon as possible, and that further presentations to the public will be forthcoming. He reiterated that the proposal was part of a process begun with the board since the autumn as part of the restructuring process.

The Board seemed generally to favor the proposal and asked questions to clarify particular points. The English and History dept. heads assured Board members that the teaching staff was willing and capable to handle the changes, although it would be hard work.

The proposal will be discussed again at the next meeting on February 25 and voted on at the following meeting, March 10. There was a suggestion that the PTA Council coordinate a public information meeting prior to the March 10 vote.