Sunday, September 19, 2010

First Week 2010-2011





Well, one week down already.  I am sure for many of you it seems like we were just here.  But, we have several new staff members who are starting a new experience.  It was about this time 19 years ago that I started my experience in teaching for Mt. Pleasant Public Schools at the Isabella County Jail.  I guess I had several new "starts to the year", though.  After being in the jail, I stayed in Mt. Pleasant to administer a grant program so I was in Mt. Pleasant a total of four years.  I went to Odyssey for a year, and then came to SHS for five years.  In 2002, it was time to pursue the administrative route.  I remember  there was a lot of anxiety about heading to Farwell to be an assistant principal.  Though I was only there two years, I gained some great experience.  However, it was not where I felt I had a great match so I continued to check area postings.  It was that searching that led me to Midland Public Schools.  I had a great experience there, but after only two years, I had the chance to come back to my home at SHS.  Every new start has its own excitement.  I am sure our new teachers are sensing that now.  You never know where your path will lead.  I have experience with inmates and angels, forty year olds and fourteen year olds, seniors and sixth graders, poor communities and rich communities, large schools and small schools.  I hope all have a good start of the school year, and I hope all of our teachers enjoy the start of this year as it is one more step in their personal professional journey.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

New English Courses

I know that there has been some concern that Shepherd High School will no longer track students in their English classes.  Beginning with the 2010 – 2011 school year, students in 11th grade students will all take 11th grade English, and 12th grade students will take 12th grade English.  The 11th grade classes will be an amalgamation of the previously taught American Literature and Junior English, while 12th grade English takes the best of English Literature and Senior English.

This is not a decision that was made without thought and consideration.  There has been a perception that American Literature and English Literature were classes for the “college prep” students.  The reality is that we now have over 85% of our students going to a college or university.  If we have a college prep class that is taken by 50% of the students, yet 85% of the students are going on to post-secondary training, what happens to the other 35%?

We have also done some statistical analysis of results in the 11th and 12th grade English classes relative to the college readiness standards as determined by ACT.  These college readiness standards are nationally accepted standards.  This analysis indicates that there are elements from each 11th grade class and 12th grade class that could help our student be best prepared for post secondary success.

This curriculum position is also supported by the National Council of Teachers of English.  Here is the position statement from the National Council of Teachers of English regarding tracking or ability grouping.  The highlighting is mine.  It can be found on their website: http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/tracking   


Resolution on Tracking

·                                 last edited 2 years, 10 months ago
1991 NCTE Annual Business Meeting in Seattle, Washington

Background

Members of the NCTE Committee on Tracking and Grouping Practices in English Language Arts (K–12), who proposed this resolution, urged that classrooms should be communities of learners in which collaboration occurs among students of many abilities. They warned that when students are placed into tracked/ability-grouped classes, this language collaboration which aids learning may not occur. The committee members pointed out that placing students in tracks or ability groups, especially those based on standardized test scores, can have a negative influence on teachers' expectations of students and students' expectations of themselves. Be it therefore

Resolution

Resolved, that the National Council of Teachers of English support curricula, programs, and practices that avoid tracking, a system which limits students' intellectual, linguistic, and/or social development;
     that NCTE urge educators and other policymakers to re-examine curricula, programs, and practices which require or encourage tracking of students in English language arts;
     that NCTE support teachers in their efforts to retain students in or return students to heterogeneous English language arts placement; and
     that NCTE expand its efforts to educate the public about the effects of tracking.

We are continuing to enhance our offerings without tracking students.  Hopefully, we will be able to offer trimester electives specific to literature and/or writing.  The long-term plan is to have an Advanced Placement Literature course, which is nationally recognized. For more information see the following link http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html.  Regardless, everyone will have a high level of expectation.

I hope that helps some understand the rationale.  I know there will probably always be philosophic differenced to this move, but I believe it is the right direction for our English department. 

Start of the Year

Well, tomorrow is the day we open another school year. I know that students get excited, but so do the teachers and the rest of the staff. We sometimes complain because we know how busy things are going to get, but I think many of us get ready to get back into the routine.

The construction projects are almost done. If you have not been by the school recently, you will be surprised at how it looks. The parking area is complete. There are trees and plants to decorate the between the elementary and the high school. It looks really nice. The auditorium is scheduled to be done the middle of October, and there will be little touch up projects until December.

There are a lot if exiting things that happen at the school so please take time to look at the high school web site at www.shepherd.edzone.net/hs for school news.