Editor’s note, 5/2, 11:38 p.m.: The article was corrected to indicate that the 8th graders in the accelerated ELA program are no longer bussed to CHS but remain in their middle schools for the class.
The South Orange – Maplewood School District is considering making changes to the criteria it uses to accept 8th grade students into its accelerated English Language Arts program, while some board members are questioning whether the program should continue at all.
Similar to the 8th grade accelerated Math program, the ELA program has 8th graders who meet the criteria go to Columbia High School to take 9th grade level ELA classes.; they are bussed back to their middle school for the rest of the school day.
The district formerly placed students into the accelerated program using NJ ASK scores, among other measures including grades and teacher recommendation. The NJ ASK no longer exists, having been replaced this year by the PARCC assessments, which the district has said it will not use for any placement decisions for next year.
“[W]e will [now] assess all grade 7 students using a state model assessment,” said Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Susan Grierson in an email. “It is common core aligned and includes a writing response, and multiple choice questions. This assessment plus the average of grade 7 grades and teacher recommendation will be the multiple measures we will use this year in the absence of NJ ASK score.”
There will also be some changes to the course’s curriculum, and some personnel changes.
Grierson reported on the proposals to the Board of Education at its meeting on Monday. The board will vote on the proposed changes in May.
Grierson said that the district recommended continuing the course “despite some concerns that I have” and she believes the “new criteria will [make] the course available for students who will most benefit from it.”
Board member Beth Daugherty said the course leads to de facto tracking, partly because the combination of Accelerated English and leveling in Math affects students’ schedules in social studies, science and Spanish as well.
Grierson said that the program “does in essence track to some degree” but she is hoping the new criteria will help to change that.
The board’s Equity & Excellence Committee has expressed concern about the racial disparities in the course. There are a total of 111 students in the class this year; 11 of them are African-American.
Daugherty said she initially supported the course when it was proposed in 2012 because the board was told Accelerated English students would be able to take AP English in 10th grade — which has not turned out to be the case. Rather, those students are allowed to take an extra elective in 10th grade.
In addition, said Daugherty, “English to me seems …one of the easiest subjects to differentiate instruction” and is therefore less necessary to have as an accelerated option.
“I don’t disagree,” said Grierson. However, she said in her numerous conversations with students and parents in the community, she has concluded it is “important to ensure our high achieving students have the opportunity to take a course that really meets their needs.”
Board President Wayne Eastman asked to what extent the proposed changes will increase access to the program.
Grierson said all 7th grade students will take the state assessment, which will give the district an idea of how students are doing overall and will help to provide more students with a choice.
Board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad said she was concerned about the program’s structure, even with the proposed changes. “I absolutely believe kids should have choice at the high school, but this is creating a track in middle school.” She asked Grierson to look at the data and at whether other school districts offered a similar course. She asked if the decision to launch the course was a way to offer more opportunity to students who need it or was more of a reaction to “the politics of the time.”
“It’s a combination of both, to be honest,” said Grierson, who was not in her current position when the decision was made.
However, she said it is worth trying the program for a year with the proposed changes. “Trying something different may very possibly result in creating a different paradigm.”
Board member Madhu Pai said she was disappointed that the program’s original intent of creating a more rigorous course for students who truly needed it had been diluted and the course had become “bloated” with students who were just over baseline proficient on the NJ ASK. (This year’s students had to score a 250 or above to be admitted; last year the minimum score required was a 280).
“If we have kids two levels ahead we owe it to them” to provide rigorous coursework. “It’s not enough for the kids who are very accelerated.”
Board member Elizabeth Baker wondered about adding yet another assessment to the district, and wondered if it would be similar to the math assessment given to all rising 5th graders used to place students in honors and accelerated math.
That assessment is “veiled in secrecy” because students are not told what material will be covered or on what day the test will be given, Baker said.
