Two years have passed since a school district GATE meeting which
was attended by more than 50 parents became a Waterloo for those in
Gilroy Unified School District who opposed the Alliance for
Academic Excellence. Before that night, I had never heard of the
Alliance.
Two years have passed since a school district GATE meeting which was attended by more than 50 parents became a Waterloo for those in Gilroy Unified School District who opposed the Alliance for Academic Excellence. Before that night, I had never heard of the Alliance.
During their presentation that evening, I became a member of this group. That evening set in motion a series of changes that were long overdue in Gilroy. As a direct result of that fateful evening, Gilroy High School now offers honors classes for ninth and 10th grade students. The reinstatement of weighted grades for AP classes is also a result of parents advocating for change. Gilroy High today is a better institution of learning because of those parents who saw the importance of returning academic rigor to our classrooms.
In the two years that have passed, I have attended many parent meetings and many board meetings. There have been some very positive changes, and a few bumps along the way. Most of the bumps in the road occurred when someone who has made education their profession failed to remember who pays their salary. On the whole, progress has been made, but it has not been without prodding from the community. Personally, I wish it would happen without becoming a public debate, an embarrassment to the district, or a legal issue, but I am willing to go those routes if that is what needs to happen to keep us on the path to excellence.
The decision was made to implement a “pilot” honors program. Two years later, the program is on auto-pilot, but still needs some tweaking. Our district needs to streamline the honors program so that it is seamless from middle school through high school. The system at our middle schools allows students to take accelerated classes.
Placement of students in accelerated classes is based on past academic performance, MAP scores, high scores on standardized tests, or parental request. A student who is struggling will be advised not to enroll in accelerated math just for the fun of it. Overwhelmingly, parents opt to place their child in a class in which their student can succeed.
There are many middle school students who are capable of being in accelerated math and science, but not accelerated English, and vice-versa. At Gilroy High School, honors English and honors global studies are inextricably linked. This needs to change.
At the Gilroy High of old, English and global studies were connected. However, due to the adoption of standards-based language arts material, that connection is no longer necessary or desirable. There are plenty of students who would like to opt for honors global studies and not honors English. This link needs to broken for students who may not want to do the depth of work required for honors English. This link places an unfair burden on students whose native language is not English.
For a non-native English speaker, being in a grade-level English class by ninth grade is an achievement. This student may want the option of taking honors global studies, which requires significantly less reading than a standards-based language arts course. The time has come to make the access to honors classes at the high school mirror the access that these students were granted in middle school.
As for AP classes, Dale Morejon hit the nail on the head in his recent letter to the editor. There is no reason why AP classes shouldn’t have a prerequisite. Parents have repeatedly told anyone who would listen of the high priority in having their child in a class that meets their needs and is taught at the appropriate instructional level.
Allowing everyone access to a course is not benign. Students have little chance of success in an AP class if they are not succeeding at or above grade level in their regular classes. A group of parents at the honors/AP meeting questioned why there were no prerequisites for AP classes. None of the parents were buying the argument that some students don’t care if they pass the AP class or the AP exam.
There is nothing to be gained for a student who is unable to keep up. There is nothing to be gained for the teacher who must remediate. There is nothing to be gained for those students who must sit by watching an AP class get watered down in the name of equal access. AP classes should be about equal responsibility.
The teacher should be highly qualified to teach to the depth and rigor of a college-level class. The students should come into an AP class knowing that the amount of work required will be substantial. Academic advisors should clearly communicate to students and their parents whether or not an AP class is an appropriate choice. AP classes should remain open and accessible to all capable and committed students.
