Community High School

Higher Achievement For All?

On Wednesday, November 7, a last-minute group was formed to discuss the impending state mandated changes to Michigan’s high school curriculum.  Several students, teachers, administrators and counselors from Huron, Pioneer, and Community freed up two hours of their Wednesday schedule to attend the meeting at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD).  Their goal was to propose to the school board a plan of action regarding the new mandatory graduation requirements. 

Beginning next year, Michigan high school freshmen will be required to complete four credits of math (as opposed to the current two), and three credits of science (currently two). Eventually, beginning with the class of 2016, two years of a foreign language will also be required.

Students will also be obligated to fulfill content requirements for math, including credits of Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra II and one additional math credit.  Required science credits must include Biology, Physics and Chemistry. 

At the start of the meeting, questions flooded the room. How will non-proficient math students deal with the new rigorous requirements?  Will electives be impacted by the curriculum changes?  What will happen to alternative programs offered at some schools?  The meeting was adjourned two hours later, with numerous questions asked and little headway made. 

Harry Hayward, facilitator of the meeting, said, “We’ll continue this discussion next Tuesday.”

“Over the last few years the state leadership was looking at what we needed to do as a state in order to succeed economically,” said John Austin, Vice President of the Michigan State Board of Education.  “We were persuaded that among the very important features to make a state succeed better is an educated population, and more state residents who achieve post-secondary degrees.”

And so, in 2004, Governor Granholm appointed a committee whose charge was to double the number of Michigan high schoolers who planned to attend college.  As Austin explained, “Other states that had put them in place had been impacted positively.” So the committee drafted new high school requirements.

Only 30% of current Michigan high school graduates, according to Austin, have taken courses throughout high school that allow them to go directly to college, without having to take remedial courses.  The new, more rigorous requirements seek to change that. 

“It became clear that having a set of expectations of what kids needed to learn was an important piece to move larger numbers of kids successfully into post-secondary education,” Austin said. 

What about FOS?

How will these new state mandated science requirements impact CHS’ FOS program?

FOS was developed in conjunction with the Highly Interactive Computer Environment (HICE) program at the University of Michigan during the early 1990s.  According to Mike Mouradian, a science teacher and guidance counselor at Community who helped develop the program, “We developed FOS for two or three reasons.  One was that we would go to science conventions and they’d say, ‘This is how you should teach Chemistry.’ They’d teach you, but you’d never really do it.  We did it.”

The FOS program also reflects student involvement and interest.  “We’d teach kids regular science and they’d ask, ‘Why are we learning this?’ The FOS program tells them why.”

Mouradian is concerned that the unique FOS program, which embraces student involvement with an applied approach, may have to be altered to accommodate the new requirements.  “One big concern of ours is that the [Michigan Merit Curriculum] may want chemistry and biology taught in one year.  Are they going to allow an integrated science curriculum or not?”

Madeline Huebel-Drake, a science teacher who also helped develop the program, shares Mouradian’s concerns.  “We’ll have to make changes to the FOS program,” Huebel-Drake said, “We’ll have some additions to the program, and we may drop a few things.” Projects in FOS such as a glacier project (which includes 8th grade earth science) will be altered because earth science, according to the school board, is a lower-level curriculum. 

Jerry Middleton, Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum Instruction for Ann Arbor, however, says the Community FOS program will not be affected by the Michigan Merit Curriculum.  “We don’t envision the MMC having any impact.” She says there are other schools besides Community that incorporate an integrated curriculum in classes.  “Humanities and African American Studies at Pioneer are also integrated courses that students get dual credit for.  We will just make sure that the content of what’s being taught matches state curriculum.”

Austin, representing the State Board of Education, is an advocate for Community’s unique FOS program, and says Community’s science curriculum will not be changed to meet new state standards.

“There’s a major misunderstanding of what the law says relating to course requirements,” said Austin.  “We passed a law requiring three credits in science.  A credit means you master a certain area of content; it’s not a year or semester, it’s just a certain area of content mastered.”

In direct response to Mouradian’s concern, Austin said, “We want integration.”

Austin believes FOS is a “great example of how to deliver science in an interesting way.” Austin hopes the required credits are fulfilled through alternative programs and electives, as opposed to a traditional class covering the material. 

“Community is a great example of a school that takes content that kids are required to learn and develops a more effective way for kids to learn,” said Austin.

Electives In Jeopardy?

Students and educators at the November 7 meeting wondered what effect the Michigan Merit Curriculum will have on elective classes. 

The Michigan Merit Curriculum states that required credits for graduation will increase from 13 to 16 for the class of 2011– eventually to 18 for the 2016 class.  However, the minimum number of electives that students are required to take in Ann Arbor– currently eight– will decrease to five.  Does this mean the number of elective classes offered will decrease because of a need for core courses?  As Jerry Middleton explains, a decrease will occur, but not because of the Merit Curriculum.

“In Ann Arbor, we’ll be redesigning Huron and Pioneer because of the new high school.  That may mean that when Pioneer goes from 2800 to 1600 kids, it will not be able to offer everything we offer now,” said Middleton.  “The changes will not be because of state-imposed standards.”

Austin is again hopeful that the Merit Curriculum includes “traditional subject material as well as arts.” He hopes that school districts will interpret the new curriculum as an opportunity to provide unique electives for kids in order to fulfill the new requirements. 

As for MMC’s impact on class sizes, he says, “Class size is totally a function of how well school districts are organized to deliver education functionally and how well-funded they are.”

Some educators at the November 7th meeting felt the state caught them off-guard with the soon-to-be imposed requirements, and offered no guidance about changing the curriculum. 

Nevertheless, Austin says, “We don’t want a bunch of remedial classes and general education classes.  That’s not good enough.”

In terms of the MMC’s impact on different school districts, “The MMC will make all school districts similar in broad strokes of what everyone needs to master and learn,” said Austin. 

Though some districts may have a lower number of requirements compared to others, the MMC will “set the same bar of content young people must master,” said Austin. 

For some districts with lower requirements, the new curriculum will be a big challenge.  But, according to Austin, “people can and will be helped to achieve basic competency.”

Achievement For All?

Which brings us to a final question: will the MMC increase the number of students who go on to pursue a post-secondary education?  Or will it backfire and widen the achievement gap?

Firstly, the new math requirement looks daunting to some: all students in the state of Michigan must complete one credit of Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 3/4. 

Students at Community, according to Mouradian and Rosi Simmer, a math teacher, will not be affected.  Around 75% of Community students already complete four years of math and three years of science.

But for others, in underprivileged districts, attaining these basic standards may not be an option. 

According to Simmer, “Making the requirements for Math be a certain level, such as Algebra and Geometry, may be hard for the less proficient.”

Austin acknowledged that offering programs for the less proficient math students is “a challenge, but we’re hopeful that we’ll get financial help so that school districts may put into place tutoring programs after school.”

As for the achievement gap, a package issued by the Michigan Department of Education never acknowledged it.  Both Middleton and Austin are hopeful that a more rigorous, innovative curriculum will show less motivated, underprivileged students that their education system is looking out for them, and will not let them fall behind.

“If you have a program that gives up on its kids, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Austin. 

Austin guarantees that after-school programs will be created for student success.  But some wonder if the after school programs will limit student’s extra curricular pursuits, such as sports.  And will unsuccessful students really take advantage of a program offered after school hours?

“Why can’t we take longer to implement the new graduation requirements? It feels like we are rushing toward this change?” That’s one of the questions the Michigan Department of Education gets asked most. The answer:  “Michigan’s economic future is on the line.”

Schools are currently facing up to $11 million dollars in cuts, which will coincide with the implementation of the MMC.  For this reason, Mouradian believes “our school district will be limiting the number of classes people take.”

Though the number of electives offered varies throughout districts, Mouradian and Simmer agree that electives will decrease. 

Nevertheless, Middleton and Austin, both diplomatic advocates for a better education system, support the new state-mandated changes, even with their potential negative ramifications.

Middleton does not see meeting high standards as an option– it is something that must be done.  “We won’t compromise excellence,” she said. 

At the state level, Austin says, “We need to make sure people graduate high school and not let them fall through the cracks.” That is partially why the state will not allow a form for anyone to waiver the impending requirements.  Instead, according to the Michigan Department of Education, various Initiatives have been set up to discuss conflicts that arise.  At the state level, groups such as the “Secondary to Post-secondary Transitions Action Team”, work towards a coherent vision for all Michigan high school students.

Austin reiterated his belief: “In today’s world, it is a disservice to not provide young people with the content they need to succeed.”

But people at the November 7th meeting, from Pioneer, Huron and Community, felt abandoned by the state. They’ve been given a mandate but no guidance as to how to achieve it.  On Tuesday, November 28, the representatives at the November 7th meeting drafted some suggestions to propose to the board.  These included a steady implementation of elective requirements, and a phone call home policy regarding students who do not complete required work for credits.

Mouradian is not certain the new requirements will work “in this highly changing environment.”