Parents question middle school curriculum

A number of parents expressed concern about the district’s middle-school curriculum at the April 5 Board of Education meeting. The discussion turned into a rather contentious debate when parents said they believed that some sixth-graders are not being challenged enough and criticized the district for eliminating seventh-grade honors courses.

Because school officials are planning to implement the sixth-grade model in seventh grade next year, many parents said they are concerned about the quality of education their children will receive.

At the meeting, held at the West School, nearly a dozen parents told the board that the heterogeneous sixth-grade model at the middle school is not rigorous enough and does not challenge all students. They described it as a serious academic issue that needs to be addressed.

Dr. Vincent Butera, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said that the district introduced heterogeneous grouping — mixing challenged and advanced students in the same classes — in sixth grade last year. “It was implemented because of the negative impact of tracking students at such an early age,” Butera said. In a tracking system, advanced students and challenged students are put in different groups. Butera said that according to education research, tracking is not beneficial for students.

Julie Simms told the board that she is experiencing what she described as a “crisis of confidence” over the middle-school curriculum. She explained that she — along with many other parents — believe that some sixth-graders’ workload is not rigorous enough.

“It’s my duty as a parent to come here and tell you that the program is imperfect,” Simms said, noting that she has a son in sixth grade who told her he is not challenged enough. She added that some parents have even considered withdrawing their children and enrolling them in other school districts.

“I urge you to revamp or rethink this middle-school curriculum,” she said. “Because it is not challenging all of our students.”

Butera said after the meeting that the decision was made in February to implement the heterogeneous model in seventh grade next year and announced at a sixth-grade parent meeting on March 1. No decision has been made about eighth grade as of yet, he added.

“Who made the decision to eliminate honors in the seventh grade?” asked Bonnie Stern, a resident of West Olive Street. “Because I really feel like something sneaky happened. When, and how, and why was it changed?”

School Superintendent Dr. Robert Greenberg said that the recommendation to make the change came from the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade staffs as well as the administration. “It’s consistent with the direction we think the district is moving in,” Greenberg said. “The model that has been in place simply wasn’t working.”

Butera, however, said after the meeting that some parents have the mistaken impression that honors-level courses in the seventh grade will be eliminated. “The district never decided to eliminate honors,” he said. “What we’ve decided to do is to identify the most rigorous curriculum to offer, and offer it to all students.”

Of Greenberg’s reference to a “model,” Butera said, “He was referring to tracking. Administrators saw tracking as a major obstacle for the success of middle-school students. When we spoke to middle-school teachers, they all felt this tracking model could not benefit all kids.”

Greenberg stressed that the district has been successful with its curriculum, citing progress at the high school. “We have more youngsters taking AP, college-level … classes — probably doubled from when I started — and our results were as good or better,” he said. “The college acceptances that we’ve received this year — outstanding.”

Stern acknowledged the progress at the high school, but returned to the sixth-grade model. “If you’re having someone who is an excellent student sit in sixth grade and not be challenged,” she said, “and when the teacher is looking at something two or three times for a whole class, and [a student] has already gotten it on level one … that’s a scary thought.”

Other parents, however, said they felt confident about the middle-school curriculum. Kristine Farrell, of Tennessee Avenue, said that she, as well as other parents, are content with the work students are receiving. “I spend every weekend at far too many sporting events along with other sixth-grade parents, who are also very happy with the experience that their children are having,” Farrell said.

At the meeting, School board Trustee Roy Lester expressed his own concerns about heterogeneous classrooms, and afterward he said that, to date, he has not seen any data indicating that advanced students benefit from the model. “I’m not sure we’re proceeding the right way,” Lester said. “I don’t see how the advanced students are benefiting here. Until I see that, I’m not comfortable with the heterogeneous grouping.”

Trustee Darlene Tangney said during the meeting that the only way to monitor progress in the classroom is to have a committee of parents, staff, administrators and students, which she deemed “crucial” in measuring student progress. “Then we will really get a handle on whether or not it’s working,” Tangney said. “That’s the way we have to move forward.”

Stern said she was pleased that parents had the chance to speak to the board, but that much has to be done to address the middle-school curriculum. “We need to have honors for math and science in the seventh grade,” she said after the meeting, noting that those courses are critical for students given the expanding career opportunities in those fields. “We all want to do what is best for the kids. That’s the bottom-line goal.”

Butera said he was confident that a solution could be reached, and that the concerns raised by parents would be addressed at the May 10 Board of Education meeting. “This is about ensuring that all students are challenged,” he said.

Comments about this story? CEngelhardt@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.