It’s an equity thing

Ask any teacher about his or her educational philosophy and chances are that somewhere in their answer will be the notion that they think “all children can learn.” I certainly believe that, but are we giving all of our students equal access to a high quality curriculum, or are we holding them hostage in tracks determined years ago based on data that can’t possibly measure potential?

There is a long history of tracking students by ability level. It is a combustible and political topic among educators. Decisions about where to place students are based on test data, typically summative assessments in the spring that measure what we hope students learned after a year of schooling. Grades and teacher recommendations are also considering factors.

On the surface, I suppose the logic makes sense: group kids with similar achievement levels so it’s easier to teach them where they are “next ready to learn.” Teachers can pace and organize the content quite easily when everyone is on the same page. The problem with this system is that it does not allow equal access to a high-quality curriculum for our students who are in remedial or even “regular” tracks. They are often locked out of advanced coursework, even if they show motivation to take them on. A very real achievement gap is created due to inequitable educational opportunities.

The concern with creating mixed ability, or heterogeneous groups, is that such groups will leave struggling learners behind or hold accelerated learners back. Teachers may feel ill-equipped to teach a class with varying ability levels, citing a fear that struggling learners will slip through the cracks, or that accelerated learners will fail to be adequately challenged. Differentiating lessons to accommodate a wide range of ability levels and learning styles is difficult work and requires extensive planning, not to mention professional development.

This year, Wasilla High has chosen not to sort students into high and low homogenous groups, but rather allow all students equal access to rigorous curriculum that will prepare every student for the challenges their futures hold. We no longer have honors classes at the freshmen level and will continue to phase them out over the next three years so that students who currently have honors courses reflected on their transcripts will continue to do so.

At the same time, we have added several more Advanced Placement level courses so that Wasilla High now offers 15 sections of AP courses — the widest variety of AP courses in the district. Our staff has undertaken the challenge to raise the bar for all students by making every course “pre-AP.”

Instruction is what has to be differentiated in the classroom, not the curriculum. How do we do that? For starters, 15 staff members took part in a week-long professional development training in August sponsored by the National Math and Science Institute and included math, science and language arts teachers. We were trained to implement rigorous instructional strategies that are proven to increase the level of critical thinking skills required to tackle higher level course work. Rather than lowering expectations for our students, we are raising expectations.

But what about the students who truly struggle academically you ask? How are we ensuring they are mastering the objectives? Student support classes have been put in place for those whose test scores indicate the need for such support. Perhaps they have an extra math or language arts lab. We have co-labs where teachers collaborate to support students with IEPs so they, too, are adequately supported and have access to a robust curriculum.

Are all of our students going to eventually take an AP class? Perhaps not. But at Wasilla High, we did not want to have anyone’s opportunity to do so limited because they did not have access to the high level of instruction necessary to undertake such an endeavor. We would like to see more students and more diversity in our AP classes as we continue with this new mindset. We would like to see more students feel that they are prepared and able to succeed in such a course.

I am in a unique position to witness the success of detracking as time goes on. I teach English I, as well as AP Literature and Composition. I am using pre-AP instructional techniques with my English I students and hopefully, when I see them again in AP Lit, I will see the fruits of those labors. For now, I am impressed with how my English I students are rising to the challenge of the “leveling up” of our curriculum. I tell them that I am preparing them for AP English and they are on board.

I believe strongly that all students can learn. I believe, stronger still, that all students deserve access to a high-quality curriculum and excellent instruction. I am proud to be a part of the Warrior Nation that is on the path to do just that.

Tracy Magnan is an English teacher at Wasilla High School.