| The Cedarcrest High School Language Arts program has been looking into ways to improve our Freshman and Sophomore Language Arts classes. Our challenge is to improve the rigor for all students, while providing more opportunity, and academic diversity to classrooms. We have many students who are potential Honors level students who are unable access these classes for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is because an Honors class doesn’t fit their schedule, sometimes it is because the student doesn’t have enough self-confidence to push themselves to work at the Honors level, and sometimes it is as simple as because they haven’t been in a setting which is comfortable enough for them to pursue the Honors rigor. Many school districts, especially our size, have addressed this issue by offering an Honors option within a regular on-level English Language class.
We anticipate that during the first week of class, all ELA 9th and 10th grade teachers will explain the benefits of the Honors designation and the expectations. Students will choose to either pursue this designation, or not. If a student chooses “Honors,” there will be a higher expectation that will be anticipated of students who choose to pursue the designation on their transcript. This is not as simple as just more work or even “A” level work. It would be work which has an enhanced level of expectations and rigor. It would be, more in-depth writing assignments, it would involve reading lists which push the reader, and it would require participation be executed at a higher level.
To make this change will require investigation and considerable review of curriculum. It will also be of great benefit to have the input of our school community, parents, and students as we move forward. Finally, “Why do this?” We believe this is truly the way to provide enhanced rigor to all students, to allow all students the opportunity to push themselves, to provide equitable opportunities for all students, and provide a learning environment that meets every student’s needs.
To summarize, students will be grouped in classes based on their overall schedule. Once the class begins, if a student chooses to, they will have the option to work toward an Honor’s designation on their transcript for the class. Their teacher will provide them with the honor requirements as they arise during the class. If a student is not interested in the Honor’s curriculum, they would work at the 9th or 10th English Language rigor level. Honors and on-level students would be in the same class, working together, and learning from each other’s strengths.
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It will be of great benefit to have the input of our school community, parents, and students, as we move forward.
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