Post by itspenninah on Nov 4, 2005 10:49:20 GMT -5
If I were dictator of the United States, I would establish a national secondary school curriculum complete with a nation wide final at the end of each course. How one would distribute this final might be difficult due to time zone differences, but I think it would be worth the work to figure it out. I think students would benefit by being well prepared for college. Attrition in college is a problem of major proportions.
Of couse getting a nationally standardized high school curriculum won't happen any time soon because it means that students, parents, teachers, administrators etc... are going to have to face the five thousand pound elephant in the living room. I think we, in the United States, are very unsettled as a society as to what students SHOULD learn in high school and how much centralized control there should be over a high school curriculum.
I know all of this sounds dry but the fact is what you learn in high school determines what you can learn in college which in turn determines your career. Also a really good academic foundation means you are more likely to finish college within six years.
Still, talking about high school academics is explosive. If you don't believe me try this thought exercise: the President or some other high ranking government official gets on TV and in a speech about education says: "Foreign language proficiency is an important part of education. Currently far too few students complete five years of a foreign language and few ever get to read the great texts of another language in the original. My goal is to increase enrollment in AP French Literature by twenty-five percent. There are many students who could benefit from this course, but simply never take AP French Literature because it is not offered at their school or because they receive insufficient encouragement and training...."
That statement would unleash a firestorm. People would say it is elitist. People would say that AP French LIterature is a frill. People might even say it is useless. Others would argue that the benefits of academic rigor for seventeen year olds are tremendous and include: a pride in one's work, good college preparation, and of course staying out of trouble.
And of course even state control of the curriculum is controversial. New York and California have a state mandated college entrance high school curriculum complete with state wide final examinations. The rest of the country pretty much leaves it up to local school districts to decide what to teach and how to test it. This means that in some parts of the Southern and Western United States, the shcools just don't do very much. New York City schools which are much maligned are actually quite excellent.
So where does this leave all of us and why is this essay here? Because Bowie High School is in New Mexico and I've been trying to figure out what the high school curriculum sequence for New Mexico is supposed to be and have learned it is essentially local.
I've had a ball trying to figure out what Penninah would be taking being that she has already started part of the New York State high school sequence in mathematics, science, and French.
Here is what Penninah's high school courses would have looked like had she stayed in New York state.....
Grades 7 & 8 -- French I
Grade 8 -- Integrated Math 1*
Grade 8 -- Earth Science*
Grade 9 -- Integrated Math 2*
Grade 9 -- French II
Grade 9 -- English
Grade 9 -- Nonwestern Studies
Grade 9 -- Biology *
Grade 10 -- Integrated Math 3*
Grade 10 -- French III**
Grade 10 -- English
Grade 10 -- Western Studies
Grade 10 -- Chemistry *
Grade 11 -- Integrated Math 4*
Grade 11 -- French IV
Grade 11 -- English**
Grade 11 -- AP American History@
Garde 11 -- AP Biology@
Grade 12 -- AP Calculus AB or BC@
Grade 12 -- AP French Literature@
Grade 12 -- English**
Garde 12 -- Social Studies Electives
Grade 12 -- Physics*
OK here are the codes
* Means that a one year New York State Regents examination is part of the end of the course. A Regents is a State-wide final examination worth twenty percent of your grade for the year with your grade going on your transcript. The exams come from Albany and are uniform thorughout the state. All students taking the Regents in a given subject sit for it on the same day at the same time. The exams are not curved and last from ninty minutes to three hours. Teachers recommend that students use most of the time. Because this is such high stakes testing, students in many districts learn to sit for a three hour final by having long Regents style finals starting in sixth grade. Usually the other nonRegents finals are given in the three hour format. Students also practice for their Regents exams by taking previous years' tests sometimes even staying after school to do so.
** A three year Regents examination is a part of this course. These are usually given in foreign language, English and American history. Regents in math and science are one year.
@ An Advanced Placement exam given in May is part of this course. This is a test created by ETS (the same people who make the SAT) and these are brutal because they are three hour exams that are fiercely time intensive. The stakes for AP's are even higher. A good score on an AP means college credit.
Now let's look at what Penninah's education will look like in New Mexico
Grades 7 & 8 -- New York State high school sequence in math, science, and French. (1 year)
Grade 9 -- English
Grade 9 -- Social Studies/History (variable)
Grade 9 -- French II (or equivalent)
Grade 9 -- Geometry
Grade 9 -- Biology
Grade 10 -- English
Grade 10 -- Social Studies/History (variable)
Grade 10 -- French III (or equivalent)
Grade 10 -- Mathematics (variable will probably include some trigonometry....)
Grade 10 -- Chemistry
Grade 11 -- English
Grade 11 -- Social Studies/History (variable)/AP American History (if available)
Grade 11 -- French IV
Grade 11 -- Mathematics (variable....since there is no statewide sequence.)
Grade 11 -- Physics/AP Biology (if availabe)
Grade 12 -- English
Grade 12 -- Social Studies/History (variable)
Grade 12 -- French V/AP French Litearture (if available)
Grade 12 -- Calculus/AP Calculus AB (if available)
Grade 12 -- Physics/AP Biology (if available)
The "variables" are in the sequence because New Mexico lacks a statewide high school sequence so districts are free to order some courses as they like. Many states and school districts in the US do not teach nonwestern studies and social studies electives and what is part of high school English vary considerably as well. Also if this school (www.eldoradoeagles.com/) is any indication, not all high schools in New Mexico offer a full range of AP courses.
Also the New York State and New Mexico math sequences do not articulate at all. New York (since 1996) uses an integrated math sequence that combines algebra and geometry/trigonometry/analytic geometry for all four years. The math sequence in New Mexico from what I was able to learn is NOT integrated so that Penninah had a tough time transitioning. She probably missed some algebra and had to make it up studying the summer before.
It always amazes me how variable high school course sequences are. You think they would have fixed this problem by now, but they are not going to do it any time soon. Sorry for the long post.
Of couse getting a nationally standardized high school curriculum won't happen any time soon because it means that students, parents, teachers, administrators etc... are going to have to face the five thousand pound elephant in the living room. I think we, in the United States, are very unsettled as a society as to what students SHOULD learn in high school and how much centralized control there should be over a high school curriculum.
I know all of this sounds dry but the fact is what you learn in high school determines what you can learn in college which in turn determines your career. Also a really good academic foundation means you are more likely to finish college within six years.
Still, talking about high school academics is explosive. If you don't believe me try this thought exercise: the President or some other high ranking government official gets on TV and in a speech about education says: "Foreign language proficiency is an important part of education. Currently far too few students complete five years of a foreign language and few ever get to read the great texts of another language in the original. My goal is to increase enrollment in AP French Literature by twenty-five percent. There are many students who could benefit from this course, but simply never take AP French Literature because it is not offered at their school or because they receive insufficient encouragement and training...."
That statement would unleash a firestorm. People would say it is elitist. People would say that AP French LIterature is a frill. People might even say it is useless. Others would argue that the benefits of academic rigor for seventeen year olds are tremendous and include: a pride in one's work, good college preparation, and of course staying out of trouble.
And of course even state control of the curriculum is controversial. New York and California have a state mandated college entrance high school curriculum complete with state wide final examinations. The rest of the country pretty much leaves it up to local school districts to decide what to teach and how to test it. This means that in some parts of the Southern and Western United States, the shcools just don't do very much. New York City schools which are much maligned are actually quite excellent.
So where does this leave all of us and why is this essay here? Because Bowie High School is in New Mexico and I've been trying to figure out what the high school curriculum sequence for New Mexico is supposed to be and have learned it is essentially local.
I've had a ball trying to figure out what Penninah would be taking being that she has already started part of the New York State high school sequence in mathematics, science, and French.
Here is what Penninah's high school courses would have looked like had she stayed in New York state.....
Grades 7 & 8 -- French I
Grade 8 -- Integrated Math 1*
Grade 8 -- Earth Science*
Grade 9 -- Integrated Math 2*
Grade 9 -- French II
Grade 9 -- English
Grade 9 -- Nonwestern Studies
Grade 9 -- Biology *
Grade 10 -- Integrated Math 3*
Grade 10 -- French III**
Grade 10 -- English
Grade 10 -- Western Studies
Grade 10 -- Chemistry *
Grade 11 -- Integrated Math 4*
Grade 11 -- French IV
Grade 11 -- English**
Grade 11 -- AP American History@
Garde 11 -- AP Biology@
Grade 12 -- AP Calculus AB or BC@
Grade 12 -- AP French Literature@
Grade 12 -- English**
Garde 12 -- Social Studies Electives
Grade 12 -- Physics*
OK here are the codes
* Means that a one year New York State Regents examination is part of the end of the course. A Regents is a State-wide final examination worth twenty percent of your grade for the year with your grade going on your transcript. The exams come from Albany and are uniform thorughout the state. All students taking the Regents in a given subject sit for it on the same day at the same time. The exams are not curved and last from ninty minutes to three hours. Teachers recommend that students use most of the time. Because this is such high stakes testing, students in many districts learn to sit for a three hour final by having long Regents style finals starting in sixth grade. Usually the other nonRegents finals are given in the three hour format. Students also practice for their Regents exams by taking previous years' tests sometimes even staying after school to do so.
** A three year Regents examination is a part of this course. These are usually given in foreign language, English and American history. Regents in math and science are one year.
@ An Advanced Placement exam given in May is part of this course. This is a test created by ETS (the same people who make the SAT) and these are brutal because they are three hour exams that are fiercely time intensive. The stakes for AP's are even higher. A good score on an AP means college credit.
Now let's look at what Penninah's education will look like in New Mexico
Grades 7 & 8 -- New York State high school sequence in math, science, and French. (1 year)
Grade 9 -- English
Grade 9 -- Social Studies/History (variable)
Grade 9 -- French II (or equivalent)
Grade 9 -- Geometry
Grade 9 -- Biology
Grade 10 -- English
Grade 10 -- Social Studies/History (variable)
Grade 10 -- French III (or equivalent)
Grade 10 -- Mathematics (variable will probably include some trigonometry....)
Grade 10 -- Chemistry
Grade 11 -- English
Grade 11 -- Social Studies/History (variable)/AP American History (if available)
Grade 11 -- French IV
Grade 11 -- Mathematics (variable....since there is no statewide sequence.)
Grade 11 -- Physics/AP Biology (if availabe)
Grade 12 -- English
Grade 12 -- Social Studies/History (variable)
Grade 12 -- French V/AP French Litearture (if available)
Grade 12 -- Calculus/AP Calculus AB (if available)
Grade 12 -- Physics/AP Biology (if available)
The "variables" are in the sequence because New Mexico lacks a statewide high school sequence so districts are free to order some courses as they like. Many states and school districts in the US do not teach nonwestern studies and social studies electives and what is part of high school English vary considerably as well. Also if this school (www.eldoradoeagles.com/) is any indication, not all high schools in New Mexico offer a full range of AP courses.
Also the New York State and New Mexico math sequences do not articulate at all. New York (since 1996) uses an integrated math sequence that combines algebra and geometry/trigonometry/analytic geometry for all four years. The math sequence in New Mexico from what I was able to learn is NOT integrated so that Penninah had a tough time transitioning. She probably missed some algebra and had to make it up studying the summer before.
It always amazes me how variable high school course sequences are. You think they would have fixed this problem by now, but they are not going to do it any time soon. Sorry for the long post.
