Another Course to College (ACC) is a small pilot school in Brighton with approximately 200 students in grades 9-12. It has a rigorous college preparatory focus with few electives and “more reading and writing assigned than any other high school” in BPS. Almost a quarter of its students have special needs, but ACC”s 1:13 staff to student ratio and 3 hrs/day of after school homework support helps these young people succeed academically. The school”s low drop out rate (7.4% in SY 2008-09) is also significant.
The language arts curriculum certainly includes impressive traditional literature; I enjoyed listening in on discussions of Candide, The Odyssey, and The Great Gatsby during my visit. After each student shared his or her perspective, others responded with their own ideas. Math teacher Jerry Howland says that what he likes best about his school is the “level of thinking” demanded of students, showing me an ambitious syllabus posted outside the AP English classroom.
When I asked about a class full of only girls, Headmaster Lisa Gilbert-Smith explained that they had been experimenting with same-sex classrooms for their ninth (now tenth) grade students ~ with mixed results. We know there are no “easy answers” to closing the achievement gap, but clearly a combination of high expectations and substantial personal support can make a difference. Kudos to ACC for their efforts in this direction!
Amika Kemmler-Ernst is a recently retired BPS New Teacher Developer with extensive experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, and graphic artist. Her “We”re Learning Here” series features images of everyday learning in our public schools, along with the words of the students pictured. Please invite her to visit your school this year!