March 23, 2015 - 22:03
On page 145 of Improbable Scholars, Kirp describes the large number of courses available at Union City High and how the school is structured: 'The sheer complexity of a comprehensive secondary school like Union City High— the fact that, with its large staff and many departments, it looks more like a community college than an elementary school— partly explains why meaningful change comes so hard...
It is expected to be meritocratic, “creating an aristocracy of academic excellence from children of all social classes,” while simultaneously being democratic, “providing access to all,” as well as practical, “preparing all students for jobs, business and the professions.”'
Although Kirp focuses mostly on pedagogy and teacher training in this chapter, I wish he would expand upon the structure of this school and why he believes it can present challenges. The public high school that I went to was also large (about 2,000 students) and had many departments and an overwhelming course catalog, offering courses at many levels in standard academic subjects (math science, history, English, foreign languages), as well as electives in photography, culinary arts, architecture, engineering, and other disciplines. The students at my high school came from a range of economic classes and there were many students who had learning/intellectual disabilities or hearing impairments. I feel that the different levels of courses and number of elective courses was one of the best things about my high school, allowing students to explore the many disciplines that they could study in college or base their careers on, and engaging students from all backgrounds and with all interests.
Although Union City High is slightly larger than my high school, and has more students who are economically disadvantaged or not native English speakers, I believe that the approach the school is taking by offering a variety of classes at many levels is beneficial for all of its students and will also engage students who might otherwise be bored in standard math and English classes. Later in the book, Kirp describes students who need more motivation to stay in school, and I think that offering courses that interest these students, and prepare them for different paths after high school (instead of only preparing students for college). It gives students, especially those who may be struggling in math and English and worried about passing the state exam, something to look forward to. Also, since there aren't state exams for elective subjects, the teachers and students in these classes can focus on learning without any pressure, and the teachers can experiment with different methods of teaching.
One way I could imagine this approach being problematic is if a school didn't have a sufficient set of courses that students are required to take in order to graduate, and if the base level math, science, English and history classes didn't prepare students enough to pass the state exam. In that case, a student could spend most of their time taking elective courses, and pass the courses required to graduate, but still wouldn't be prepared to take the state exam or go on to post-secondary education. It also seems that Union City High doesn't offer a lot of support for students with learning disabilities, and it's possible that some of the funding spent on elective courses would be better spent on learning support for students with special needs, or on classroom aides who can help make sure that these students understand what is being taught in their classes and receive proper assignments and accommodations. Still, providing "something for everyone" at the school is definitely a positive thing and could be a major contributor to the high graduation rate at Union City High.