Publish at August 12 2010 Updated November 17 2022
Faced with disastrous results on all fronts (financial, attendance, state test scores), the Kansas City School System has decided to radically change its upper-grade transfer scheme: Rather than mechanically moving its 17,000 students from one grade to another at the end of the year based on age (such age-based advancement being common throughout the world, let's face it), school district officials decided to adopt a validation system based on mastery of skills.
In a desperate situation, one becomes more open, especially after failing miserably with a $2 billion desegregation program that didn't stop the exodus of students to other schools or improve their outcomes. With more than 85% minority students and 80% of students eligible for free lunch, this school district is not in a comfortable situation.
Remarkably, the choice of this educational approach is not based on a new theory, it is based on experiments conducted for years that, in view of the positive results obtained and the expertise developed, are being developed all over.Among others, the Denver school district (10,000 students) has already implemented it, as well as six districts in the state of Maine (11,000 students).
In fact, not only does this approach radically reduce discipline problems because advanced students are not bored and struggling students are not frustrated, not only are student results on state exams in the 90% range, but parents are as pleased with it as the teachers who have experienced it. the latter have absolutely no desire to go back, especially if they knew the old system. So teachers are the strongest advocates of this approach, once they have experienced it.
Rather than simply having students change classes as they age or according to how long they have been sitting in a chair, students are grouped by mastered skills. Once they master a topic, they move to the next level. The minimum acceptable grade to move to the next level is the equivalent of a B (13 to 15 out of 20). This arrangement is instituted as early as the primary grades, and is extended to higher levels as students advance.
The system avoids labeling students by their failures. You don't fail, you simply progress at your own pace and solve your difficulties one after another.
Students become very aware of what they need, know how to put their efforts where they need to, and those who have figured it out are available to help others. Teachers appreciate the quality of listening of their students, much better than in a traditional classroom.
The main problem is that of scheduling; indeed, bottlenecks are sometimes created at certain stages, requiring all sorts of adjustments. These problems may fade after a few sessions but are very real in the early stages.
Implementation obviously involves clear commitment from the authorities, training and facilitation of teachers and meetings and explanations to parents, who will obviously expect results.
Some traditions need to be modernized...
For more information:
You might also like:
Developing entrepreneurial skills with problem situations
Entrepreneurship education is an excellent entry point for developing learners' know-how. As one of the approaches on which active pedagogy is based, the problem situation is an excellent way of achieving pedagogical objectives.
Seduction versus attention deficit
Captivation is the goal of seduction; hence the idea of contrasting it with attention deficit. If we can be seduced with a blink of an eye, there's a whole context to that blink of an eye for it to become so effective and acquire such a disturbing significance... We teach and learn for a reason, the one that seduces us.
The art of meeting in facilitation
The contexts of encounters are welcomed for a relational quality. The encounter between cultures forces one to step outside of one's own habits and most deeply held beliefs.
What teaching techniques should you choose?
Depending on the learning objective and the knowledge and skills to be imparted, some teaching techniques are better suited than others. How do you choose the right one? Check out this mindmap to help you make the right choice at a glance!
Nature, the common link that teaches us
Nature as a source of learning and psychological benefits, an inspiration to renew pedagogical models
