Two years after eliminating honors classes for studies students, teachers are discussing retuning them to the curriculum.
Studies teachers formed a committee to review the recent changes to the honors program for their students. Two years ago, RBHS shifted from separated honors and on-level classrooms to the current system where students can contract for honors credit.
While scrapping honors contracting isn’t first on the committee’s list of solutions, Austin Reed, social studies department chair, said a return to the previous system of “regular” and “honors” studies classes — the same structure of honors credit science, math and other departments use — is possible.
“We formed an honors committee, and the main desire was because we wanted to (a) solidify, (b) enhance and (c) get a vision down for what our honors program is,” Reed said. “For two years now, transitioning to contracting for honors [credit] — some teachers really love it; some teachers really struggle with it. Some teachers find that it’s really good for honors kids; some teachers just find that it’s really good for on-level kids.”
The need for the committee arose from a perceived lack of rigor for honors students in the mixed classes, Reed said.
“Most teachers seem to think that it doesn’t have the intended effects on the honors kids,” Reed said. “It’s not adequately pushing them. Sometimes when an honors’ kid creates something, it’s not to the level that we want it, so we’re trying to figure out how and why that [happens].”
Junior Brandi Robison, a U.S. Studies student who contracts for honors, disagrees. She said the honors contracting system is more challenging than separated classes.
“I feel like it adds to [the difficulty level] because we’re doing it more independently,” Robison said, “so it’s more like college because you have to stay on top of it.”
Beyond the out-of-class projects, Reed said time management is a concern for teachers. In the absence of guidelines, differences in the balance of time could affect the learning of both honors and on-level students.
“Obviously you want to give honors students classroom time to work on their projects to help them make their work better,” Reed said, “but that’s a tough balance because that means the classroom is messy. It could be disorganized, so how do you balance the time?”
The results of the past two years haven’t been all bad, though. Reed said one marked improvement that has come about as a result of the honors contract system has improved student behavior.
“I find that group work is enhanced; I feel that sometimes classroom community has been enhanced. In my classes, [students’] behavior is way better [than before the switch to mixed classes]. I don’t know why it is, and I have no quantitative data to back that up,” Reed said. “I have lots of qualitative [data]. I don’t know if the work and achievement has been raised; that’s what I always kind of wonder.”
Junior Tyler Rod, who is contracting for honors credit in U.S. studies, thinks one benefit of the current system is the improved class discussions. However, Rod believes the best change would be a return to the previous system.
“[I’d propose] separating the kids that want to contract for honors,” Rod said. “Since it is a little less, [teachers] could put them into a smaller space and really focus on them wanting to do better.”
Reed said the committee’s goal is to finalize changes in time for the 2015-2016 school year.
By Brett Stover
photo by Madelyn Stewart