Mix honors and regular kids in the same classroom

[Anonymous]

On another thread, someone mentioned a BCC high school class that teaches the honors class kids and the regular class kids in the same classroom. Is this just happening at BCC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On another thread, someone mentioned a BCC high school class that teaches the honors class kids and the regular class kids in the same classroom. Is this just happening at BCC?

Here's the thread on this,https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1107887.page

[Anonymous]

Maybe replace regular class kids with on-level class kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On another thread, someone mentioned a BCC high school class that teaches the honors class kids and the regular class kids in the same classroom. Is this just happening at BCC?

Here's the thread on this,https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1107887.page

Different topic. That thread is about having only one class option to sign up. All kids sign up for the honors class, because the on-level class is not offered.

Some schools have both an honors class and an on-level class that kids can sign up for. In the BCC class mentioned in the other thread, kids that signed up for the honors class and kids that signed up for the on-level class were put in the same classroom (even though they were signed up for different classes).

[Anonymous]

This has been happening in ES and MS for years. Now, MCPS is extending the same concept to HS.

Our MS only offers one English class - Advanced English. It is a mix of kids who are very proficient and some kids who are ESOL and kids who are at grade level.

MCPS doesn’t support differentiation because it is not Equitable.

Unfortunately, this system helps nobody. The kids who are below level just struggle, even with ‘supports’ in place and often end up being disruptive because they’re not engaged in learning. And the kids who are above grade level get bored and disengage.

[Anonymous]

It definitely is going on at other schools. You'll have to ask individual counseling offices if honors and non honors are placed in the same class. Make sure you question is very clear. If you ask about the section they can lie to you because technically these kids are listed in different "sections" in the schedules. You need to ask if the kids are physically in the same classroom. My guess is that they may not know at this point for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been happening in ES and MS for years. Now, MCPS is extending the same concept to HS.

Our MS only offers one English class - Advanced English. It is a mix of kids who are very proficient and some kids who are ESOL and kids who are at grade level.

MCPS doesn’t support differentiation because it is not Equitable.

Unfortunately, this system helps nobody. The kids who are below level just struggle, even with ‘supports’ in place and often end up being disruptive because they’re not engaged in learning. And the kids who are above grade level get bored and disengage.

So they're achieving equity by dumbing everyone down to the least common denominator?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been happening in ES and MS for years. Now, MCPS is extending the same concept to HS.

Our MS only offers one English class - Advanced English. It is a mix of kids who are very proficient and some kids who are ESOL and kids who are at grade level.

MCPS doesn’t support differentiation because it is not Equitable.

Unfortunately, this system helps nobody. The kids who are below level just struggle, even with ‘supports’ in place and often end up being disruptive because they’re not engaged in learning. And the kids who are above grade level get bored and disengage.

So they're achieving equity by dumbing everyone down to the least common denominator?

That's not good since most on-level classes today seem remedial and honors was more like average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been happening in ES and MS for years. Now, MCPS is extending the same concept to HS.

Our MS only offers one English class - Advanced English. It is a mix of kids who are very proficient and some kids who are ESOL and kids who are at grade level.

MCPS doesn’t support differentiation because it is not Equitable.

Unfortunately, this system helps nobody. The kids who are below level just struggle, even with ‘supports’ in place and often end up being disruptive because they’re not engaged in learning. And the kids who are above grade level get bored and disengage.

So they're achieving equity by dumbing everyone down to the least common denominator?

Yes. In theory, the teachers are supposed to offer more ‘challenging and engaging material’ for the kids who are above grade level. But that is almost impossible to do when a teacher has over 100 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been happening in ES and MS for years. Now, MCPS is extending the same concept to HS.

Our MS only offers one English class - Advanced English. It is a mix of kids who are very proficient and some kids who are ESOL and kids who are at grade level.

MCPS doesn’t support differentiation because it is not Equitable.

Unfortunately, this system helps nobody. The kids who are below level just struggle, even with ‘supports’ in place and often end up being disruptive because they’re not engaged in learning. And the kids who are above grade level get bored and disengage.

So they're achieving equity by dumbing everyone down to the least common denominator?

Yes, honors classes in MCPS exist in name only. It's a sad state of affairs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been happening in ES and MS for years. Now, MCPS is extending the same concept to HS.

Our MS only offers one English class - Advanced English. It is a mix of kids who are very proficient and some kids who are ESOL and kids who are at grade level.

MCPS doesn’t support differentiation because it is not Equitable.

Unfortunately, this system helps nobody. The kids who are below level just struggle, even with ‘supports’ in place and often end up being disruptive because they’re not engaged in learning. And the kids who are above grade level get bored and disengage.

So they're achieving equity by dumbing everyone down to the least common denominator?

Yes, honors classes in MCPS exist in name only. It's a sad state of affairs.

+1 serves no one except the administrators because it makes it look like the advanced courses aren't only full of certain groups. #equity ..not.

[Anonymous]

It’s so tough. I know a teacher who said he used to be able to tell which class was honors and which was on level just by glancing in the door. Black and brown? On level. More than a few white kids? Honors. This is in a diverse MCPS high school. The on level classes were ROUGH to teach- lots of behavior issues. Now there is this weird mix, but I do think it’s more equitable. I am not a POC but I can only imagine how that would feel seeing that every day. We have to do better in terms of leveling the playing field. I don’t know how else we can do it. This is a start, anyway.

[Anonymous]

At test time, do the teachers provide two different tests, one for the honors kids and another for the on-level kids?

During class, does the teacher stop and say, OK this next part is for the honors kids only, the on-level kids can play games on their computer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s so tough. I know a teacher who said he used to be able to tell which class was honors and which was on level just by glancing in the door. Black and brown? On level. More than a few white kids? Honors. This is in a diverse MCPS high school. The on level classes were ROUGH to teach- lots of behavior issues. Now there is this weird mix, but I do think it’s more equitable. I am not a POC but I can only imagine how that would feel seeing that every day. We have to do better in terms of leveling the playing field. I don’t know how else we can do it. This is a start, anyway.

Do you have a kid at an MCPS high school?

How do you think this actually helps Black and Brown kids perform better/get better grades?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any idea what percentage of parents oppose this model, and whether there is an organized group in place to oppose it?