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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]After looking carefully at the courses for my rising 9th grader, it appears to me that Wilson offers an "honors" level class for Freshman English and Biology, and math and a second language at flexible levels.  The big question is History. I believe all students are required to take World History, for which I see no honors class. Since 40% of Wilson students are reading below grade level, does this mean that my DS is taking the first two years of history in a classroom where close to half of his classmates are not reading proficiently?  I was surprised by this because the school offers a really impressive array of AP classes in social sciences and history.  I wonder how well students can be prepared for those upper level classes if the first two years are by necessity working at a remedial level.

Anyone have personal experience of this situation which they can share?[/quote]

So you don't think dcps teachers could differentiate?[/quote]

Here's the dirty little secret:  When the gaps are too wide, for example a difference of top performers being 4 or 5 grade levels apart from bottom performers (as is often the case when drawing from a larger population of students) differentiation really does not work.  The reality of it is that teachers end up just teaching to the middle, the higher performers are left to their own devices and don't really hit their full potential, and the bottom performers don't get the remediation and help they really need.  As for the "valuable insights" it's 4 years spent learning some of us aren't so fortunate, but even that lesson comes mixed, with both altruism but also cynicism.[/quote]

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