Reply to Potential block schedule changes district-wide?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]https://www.governing.com/policy/the-urgent-case-for-rebuilding-student-achievement

Apparently it's this weird think tank/policy org ExcelInEd pushing the 60 minutes a day idea, based on what looks to me to be just the vague assertion that there are a few countries that score higher on math than the US that also have higher numbers of hours of math instruction per year.  Unless they have other stronger sources they're not showing, this just seems like sloppy BS to me, not something worth upending middle-schoolers' education over.

Also, despite their advocacy for this 60 minutes of math a day thing, ExcelInEd says that literally nowhere else in the county requires it for middle school (Alabama does for elementary school, which I think would be fine for Maryland to do too.)  I am really pissed at MSDE deciding to experiment on our kids on this, at the expense of foreign language learning, the arts, and other electives. [/quote]
Maybe. I mean I personally think it is good to focus on math over electives or foreign language in middle school, as math scores across the county are so so bad. That being said I think the focus should really be on kids that are behind. What supports are being provided to kids that are below grade level? Do we just send parents test scores and expect them to remediate at home/with private tutors?[/quote]

What kids who are struggling in math need is extra, focused intervention time in the school day outside the main math period.  Which will be really freaking hard to fit in if schools have to drop to 6 periods and no advisory periods/flex time in order to meet the 60 minute mandate. So either those kids don't get extra help, or they just don't get to take any electives in middle school at all (which is a great way to decrease student engagement with school and help nudge an already-struggling student on the path towards dropping out down the road...)

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