萝卜AV视频

I remember it like it was yesterday鈥�

When I was an assistant principal, Grant Hanevold, the assistant superintendent who supervised my school, and I were waxing poetic about the ideal school. 鈥淚magine if every student had the opportunity to participate in an accelerated/honors/Advanced Placement curriculum?鈥� That was the dream. We were both convinced that students would rise to the challenge. 

All Accelerated Middle School  

Soon after that conversation, I was selected as the principal of a middle school that was about to transition into a full magnet school. This was my opportunity to turn the dream into a reality. 

As a math teacher, I could never understand why a student鈥檚 performance as a 10-year-old in Grade 5 determined whether they would have the opportunity to take AP Calculus in Grade 12.

In the district I was in, it was very common practice that, based on the recommendations of Grade 5 teachers, a select group of students were placed in accelerated math in Grade 6, which was the only track to taking Algebra I in Grade 8, and ultimately AP Calculus in Grade 12.

Since the Grade 6 and 7 accelerated math courses covered 3 years of content in two years, students in a non-accelerated track had an extremely difficult time jumping to accelerated, because they had large gaps of content.  

I decided that at Lied STEM Academy Middle School, all core classes would be accelerated. On the first day of school, students came up to me saying, 鈥淢r. Fialkiewicz, I think I am in the wrong math class. I am not very good at math.鈥� I would always answer the same, 鈥淵ou know what, you are in the right class. I personally placed you in accelerated math because I believe you can be successful.鈥�  

As it turns out, Grant and I were correct. The students rose to the occasion.  Many students who were 鈥渘ot good at math鈥� in Grade 5, even those with IEPs, successfully completed Algebra I for high school credit in Grade 8. Over 75% of students who attended Lied STEM Academy Middle School entered high school with at least one high school mathematics credit at a B or above.

When we raise expectations for our students, they will raise their confidence and performance. 

AP for All High School 

When we raise expectations for our students, they will raise their confidence and performance. 

When I received the email advertising the superintendent opening in the Corbett School District in Oregon, I was immediately tempted to delete it, like I did all of the other superintendent advertisements.

For some reason, I opened that email and did a little more research on the Corbett School District. Come to find out, they touted themselves as 鈥淎P for All鈥�. That quickly caught my attention and was one of the many reasons I am currently the superintendent of the Corbett School District.  

About 15 years ago, the superintendent at the time decided that all core content courses at Corbett High School would be taught at the AP level. Each student was enrolled in at least four AP courses and completed at least four AP exams each school year. 

During the transition to my tenure as superintendent, the Corbett High School principal changed the requirement from all AP core courses to one AP course each year. Initially, I was disappointed. I didn鈥檛 understand why we would lower our expectations of our students. After spending my first months in Corbett listening, I came to understand that the students鈥� stress levels were through the roof when the expectation was all core AP classes. Providing students with a choice of AP classes produced a much higher success rate on the AP tests.  

Now, AP and non-AP courses run simultaneously, and the AP curriculum is taught to all students. If students enrolled in the AP portion of the class feel overwhelmed by the extra work to prepare for the AP exam, they can move to the non-AP section without changing classes. All students in the class are treated the same, and only when preparation for the AP exam begins do the assessment requirements slightly change for AP or non-AP sections. It is the best of both worlds.

Students will rise to challenges when provided the opportunity, resources, and adults who believe in their success. 

Every student is exposed to the AP curriculum, but not every student faces the added stress of the AP exam.  

It Can Be Done 

What once felt like a pie in the sky, unrealistic dream has become a thriving reality in both a middle school and high school 鈥� schools I鈥檝e been fortunate to work with throughout my career.

These are two tangible examples that students will rise to our expectations and challenges when provided the opportunity, resources, and adults who believe in their success.