When students rule the school?

Really interesting short film (15 minutes) about some students who created a school-within-a-school at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Called The Independent Project, the students designed their own curriculum and determined -- together -- how various subjects would be learned. In the end, a group of students who had been marginalized, unengaged and unenthused became engaged, active students interested in taking more responsibility for their own learning. And they learned the material, too!

A journalist who followed them wrote an interesting op-ed piece in the New York Times. She said:

The students in the Independent Project are remarkable but not because they are exceptionally motivated or unusually talented. They are remarkable because they demonstrate the kinds of learning and personal growth that are possible when teenagers feel ownership of their high school experience, when they learn things that matter to them and when they learn together. In such a setting, school capitalizes on rather than thwarts the intensity and engagement that teenagers usually reserve for sports, protest or friendship.

Check it out.

Ridgewood High School named Silver Medal school in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings

In its annual ranking of the Best High Schools in the United States, U.S. News & World Report named Ridgewood High School to Silver Medal status. We were one of only two Bergen County schools ranked (Bergen Academies was ranked #39 in the nation). New Jersey was ranked #4 state overall. The rankings were based on a three-step methodology, focusing on test performance (overall and for each school's least-advantaged students) and college readiness.

I'm not generally a big fan of magazine rankings...take them with a grain of salt and remember that one of these magazines' primary goals is to sell magazines, so they will develop rankings that seem unique, and with criteria that can change from year to year. In fact, the U.S. News college rankings have generated controversy in recent years as more and more colleges ask to be excluded because they don't agree with the methodology used. I haven't heard any of any similar controversy regarding high schools.

You can read the entire High School rankings story by clicking here.

Anyway, I think our high school's achievement as a Silver Medal ranking is something to celebrate! Congratulations to Jack Lorenz and our high school staff!

Tougher NJ high school graduation requirements approved

From today's Bergen Record:

New Jersey high school students will have to pass tougher classes to earn a diploma under new statewide graduation requirements unanimously approved Wednesday by the state Board of Education.

The new requirements focus on technology, communication and problem-solving skills, and were developed by educators, business leaders and university officials. They include more lab sciences and high-level math, a four-year sequence of English classes, and exams at the end of key courses to make sure students have mastered the skills they’ll need in college or on the job.

Click here for the full story.

Highlights of the NEW H.S. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

MATH:
Three years of math: algebra I, geometry and a third year of math that includes some advanced algebra and statistics

ENGLISH:
English I-IV

SCIENCE:
Three years of lab science: biology, a choice of chemistry, physics or environmental science, and a third year of science

ECONOMICS:
One semester of economics or financial literacy

Click here for the full story.

NJ's new high school requirements

Did you see the article last week about the new requirements the state of New Jersey is setting for students to graduate from high school? Here's a paste from the article in the Bergen Record 9/17/08:

The state education commissioner today outlined a broad “vision for transforming secondary education” for the next eight to 10 years. Specific plans call for a host of new tests and courses designed to better prepare students for college. The plans also call for districts to develop individual learning plans for all students in grades 6-12 beginning next school year.

New testing requirements were unveiled in April, and today Commissioner Lucille Davy presented some additions that include requirements for high school students to have completed coursework in personal finance and world history.

The state also plans to require high school students take at least five credits each in laboratory science and world language and be tested for proficiency in a language other than English. In addition, the state wants high school students to have completed at least one course online.

In order to graduate high school, students will have to pass tests in a host of individual subject areas, including biology, chemistry, language arts, foreign language and Algebra II by the year 2016. The tests are being phased in over the next eight years – starting with biology last year and Algebra I at the end of this school year.

I'm interested to hear what you think about these new requirements? How do you think this will affect our kids? Does it sound like too much testing? Or do we need to test more to ensure that our kids are actually prepared for their 21st century adult lives?

New Math Supervisor Grades 6-12

At the Board of Ed meeting Monday night (7/28), we approved the hiring of Daniel Ilaria as our new Mathematics Supervisor for Grades 6-12. Mr. Ilaria is a graduate of Drew University and Rutgers, and most recently worked as Supervisor of Mathematics for the Springfield Public School District. I had a chance to meet Mr. Ilaria and he seems like a nice guy and smart. He will be starting in Ridgewood just as soon as his current employer releases him.