Middle School Changes: World Language Cuts?
If we do this we will have less World language instructional time then all of our peer middle schools.
I know we have had difficuly recruiting and hiring Spanish teachers for the past two years. We have been told there is a shortage of qualified teachers but given this competitive market why would any WL teacher want to come to our district when our commitment to WL instruction is so tenuous. We take 2 steps forward and 3 steps back with a new plan every year.
http://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/som-school-district-middle-schoolers-will-continue-get-2-years-spanish-across-grades-6-8/
Reality check please - how are we not looking at a reduction in instructional time?
When asked to confirm, the district’s Director of Strategic Communications Suzanne Turner replied, “The schedule we are developing for next year continues to provide students with the equivalent of 2 years of Spanish instruction during grades 6-8 to prepare them to take Spanish 2 at Columbia High School when they enter 9th grade.”
We currently have 2 years of every day spanish in grades 7 and 8. We currently have one year of Spanish every other day for grade 6.
If we offer less days of instruction for 2 grades or even 1 grade how is that the same?
What exactly is 2 years of instruction? How many minutes in total. This doesn't add up.
Someone is parsing.
I hope VillageGreen will be following up and I hope the district will be providing more details.
The number of years spent studying a language and the frequency of instruction impact the level of proficiency acquired in the language. This principle has historically been supported by research in the United States and abroad. However, as part of a three-year grant project (2005-08), the New Jersey Department of Education collected data from New Jersey schools that further support these research findings. Data from the federally funded project that assessed the language proficiency of 60,000 8th-grade students present compelling evidence for the need to develop programs that offer all students the opportunity to meet the state-designated proficiency level of Novice-High. The data show that programs offering a minimum of 540 hours of articulated instruction in classes that meet at least three times a week throughout the academic year produce a majority of students who can speak at the Novice-High proficiency level or higher. Consequently, the establishment and/or maintenance of quality, well- articulated language programs at the elementary and middle-school levels, as required by New Jersey Administrative Code, is critical for building the capacity of high school students to achieve the Novice-High level of language proficiency required for graduation.
Pay particular attention to the last paragraph.
Where do we stand against that minimum standard?
The details of world language at middle schools are confirmed: 6 and 7th grade will get 1 semester of language, it will be treated like a related art. That is a reduction from full year to half year for 7th grade. 8th grade will remain a full year .
Will students be prepared for Spanish 2 in HS? Just because you say they can take it doesn't mean they will be prepared .
So our teachers are to deliver the same curriculum in 2 years that they were previously delivering in 2.5 years.
This will be on the agenda at April 27 BOE meeting.
Do you all think that having only one semester of Spanish for 6th grade and 7th Grade is acceptable?
Are you satisfied with our students having the least amount of World Language offered in Middle School (and elementary too) of all our peer neighbor schools?
After cutting 1/2 year of instruction for our students will they really be prepared for Spanish 2 at the HS as district maintains?
Are we really teaching 21st century skills if we handicap our students abilities to reach even limited fluency in a second language?
This is an equity and excellence issue because while our most affluent students can supplement this lack with expensive language immersion experiences our students of more modest means cannot.
This will be discussed at April 27 Board Meeting. Please make your voices heard and demand to know the educational rational for reducing language at the middle schools. Unlike the decision to cut our anemic elementary school program , it is not just budget that is driving this decision. This deserves a full airing and our district needs to hear from parents, students and teachers about these changes.
Board meeting tonight . Speak up and demand a thorough airing of this decision.
The Village Green Summary of BOE meeting April 27 with regard to Middle School Changes
http://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/middle-schools-get-longer-days-less-spanish-intervention-enrichment/
7th grade Spanish to be cut by half next year to make way for an Intervention/Enrichment period. The real purpose and priority for the decision is to make room for academic intervention in Math and ELA and the Enrichment is just a by-product of what do you do with everyone else not receiving intervention?
Why can't more Spanish be a choice for students?
The article mentions plans to integrate the Intervention period or WIN period into 8th grade for the 2016-17 year. What will we lose when it is integrated? More language or something else?
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What was said at the Middle School Orientation meeting a few weeks ago? Details are hard to come by.
This is of course in addition to cutting the anemic Elementary Spanish program completely.
Some IB school indeed!