On September 15th, Supt. Taymore introduced a
concept for teaching and learning that is new to Melrose: competency-based
learning. She declared her intention to bring a fuller presentation to the Committee
and community on Tuesday, October 6th. Please take a look at her report: http://melrosecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=2700
at 2.1.a. Here are some highlights:
What is the intention around Melrose education? The
district wants to provide the best teaching and learning for each student,
without categorizing or labeling them (e.g. “gifted,” “special education,”
etc.).
What is offered now to address this concern? Things like
grouping students according to ability and rotating them at the elementary
level, or a middle school student could take a high school math course, or a
high school student could get credit for a course by passing an exam. Supt.
Taymore noted that each of these elements is being employed, but not
necessarily consistently at every school and every grade level. It’s a work in
process and consistently improving. MHS is implementing this best and the
Middle School is getting there. But she wants to consider doing even more
because she sees that teachers are working very hard in this area and
developing significant skill that supports students in this way.
What would competency based learning mean for our
students that is different from the way we do things now? Emphasize mastery
vs. seat time, personalize learning (what you need, when and how you need it), and
require demonstration of mastery of a subject or topic in the form of a
tangible product or performance, etc. Students might move quickly through some
topics and more slowly through others – but they progress at their own pace. If
students can already show that they understand information, they should be able
to move to the next topic or class or grade.
That makes sense, right? Why can’t we just implement this
now? There are a lot of details to be figured out before proceeding. For
example, the state requires 990 hours of high school time on learning. What if
a student masters all the required content in less than that amount? Must all
the time on learning hours be during the traditional school day (e.g. what if a
student takes a class at Salem State at night – shouldn’t that count?) What if
an elementary student has mastered all mathematics through grade 5 in January
of that year – how does s/he access the 6th grade math curriculum
when the middle school is across town?
Is this common in Massachusetts? No. Massachusetts, unlike many other states, has no policies around proficiency-based education, credit flexibility, or policies reflecting equivalents to "seat time." However, it's being done well in some places in New Hampshire and Supt. Taymore is looking to the Sanborn school district there for more information.
How do we talk about this and collectively learn more?
The Committee voted to hold a public forum on this topic in late Oct. or
sometime in November – please watch for it and participate! The Committee will
listen to what the community and district have to say, and ultimately vote on
12/8 whether to proceed down this road. If proceeding is approved, the district
would establish a task force to “explore model specifics, including logistics,
legalities, instruction and curriculum needs, training needs, timetable, etc.”
Want to read more? Check out these sources recommended by the Superintendent:
