One day, last year, most students walked into school noticing newly placed laminated, shiny mission statements in every single classroom. Why, you might ask, was there suddenly an onslaught of mission statements gracing the walls of our school. The answer is: NEASC, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; the signs were hung up in preparation for the NEASC Accreditation of our school.
The Facts:
After four years of preparation, NEASC members evaluated our school and recently published a final report of their findings. The evaluation included 51 hours of shadowing 17 students, 55 hours of classroom observations, and individual meetings with 34 teachers.
NEASC pointed out two targets of education:
1.Teaching and Learning Standards, which includes, mission and expectations for student learning, curriculum, instruction, assessment of student learning
2. Support of Teaching and Learning Standards, which includes, leadership and organization, and school and community resources for learning.
A summary of our school profile included:
-Ethnicity: 75% white, 17% Asian, 3.2% Hispanic White and 3% African American
-In 2005-2006, 345 failing grades were distributed. No one was expelled. There were 74 out-of-school suspensions.
-Our school has 88 Clubs.
-88% of students attend 4 year colleges. 5% attend 2 year colleges. 7% other
After reading the 71 page report in its entirety, the Shrinking Quad has a few comments.
“…the mission [statement] also emphasizes the development of healthy students in a supportive environment, and the faculty members and students struggle to promote a balance between this value and the community’s expectations that LHS will prepare students for entrance to the most highly selective colleges and universities…”
The NEASC report, in overtly jargonated language, highlights one of the problems that our school has: stress. A major cause of anxiety at school is the atmosphere of cutthroat competition and the desire to do better than our peers. The school has said that it is aware of the stress levels, yet little has been done to mediate this problem. Then again, there is not much any school can do about stress, as it is student created, and thus to some degree, is inevitable. For stress levels to really change in our high school, it must come from the students. And pigs will most definitely fly before that happens here.
“Academically able and motivated students thrive in this rich and challenging atmosphere, a few students; a few students may remove themselves physically or emotionally by repeatedly coming late, unchallenged to class, sleeping in class, or remaining passive while their peers are actively engaged in learning”
Certainly there are some students who are simply not motivated and are “remaining passive”, but there are also those who are academically driven who have days when they simply just don’t want to be at school. Doesn’t everyone have days like that? Was it fair for NEASC to judge students based on if they were asleep in class? What if those select few were just having an “off” day? Honestly, most of us never get an adequate amount of sleep, so excuse us for dozing off in class? The students here are pressed for time, always busy with extracurriculars and challenging curriculums– its pretty easy for us to become apathetic and tired. However, TSQ does recognize that sometimes the academic competition at our school is not always healthy, and thus, some people choose to not participate in school.
“…the use of technology to support teaching and learning is inadequate, especially given the community’s expectations that students will be prepared for the 21st century”
Our internet server may be slow, but we’d hesitate to say that the amount of technology is inadequate. In fact, sometimes too much technology interferes with learning. We have access to Smart Boards, projectors, new computers and other technological devices. We could use a bit updating here or there, but I think NEASC went a bit overboard about how awful our technology is at our school. I mean, the only thing we really need to know how to do is use a computer, and we think most of us have got that down pat. Smartboards are not absolutely necessary to prepare us for the 21st century. And even if we did have shiny new technological devices, it would in no way reflect the extent of the ability of the school has in imparting education to us. Learning is learning with or without all the contraptions of the 21st century.
“Faculty members feel many students take on too many activities and demanding classes. Counselors say that it is not uncommon for students to feel that their worth is connected to how well they perform in school and as demonstrated through college acceptances.”
Truth. I think many students can attest to this sentiment. Once again, its a deadly cycle perpetuated by us, the students.
“Librarians also collect and make available textbooks to students so that they can complete homework assignments…”
That is, if they actually let you in the library.
“Sewage seeping up through floor in workout room…inadequate ventilation of science labs…limited cafeteria space that means the cafeterias cannot accommodate all students for lunch, requiring students go off campus to eat or eat in hallways…general dissatisfaction with the 2002 renovation…visible signs of wear and lack of attention…At present, the custodians are limited in their ability to address more than the daily needs of the building.”
‘Nuff said.
Four years ago, Lexington High School was listed among the Top 300 schools in the nation. It’s appalling to see how far (down the list) we’ve come.
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