Questions about the restructuring at West High School

• General questions:

• What are the goals and objectives of the Small Learning Communities initiative – i.e., what do you hope to achieve
• for all West High students?
• for struggling West students?
• for average West students?
• for academically successful West students?

• What are the data that support the implementation of an SLC model at West?  Specifically, can you tell us about a successful implementation somewhere in the country at a high school with demographics similar to those at West?

• How will you continue to meet the curricular needs of West’s many “high end” students, that is, those for whom the current structure (especially in terms of course offerings) has worked?

• How is the “neighborhood” restructuring that has occurred at Memorial the same as and different from the SLC model being implemented at West?

• How has the restructuring at Memorial affected the range and number of appropriately challenging course available for Memorial’s “high end” students?

• What is going on at Madison’s other two high school along these lines?

• Much of the SLC literature seems to be dogmatically anti-ability grouping of any kind.  This concerns us greatly.  What is your position on that point?

• Are you actively looking for SLC models that include adequate and meaningful learning opportunities for “high end” and successful students?

• Some writers argue that SLC’s can only be successful if the number of students per community is 400 or fewer.  West’s SLC’s will each have about 525 students.  Does that concern you?

• Are the SLC's at West serving as a test for a model that the entire district will be moving to in the next five to ten years?

• Specific questions:

 
• Will there be a section of accelerated biology for ninth graders next year?
• Have you considered adding a section, given the huge need and interest ? (Our understanding is that last year, about 125 students took the test to get one of about 28 slots.)

• Will there be a section (or more) of accelerated biology in 2005?

• Have you considered reinstating the integrated English/social studies option for next year’s ninth graders (e.g., one integrated pair per SLC, filled by student self-selection)?  Why or why not?  How about for the fall of 2005?  Again, why or why not?

• What, exactly, are the math options for next fall’s ninth graders?  Is this list correct? Accelerated geometry, accelerated algebra 1 (old traditional text), algebra 1(new text), Core Plus (integrated) math (requires a 2-year commitment; honors option available).  Is that correct?

• Will each of these courses be offered in each of the four SLC’s this fall?

• Will each of these courses be offered in each of the SLC’s in the fall of 2005?

• What will the “honors” option in Core Plus math consist of next fall?

• Will there be an accelerated algebra 1 option available in the fall of 2005?  If not, why not?

• On a scale of 0 - 10 (with “0" being “not at all committed” and “10" being “extremely committed”), what is your level of commitment to maintaining a traditional math curriculum sequence at West in the future?  For example, when the current traditional books wear out, what are the chances that you will purchase new ones?

• The current plan is for keeping students within an SLC in classes together through the 10th grade; are there plans to expand this beyond 10th grade?

• What exactly do the plans for Honors courses entail, separate classes or just extra work in the regular classroom?

• Is it West's intention to make all classes heterogeneous with regard to ability, or only for a student's first two years?