The replacement plan for the academic portion of the Minneapolis
Public Schools (MPS) Comprehensive District Design shares with the district’s
original plan an enthusiasm for the definition of a well-round education in
accordance with the following from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):
ESSA Definition of a Well-Rounded
Education
>>>>> MPS supports the federal definition of a
well-rounded education
>>> …..
courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English,
reading, or language arts, writing,
science, technology, engineering, mathematics, global languages, civics and
government, economics, arts, history,
geography, computer science, music,
career and technical education, health, physical education,
and any other subject, as determined by State of local educational agency, with
the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and
educational experience.
(Every Student Succeeds Act: S. 177-298)
More concisely, the definition consistent
with that of ESSA that will guide the Minneapolis Public is the following >>>>>
>>>>> An excellent education is a matter of
excellent teachers imparting a knowledge-intensive, skill-replete education in
the liberal, technological, and vocational arts to students of demographic descriptors
in grade by grade sequence throughout the preK-5 years.
An excellent teacher is defined as
follows >>>>>
>>>>> An excellent teacher is a professional with
broad and deep knowledge, possessing the pedagogical ability to impart that
knowledge to students of all demographic descriptors.
…………………………………………………………………….
Three main components will drive the
replacement plan for the academic portion of the MPS Comprehensive District
Design:
>>>>> curriculum overhauled for
knowledge-intensity;
>>>>> teachers trained so as to manifest ability
to impart such a curriculum;
>>>>> aggressive program of skill remediation to
raise fundamental proficiency for those students languishing below grade level.
Curriculum will be completely overhauled at
grades preK-5, with an emphasis on mathematics; natural science (biology,
chemistry, physics, and subcategories in those main fields); history and social science (government,
economics, sociology, psychology, and anthropology); world literature and English usage; and fine (musical and visual) arts. Introductions to these fields will begin at
prekindergarten and become ever more sophisticated, following a careful
sequence, as the student progresses to grade five.
Emphasis on the fields of the liberal arts
will continue in middle school (grades 6-8), with the addition of course
options in world languages and the technological and vocational arts.
Course offerings in high school (grades
9-12) will continue with the emphasis on the liberal, technological, and vocational
arts. All high school students except
those facing particular cognitive challenges will take Advanced Placement (AP)
courses in calculus, government, United States history, world history, English,
biology, chemistry, and physics; and
care will be taken to challenge all students to the extent of their
capability. Upon a solid academic
foundation, high school students will opt for a range of courses in history,
the social sciences, literature, and philosophy, according to their personal
driving interests. All students will
conduct multi-source research during grade 12 and produce a 15-page paper with
proper citations that follows from those driving interests. Also following those interests and personal
goals, students will select from a range of course options in the liberal,
technological, and vocational arts as they prepare for the particular
post-secondary training that will allow them to reach their professional
aspirations.
……………………………………………………………………………..
All teachers will be trained as professionals
of deep and broad knowledge.
For teachers at grades preK-5, this will
mean attaining a Masters of Liberal Arts degree that will give them subject
area knowledge in mathematics through calculus;
biology, chemistry, and physics;
history (with inclusion of components in a range of social
sciences); world literature and English
usage; and the fine (musical and visual)
arts. This master’s degree will be
earned at Minneapolis Public Schools sites via evening and summer courses
taught by professorial field specialists from colleges and universities. This degree will require the production of a
master’s thesis of 50 pages or more in a major academic discipline.
Teachers at grades 6-8 (middle school) and
9-12 (high school) will required to earn master’s degrees in major academic
disciplines.
No degrees will be accepted from
departments, schools, or colleges of education or in the field of
education.
Veteran teachers will be evaluated for
knowledge and pedagogy as key to continued employment in the Minneapolis Public
Schools.
Prospective teachers will serve a full year
of successful internship before consideration for employment at the Minneapolis
Public Schools.
…………………………………………………………………..
Aggressive skill remediation will be
provided to students languishing below grade level in mathematics and
reading. Although such remediation will
occur at middle and high school levels as necessary, for those students who
begin and continue attendance at the Minneapolis Public Schools this
instruction will typically occur at the grades preK-5 level, so that middle and
high school readiness is assured. Most
such instruction will occur during the regular school day during an daily hour
designated for academic enrichment, with each student working on skill remediation
or topics of driving personal interest as appropriate. Additional skill remediation will be provided
after school as necessary.
……………………………………………………………………………..
Thus, knowledge intensity will drive
curricular overhaul.
Teachers will be trained for capability to
impart knowledge-intensive curriculum.
Students will be foundationally prepared to
move to higher levels of knowledge and skill development via remediation and
enrichment.
These programmatic elements will produce
students who upon graduation from high school have an abundance of deep and
broad knowledge in the liberal, technological, and vocational arts; and are prepared to move forward in
post-secondary pursuit of driving personal and professional goals.
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