"Albemarle County Superintendent Pamela Moran defended her recommendation to the School Board on Thursday night that would give county high schools the option of combining practical-level and standard-level courses, the two lowest levels offered, to create a new academic level.

Parents and board members questioned whether Moran’s proposal would accelerate students beyond their capabilities or limit the capabilities of others.

Betsy Haire, the mother of a practical-level student at Albemarle High, said combining levels could hurt students who need more time to grasp concepts, causing them to lose the motivation to learn.

“We really need to say our graduation rates are as important, if not more so, than how many students get to go to fabulous colleges,” Haire said, noting that it is difficult for some to read Beowulf or learn Middle English, as is required for practical students now. “I really think that we need to not throw our practical students into the bushel with everyone else. They need an appropriate education.”

Moran presented her program studies proposal, which includes changing to a 10-point grading scale among other items, to the board Thursday night.

Monticello High School has had combined levels for five years. In that time, student scores on the state Standards of Learning tests have improved. In 2003-04, 86 percent of Monticello students passed the English SOL, 77 percent passed math and 78 percent passed science, according to state Department of Education statistics. In 2005-06, 94 percent of students passed English, 80 percent passed math, and 88 percent passed science.

Monticello High has had problems with some students meeting SOL math requirements, and board members wanted to make sure this move was not purely motivated by the need to bolster math scores.

“My concern is that having higher scores across the board do not always tell us if there is something being missed for a student at the basic level,” said board member Barbara Massie Mouly. “As we look at our math scores and support them to ratchet them up, we just have to make sure the basics are addressed and nothing essential gets skipped.”

Board member Diantha McKeel said the move to combine courses could be perceived as a way to lower the division’s academic standards in order to meet state and federal mandates.

In response, Moran said classes at all levels should be geared toward standards.

“It should not matter to me whether a child is in an honors-level class or a practical-level class. If we’re not offering a curriculum that’s designed for a student linked to performance, I think we have a problem. But do I think that there are sometimes kids that get placed above their heads? Absolutely.”

The School Board is scheduled to vote on Moran’s program of studies proposals at its Feb. 22 meeting." (Matt Deegan, The Daily Progress, February 9, 2007)