www.eastside-online.org
Vol. 52 No. 4
Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
December 2018
Redefining Regular
Photo by Jiseon Lee (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor Art by Danny Kahn (‘20)/ Eastside Art Editor Photo Illustration by Ali Koenig (‘20)/ Eastside Managing Editor and Nafessa Jaigirdar (‘19)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief
■ By Sophia Liang (‘19) Eastside Editor-in-Chief
Over the last two decades, the Cherry Hill Public School District has gradually reduced the variety of course levels available to its high school students. In the past, students at East and West could choose between four levels of rigor for each of their subjects — Honors/AP, Accelerated, Regular and Modified — whose first letters combined into an acronym, as Superintendent Dr. Joseph Meloche noted, spell out HARM. The district later replaced Modified with Concepts classes for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Around 2007 to 2010, it began to remove the Regular level (R-level) from science and history, leaving only a few R-level English and math classes. According to Meloche, the concern that R-level classes would restrict students’ future prospects was the driving factor behind the district’s decision to reduce the number it offered. “One of the questions that came about was… what were the options and opportunities if a child started in R-level in ninth grade, [and] did that limit opportunities for them in tenth grade, eleventh grade and twelfth grade?” said Meloche. “What did that mean for children when they were graduating from high school…or applying to col-
Inside This Issue
lege?” Meloche emphasized that R-level classes are designed to prepare students for college, as are East classes across the board. However, he believes that it is the negative stigma surrounding them, more so than the content of the courses themselves, that may prevent some kids from reaching their full potential. The class levels that teachers recommend to students at the end of eighth grade often guide their entire high school trajectories, he said. Teenagers’ motivation, work ethics and subsequent academic performance can drastically change as they mature, but Meloche worries that labeling someone an “R-level kid” in freshman year can create a self-fulfilling prophecy that discourages that student from aiming higher for the rest of high school. “Adults and children alike often would assign value prior to even meeting a kid,” he said. “Kids become locked into a categorical definition which often internally or externally can limit what their opportunities are as they progress through the system.” The district decided to keep R-level English and math classes after looking at the results of standardized tests and other outside measures of performance. Seven years after the level was eliminated from other subjects, Meloche believes the change was for the better. He attributes
East alum honored by election to House Features, Pg. 7
Cherry Hill’s AP Honor Roll District designation, which is given to school districts with increasing AP participation and high exam scores, to its commitment to challenging students academically and encouraging them to take high-level classes. He has also heard anecdotal reports from teachers and students about positive changes within the classroom. “It’s a more diverse population of kids in terms of learning styles and learners [in each class],” he said. “There’s been a difference in perspective… [and] in terms of dialogue and discussion.” However, after surveying 155 East students of all grade levels and interviewing 20 teachers of all departments, Eastside found that the school’s general opinion greatly differs from Meloche’s perspective. Every interviewed teacher supported reintroducing R-level courses, and 74 percent of surveyed students agreed that having a larger selection of R-level classes would be beneficial. In response, Meloche said he would be interested in communicating with East faculty and students to reevaluate whether or not the change has created the desired effect. “For me it’s always about...stretching minds and helping kids grow,” he said. The Eastside editorial board believes that Rlevel classes should be offered for more subjects. To read the editorial, go to page 14.
New homeroom policy accelerates student freedom
Opinions, Pg. 15
Regular admission concert survivial guide Culture, Pg. 20