WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 21, 2004: The Board of Education enthusiastically supported a proposal by Lois Gordon and Principal Ivan Toper to combine the Regents Prep and Regents level courses in the 10th Grade at White Plains High School last night.
Principal Toper said that the evidence is that children “learn up to our expectations of them,” and that by combining the classes, currently 8 Regents and 7 Regents Prep classes into 15 classes all teaching the same curriculum would challenge the disproportionate number of African-American and Hispanic students now in the more remedial Regents Prep Level classes. Toper said it was the intent to “provide support and get children to reach a high level, that will boost their self-esteem.”
The rationale for the combining of classes is found in the results of combining the 11th Grade U.S. History Regents and Regents Prep Classes in 2001. Since 2002, when the U.S. History Classes were combined the percentage of students passing the U.S. History regents has gone from 70% in 2002, to 89% passing in 2003 and 2004. Gordon said 77% of students who “transitioned” from Global Regents Prep courses to the combined U.S. History Regents either maintained or improved their Regents Exam scores.
Gordon said that there was a “disproportionate” number of minority students in the Global Regents Prep courses that are made up presently of 35% Black, and 48% Hispanic, and 16% white, 1% Asian. Combining this mix into 15 courses would not only challenge the students, and that the experiment with U.S. History showed that it produces better performing students. (White Plains High School enrollment (1,880 students estimated as of September), consists of 38% Hispanic, 36% White, 23% Black, and 3% Asian.)
Gordon said that in order to help those students who do not respond to the “challenge,” they would be required to attend a Global II Workshop once a week, which would be given twice so as to be able to serve up to 50 students a week. It was not clear whether students would attend the workshop once a week or twice, depending on need for the extra help.
The combination, she said, would also “allow for greater flexibility” in scheduling with “15 interchangeable sections” of Global Regents in 2005-2006.
A new curriculum would be written for the course at a cost that has been discussed with the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, and there would be a $7,500 cost for new textbooks, associated with the program.
The Board by consensus gave its blessing to the consolidation.
