Posts tagged with academic.

Enriched programs: right for your child?

Kathy Dobson, May 19, 2009 at 2:21 PM

When it comes to university, it's never too early to start planning for success.

The choice between academic and applied courses in high school is only the first step. Once your child is on the path to university, what tools and options are available to help prepare them for that goal?

Because for some students, the high school-university jump is a complete culture shock.

Suddenly, they have to juggle five classes instead of four. A semester is compressed into 12 concentrated weeks instead of five months.

Depending on which degree they're pursuing, they might have several tutorials and labs.

With the Advanced Placement (AP) program, students can ease into the higher academic demands and stress of university - while still in high school. There are 37 AP courses to choose from, including calculus, chemistry, computer science, music theory, art history, and Chinese language and culture. Because the course demands are comparable to university level courses, the program is an internationally recognized standard of academic excellence. AP students may also be granted advanced placement or credit at universities.

My two oldest, Jenny and Scott, were shocked by the difference in pace between high school and university. They were both excellent students in high school, disciplined about homework and assignments, with great GPAs. Yet their first semester at the University of Waterloo had them both scrambling for a while just to catch up.

I still remember their amazement at how much was covered in just the first two weeks of classes. The first week of physics lectures covered everything they had learned from grades 9 to 12.

Although offered in 510 Canadian high schools, with more than 13,000 Canadian students enrolled in 2008, it isn't available yet in the Cornwall area where my kids attended high school (except for one semester). I wish it had been. For my two oldest, I think it would have been a good fit.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the course load during their first semester, the pace would have felt familiar. And if they had been able to make use of transfer credits, their course load could have been reduced from five classes a semester to four - a huge help for such a challenging transition.

Last week I wrote about the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, which is often described as being a "passport" to post-secondary education. So how is AP different from IB?

Both offer an enriched academic experience for your child. Both can result in larger entrance scholarships for university. (And both are two-letter acronyms.)

The main difference: flexibility.

Whereas IB is a rigorous, all-encompassing specific and rigid curriculum, AP can be tailored to your child's individual interests and academic strengths.

IB = rigorous curriculum

AP = individually tailored curriculum

Both programs demand discipline, a strong work ethic, and above average study habits.

Unlike my two oldest, my 13-year-old son, David, does have the options of IB and AP available to him. Both programs are offered where we live now, in Kitchener. But I’m still not sure what would be in his best interest. These programs mean a level of commitment not all kids are prepared or able to make. David doesn't seem interested in either program at the moment.

As a parent, how do you decide which program, if either, is best suited for your child? Our ambitions for our children's academic future shouldn't play a leading role when it comes to making these kinds of decisions. In order to truly succeed in the AP or IB program, a student has to want to be involved and ready to make the enormous commitment that both programs require.

When it comes to my son David, I'm still not sure which path he'll ultimately choose. Just like the IB program, AP is a wonderful opportunity. For the right student.

So what's the first step in deciding which program is right for your child? Perhaps the realization that neither is a good fit. And that's okay, too.

Tagged with high, school, enriched, academic, programs, placement, curriculum, advanced | Comments (11) |

Report cards: reporting on the whole person

Kathy Dobson, April 2, 2009 at 12:28 PM

  

Combed hair, clean fingernails, tidy clothing: 60 years ago, I would have had a straight A report card. Times have changed.

Forget spelling, math, or reading. When my mother was in elementary school, students were routinely judged and graded on their appearance.

All that other academic stuff mattered too, but just as important as studying for that math test was combing down that cowlick.

When my son David, who is almost 13 and in Grade 7, brought home his report card this week, there weren't any comments about his physical appearance or hygiene habits. Instead, in addition to marks for math, science, geography, and visual arts, his teachers also rated his initiative, conflict resolution, and problem solving abilities.

What have report cards become? And what exactly are they reporting on?

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, the provincial report card* ensures that all students attending publically funded schools in Ontario receive a standard report card based on the Ontario curriculum expectations.

The report card focuses and reports on two specific aspects of student achievement:

First, how well the student did on meeting the curriculum expectations. This refers to the more academic parts of the report card. It's an accumulation of your child's tests, assignments and projects.

The second part of the report card is an evaluation of a student's 'learning skills.' Combing your hair might not earn you marks anymore, but playing nice with others and participating in class will. These 'learning skills' include initiative, class participation, homework completion, problem solving, and setting goals to improve work habits.

Teachers' comments in this section might be more important than the marks.

If a teacher says my child is struggling with time management skills, isn't completing his homework, and needs to work on his conflict resolution skills, that's vital information about how my child is performing at school.

Of course, it shouldn't take a report card for me to realize that my child is having those kinds of problems at school.

Back in my parents' day - heck, even in my day - you'd know you were screwing up with those 'conflict resolution' skills based on the number of whacks you got with the school's strap.

But schools have evolved. Now they torture the parents.

Report cards now include a 'Response Form.' My son David has to fill it in with me, then bring it back to school. It states, "Please complete in conversation with your child."

Heh.

David is supposed to list what he's proud of having achieved, and identify his strengths. There's also a section for him to list an "academic goal" for next term, and one "learning skill" goal as well.

Then he needs to explain how he plans to achieve these goals.

As for my part, I need to share what accomplishments and progress David has made that I'm most pleased with. And also where I'd like to see some improvement, and how I'll "support my child at home" to help him achieve these goals.

Or I can simply check off the box: "I have received the report card," sign it, then send it back.

I wonder how many parents, for whatever reason, just check off that box, sending their child's report card back without any comments or feedback?

Of course, you're probably saying more with that one check mark than you ever could with any detailed response.

*Ontario report card, Grades 9-12  (Editor - education is a provincial matter, so different provinces will have different policies. For instance, see British Columbia's.)

 (Editor - these articles may be helpful in dealing with your child's report card: Reading report cards, Reacting to report cards, Five tips on dealing with report cards.)

 

Tagged with school, reading, spelling, math, standards, participating, skills, solving, cards, learning, report, problem, academic | Comments (12) |