Sending a child to a wonderful school such as NCCL is not without it's pitfalls.
Most of us, conditioned by our own educations, struggle at times to understand
and have faith in the educational philosophy we have chosen for our children.
A familiar pattern observed by NCCL teachers is the evolution of our (that
is, parent's) attitudes toward NCCL's curricular and philosophical choices
as our children move closer to high school. It is easy to become panic stricken
in anticipation of a change in schools, and to wonder how well prepared a
NCCL student will be. How will they adapt to the greater homework demands,
will they be able to perform well on standardized tests, are there specific
content areas in which a NCCL education leaves students lacking? These are
questions that all of us tried to answer before enrolling our children here,
yet they resurface with added insistence as graduation approaches. While we
value the type of education we have chosen for our children, it is easy to
fear that the outside world will fail to value it, and that our children will
be unable to compete in a "foreign" high school environment.
On Monday, Feb. 6, a meeting was held for parents
of children in the two oldest homerooms to discuss what was loosely termed
"curriculum". For the staff, this meeting represented an opportunity
to reaffirm their faith in NCCL's philosophy and curriculum choices. The teachers
are confident that the approach used here IS one which will prepare students
for future educational success. This is not merely a philosophical belief,
but a conviction which has grown over many years of continued contact with
NCCL graduates. Support for an educational environment such as NCCL's is also
available from education professionals in the outside world. Marilynn brought
copies of several articles of interest, which document the negative effects
of grades, tests, and narrowly defined curricula and standards of achievement.
These articles make it quite clear why the the "memorize, test and forget"
style of achievement in vogue at most schools is not the sort of learning
we should aspire towards. Perhaps the most striking finding cited in these
article is that even as measured by conventional tests, the accomplishments
of ungraded, unpressured students has been repeatedly shown to be superior
to those who work for a grade. The implication that the experiences provided
by NCCL will continue to serve students even in an environment where they
will be assessed very differently is a comforting one.
The simple answer to the questions voiced above is:
yes, most NCCL graduates score well on standardized tests, and, after a brief
period of adjustment, produce good grades in high school. Over the years,
NCCL graduates have shown that they are indeed able to compete for grades,
when that is called for. In fact, last year's Newark High Valedictorian is
a NCCL graduate, as are two former Valedictorians at Tatnall. These outcomes
were was not mentioned at the meeting. We did hear the testimony of a NCCL
parent who teaches at St. Mark's, where she finds NCCL graduates very well
prepared. Nonetheless, it is recognized that the transition to high school
is not a seamless one. In recent years, this issue has been addressed, in
part, through what Ray calls "Boot Camp", a one week session during
which "normal school", is simulated in the oldest home room. This
year, Boot Camp will include a visit to Newark High School.
As to the ever stressful issue of standardized tests,
it was emphasized that even when a student does score poorly, those results
can be compensated for through parental and teacher input. Such advocacy has
often succeeded in adjusting a student's placement.
Other concerns voiced at the meeting received somewhat
less attention, due to time constraints. These issues will be the topic of
the next installment. Stay tuned!
