To the editor:

On April 1, many news stations began reporting that data surrounding the AP exams that were administered in 2021. Nationwide, 22.5% of students tested scored a 3 or higher on at least one test. However, in Massachusetts, that number climbed to 31.1%. Most surprising, Massachusetts had eight districts where more than 90% of students tested scored a 3 or higher on at least one test. While those districts have a lot going for them - they are wealthy, for one - their success runs deeper than that.

I am a high school English teacher, and I have taught AP Literature; I know what it takes for students to earn passing scores on the AP tests. I took a look into the districts where those 90%+ numbers came from to see what was happening in their program of studies, because I would have been very surprised to see unleveled classes there. It is my experience that the majority of students cannot make the jump from heterogeneous classes to AP classes without some degree of struggle. 

Here is what I found.

• Dover-Sherborne: Has honors at all levels 9-12

• Lincoln-Sudbury: While they don’t have levels per se, they do have a "Global Scholar Designation.” Many of the classes qualify for that requirement, and have long-term projects attached to them; this is a far better option that what BPS rolled out here as an ‘Honors Designation’

• Acton-Boxborough: Has four levels (honors, accelerated/enriched, college prep, college prep 1) 9-12

• Concord-Carlisle: Has honors 9-12

• Westford: Has honors 9-12

• Wayland: Unleveled for grade 9, but has levels for grades 10, 11, 12

• Brookline : Has honors 9-12

• Belmont: Has honors 9-12 

These are all top districts in Massachusetts. If we want to be looking anywhere for how to improve, these are the districts we should be referencing. Are they losing their NEASC accreditation for having levels? Of course not. These districts have levels, they are best meeting the needs of the students, and they are flourishing as a result. To suggest otherwise would be foolish.

While the district continues to claim that deleveling is being done in the name of equity, the data, time and time again, shows that this is not good for students of any level. In a 2020 study published in the Journal of College Science Teaching titled “Comparing Academically Homogenous and Heterogeneous Groups in an Active Learning Physics Class,” Michael Briggs concluded, “The feedback points to academically heterogeneous groups often putting the weaker students in a position where they are more likely to become passive observers rather than active participants. Based on student comments, the weaker students in heterogeneous groups often are concerned about holding their group back and in general are self-conscious about not understanding something as well as their group members.” That is not what equity looks like.

On the March 30 meeting, Mr. Hurley suggested that it would be impossible to add leveled classes back to the program of studies for 2022-2023 because it’s too late. We have five months until the next school year starts. It is not too late. However, realistically, five months is not enough time to design an entire new Honors Designation that is actually meaningful and won’t fail miserably like the last one. 

The administration needs to listen to the stakeholders in this community. Stop steamrolling parents and students and listen. Take action to reinstate the levels that were working for everyone and best serving the needs of the students. 

Sincerely,

Kelly Andreoni

Barrington