By KATE CERVE
kcerve@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5517
Published Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008 12:00 AM
After listening to parents, teachers and principals for nearly two hours Tuesday night, the Beaufort County Board of Education agreed to discuss the district's course structure for middle-school students at its January retreat.
Ten parents and one Hilton Head Island High School student urged the board to reverse the district's decision that stops eighth-graders from earning high school English and science credits in middle school.
"Our kids have the opportunity to take these courses and do extremely well," said Sam Hershberger, a Blufftonfather of four. "Please don't reduce their opportunity to earn high school credits in middle school."
Two weeks ago, superintendent Valerie Truesdale announced a new plan for all middle-school students, including gifted and talented students, that will be consistent across all the district's schools.
The new procedures will take effect next school year:
•English 1 will be taught only at the high school level. Programs would be offered to prepare incoming freshmen for advanced placement courses.
•Physical science will not be offered for high school credit in middle school.
•Foreign language courses will be reinstated, and Spanish classes will be offered at the middle school level. Eighth-graders will receive high school credit for Spanish 1.
•All middle schools will offer algebra 1 and geometry for high school credit.
Truesdale said the district wants to encourage students to take four years of math and English in high school.
She said too many gifted and talented students are participating in early release or late arrival programs instead of taking rigorous courses during their senior year.
Board member Bob Arundell said he respects the district's decision.
"Some parents think we are taking away rigor in eighth grade, and I respect their opinion, but the principals and the ones that hold master's and doctorates in education are telling us different," he said.
"We should be doing everything we can to help our best and brightest students and not by putting a road block in the way of their opportunity," said Jonathan Dobbins of Bluffton.
Parents say they suspect the change was made because high schools don't benefit when middle-schoolers take end-of-course exams for classes typically taken in high school. Their scores don't count toward a high school's report card, which the state uses to gauge the academic progress of schools and districts.
Truesdale said that was not why the decision was made.
"It's very important that we pay attention to the performance of our students, but report cards were not a guiding principle in this decision," she said.
Julie Petroff, chairwoman of the English department at Battery Creek High School, said the change will help bolster eighth-grade language instruction "that stresses analytical writing, more formal grammar, taking responsibility for deadlines ... These would enhance the four courses that they would take in high school."