SUPPORT ACADEMIC STUDENT CHOICE AND DIFFERENTIATION FOR ALL BELLEVUE STUDENTS.

Bellevue School District should give parents and students choices in their academic pathway, returning to the policy of allowing capable and willing students the option to advance in science, especially if those students are also already advancing in mathematics in middle school, specifically 6th and 7th grade.

BSD's "one size fits all" curriculum allows for little to no individualized differentiation until students are in high school and choose to take AP classes.  The only other option for academic differentiation during 2nd-8th grade is by testing into and attending the self-contained Advanced Learning program. BSD should want to meet the needs of ALL students, not just those who score in the 98th+ percentile on the CogAT test. Being capable of passing a high- stakes test should not be the only pathway to a rigorous and relevant education.  There are many capable students who would benefit from math and science acceleration, including students who do not "qualify" for or attend the self-contained Advanced Learning program.  Let's hold BSD accountable and require them to fulfill their mission and meet the needs of all students - and provide an equitable education for all students.

History:

Until, just a few years ago, all BSD 5th grade students took a math placement test in the spring to determine if they were eligible for math and science acceleration. According to BSD, because of curriculum changes, they no longer offer a district-wide 5th grade math placement test.  Instead, BSD is encouraging families to continue on an "authentic course acceleration" and requiring interested students to take IMT1 (6th grade math) during summer school for $984. This "authentic course acceleration" is in such high demand that there is now a lottery for summer school spots!  Requiring summer school for students who already excel in math is an odd way to meet the needs of advanced students and the $984 price tag is incredibly inequitable.  BSD also offers a self study option for math acceleration for families with "extenuating circumstances" who cannot attend summer school. This self-study option only offers a test on two different days in August, and students must earn at least a 90% in order to "pass".  Meanwhile, students who took summer school only need a minimum grade of 70% to pass and be placed in IMT2 for 6th grade, and students who take IMT1 during the school year only need a minimum of 60% to go on to IMT2 the following year.  Having different rules for math placement the next year is also inequitable.  BSD should also offer an opt-in placement math test in the spring of 5th grade. 

SCIENCE

BSD used to allow students who who were identified as capable to accelerate in math the option to also skip 6th grade science as well.  This was an option, some students accelerated in both math and science, some students only advanced in math, and some students identified as good candidates decided not to advance in math and science at all.  A few year ago BSD changed science curriculum to Amplify Science in order to align to NGSS (Next Gen Science Standards).  Now BSD is citing that because of the new curriculum, no students are able to accelerate in science, unless they have tested into and are attend the self-contained Advanced Learning program.  I'd like to make two counter arguments: 1) There is no evidence to that says students who skip 6th grade science won't meet science standards. 2). Students new to Bellevue School District in 7th grade are registered for 7th grade science even if they haven't had 6th grade Amplify Science.  

Accelerating in science can be a great benefit to interested students and actually allows students to take more science during high school, without needing to double up on science, or give up continuing to take a foreign language and music, for example.  Accelerating in science allows students wishing to take a variety of AP classes the option of spreading those classes out so they continue to have a healthy school-life balance during high school. 

If BSD were truly interested in meeting the social-emotional health of students they wouldn't be requiring students to actually take more AP classes as a freshman.  Unfortunately this is exactly what BSD is suggesting kids do now that they no longer acceleration in science.  BSD now suggests that students can opt to take AP Biology as a freshman in lieu of skipping 6th grade science.  If families are committed to having their students take science continually from 6th-12th grade, whatever science that is missed by skipping 6th grade science will surely be negligible once kids have taken 7th grade science, 8th grade science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, AP science classes and science electives.  I don't want to diminish the importance of 6th grade science, I just feel strongly that in the grand scheme of things, skipping 6th grade science actually allows for students the opportunity to take more science.

BSD's mission statement is "To serve each and every student academically, socially, and emotionally, through a rigorous and relevant education that is innovative and individualized.  As a learning community that values one another's humanity, we provide courageous support for an equitable and exceptional education for all students."  

I want my current 5th grader to have the same options as her older sisters. BSD should stand by their mission statement and meet the needs of ALL students AND families!