Underachieving by Design

The initial day of registration for the class of 2012 was a week ago, and the 501 8th graders we accepted were invited to school so they could register for classes next year. According to the administration, the turnout was better than expected, considering the economic situation most families presently find themselves in.

I wrote about freshmen registration last year ( Freshmen Registration Day, March 9th, 2008) and this year was very similar. I spoke that day with about 15 families who thought that their child’s entrance exam scores were not consistent with their success in grade school. Of these, I moved 3 students up in placement on the basis of information the parents provided (grade school report cards, recommendation letters from teachers, etc.). I felt comfortable that these students could handle the higher level work based on the information I saw. Another seven or eight I talked into starting out in the lower level we recommended, at least until we had a chance to evaluate their work early next year. Three were placed on a list for our Honors Biology teacher to evaluate, not feeling that I could make a decision one way or the other myself. She will call their grade school, speak to the parents, and make a decision based on her gut feeling. I suspect that, eventually, all three will be moved up.

All my discussions with parents were civil and productive, except for one mother. Her son has scored terribly on the entrance exam, his composite score below the 25th percentile (6th percentile in math and verbal ability). He was accepted conditionally, placed in all lower level classes, and required to attend a summer remedial program in both math and reading. She was beside herself with anger yelling at me (as if I had anything to do with her son’s poor score). “How could this be valid?” she argued, “He has straight A’s in grade school!” “How many other students with straight A’s are required to be in a remedial summer class?” she shrieked. I confessed I did not know, even though every student I spoke to that day had a grade school report card with straight A’s. I was afraid if I told her that she would reach across the table and attempt to strangle me on the spot.

I spoke to four students from the same school, all below average on the exam, who all argued that they should be moved up into Honors Biology because their science teacher (same woman for all) said they were the best science student in the school. This is why we don’t place students based on grade school report cards and teacher recommendations only.

She demanded that I place him in honors biology, which I refused to do. I argued that in the summer session the teachers would re-evaluate him and recommend a new placement if appropriate. She was not satisfied, threatening to go over my head to the principal if necessary.

I related this story to my friend in the Math Department who I know teaches the summer remedial program. He informed me that either his school has inappropriately low expectations for an “A” or the boy purposefully tried to fail the exam. He related to me that every summer they encounter students who were conditionally accepted who confess that they tried to fail the exam. They wanted to go to the public school with their friends, but their parents insist on sending them to us, so they tried to get rejected. They leave whole blocks of questions unanswered, or purposely enter answers randomly in an attempt to score so low they will be rejected. The more I think about it, the more I think this is the case with this boy. His mother fought for him to be placed in Honors, and he just sat there and said nothing. He must have been hoping that I would refuse to move him up; his mother intimating that if I didn’t, she would send him to the public school that already said he could be in their honors program.

On the other hand, he might be a very bright student who just had a bad day.

Hard Times

In January we tested 612 prospective students for our incoming freshmen class. The administration was very worried that the current recession would significantly reduce the number of applicants, but we held our own, attracting only a few percent less than last year. Other schools in the archdiocese were not as blessed. Of the students who took the exam, 501 scored high enough to be admitted and were sent letters of acceptance. The hard economic times we face will surely cause a drop in enrollment, but times are tough everywhere and we are still holding our own so to speak. Several other local private schools are in much worse shape; being on the brink of closing even before our economic crisis.

An unknown number of our current students will probably have to drop out because of financial problems, the worst case predictions say that we could lose 200-300 of our 1500+ enrollment. Many parents will make significant sacrifices in other areas to keep their children here; those students we lose will leave reluctantly, wishing they could stay.
It is everyone’s hope that when the economy recovers, so will our enrollment. A private education of the quality we offer is an investment in a child’s future, not just a luxury for the affluent.

The administration had already decided not to replace any teachers/staff that decided to leave at the end of the year, preferring to cut their positions and redistribute their students/duties. Unfortunately, the employment consultation forms that everyone filled out in January indicated that no one is planning on leaving. There will be very little turnover in teaching positions through the area, teachers at most schools trying to hold on to the positions they have for now. Our teaching contract defines a full-time teacher as someone with five classes, and a supervision period. Many of the staff teach a sixth class for extra money, but the principal has already decided to stop this for the time being so as few people as possible have to be let go.

Tomorrow is the beginning of 4th quarter and some parents have decided to transfer their kids now, being unable to cover the tuition costs for the rest of the year. I am losing one boy whom I wrote about last month. He is failing all of his classes and the parents have decided to cut their loses and save the $2000 still due for the rest of the year. He will be going to his local public school. I spoke to him on his last day (Friday) and he told me about the new school he will be attending. They wear a uniform because of gang problems, carry their books around in a “clear” back-pac so all its contents are visible, and have to go through a metal detector each day. I told him I was sorry to see him go and reminded him that his parents would have kept him here if he had only studied—he is very bright and capable of straight A’s if he worked. He just shrugged, indicating that he really didn’t care one way or the other, even commenting that he may be back next year if he doesn’t like it. I spoke with his guidance counselor last week when I heard about the transfer. She has been working with him all year, trying to get him motivated, but found nothing that worked. Being a minority student, we could have gotten him a full ride to college if he only put out the effort. He is easily the brightest student in my 5th period class. I am hoping that he sees the error of his ways and turns into the student he can be.