KINGSTON � Beginning next fall, Sanborn Regional High School will eliminate the practice of strict tracking for incoming students in favor of more heterogeneous groupings.

Currently Sanborn students can chose from a wide range of subjects; some are offered as heterogeneous grouping but most classes are sorted through mixed-ability grouping, which is based on one's supposed academic ability. There are currently four levels of ability grouping at the high school, including advanced placement, honors, Level A and Level B.

According to Principal Gail Sudduth, the new program will consist of two main tiers, honors and college/career prep. The school will also increase its offerings of advanced placement courses from five courses to six courses. "Basically we are eliminating the B track in order to ensure that all our students are receiving a quality education," Sudduth said. "Heterogeneous grouping simply means that students are not pre-labeled intellectually, but instead are all subject to the same challenging courses and given an equal opportunity to achieve academically."

Sudduth said the change was driven in part by observations and recommendations made in the accreditation report issued by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Public Secondary Schools in 2005. During its evaluation of Sanborn Regional High School, NEASC found the school was not fulfilling its mission statement of educating every student.

The NEASC report found that Sanborn's curriculum inconsistently engaged students in inquiry, problem-solving and thinking, and in most cases failed to provide opportunities for the authentic application of knowledge and skills. The report also found that the current curriculum at Sanborn did not ensure that all students had sufficient opportunity to practice and achieve each of the schools' stated academic expectations. The accreditation committee found that there was a noticeable difference between the opportunities and expectations for students in the different levels, which resulted in differences in their opportunities and their ability to achieve the school's expectation for learning.

NEASC specifically found that Sanborn's lack of heterogeneous offerings hampers its efforts to ensure that all students meet the school's mission of empowering every student with skills, knowledge and ambition. The lower courses did not offer students the opportunity to engage in authentic inquiry, problem-solving and higher-ordered thinking, according to the NEASC report. NEASC also found that the current curriculum structure allows students to choose a class that has less work in order to meet course requirements.

In its report, NEASC recommended that the school develop and implement procedures for heterogeneous grouping throughout the schedule to foster an atmosphere of tolerance, diversity, respect and inclusion.

"In thinking about how to respond to NEASC's report, we looked closely at the tracking at Sanborn and found that B-level students were not feeling prepared and that most were capable of doing much more advanced work," Sudduth said.

She emphasized that a well-developed student support program is an important component of the plan so that all students can meet the higher standards. "We plan to make sure that any student who needs extra assistance is given that help," she said.

In designing the new program, Sudduth and her staff were guided by "Breaking Ranks," a publication by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which offers a series of recommendations for the 21st century high school. The central philosophy of the program is to make learning more personalized and to offer a curriculum that integrates essential knowledge and connects that knowledge to real life.

"An important part of the new curriculum is the use of subject integration. More courses will integrate one subject with another so students can experience a more practical, real-world application of knowledge," said Sudduth. Specifically, an integrative math course will be offered which will provide a different approach than the typical math instruction students are used to.

"The goal is to make sure all our students are prepared when they graduate, whether they are going to college or not. The reality is that many post-secondary career opportunities, such as the military, being a mechanic, or running the family business require high level skills," said Sudduth. "By phasing out the B level courses, we will ensure that our students do not just �pass through' high school."

School Board Chairman Kurt Baitz believes that the move to more heterogeneous grouping is a good idea.

"We have been pushing for a more rigorous curriculum and we are excited that there is finally a plan in place," Baitz said. "We want to have all our students working at a high level and we are hopeful that this curriculum plan will do just that."

Bakie School principal search

D.J. Bakie Elementary School Principal Donna Girard submitted her resignation at the last school board meeting. Girard, who was hired two years ago, is returning to a position with the Bow School District, where she previously was assistant principal of Bow Elementary School.

Baitz plans to move fast on getting a new principal hired. "We will be forming a principal search committee, getting input from staff and parents and getting some advertising out there as soon as possible," Baitz said.