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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
APS Plan To Empower Students Worth Trying
Taking charge of one's life is generally something adults talk about. Not that children don't or can't, but usually their parents, teachers and other authority figures are calling the shots.
Now, APS is requiring middle school and high school students to take more ownership of their school experience by not only attending, but also leading parent-teacher conferences. Students will have to prepare for their conferences and present examples of their work and a portfolio showing test scores, extracurricular participation and goals. The conferences will be part of the student's Next Step plan the state requires for graduation. The student is responsible for getting a parent, other family member, authority figure or adult friend to attend, along with an adviser, to talk about how the student will reach the goals.
In the past, educators — who often are blasted for poor student achievement and high dropout rates — have been quick to say academic success starts at home. This initiative has the potential to get more parents involved in their kids' schooling while holding the students accountable and engaged.
This is the first year APS has made student-led conferences mandatory for all the district's middle and high schools, so some tweaking is expected before the spring conferences. A raft of evaluation tools — surveys for students, parents, teachers and advisers, and focus groups at some schools — will be used to see the how the plan is working.
The A students can be expected to embrace this as one more chance to shine for their biggest fans, most likely very involved parents. But paramount is engaging the B and C students who need to improve if they want to go to college or a trade school. And the biggest challenge is getting the attention of the D and F students at risk of dropping out, the kids skipping school consistently who see no reason for a high school education.
Students stand to gain a reason to try harder in school and a confidence booster. Parents stand to know more about what their child is doing in school and how to help them succeed. If this idea works, everyone stands to go to the top of the class.
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