Page 82 - EdViewptsSpring2021

reimagining the processes used for Several advantages to this model 3. Create a routine.
determining students’ placement to of decision-making emerged. One Importance was placed on establishing
advanced courses. advantage was the ability to tap a predictable routine for the workings
into the communities’ expertise. of the committee. Each meeting was
Committee members offered different announced via email and included
Profile: The Township of Union perspectives, bringing with them goals for the upcoming meeting, as
School District varied solutions that may never well as, any preparatory materials or
have surfaced otherwise. Further,
The Township of Union School District, stakeholder participation equated actions needed. Every meeting began
with a jump start warm-up activity and
located in Union County, serves to a better-informed community. sign-in, allowing committee members
approximately 7,000 students. About By participating in the process, to access any needed materials
half of the students identify as Black stakeholders gained a deeper and think about topics that would be
or a person of color and nearly a third understanding of the district’s discussed. Additionally, meetings
as economically disadvantaged (New goals and challenges. Lastly, the included a review of the day’s goals.
Jersey Department of Education, collaborative nature cultivated Then, an open discussion would
2020). Honors level courses begin in relationships among participants that follow. Once the discussion concluded
7th grade. At the high school level, were crucial to developing integrity, and any applicable goals were
31 honors courses and 23 Advanced fairness, and trust. achieved, the committee engaged
Placement courses are offered. At the 2. Establish clear norms and shared in “looking forward” - a practice
onset of the 2020-2021 school year, values. that consisted of outlining steps to
the district used a 5-point rubric with complete before the next meeting,
multiple criteria (i.e. standardized test During the first meeting, the committee as well as providing tentative future
scores, teacher recommendation, etc.) established norms and shared values. objectives and planning.
to determine Honors/AP placement. Norms included meeting length
Concerns of limited access, expectations, tentative meeting 4. Establish an overarching
opportunity, and inclusivity arose from schedules, and communication structure.
community members as it pertained methods for both in and outside of the The authors used an hourglass
to this structure. The authors of this meeting. More importantly, the norms structure for the overall progression
article set out to reimagine this criteria. established procedures for decision- of the meetings. This structure, which
To engage in this work, the authors making. The committee outlined how bears a resemblance to a research
served as facilitators for a district-wide decisions would be finalized if there paper, begins by touching upon
Honors/AP committee. Below are the was a consensus, or if a deadlock broader research. It progressively
key takeaways based on the authors’ occurred. Establishing norms early narrows to the specific focus of
experiences. on allowed for maximum engagement the topic at hand and, eventually,
1. Include representation of all to occur; all members knew of time broadens again generalizing findings.
commitments and discussions
stakeholders. allowed for differing opinions without Current research on placement in
School leaders have four holding up the committee indefinitely advanced programs was identified
and discussed during initial sessions.
options of involvement regarding if the members could not come to a Included were detracking position
decision-making: 1) autocratic; consensus. statements from the National Council
2) participative which requires Additionally, the committee established of Supervisors of Mathematics
seeking input; 3) collaborative; shared values. Committee members (NCSM) and the National Council of
and 4) laissez-faire (Clark, n.d.). expressed an importance on Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and
The authors chose to proceed with opportunity and access to advanced suggestions on student placement
a collaborative decision-making courses, but not without student from various State Departments
model. A committee of stakeholders support which would maintain of Education. The committee then
was assembled, including Board the rigor of the programs. The narrowed their focus by conducting
of Education members, Central committee further identified key an equity audit on student placement
Office administrators, content- characteristics of students in Honors/ in Union as well as a cursory
area supervisors, principals, AP: intellectual curiosity, motivation, review of placement criteria from
teachers, parents, and students and appropriate prerequisite content other districts in New Jersey. This
that represented grades K-12. The knowledge. Identifying and allowing provided committee members a
authors also included representatives for development of the shared values better understanding of current trends
of specialized communities including allowed the committee to ground their in student placement and a more
Special Education, current Honors/AP decisions in those values, consistently focused lens with which to make
students, and Honors/AP hopefuls.
referring back to them to ensure that specific decisions. Once a draft of a
recommendations aligned with those new process for placing students was
underlying values. established, the committee presented

Educational Viewpoints -80- Spring 2021