Schools need to change and improve to remain top quality, respond to students’ needs, and implement best educational practices. I am excited to share some of the changes and the impetus for these recently announced improvements.
New middle school schedule to better meet students’ needs in grades 6 to 8 and exploration of the high school schedule.
For over 20 years, our middle school has been incorporated into a high school-designed schedule with seven 42-minute classes per day. To better meet our middle schoolers’ academic and social-emotional needs and increase their sense of belonging, our middle school principal, Stephen Greene, and lead Bromfield teachers studied other versions of middle school schedules. They collaborated on a schedule that will meet our middle school students’ needs while also adding time in the day for tutoring, enrichment, and organizational skills. The new schedule will be piloted for the 2023-24 school year.
Kim Murphy, the high school principal, has formed a working group to explore improvements to the schedule for students in grades 9 to 12. This process will begin this year and continue until January 2024 with opportunities along the journey for input from students and families. A new schedule will be piloted for the 2024-25 school year.
Unleveling ninth-grade classes.
We will unlevel ninth-grade English for the 2023-24 school year to raise the academic bar for all students. This year, English and math are the only classes that are leveled in ninth grade. Tracking students too early in their academic careers can underestimate their growth potential and limit opportunities. Currently, two-thirds of our ninth-grade students are in honors English. This shows that the rigor is already high and that these honors-level expectations should be for all students, with structures put into place for all to succeed. We will provide additional staff support and more time outside of class for students who would benefit from such support, while providing extension opportunities for those who want more. By 10th grade, students, along with their families, will better understand their strengths and then make decisions about whether honors, Advanced Placement (AP), or college preparatory classes are best for them. We will not unlevel classes in grades 10-12.
Math pathway changes, grades 8 and 9.
All eighth-grade students will complete Algebra I starting in the 2023–24 school year. The following year, all students will enroll in Geometry for grade 9. Currently, three-quarters of our students take Algebra I in eighth grade with one-quarter in grade 8 math. We are raising the expectations for all students and will have staff support and extra time built into the year as needed. Students who aspire to complete AP Calculus BC in their senior year will have the opportunity to achieve that goal by taking two math classes in a given year.
While changes can feel unsettling, we firmly believe that these improvements will benefit our students and set them up for academic and social success at Bromfield. These changes have caused some community members to question whether the Harvard Public Schools will continue to provide the top-quality education that brought many families to town. Academic rigor for all students, with supports and schedules to give them the skills to embrace and master their subjects, can only further elevate the Bromfield School. We celebrate these advancements
Linda Dwight is Harvard’s superintendent of schools.
