THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 19, 1994 TAG: 9407200609
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
Students at Manteo High School will be offered the opportunity to learn Latin, study the detailed workings of the human body or hone their acting skills as part of a new curriculum planned this year by the Dare County Schools.
Under the new ``concentrated curriculum,'' students will have four 90-minute classes a day for a semester, then take four different classes the second semester. In the past, they went to six 55-minute classes a day for two semesters.
More than half of North Carolina's secondary schools have already adopted the concentrated schedule that local educators say will not only provide students with a more academic choices, but will enhance the core curriculum.
``Our rationale for doing this was based on a couple of things,'' said Dare County School Superintendent Leon Holleman. ``We wanted to increase educational opportunities for students. Also, the curriculum designed by the state was too restrictive. We wanted to give students a greater opportunity, if they wanted to, to take an art, music, a vocational class, or some other elective. Under the old curriculum, a college-prep student couldn't take a vocational class because of the restrictive nature of the curriculum. This will provide students with a broader base.''
Holleman said that Dare County had experimented with other flexible scheduling models in the past.
``We tried a `Zero Period' in the mornings before school started, and we also tried a seventh period at the end of the regular school day. But the students were having to deal with so many subjects. We think this will give them flexibility without as many courses.''
Hatteras School will also experiment with a modified portion of the concentrated curriculum model, specifically in senior English and social studies.
``We're going to a modified version at Hatteras because so many of the high school teachers have responsibilities in the middle school classes,'' said Holleman.
Holleman acknowledged that along with the possible rewards of the new curriculum, there are some risks.
``There's always a risk when you try to do something different,'' said Holleman said. ``We've always had a traditional six-period day. There is a risk that when you announce this new program that the faculty won't support it. But in our case, the staff voted unanimously to support it.''
Manteo High Principal Linda Holmes is among the new schedule's biggest supporters.
``There is always a risk that test scores could drop, and to me that's the greatest risk,'' she said. ``But the positive thing that we hope to see happen is that scores will rise and that the dropout rate will decrease.''
Dare County has a number of secondary school students who work in seasonal jobs. The new curriculum will allow those students to complete at least one semester of school instead of missing an entire year under the old schedule.
``Four credits are better than none,'' said Holmes. ``What we hope will happen is that the concentrated curriculum will lower the dropout rate, and increase students' chances for success.''
As an example, Manteo High will offer Latin this year. Holmes said Latin will not only serve as excellent preparation for college, but will also increase vocabulary skills, which will help students in verbal areas on standardized tests like the SAT.
Holmes was also quick to point out there are no ``fluff'' courses in the list of electives.
Holleman said there has also been a largely favorable response from parents and students.
``Any time you change things, parents have a legitimate right to be upset,'' he said. ``Our duty is to show that this is in the best interest of their children. We can't do that until we implement it this year, and show the results.''
Holleman said there are a number of methods in place at the state level to measure the success of the curriculum, through Performance-Based Accountability standards. The school district, however, plans to carry the evaluation an extra step.
``We plan to survey our students, parents and staff at several times during the year in an effort to find out how we're doing,'' Holleman said.
Holmes is confident the new curriculum will be a success.
``We have a dedicated staff that believes in this curriculum,'' she said. ``I don't have any apprehension at all. I think this will be a success.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
NEW COURSES
Creative Writing
Drama
Journalism Internship
Leadership Skills
Applied Geometry
Computer Math
Crafts
Latin
Photography
Applied Health Services
Apprenticeship
Business/Computer Technology
Clothing/Interior Design
EMT Design
Workplace Readiness
Community Service
SAT Prep
Techniques for Success
Anatomy and Physiology
by CNB