Divisional Structure

Diane Kruse, Division Three MST

August, 2001 

The MST Domain at Parker has experimented with a number of different structures in each Division in order to develop an approach that best meets the needs of kids at different developmental stages.  At various times, classes have been integrated in two-hour blocks, taught separately as an hour of math and an hour of science, team-taught by a math and a science teacher, team-taught by two science or two math teachers, and solo taught.  Our current configuration relies on an integrated, team-taught course for our Division I students, and gradually transitions to self-standing courses by Division III.  This parallels the structure of the AH program at Parker, and allows students to gain a solid foundation in MST before gradually developing more autonomy in their course selection.  Currently, all students take math and science during every year at Parker, so our high school students graduate with a full four years of both math and science (typical high schools only require three years of each for graduation).           

The Division I MST program, and now also the Division II program, are designed as two-year experiences for most students.  (Division I corresponds roughly with 7^th-8^th grade, and Division II with 9^th-10^th grade.)  Classrooms contain a mix of students from both grade levels, and students possess a range of skills.  Math and science are integrated wherever possible, and students learn material from many different sub-disciplines of math and science.  For instance, every year in science students will do some chemistry, some physics, and some biology, and the mathematics they study will include algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability.  Each division designs curriculum in a two-year cycle, so students spending two years in each division will experience the full curriculum.  A few students may pass through this program more quickly, and some may take longer, but we expect all students to eventually master the skills taught in these two Divisions.   

We give our Division I and Division II programs careful scrutiny because we are requiring all students to complete these untracked curricula. The content of these courses continues to develop as the school and program mature.  The challenge for our teachers is to create a program that is rich and rigorous enough for students with strong aptitude and/or interest in MST and that at the same time can be accessed by students who struggle. As a domain, we believe that there are convincing reasons for requiring all students to complete a single program through 10^th grade.

·        Our curriculum provides a strong mathematical foundation for all students, not just those at the top. Current literature is full of “algebra for all,” and recent testing mania has made it clear that algebra, geometry, and some right triangle trigonometry will be the “gatekeepers” for access to higher education.  Our math program prepares students in the material that they will see on the 10^th grade MCAS and on college entrance exams.

·        The curriculum provides an introduction to all three major branches of science: biology, chemistry and physics.  In programs where students only take two or three years of science, they often leave school without experiencing all three.

·        Students gain enough experience with higher math and science to make informed choices when they begin selecting their majors and their elective courses.  We believe they will be less likely to avoid a particular class because they think it might be difficult.

·        The wide range of student interests and abilities can be tapped to create a collaborative, supportive classroom environment.  The program has enough variation that while a student may struggle with one unit, the next one may showcase her strengths. When a wide range of thinking and explaining are happening in a classroom, students can benefit.  Ideally, this dynamic mix creates a “me too” climate—when skillfully facilitated, the heterogeneous groupings encourage students want to push themselves like their friends.

·        By teaching only one curriculum, the two teachers in a team can support students with special needs and can take responsibility for different parts of a project or lesson. (For example, this week one person teaches the main lesson, while the other designs the challenging extension of the lab for those who are ready for more advanced work.)

·        Team teaching also supports the personalization of major projects or assignments for students who need it.

·        Ultimately, students have no way to avoid difficult math or science.  By providing one curriculum that is tailored to all students, we prevent ourselves from overtly catering to math and science phobias (students cannot socially identify themselves as “not smart enough for that class”). 

Students in Division III have many more choices when they register for classes, though the options still are far more limited than they would be at a large comprehensive high school.  While teachers and advisors make recommendations and confer with students and parents as these choices are made, we do not place students in particular courses. MST Course offerings in Division III have included options such as: Information Technology, a course in computer programming and software design; Statistics, a standard introduction to applied descriptive and inferential statistics; Calculus; Physiological Chemistry, a year-long chemistry course that investigated the chemical processes in human physiological systems; Physics; Trigonometry; and Advanced Algebra. These courses are taught in one-hour blocks by solo teachers, and enrollment is typically a mix of a few sophomores and juniors and seniors. Course offerings vary from year to year; we typically consider the strengths and weaknesses of our incoming Division III students as we consider the choices to offer.  Classes are still heterogeneously grouped, though in some cases (such as calculus) there are prerequisites. Students can also choose off-campus courses to supplement our offerings, and a number of students have taken courses in advanced calculus, computer programming, anatomy and physiology, and biochemistry at local colleges.

With so many compelling arguments for an undifferentiated curriculum in Divisions I and II, it may seem surprising that we designed Division III to allow students a choice in the math and science courses that they take.  This change in the program is a strategic design choice, based on our beliefs about the developmental and academic needs of students in the 11^th and 12^th grades.

·        Developmentally, we want them to start long-term goal setting.  What courses will best provide access to the futures they want?  By the time they enter Division III, our students have four years of practice with shorter-term goal setting within Parker, and they need to begin thinking about their next steps.

·        Not all students want to—or should be expected to—take calculus. Students considering majors in math or science related fields need the more advanced background, while those who do not think they will use calculus in the future are better served by continuing their mathematical studies to keep their future options open.

·        By this stage, students are anxious to specialize.  We want them to understand why the different disciplines are sometimes separated and to have the opportunity to understand more about disciplinary structure after so much integrated coursework.

·        Division III students should start managing a “busier” schedule, maintaining responsibility for more classes.  They need to make some time management mistakes now so they can learn to better structure their time before college.

·        Students spend different amounts of time in the Div III program—from one to three years.  This is the place where Parker students really start individualizing their schooling.  We need to accommodate the senior who will spend only one year reinforcing skills and learning some new material as well as the student who needs up to three years of additional advanced coursework. 

While MST has been used as the example here, similar thinking is behind the structure of the other domains at Parker.  What is most notable, perhaps, is the deliberate decision-making that goes into how our program works in a way that best suits students’ developmental and academic needs.