September 22, 2015 Testimony - Austina De Bonte

My name is Austina De Bonte. I have a 4th and 7th grader. I am the co-chair of the Northshore HiCap Parent Advisory Board. I also am the President ofthe state-wide organization NW Gifted Child Association. My expertise in the social, emotional, and academic needs of highly capable kids has been sought by parents and school districts across the state.

The AMLE – Assoc. of Middle Level Educators - and this particular book has been cited as the key research driving the proposal to move away from the self-select Challenge program in favor of heterogeneous, mixed-ability classrooms in middle schools. Yet nowhere in this book does it make the case for mixed-ability classrooms. I read it cover to cover and there are only two sentences on the bottom of page 32 that even touch on this topic, and not even directly. Yet this is the primary research evidence provided for moving to this new model. Much of what is in this book is great and we would all agree with - for instance, challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant curriculum, consistent adult advocates, involving families - but these say nothing about which academic programs are available and how students are grouped into classrooms.

In fact, we have our own data right here in Northshore. Our own district experimented with mixed ability classes. In 2009, the junior high honors program was cancelled and there were two years of heterogeneous, mixed ability classrooms. Parents were told that teachers would differentiate for kids needs, but for two years it just didn't work. In the end, parents demanded advanced classes be put back, and after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, the challenge program was born in the fall of 2011. Let's not repeat history. We've tried this before, in our community, our schools, our teachers, with our students, and it didn't work. And it wasn't that long ago.

The Washington Association of Educators of Talented and Gifted uses a simple rubric to help educators match a program to the needs of an individual child. It has three parts - level, pace, and peers. 

The first factor is LEVEL. It would be difficult for a teacher to differentiate for all of the different levels needed in a mixed-ability classroom, across the huge range from struggling to highly capable learners, all within the confines of a 45 minute class block. 

The second factor is PACE. It's not feasible for a teacher in a mixed ability classroom to match the PACE of instruction to the needs of every student. Some students will need much more repetition, others will be ready to move on, allowing for more units and topics of study over the course of a school year. 

The third factor is PEERS. You need peers in the classroom who are working at a similar level & pace, to enable student-to-student interactions that further the learning of BOTH students, not just teacher-to-student interaction. With mixed ability classrooms, the opportunity to work with communities of true peers is significantly diminished.

The bottom line that we need to get clear on what we mean by EQUITY. The district has shared the statement that "equity is defined as heterogeneous classrooms." My experience and expertise says that this is absolutely the wrong way to think about it. All kids are different, and have different needs. The answer to that is not to force all kids into the same one-size-fits-all approach, but rather provide a variety of academic programs and services so that every student's needs are met.