By Emmett Ansari
As the district weighs expanding the number of students allowed to enroll in the honors curriculum, it must strike a delicate balance. Creating class sizes that allow every enthusiastic student to enroll without shoving in students who remain apathetic to the topic is essential for keeping these classes healthy and ambitious.
One example of this balance came last year when the new AP Seminar class was introduced. Then the application process relied on two parts: a written-on-demand essay and a teacher recommendation. At the end of the day, nearly every student who completed the essay was accepted.
Some might analyze this and say the bar was too low, yet in truth, this optional process helped sort students based on interest levels. Those who were passionate and applied, and those who knew they would have a distaste for the subject material and didn’t apply.
In laboring over essays, usually for over an hour, “interested” students showcased the very grit and enthusiasm that honor classes reward, and in essence, this was their qualifier.
In voluntary spaces where longer assignments and more difficult tests threaten to drown students, curiosity and drive are meant to keep them afloat. Since mental exhaustion will only wear on students who find little meaning in their assignments, teachers should base honors decisions on a student’s passion.
If the district pushes for greater numbers of students to be in these classes without the student having their own prerogative, then this is what we risk accidentally exposing them to. Especially since this push will worsen a sense of missing out which those uncertain about whether to pursue honors or not may feel.
Sophomore Brandon Chirinos elaborates, telling me that a student’s placement should be based on “how much a student cares about the class”.
Yes, the execution in this AP Seminar example may be flawed, since someone could have powered through with low-effort work, but optional examinations like this are a step in the right direction. A more informative way might involve teachers examining student fondness for a topic by leaning more heavily on the recommendations of their colleagues.
Questions like “How often does a student ask questions in class?” or “To what extent does a student push a discussion/concept?” when answered honestly will help find the students meant for Irvington’s honors curriculum.
Another difficulty with this system is not underestimating a student’s dedication. While somebody may not show an “appropriate” level of intrigue in their time with one teacher or subject, that’s not to say they won’t flourish under another. Trusting that students know their interests when they’re applying should be kept in mind when taking feedback.
Still, in a world of ubercompetitive college applications, it might not seem practical to not put a respected group of classes on every transcript. This might be an admirable goal, but in any legitimate high school, the primary focus should be on the information taught.
If we’re to have the outlook that an education is purely a prerequisite for the future, then our system turns into a transactional situation; one where students are simply marketed a class rather than the cooperative learning experience that should be prioritized.
Ultimately, IHS can only make meaningful selections for its honors classes when teachers make searching for a student’s curiosity a priority. Swelling classroom sizes will subconsciously cause students to endure the stress of these classes without any real satisfaction from the material.
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