Modified Programs
We have this thing called 'students on modified programs' at our school. There are two types of students who 'fit' into this category: those who have been tested and found to have severe literacy difficulties, and those who have been tested and found not to have them! Our problems lie with the second category; students who have real learning difficulties but do not meet the criteria that enable them to recieve official assistance/funding. These are the students for whom individual classroom teachers are supposed to provide a "modified" program and who, at the end of each semester in years 7 to 10, are awarded an 'S' for their subject and level, along with an ambiguous statement about their program modification.
I have one such student in my Year 8 French class. He does not understand a single word of French after being in the class for close to two years now, and has difficulty with even the simplest instructions and exercises. For example, an instruction of "turn to page 86 of your textbook" will result in confusion and a flurry of questions. It sounds as if I might be exaggerating but I am not.
I am reluctant (and ashamed) to admit that the 'modified' program on which I have placed him is ad hoc and largely dependent on how much time the rest of the class affords me to spend on delivering this young man's instructions personally and individually. Yet, at the end of this semester, it will be inferred that he has satisfactorily completed a fourth unit of French to some satisfactory standard.
I am not comfortable with this. I don't know what the solution is, but I am very sure of the problems. I would dispute that this particular student is achieving anything in my class. He sits alone, interacts with no one other than me, flounders in incomprehension of what is going on around him (in a foreign language no less) and counts down to the end of the lesson with enthusiasm.
He is on a 'modified program' in each of his eight subjects.
This topic is on the agenda for discussion at curriculum committee. I don't know what I will say about it. I hope I think of something soon.
We have this thing called 'students on modified programs' at our school. There are two types of students who 'fit' into this category: those who have been tested and found to have severe literacy difficulties, and those who have been tested and found not to have them! Our problems lie with the second category; students who have real learning difficulties but do not meet the criteria that enable them to recieve official assistance/funding. These are the students for whom individual classroom teachers are supposed to provide a "modified" program and who, at the end of each semester in years 7 to 10, are awarded an 'S' for their subject and level, along with an ambiguous statement about their program modification.
I have one such student in my Year 8 French class. He does not understand a single word of French after being in the class for close to two years now, and has difficulty with even the simplest instructions and exercises. For example, an instruction of "turn to page 86 of your textbook" will result in confusion and a flurry of questions. It sounds as if I might be exaggerating but I am not.
I am reluctant (and ashamed) to admit that the 'modified' program on which I have placed him is ad hoc and largely dependent on how much time the rest of the class affords me to spend on delivering this young man's instructions personally and individually. Yet, at the end of this semester, it will be inferred that he has satisfactorily completed a fourth unit of French to some satisfactory standard.
I am not comfortable with this. I don't know what the solution is, but I am very sure of the problems. I would dispute that this particular student is achieving anything in my class. He sits alone, interacts with no one other than me, flounders in incomprehension of what is going on around him (in a foreign language no less) and counts down to the end of the lesson with enthusiasm.
He is on a 'modified program' in each of his eight subjects.
This topic is on the agenda for discussion at curriculum committee. I don't know what I will say about it. I hope I think of something soon.
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