North Shore High School Principal Eric Contreras. Photo submitted by the North Shore School District
An analysis of the advanced college courses offered by North Shore High School was presented to the Board of Education during their Nov. 7 meeting.
North Shore High School offers its students three different advanced placement courses: Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Dual Enrollment courses through local universities.
According to North Shore High School Principal Eric Contreras, the goal of the study was to determine the most effective way to clarify, improve and leverage advanced course options for North Shore High School students to not only align with the district’s vision of an ideal graduate, but also to maximize their life ambitions and goals after graduating.
The report identified the unique advantages and disadvantages of each program offered to students.
The report was an update on a study done by the district in 2021. Research and information from colleges were analyzed, and the district consulted current secondary education students. While the 2021 analysis focused on external factors, this new report focuses on internal factors. Students, teachers and administrators were consulted during the research for the report instead of institutions of higher learning.
The new report drew four conclusions: the district should maintain its advanced learning courses. In addition, it should address scheduling, time and planning changes. The students, teachers and administrators encouraged the district to continue evaluating and addressing programs. Finally, they recommended that the district continue to improve communications with families and provide support for students.
“It’s more important how we strategically utilize offerings from both programs that we already have to meet the needs of our students,” Contreras said.
Contreras identified friction between two forces during his presentation.
The first, which is transactional, emphasizes completing credits and courses deemed necessary for college admissions in an increasingly competitive environment. The next one, transformational, is the development of skills essential for a high-quality life, with lifelong learning being the goal, not necessarily acceptance into a program.
“A challenge for us at North Shore is how we don’t become totally bounded by the transactional and we think about the transformational at the same time,” Contreras said.
The research for the report, carried out by North Shore administrators, consisted of information and data gathering, departmental surveys and meetings, high school leadership team meetings through the central office, and input from North Shore students. After the presentation, members of the Board and the public had the opportunity to ask questions about the report.
Before the presentation, 15 North Shore students were recognized for their selection for this year’s New York State School Music Association all-state conference in Rochester from Dec. 5-8. The next meeting of the Board is Nov. 21.