When 牧师erend Jay 哈特利 visited his oldest son at college this past school year, 他听到了几乎所有家长都想要的反馈.
在与儿子的一位工程学教授共进午餐时，雷夫. 哈特利 – parent of three past and present students of 2015 SCORE Prize finalist school Martin Luther King Jr. 公立中学 in Nashville (MLK) – learned that it can be hard to predict how young people will fare as college freshmen. 教授告诉雷夫. 哈特利 that even the best of students can be distracted by everything available in college.
这对雷夫来说不是问题. 哈特利的儿子，教授告诉他.
“他能集中精力做任何事，”雷夫说. 哈特利说. “我认为马丁·路德·金绝对是其中的一部分.”
MLK builds high expectations and rigor into every facet of student life. 通过高要求的学习课程，学生们得到了很好的支持, while picking up values that encourage lifelong learning and independent ownership of their progress.
“我们尽量不让他们在雷达下飞行或接受平庸. 我认为我们的大多数学生都达到了这样的期望,克里斯托弗·道伦说, 马丁·路德·金教师兼学校英语系主任. “We try to put them in situations and circumstances where they have to have autonomy, 他们必须有选择, 他们不得不挣扎，感到不舒服. 我认为这是关键.”
As a public academic magnet school within Metro Nashville Public Schools, students must meet academic requirements in order to qualify for MLK. 通常, 这包括平均绩点(GPA)达到85分或以上, 没有不及格分数, TCAP分数为“熟练”或“高级”.” MLK serves students in grades 7 through 12, with 800 students in the high school grades.
即使有这些要求, 成绩水平和学生需求远非统一, 马丁·路德·金执行校长安吉拉·麦克谢泼德-雷说.
学生们在州规定的考试中确实得分更高. 然而，这些分数是有差异的. McShepard-Ray说. “There’s the highest of the high, middle of the high, and lowest of the high. It can be challenging, especially when you have a high range in one classroom.”
MLK has achieved remarkable success in fostering high-level achievement among students at the highest tiers, 中下层市场也有显著增长. 课程设定了很高的期望. At MLK, every class starting in ninth grade is honors-level or higher. 大学先修课程(AP)课程提供广泛. MLK currently offers 25 AP-level courses, with another due to be added in the next school year. Students choose their own courses, but all paths available are challenging.
“当学生进来的时候, 他们应该达到大学先修课程的水平, 或者至少, 在荣誉级别,”医生说。. McShepard-Ray.
Transitions to high school grades are eased through the Freshman Forum, a program that keeps 老师 in regular contact with ninth-grade students and their parents. Students across MLK in the “low-high” range receive support through study hall time and tutoring opportunities, plus 老师 make time during lunch and after school to provide skill foundations. Assignment selection within classrooms can be differentiated according to student need. The highest achievers are monitored to ensure that higher-level work is taking place – students can opt to add AP classes, 还有一些人选择用自习室来换取额外的上课时间.
对所有学生来说，课程都是具有挑战性的. Dr. McShepard-Ray说 the school works to keep parents and students aware of course and GPA requirements at MLK, 因此，学生们不会对工作量感到震惊.
“That’s a message going out from seventh-graders to seniors: ‘You worked hard to get into MLK. 现在你来了，工作才刚刚开始. McShepard-Ray说.
While many MLK students could be considered academically driven, Dr. McShepard-Ray说 that some days are inevitably better than others – and everyone needs support at some point. 学校对各个层次的学生都很重视激励.
One issue that often arises is that students will falter in their willingness to tackle the demands of AP classes. Mr. Dowlen recalls working with a student this year who decided in October that an AP English course wasn’t right for him. 作为回应，学校召开了一次包括该学生在内的会议, 他的父母, 老师, 和管理员. 是先生。. Dowlen’s recommendation that the student remain in the higher course – while the class was pushing students out of their comfort zones, 这是有益的.
这名学生最终选择继续修这门课. 先生. 这最终是一个重大的成功故事. 那年晚些时候，在AP考试后的第二天. Dowlen chatted with this student about the test and was delighted to hear him speak “in a wonderfully academic way” about the tasks he’d been asked to complete.
“这是其中一个时刻. 他在10月份绝不会这么说. Dowlen说. “I’m hoping that eventually when he looks back, he’ll say, ‘I did that.’”
牧师. 哈特利说 the culture of the school is exemplified by support and achievement. 在最近的一个学年, one of his children took five AP classes – one more than the typical maximum of four – because a devoted instructor taught an extra AP class during lunch. 工作量是“巨大的”，牧师. 哈特利说，但他的孩子选择了接受.
“There were several other students there doing that, but they push each other,” said 牧师. 哈特利. “他们有一些优秀的、具有挑战性的同事一起做项目.”
Strong teacher collaboration and dedication helps MLK bring out the best in students. 虽然日程安排很复杂, with some 老师 working in both middle and high school classrooms, 马丁·路德·金致力于在一天中建立合作时间. Colleagues reach out to one another to discuss students who might be struggling, 或对AP课程的潜在兴趣和天赋. Instructors work together to visualize current underclassmen as juniors and seniors, 思考如何最好地准备他们. The priority is always academic experience and improvement of thought processes, Mr. 而不是具体的测试分数.
“老师们非常认真地对待这项工作. 他们接受这种程度的探究. 他们接受这种严格程度. 他们接受这项工作的节奏. Dowlen. “I think that’s part of that college-going kind of culture that we have going here at our school.”
马丁·路德·金的另一个突出特点是学生群体的多样性. 牧师. 哈特利说 his kids have had school friends and project collaborators from all over the city, 来自世界各国.
“The racial diversity and the ethnic diversity – it’s that horizon-broadening thing that college is supposed to be,“牧师. 哈特利说.
先生. Dowlen, the diversity within each classroom provides powerful learning opportunities. 学生们学会互相尊重, which shines through in all contexts and further prepares them to continue learning and growing long after high school.
“这是真的, really powerful when you can sit down in a class like mine and students are working in a group. 他们对彼此格外亲切. 他们互相帮助. 他们不会评判对方. 他们知道他们必须为了这个共同的目标而共同努力. Dowlen说. “That diversity existing within a context of excellence and a context of challenge is particularly special.”