Ypsilanti High School graduation rates continued to decline last year, but dropout rates improved thanks to alternative secondary education programs.
Almost 21 percent of the 2011 senior class at YHS did not graduate on time but are on track to finish thanks to alternative secondary education programs. These programs offer differentiated instruction, which aligns with the school board’s plan for the district.
Differentiated instruction is a philosophy that provides students with different paths for learning content. Its aim is that each child can learn effectively despite variation in ability.
Danielle Keck, a recent graduate from Eastern Michigan University, believes differentiated instruction should “most definitely” be used in public schools.
“Bringing more light to the practice and having schools officially adopt the program would allow teachers and schools to receive additional professional development to better their skills to assist their students,” she said.
Keck, who earned a special education teaching degree, said she had training in differentiated learning for her degree but did not receive as much in her general teaching classes.
“In my special education classes, I had training on several different skills and approaches to differentiated learning,” she said. ”In my general education classes I was told about the program, but wasn’t informed as thoroughly as in special education classes.”
Differentiated instruction is incorporated in most of Ypsilanti’s secondary education programs including Washtenaw International High School, Widening Advancement for Youth, Early College Alliance, Forest School and New Tech at Ardis.
These programs are reported to have more students each year and were not designed to have a four-year high school experience. Students enrolled in a five-year alternative program count against the district for their dropout and graduation rates, although a district can appeal this to the Michigan Department of Education.
Reports from The Ann Arbor Chronicle showed Ypsilanti may not be the only school district looking to adopt differentiated instruction. New scores from the the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress showed a number of Ann Arbor students were classified as “proficient but not growing.”
Members of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education said these students might be good candidates for differentiated learning.
Differentiated learning has been tried in Ann Arbor in the past, but after public evaluation it was abandoned because it was thought to exacerbate racial segregation and the achievement gap.
