At the beginning of this school year, freshman studies-level English and Social Studies classes were merged with regular-level classes to boost student academic improvement, David Adamji, English Department Instructional Supervisor, said. 

Previously, there have been four academic levels offered for freshmen students: honors, standard, studies, and team. The studies course had been available to allow teachers to better tailor their instruction to students’ ability levels, Adamji explained. This was done to allow students to progress from the studies level to standard as they moved on from ninth grade to tenth grade. However, the trend observed throughout the years was quite the opposite: the number of studies level sections increased each year.

This year, both departments implemented this change for the 9th-grade students, Adamji said. As a result, studies and regular courses have been combined to become Level 163.

“When we surround [students] with higher-performing [peers], the students who have struggled start to make progress,” Adamji said. “We restructured our levels so we can provide kids with an opportunity to be integrated across ability levels.

Due to the levels being merged, South’s team of English 163 teachers has slightly revamped the English curriculum in order to challenge higher-performing students in the classroom, while also supporting students who are struggling. This is being done by assigning instructioWnal assistants to most English 163 classrooms. 

“Having an instructional assistant in the classroom, [since] there [is] a wide range of students, allows for some of the kids who may have otherwise been struggling to feel supported,” Adamji said. “Small groups of students might get together with an IA and do some reading while another group does something else.”

So far, merging the studies and standard English classes has shown positive growth in students’ academic performance, Adamji said.

“I think the heart of this is when kids who have historically struggled sit alongside kids who are doing well, it’s going to elevate their progress,” Adamji said.