A Curriculum Proposal

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

TO: Principal Snyder
FR: Joe Deckenbach
RE: A Curriculum Proposal


The proposed changes to our Language Arts curriculum are understandable, considering the community’s concern over standardized test results from the last two years. District leadership and the school board are under significant pressure to make immediate adjustments and show results before enrollment is affected by families that start voting with their feet.

While initiating such changes may give the superintendent the coverage she needs with the local media and the more activist segments of the parents organization, the reality is that most of the districts that have adopted these types of curriculum revision have not been able to gain the desired improvements in test scores.

A “back to basics” approach is not inherently bad. As a language arts teacher, I agree with some of the goals espoused by those who advocate for curriculum that will help students to read and write better. The way to achieve that, however, is not necessarily through an approach that stresses only the old methods. Instead, research indicates that one of the most effective ways to improve reading scores is to help the struggling reader engage with texts. A technique that I employed when I was teaching Read 180 to high school sophomores was to use contemporary pop music that related directly to the text(s) to get the students’ attention, and often to get them to write a response based on their experiences with that particular artist or genre of music. By tying their responses to the actual text, it convinced many of the reluctant readers to give the book a chance.

Another problem with the “back to basics” mindset is that it often ignores what is actually going on in some schools that teach the basics. For example, a charter school that draws a significant percentage of its students from our district offers a classical education. Its students learn Latin and study the ancient Greek philosophers, while also engaging in aggressive math and science programs. In each discipline, particularly their Humanities courses, they focus heavily on reading and writing, often using original texts in lieu of textbooks. All this can be learned from the school’s web site, as well as their track record in standardized tests, which regularly trump those of the some of the best public schools in the state.

What is not shown on the web site, though, is that its teachers often integrate modern pop music into their lessons. They have come to recognize that their students have an easier time making connections from the ancient world to today when they can relate it to their own lives. Nothing is as personal and immediate for teens as “their” music, and when you can help them connect common themes from Athens to Compton, they become more enthusiastic about learning.

For our school district, I recommend that we continue not only to use pop music in our classrooms, but also to teach about pop music. If students learn about the craft behind the music they enjoy, they will come to appreciate it fully. Not only that, but they will come to a deeper understanding of the influence pop music has had on other parts of American life.

The impact of pop music on contemporary culture, from movies to literature, to the commercials we're exposed to daily, is incalculable. It is so pervasive, that we tend not to even notice it. Yet, it has its effect.

When teaching literature, it is essential to provide students with sufficient contextual background from which they can make meaning of the texts as they encounter them. For example, when reading Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” today’s high school students would not be able to get the full benefit of the author’s vision without having some knowledge and understanding of the Harlem Renaissance and American jazz and blues.

While many would approach the text with some understating of who Langston Hughes was and his contributions from having experienced his work year after year during February, if they haven’t learned about Louis Armstrong, they would never be able to understand the importance of the inclusion of “Black and Blue” in the earliest part of the novel.

Finally, I believe our calling includes preparing these students to not only do well on standardized tests, but to be able to take what they have learned and be successful in college. Knowing how to read and write well is extremely important, but having these skills without the ability to understand the world and its expression through music is a hollow victory.

I strongly advocate that we continue to develop our curriculum in a way that embraces youth culture and pop music, and enables the students to improve their technical skills by applying them to these, the areas of their lives that are most dynamic and hold the greatest interest for them.