College credits, AP: New Bedford Public Schools tout advanced learning opportunities

NEW BEDFORD — With another charter school potentially moving into the city, the New Bedford Public School system is promoting its advanced learning opportunities for students and looking at adding more. 

Innovators Charter School is proposing a school that would offer Early College programs to underserved and at-risk students, particularly those from Fall River and New Bedford. The organizers of the school have yet to disclose whether it will open in New Bedford or Fall River. Organizers say its unique STEM-focused curriculum is paired with wrap-around supports for the student population it's planning to target. 

The new charter school, which still needs the approval of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is promoting the fact that students have the opportunity to graduate with an associate's degree, similar to New Heights charter school in Brockton, after which it is modeled. At full expansion, it will serve grades 6 through 12 with students enrolling in post-secondary coursework beginning in grades 9 and 10.

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Now New Bedford school administrators are highlighting the advanced college opportunities that already exist in the city's public school system and others they'd like to add. 

“We need to ensure that we continue to push ahead because this would be grade 6 through 12. We know that our high school is performing at a higher level,” Superintendent Thomas Anderson said. “Look, we're nowhere near where we should be, but we're making progress in those middle grades. There’s still a lot of work we need to do, but also thinking there are opportunities.” 

NBPS currently offers advanced programs for middle and high school students and continues to look at elementary levels to see where improvements can be made in preparation for middle school transition, according to Anderson. 

"When the applications come through for the charters, they want to highlight some of the things that we’re not doing,” Anderson said. “We have to do a better job at sharing what it is that we are doing. It’s not for me to sit here and talk about what the charter school would and cannot do, that’s not the purpose at all. It’s more to say, 'hey, this is what we are doing.'” 

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Anderson added that when looking at a pre-K to grade 12 trajectory, the district cannot just emphasize the upper grades, but said the level of focus and intention must go throughout. 

Tackling the college process from the top down, Anderson said the district looks at it as a “backward design” starting at the 12th grade level and understanding what that student needs to get into his or her desired college or university traveling backward into early high school grades and middle school curriculum. 

High honor programs offered in New Bedford schools 

New Bedford High School encourages students to apply to the Academy of Honors, which provides qualifying scholars with the opportunity to participate in advanced courses to prepare them for college. It is an exam-based program with an application process reviewing grades, conduct and attendance as well as submission of a student essay. 

More than 20 Advanced Placement courses, offered to students through the AP Program through College Board, allow students to transfer the credits to a postsecondary institution. 

While emphasis for Innovators Charter School is on the dual enrollment programs through Bristol Community College, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Landmark College, NBPS, like many other districts, has offered the same program for many years through partnerships with Bristol CC and UMass Dartmouth. Senior students with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher are recommended by their guidance counselor and approved by Headmaster Bernadette Coelho. 

NBPS recently submitted Part A of the DESE Early College Designation application. Through the Early College partnership with Bristol CC, Fall 2022 pathways in business and STEM have been formally submitted. Students interested in STEM fields such as information technology, health sciences and engineering and sustainability would be able to enroll in courses to get a head start on college credit, free of cost. 

Students will be able to earn a minimum of 12 college credits and up to 60 credits equivalent to an associate degree. The program requires districts that are approved to develop pathways supporting students that are historically underserved in higher education, therefore eliminating barriers to obtaining a college degree. 

“We dig deep into what they’re able to offer from an academic standpoint. I have confidence that any of our schools are able to offer the same level of high academic rigor because when we're looking from a data standpoint, at least half of our schools perform equal or higher than the charters that are in the city,” Anderson said. “From an academic standpoint with teaching and learning process, you know we're on par at least, and we achieve higher in many areas.” 

The district will be alerted of the status of the application in October. 

Vying to become an International Baccalaureate school community

All three middle schools, Keith, Normandin and Roosevelt, may soon be eligible to become International Baccalaureate school communities through the IB Middle Year Programs for ages 11 through 16. The district recently submitted its application for candidacy through the IB program as well as the Diploma Program. 

Both programs will provide students with rigorous academic skills to better prepare them for high school and its advanced programs. The district will be notified of the status by the end of September. 

Anderson notes that the curriculum has changed over the years for middle school students, with students now able to take algebra sooner than at the high school level as well as world language courses. 

To better prepare students for high school, the middle schools offer an eighth-grade dual enrollment program with NBHS, in which students can begin earning high school credits as an eighth-grader through math, English and science classes. 

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In addition, Anderson recognizes that the transition from elementary to middle school can be difficult, funneling students from smaller elementary schools to middle schools with nearly triple the enrollment. 

“I don't think we've done the greatest job making sure that students were socially ready to take on the type of work that we need them to be able to do to continue to progress through high school,” Anderson said. 

Through these programs and assistance with social-emotional well-being of students, the district continues to better prepare them for these transitions. 

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Building skills at the elementary  schools

Elementary schools in the district are looking into improvements, such as breaking out into different subjects rather than students having just one teacher for the entirety of the school day. 

“[We’re] looking to see if we need to do more of that to ensure that their content skills are stronger so they’re more ready for that transition of middle school,” Anderson said. 

STEM and STEAM opportunities in New Bedford schools  

While Anderson encourages another academic option for parents to consider, he wants to make sure the district is providing enough choices. 

“The numbers bear out that we are still doing pretty well in many areas,” Anderson said. “On the other side, there are some performance levels that we have to do better at. We have to continue working.” 

More schools and districts are offering STEM and STEAM-based curriculum and dual enrollment to encourage early college exposure. Although NBPS offers these courses, Anderson said the district has to be realistic in offering these opportunities due to its enrollment in comparison to smaller schools. 

“We need to ensure that when we’re looking at some of the programs that others say they’re able to offer,” Anderson said. “For example, offering STEM and a college degree by the time they graduate, is it realistic because of our numbers?” 

According to NBPS, enrollment at the high school hit 2,979 students for Fall 2021. Anderson noted that with a projected graduating class of 600 to 700 students, it’s a little harder to ensure that every senior is able to graduate with an associate degree not only due to the volume, but because of students’ various interests. Not all students may feel inclined to take that route. 

“We need to continue to share what we’re doing in our schools already," Anderson said. 

Standard-Times staff writer Kerri Tallman can be reached at ktallman@s-t.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kerri_tallman for links to recent articles.

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