IMAGINE: the best schools in the world for every student in Delaware.

Higher standards, common curriculum

1. Why do we need a state-wide curriculum?
2. Why should we prepare all students for college?
3. Why are we adding more hours of study when our children are already busy with classes and afterschool activities?
4. My child needs to work in the summer, so how will this impact her ability to earn money? What about her extracurricular activities?
5. What about the arts and music, and other non-DSTP (Delaware Student Testing Program) parts of the curriculum?
6. It sounds like we’re only improving education for low-performing schools and students, what about the gifted and talented students?

1. Why do we need a state-wide curriculum?
   All students, wherever they live, need a high-quality curriculum to help them master the academic standards. This is especially important for students who move from one district to another. All of Delaware's students would have the benefit of the same well-researched curriculum. Vision 2015 also would enable teachers to be creative and flexible in how they meet the state-wide curriculum, and high-performing schools would be eligible to opt-out and use their own approaches.


2. Why should we prepare all students for college?
   Vision 2015 lays the foundation for success in any field — and in life. We’re not saying that all students absolutely must go to college, but fairness demands that all students have the education and opportunity to do so. Today’s high school graduates will enter a workplace that is vastly different from that of 10 and 20 years ago. These days, postsecondary training is required for most jobs, whether it’s an assembly line that requires computer use; farming that uses “GPS” data; or business professions that require advanced analytical thinking.


3. Why are we adding more hours of study when our children are already busy with classes and afterschool activities?
   Vision 2015 doesn’t propose 140 “more of the same” hours. The additional hours will give individual students the opportunity to meet their academic goals, whether for remediation or accelerated learning. And, the hours won’t necessarily be spent in the school, but could be used for internships or service projects for older students, distance learning opportunities, opportunities for accelerated courses, or enrichment activities. The extended time will allow for innovative new programs, potentially enriching what’s going on now in areas like the arts, science and technology. Vision 2015 is designed to encourage schools to innovate and use time as they best see fit. Several public schools in Delaware already offer more instructional hours to their students and have demonstrated increased student achievement.


4. My child needs to work in the summer, so how will this impact her ability to earn money? What about her extracurricular activities?
   Individual schools, with input from parents and families, would decide how to use the extra time. We want school leaders to make the best decision based on the needs of their students. Some schools might have a longer day; some might have a longer year; some students might need more time in reading and math; others might want more time for extracurriculars. Some Delaware public schools already are using alternative calendars to better meet the needs of their students.


5. What about the arts and music, and other non-DSTP (Delaware Student Testing Program) parts of the curriculum?
   These areas are essential to a well-rounded education, and very often deepen a child's interest in learning. Vision 2015's emphasis on innovative instruction and school options is geared, in part, toward providing more learning opportunities that enrich and go beyond the core subjects of reading, writing and math. And giving principals and their teams more flexibility to design their own programs within the state's curricular framework should offer families more innovative choices, including schools that specialize in subjects like music and the arts.


6. It sounds like we're only improving education for low-performing schools and students. What about the gifted and talented students?
   Vision 2015 both "raises the floor" and "raises the ceiling." Vision 2015 promotes quality education that fits each student's needs and interests, and moves at an appropriate pace for each student. Some students need and should get remediation. Others need accelerated learning.