STEM High School

Responses to Geometry & PreCalculus parents

Thank you to the many of you who emailed or called us over the last few weeks to share your concerns, support, feedback, questions and suggestions about this summer’s DPIE Academy. We appreciate the opportunity to be responsive to your students and your families as we all navigate this unique point in time.

We want you to know that we have heard your comments and read your emails and we are paying attention. While we wish to respond to everyone individually, we have been working hard through program logistics and closing out the summer Academy. To ensure that we address the questions that our families have raised, we have created an FAQ format to provide what we hope will be useful information.

Q. Why wasn’t DPIE prepared to offer a more robust and better planned distance learning program for Dublin students this summer?

A. When Dublin schools closed to in-class instruction in March, the DPIE Board and staff were leaning toward shutting down the DPIE Academy for the summer. However, many Dublin families who were interested in continuing summer classes for their students strongly encouraged us to explore an online model. In two weeks of meetings with Dublin teachers and administration, teachers in each course area put together a structure they felt worked best for student success. Geometry and Pre-Calculus teachers who have all taught in the DPIE program in the past, opted for the “flipped classroom” model which has been used successfully in the Dublin High math department for Pre-Calculus instruction for a decade. The “flipped classroom” model involves the creation of instructional videos that students can access away from class time, while class time is used to complete assignments and seek assistance. On May 3, we informed parents of enrolled and waitlisted students that we would offer online courses, that our courses would look different than previous years and that we would be navigating this new format together. We shared a course syllabus for each class, including a grading structure and the requirement for an in-person final exam that would represent 80 percent of the grade for the course. We offered refunds for those who did not want to move forward in this format.

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Q. Why didn’t students have access to more direct instruction in the Geometry and PreCalculus courses?

A. Geometry and PreCalculus teachers set up the structure for the “flipped classroom” model, in which students were provided an initial introduction to the day’s activities, provided time to view instructional videos that were created by the instructors and then offered opportunities to sign into Google Hangouts for direct instruction and assistance on an individual basis. Teachers expected students to reach out to them when they needed help and noted a wide range of participation, with some students reaching out to them daily, while others rarely contacted them for help. In addition, understanding that this new learning format might be challenging for students, DPIE took the extra step of contracting with the Dublin High HUB tutoring center to provide video conferencing tutoring supports for students each day between 4 – 6 pm, providing more opportunity for support and assistance. The HUB tutors are up to date with the Dublin math program and work with kids every day during the regular school year.

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Q. Why wasn’t the final exam given online?

A. Dublin High Math teachers did not believe they could effectively provide a secure testing environment online and required that the final exams be taken in-person. This requirement was added to our contract with the teaching staff at their request. The goal of the math teachers was to truly measure student understanding of the major concepts taught in the program as well as to protect the integrity of their courses. Knowing that in-person final exams would be the only time teachers could be sure student could not cut corners they also all agreed that the final had to account for 80% of the grade in all subject areas which was also added to the contract.

We verified in advance with DUSD leadership, the IT department and surrounding districts that many educational institutions are struggling to find secure testing options online at this point and we would not be able to guarantee the integrity of the tests online. Both the in-person final exam requirement and the weighting of the exam were part of the information provided to families before the start of our summer Academy. Understanding that some families had concerns about these requirements, we offered full refunds for anyone who chose to opt out of testing and completion of the class.

Q. Why were students spending 8 – 10 hours working on subject material each day?

A. When the Academy is taught in the traditional in-class format that we’ve had for the last 8 years, students are in class every day for 5 hours, generally 8:30 – 1:30 each day and some of that time is used to do assigned homework. Additionally, as we have posted on our website, the expectation is that students will have an additional 1 – 4 hours of homework to do outside of the classroom on a nightly bases. Student surveys over the last three years support these numbers to be accurate.

Eight to ten hours a day is not an abnormal amount of time for students to be spending on their studies in the accelerated distance learning format. Remember, students are presented a week’s worth of material in a single day which means they need to cover a great deal of material and participate in homework to support that daily learning.

The accelerated program is not for everyone. That is why Dublin High requires students to qualify and be approved to enroll in the program and to achieve certain grades to move to the next class.

Q. Why was new material introduced the day before the final exam?

A. This is not a new experience for students in the DPIE summer Academy. When students enroll in a program that covers 180 days of material in a 6-week format, new material should be expected every day until the final exam. Each day in a six-week program covers the equivalent of approximately a week’s worth of material during the regular school year. It is an accelerated program and students who take these courses must be prepared for that acceleration.

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Q. Why weren’t students given adequate time to finish the Geometry final?

A. We acknowledge that the test was extensive and a challenge for students to complete in the required time. Teachers worked to prepare a test that would allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of the material covered in order to show the mastery required to be successful at their next level during the 20-21 school year.

DPIE, teachers and our Academy Principal, Ms. Velez recognize that there was an issue with the amount of time given for the test and our teachers took steps to address this issue and have ensured that students are not penalized on their exam grade. Teachers began by reviewing all aspects of the final exams to determine the best way to grade students fairly. The following methods were used by our teachers.
- Hand scoring of the free response questions of the computer portion of the test to ensure accuracy of grading and fair assessment of student learning.
- The total point value of the test was reduced while still giving students their earned points.

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Q. Was the PreCalculus Final Exam Graded on a Curve?

A. There was no need to make any accommodations for the first semester final exam as students demonstrated a high level of mastery of the first semester content. However, on the more demanding second semester final exam all PreCalculus teachers graded the assessment on a curve to the benefit of the entire class.

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Q. How does the Dublin High Waiver Form work?

A. Dublin High requires students to achieve certain grades in the DPIE Academy summer courses with the aim of having the grade added to their transcript and to advance to the next course level. Students whose grades meet that criteria will automatically advance to the next course level. (Algebra 1 & Geometry = B+ or better, Algebra 2 & PreCalculus = B or better). Students who do not meet those requirements may submit a waiver for consideration.

If after reviewing your student’s grade, you feel that he/she is appropriately prepared to advance to the next course level and want to have the grade added to their transcript, you may submit the Waiver form by clicking the link below and submitting your form between July 15th and 22nd. The waiver will be reviewed by Academy Principal Lenni Velez, a determination will be made to accept or reject the waiver request and parents will be notified of this decision via email before July 30. The waiver form link can be found on the DPIE high school webpage here as well (LINK CLOSED).

Dublin High will also approve waivers for students whose cumulative work in a DPIE course equates to a “B” grade of some kind.

Example 1 – A student earns a “C” grade in the first semester and an “A” in the second semester. The overall performance = “B” and that waiver request will be approved.

Example 2 – A student earns a “B+” in semester 1 and a “C+” in semester 2. The overall performance again equates to a “B” average and a waiver request will be approved.

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Q. Are DPIE grades counted in my student’s grade point average?

A. Students who have finished with 8th grade are considered a high school student and all courses they take and grades they earn will be added to their high school transcript, be counted in their high school gpa and they will receive 10 credits toward the high school graduation requirement if the grades meet the required performance level as defined by the school district.

Student who have not completed middle school, but take high school courses like Advanced Algebra 1 or Advanced Geometry during the summer, will find those courses and the grades earned listed on their high school transcript, but since the course was taken while they were still in middle school, it does not count in their high school gpa, they do not receive 10 units of credit and they do not count toward completing the three year high school math requirement. These students will still need to complete three years of Math courses once they have left 8th grade.