Every Classroom Interruption is Not Curricular
Missing Class Should Be Tied To Real Academic Goals
Nov 16, 2008
Many high schools are confronted by a host of interruptions affecting classroom instruction. Too often, the explanation given is that everything is curricular. While some interruptions may appear unavoidable, others can be controlled and even eliminated when placed on the scales.
All activities that remove students from classrooms during normal instructional periods are not curricular. Teachers and administrators need to determine where the line must be drawn between bona fide absences that count as academic credit and those absences that are deemed academically curricular by a very long and broad stretch of the definition.
Interruptions That are Not Curricular
Schools that sacrifice classroom instructional time to allow for periodic club meetings, drama rehearsals, and non-academic assemblies do a great disservice to students. Sadly, these types of constant interruptions to classroom instruction occur most frequently in schools that advertise a progressive college preparatory program. Although the stated goal may be to achieve well-roundedness, the time missed in instruction, particularly upper level and Advanced Placement classes, is costly.
Calling students out of a class for any reason must take into account the long term impact on classroom instruction, student success, and the retention and reinforcement of covered material. Philosophies of education that support quasi academic experiences not directly tied to classroom goals and objectives run the risk of tampering with student success and the ultimate goal of college acceptances. Pernicious interruptions emulate the benefits of some home schooling practices that simply do not work in a large institution.
Acceptable Reasons to Miss Class
School-wide assemblies featuring academic or motivational goals can be deemed curricular as they further specific elements and aims incorporated in standard courses of study. These might include musical concerts, speakers, and demonstrations. Periodic awards assemblies, whether academic or athletic, do not qualify. Field Trips directly related to academic goals can be considered acceptable as long as they are kept to a minimum. Teachers or departments can be allotted a certain number of such trips per semester. Additionally, academic competitions like debate or Model United Nations events can be classed as academically oriented experiences with very specific ties to curriculum.
Solutions to Unbridled Classroom Absences
Every school should create a small task force of teachers and administrators that evaluates the merits of any program seeking to take students out of class. Initially, the group can create a list of guidelines all staff must follow if they desire to remove students from class. A system of approval forms should be instituted and teachers and administrators should be given firm deadlines by when requests may be submitted.
All classroom absences are not curricular by any stretch of the imagination. In too many cases, the students missing class are the very ones that desperately need to be in class. Schools that follow a policy of limitless classroom absences do great harm to the success potential of students that, in many cases, must play the game of "catch up" after every absence. This exacerbates student stress levels and does little to enhance academic excellence.
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