The Mancos RE-6 school district has renewed its dedication to enhance academic rigor in secondary schools by prioritizing academic excellence and preparing students for new challenges.
While many may associate its vision with honors classes or more intense coursework, that’s not what Mancos schools mean by “academic rigor.”
“Instead, rigor encompasses the complexity of the material, the depth of understanding required and the expectations for student performance,” according to an email from secondary Principal James Hughes. “All students are able to access rigorous coursework with appropriate supports. A rigorous academic environment encourages students to think critically, engage deeply with content and develop essential skills for success.”
Academic rigor is “crucial” because it helps students prepare for challenges, increases engagement in their education and results in academic achievement. Social emotional learning goes hand in hand with academic rigor, he said.
The secondary school focus on three aspects of education: academic rigor, project-based learning and social emotional support.
“One of the things that makes it so special is that we're able to really focus on each individual student, but we want to brand ourselves as a school that is focused on academics that has rigor,” he said.
The coursework not only prepares students for life outside the classroom but also teaches them to think creatively and critically, applying these skills to their own lives. To support academic rigor, the district is committed to project-based learning and will implement benchmark testing and finals for every high school class.
“We’re putting more encouragement and focus on it,” Hughes said.
This year is the district’s fifth year of using a PBL strategy across its campus. These key tenets introduced in PBL courses, called Portrait of a Graduate competencies by the district, teach students practical skills to be used in their lives and future jobs, some of which won’t be taught in a traditional classroom.
This year marks the district's fifth year with a campuswide PBL strategy. Its Portrait of a Graduate competencies teach students practical skills for their lives and jobs, which aren't covered in traditional classrooms. The district maintains that a high-quality PBL unit allows for student voice and choice, critique and revision and reflection, all of which are shown to activate critical thinking and information “stickiness.”
Benchmark assessments are introduced in middle school, supplementing the tests students take three times a year. These assessments help teachers understand how well they are grasping the material.
“These assessments are designed to measure student understanding of the material at various points throughout the school year,” Hughes’ email said. “They also allow teachers to adjust their instruction based on the results, ensuring that all students receive the support they need to succeed. By participating in benchmark testing, students become more aware of their academic progress.”
In high school, Mancos students will also participate in finals in addition to benchmark tests and NWEA/MAPs, for freshmen and sophomores. Finals help students consolidate learning.
“Brain science tells us that retrieving previously learned material helps review and consolidate information,” the email said. “In addition to reinforcing the importance of mastering a subject, taking finals prepares students for standardized testing and college entrance exams which require students to synthesize information and demonstrate their understanding in a timed setting.”
Overall, the goal of the rigor initiative is to challenge students and see an increase in achievement: “Every student will graduate with a broad academic foundation which enables each to demonstrate the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and independent judgment.”
