School Stories

Freshman Seminar: Academic Pathway 9 at Michigan Collegiate
In our district, every ninth grader is required to take ‘Academic Pathway 9’ as an essential part of our ninth-grade academy. Michigan Collegiate MS/HS uses School-Connect as the guiding framework for "AP-9," as the students like to call it. We teach one or two lessons per period (70-minute periods), depending on the length of the lesson, and end each module with a culminating project. In addition, we use Detailed Planner Review (DPR), a component we developed to assist our ninth graders with homework and task organization, and Journal Reflection, where students write about an important essential question from each lesson.

Our urban students have responded so well to the curriculum, we cannot say enough about the contents in this course. We have had the curriculum for nearly three years, and we continue to see positive climate changes in our population. We hope that it is a direct result of the implementation of this curriculum. 

From “Creating a Supportive Learning Community” to “Resolving Conflicts,” our students truly enjoy the course. Many have expressed that they are happy there is a class about “real life issues.” Parents constantly comment to our staff about the relevance of this class. As educators, we realize that we cannot be parents to our urban children. However, we cannot ignore the fact that many teens today need reminders about how to conduct themselves respectfully, how to have a positive self-image, how to treat others, and how to organize their lives. This curriculum assists us greatly in this process.

As far as teaching is concerned, this curriculum is one of the most goal-focused that I’ve seen. Each lesson is clearly aligned with the essential questions, and the activities are designed for students to truly grasp the material. It is very hands-on and discussion-based. Students always express how much they enjoy the activities in the curriculum. Even the suggested teaching strategies such as “whip-around” and “think/pair/share” have given us new ways to engage young minds.

Thank you School-Connect! You have truly helped us in our goal to reshape our school climate.

By Erica Walsh, Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs
Michigan Collegiate MS/HS,
Warren, MI

Click here to learn more about implementation in Freshman Seminar