Wellesley High School - Wellesleyan Yearbook (Wellesley, MA)

Page 12 text:

A Trend Appeared Nationally in Education: Back to Basics in the Classroom A. standardized aptitude test scores declined once again in 19 4-1975 and compe- tition for college entry and employment increased due to recession and inflation, the trend in education was toward basic studies. In Wellesley it was reflected in increased enrollment for fundamental reading and basic Knglish skills courses. The blame for the recent nationwide drop in PSAT and SAT scores and for the alarming number of fresh¬ man college students unable to communicate their thoughts in writing was placed on prog¬ ressive high ■ichools, where secondary educa¬ tors stressed relevant subjects and compro¬ mised basics like Knglish composition, math, and reading comprehension. Some educators, however, questioned the ability of standard¬ ized tests to measure the education imparted by these modernized schools. Wendy Brown listened attentively in math. Richard Stevens concentrated on his project in industrial arts. Louise Hurwitz found a quiet corner in the peri¬ odical room of the library. Rhonda Farina studiously prepared her biology project. 8

Page 11 text:

A member of the Faculty Senate, Mr. Mazukina, discussed the situation avidly with Rob¬ ert O’Donnell from NEASC. Members of the accreditation committee responded to student questions. Although, incurring bitter, last-minute resistance from some townspeople, the reor¬ ganization proposal of Superintendent Rich¬ ard Goodman was approved unanimously by the School Committee. The action opened the possibility of combining both re-organization and modest renovation plans to meet the High School’s needs. Although isolated from the turbulent mainstream of world affairs, Wellesley pos¬ sessed only a surface calm. The accreditation dispute forced the townspeople to confront the inequities of past years. Wellesley could not escape the changes of the 1970 ' s. Lack of space in library limited student study opportunities. 7

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Akua Gore, Chris Stokes, and Gretchen Jones discuss writing techniques in Mrs. Barrett’s Let’s Write course. Amanda McCoy perused her history text. The crew studied in the crowded library. Across the country, growing numbers of parents also turned away from innovations such as the Open Classroom approach, in which students are given a maximum of indi¬ vidual freedom and a minimum of teacher supervision. Tests, grades and discipline were directed towards basics, standards of behavior, and generally traditional education. The nationwide sentiment was that several of the reforms spurred by experimentation in educa¬ tion are constructive, such as individualized teaching, but in the process, there should be a balance between innovation and tradition. Maureen Courville was doing what Stephen Grogarty should have been doing Sue Thompson seemed to enjoy her research. 9