Designing a New Senior Year
ences are typical of what David Conley
are doing here is trying to institute a
With a grant from the Nellie Mae Edu-
cation Foundation’s Partnerships for
College Success program, the faculty
embarked on redesigning the senior
calls “controlled failure.” The first year
of college is rife with opportunities to
fail—whether through getting an F
on the first test, sleeping through an
dimmer switch.”
In the middle school years, University
Park requires struggling students to stay
after school. Throughout 9th grade,
year. The new program involves
8:00 a.m. class, or neglecting to com-
teachers call students’ homes regularly
semester-long courses that meet several plete a major project on time. University about their academic progress. By junior
times a week, college-style syllabi, and
Park simulates those experiences early
year, students get fewer reminders: They
modeling of college-style pedagogy and so students reflect on and learn from
can access their grades online, and their
assessments. Mimicking the variability
failure while the stakes are small and
teachers don’t call them at home fre-
of college instruction, the program
they remain in a nurturing environment. quently or sign them up for help. In the
leaves some aspects of senior courses,
such as the use of online discussion
boards and policies regarding late work, The staff had focused much energy on
up to the discretion of each teacher.
The program also emphasizes dual
getting students into college, but relatively
enrollment courses at one of the local
colleges; nearly every student takes at
little on what happened after they got there.
least one course for college credit before
graduation.
Danielle Carsus struggled after
first half of the junior year, their English
Allowing Controlled Failure
missing three of her high school cal-
teacher gives feedback on drafts of
Under the new program, students often culus classes early in the year because
writing assignments, but by year’s end,
feel overwhelmed by the new demands, of a prolonged illness. “When I came
students submit only a final paper.
structure, and independence required of back, we were three chapters ahead. We
In the senior year, teachers raise the
them. This is exactly what the designers were doing things in class where I was
bar for student independence even
planned; their intent was to have stu-
struggling just to see how they got the
more dramatically, requiring students
dents experience the “culture shock” of first step. I was falling more and more
to take the initiative to get extra help
the first year of college while they still
behind.” After a week of floundering,
or an extension on a deadline. To help
have the supports University Park offers. Danielle approached her teacher, Jim
seniors develop time-management
“One of the biggest adjustments was
Looney, and said she needed help. Of
skills, the school introduces more flex-
the workload,” said Muhammad Javaid, course, he already knew that, but he
ibility into the senior schedule than
who took a course at Clark University
had been quietly waiting for her to
students have experienced in earlier
in the fall of his senior year. “I got quite take the first step. Together, the two of
grades. For example, underclassmen
behind in my psychology reading. I
them worked after school until Danielle have a 23-minute lunch, but the senior
wasn’t managing my time, and I was too caught up.
lunch period is 90 minutes, and the
afraid to talk to the teaching assistant.”
students can leave campus. In addition,
On the verge of failure, Muhammad
Creating a Dimmer Switch
they have free periods for the first time,
worked out a deal with Principal Hall,
Pulling back the safety nets to enable
and they can study anywhere in the
who allowed him and several other
students to learn from failure doesn’t
building. Nevertheless, the school staff
students to use the last period of the
begin in the senior year—it’s staged
takes care that students do not waste
day to study. He recovered and passed
as a continual progression throughout
this time. Students who squander too
psychology.
their secondary school careers. “Before, many of their free periods, and suffer in
In Hall’s notoriously tough anatomy
we weren’t teaching kids to be inde-
class as a result, find themselves sent to
course, the first test of the year is
pendent,” Hall said. “If you think about a regulated study hall.
solely multiple choice and taken from
the intensity of support as a shining
Managing controlled failure requires
textbook readings, not necessarily Hall’s light, we kept that amount going right
a tenuous balance that gives students
class lectures. Nearly every student
fails. This and other senior-year experi-
up until they went to a place where
the light went off on them. What we
the freedom to flounder, but not so
profoundly that they cannot recover.
