Amidzich and Maggy Olson, director of equity and instruction for the district, said that they told all involved that, in fact, the material being taught would have more depth and that a wider range of students would bring additional and good ideas to classrooms. They said they were raising the floor, but they were also raising the ceiling.
The results so far? Kim Amidzich, superintendent of the district in the southern suburbs, said the number of students succeeding in getting honors marks on their transcripts is up. And all students are getting challenging academic work that research has shown prepares them better for college or other opportunities beyond high school.