Posted: Dec. 26, 2009 |(0) Comments

Mequon — Officials in the Mequon-Thiensville School District are considering implementing a program at the middle school level in an effort to meet the needs of high-achieving students.

A decision on whether to bring an international baccalaureate program to the district is far from official, Superintendent Demond Means said. Administrators presented the School Board with a preliminary presentation on the program at a meeting last week.

"We have to answer the question of how this is going to make us better," Means said. "I'm looking at this with a critical eye right now."

Schools that offer a baccalaureate program typically offer curriculum that includes international studies, language learning and emphasizes diversity.

Means said there are still several questions on the table, including what it would cost the district to implement such a program and how it would work in relation to high school curriculum.

Administrators provided the board with a time line Dec. 21. A further update is anticipated in June and a recommendation on whether to proceed should be presented to the board in a year.

There are a few schools in Southeastern Wisconsin that offer baccalaureate programs. Oconomowoc Middle School offers the curriculum that Mequon-Thiensville could model its program after if it moves forward. Rufus King in Milwaukee offers the curriculum for high school students.

 

- Dave Fidlin,

Correspondent