Incoming freshmen with diverse academic skill levels from the dozens of feeder schools have caused challenges in the entry-level classrooms at STA for years. Freshmen teachers like English I teacher Carrie Jacquin hope to level out students’ skills to prepare them for sophomore year, despite their different academic backgrounds.

According to director of admissions Rosann Hudnall, 34 grade schools are feeding into STA for next year’s freshman class as of now, ranging from Prince of Peace, 20 miles southwest in Olathe, to Barry School, 20 miles north in Platte City. Although these numbers highlight STA’s outreach throughout the city, these various feeder schools also bring in students who have learned different materials at different paces.

“[Freshmen] come in with completely different skill levels, having read all kinds of different literature — whether it is basic children’s literature or Hamlet,” Jacquin said.

According to principal for academic affairs Barbara McCormick, the administration’s attempts to separate students with different skill levels into different classes still leave a diverse classroom setting.

“[The administration] ‘weeds’ students out through high school placement scores, which allow us to then recognize that they are achieving at a level above the average course coming in as a freshman,” McCormick said. “But with that in mind, you still have a vast array of student skills that end up in [entry level courses].”

Although this multitude of students does bring some challenges to the classroom, the administration prepares requirement course teachers, such as Jacquin, for this type of academic diversity by modifying the curriculum every year, according to McCormick.

‘Our biggest goal as educators is always to find instructional techniques that reach the learner,” McCormick said.

Whether it is adjusting the homework assignments or hiring a peer tutor, McCormick tries to ensure that these students will learn the requirements to move into sophomore year.

“This means that teachers move toward trying to personalize learning,” McCormick said. “How [students] are able to perform is going to vary, but they will all be given opportunity to learn those standards, no matter how diverse their student population is in that classroom.’

When it comes to public schools, Shawnee Mission East principal Karl Krawitz feels that although multiple grade schools feed into the high school for freshmen classes, he and SME teachers do not have a responsibility to cater to each students’ academic needs.

“Most of the kids that are coming [to SME] have been pretty good students in the past,” Krawitz said. “I think people come here because of [the academic challenge] and their preparation for college, if that is indeed what they plan on doing. [By coming to SME], they choose the traditional academic level offered here.”

Overall, Jacquin feels partially responsible for the academic achievements of STA students. However, like Krawitz, she thinks it is the students’ decision to face these challenges by choosing to attend STA.

“It’s my job to get everybody on the same page academically,” Jacquin said. “However, I’ve learned that [the challenges] are part of being here at St. Teresa’s. Students — wherever they are coming from — must be ready to step up and be on board with everything we expect of them at STA.”