NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Embedded honors is about raising the ceiling and the floor for all students, say North Salem educators of a proposal to implement the equity-based instructional model starting in the ninth grade.
In other words, taking a dual approach improves the learning experience by increasing maximum potential while simultaneously improving minimum standards.
With embedded honors, students can work toward that designation within standard classes rather than in separate sections.
This can reduce feelings of isolation or segregation that can be caused by traditional – some would say rigid - academic tracking, experts say.
Objections some have raised about that model have focused on the perceived dilution of academic rigor, increased teacher workloads, and the challenge of teaching diverse ability levels simultaneously.
Critics also argue that it can fail to engage high achievers and create social pressures.
Supporters say that key benefits of embedded honors programs include smaller class sizes that create the space and flexibility for students to dive deeper into topics that personally interest them, which leads to greater engagement.
Studies have found that the model can also help guide “differentiation,” a term for when teachers tailor their instruction to meet diverse students' needs, interests, and readiness levels.
The Board of Education was recently given an overview of the plan by Dr. Julio Vazquez, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and Vince DiGrandi, principal of the middle/high school.
Participating in the presentation were several teachers.
Responding to concerns raised by some parents, DiGrandi assured the public that the district is not “getting rid of” the honors program but is simply “broadening access to all students who are willing to meet those higher expectations.”
“We’re getting rid of what people would consider the historical class that was designated as honors where the kids are homogeneously grouped,” he said, explaining that that’s an interesting notion since “some of the research will actually tell you, once you put more than two kids in a class there’s no more homogeneous grouping.”
QUESTIONS ANTICIPATED
Anticipating questions that are likely to arise, the district has put together an FAQ.
Honors levels will be defined by structured scoring guidelines, aka rubrics, that define criteria and expectations for assignments.
This provides consistent grading and clear, actionable feedback.
Students who successfully achieve the criteria in five out of the seven required assignments -- including receiving a 90 percent minimum on the class final and also maintaining a 90 percent cumulative grade point average -- will earn honors designation at the end of the year.
(The designation can be earned separately in English and in Social Studies.)
The formula includes wiggle room for second chances.
“A kid with an 88 or an 89 can say to themselves ‘OK, what do I have to do to get to 90?’,” DiGrandi said, adding: “So they’re not out of the game the first semester.”
Math and science courses in the ninth grade will continue to be created and taught as they have in the past, with separate classes for honors level, the district said.
The classes that are moving to embedded honors in the 2026-2027 school year are ninth-grade English Language Arts and Global Studies I (Social Studies).
According to the district, French has “historically worked similar to this model in the past, as has upper-level Spanish and French classes.”
Now all ninth-grade languages will be considered embedded honors.
What will be different for students?
“All students are mandated to take both English 9 and Global I (Social Studies) next year. There will not be an isolated class of honors students, instead the four sections (or groupings/classes) of ninth graders will all have the opportunity to earn honors distinction,” the district said, adding that the honors designation will be the result of a student’s “demonstrated performance and achievement and not merely placement.”
Folks have also wondered how teachers can meet the needs of “all the differently abled students in the class” under the new model.
Things won’t be any different than what teachers are currently doing in the eighth grade or what some do in AP elective classes.
Teachers are also being trained on Universal Design Learning (UDL), a research-based framework that improves teaching and learning through flexible, accessible, and engaging educational experiences.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), it focuses on “three main pillars”: multiple means of engagement (the “why”), representation (the “what”), and action/expression (the “how”) in order to support diverse learners.
Then there’s the question of cost.
The embedded honors program will be “budget neutral,” in other words, no budget money will be allocated to the effort, the district explained, noting that it is using a portion of its federal ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Title II grant for “professional development only.”
There will also be no staffing changes because of the change, it said.
Learning standards will not be affected.
Embedded honors means that curriculum is “more intentional, with multiple entry points and levels of output.”
The goal is, the district said, to increase “critical and creative thinking.”
Teachers will use tiered questions, flexible groups, and extension pathways – scoring guides or instructions that provide students with “multiple opportunities for in-depth academic work or advanced assessments.”
“Instead of a faster pace, we believe in deepening rigor and analysis. Instead of more content, it's about increasing complexity and instead of the same tasks, it is about options for different perspectives with higher level thinking,” the district said.
Expectations for student behavior in these merged classes also will be status quo.
The district relies on its MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) to address behaviors “systematically.”
This proactive approach of aligning resources and services to each learner identifies academic as well as social/emotional needs early instead of waiting for a problem to arise.
Focusing on the whole child improves outcomes for all and supports a better overall school environment.
“As in any class, students who disrupt the learning of others need reminders and clear expectations, constant parent communication, and consequences and interventions when negative behaviors do not change,” the district said.
The FAQ included a long list of documents that supported the district’s move toward embedded honors.
For additional citations, email DiGrandi at vdigrandi@northsalemschools.org.
‘WHY NOW?’
Some folks have also asked DiGrandi: “Why now?”
One of the reasons is that the state Education Department has significantly altered graduation requirements, starting with the 2027-2028 school year, he said.
Students will no longer have to pass Regents exams – standardized tests in English, math, science, and social studies – in order to graduate.
To get their diploma, they will have displayed skills such as critical thinking and innovation through alternative pathways.
“We do like the idea of the honors designation based on demonstrated performance. So, we think the timing is good,” DiGrandi said.
The public had the chance to offer input on the initiative at a “Community Conversation” on Tuesday, April 28.
HURDLES TO LEAP?
BOE Trustee Frances Havard asked what the district saw the “biggest hurdles” to the program’s acceptance by the community and smooth implementation?
“We want to do a better job in continuing to be transparent about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Vazquez answered.
The presentation had been originally set for May, but because folks had raised some concerns, it moved it up and also scheduled the April 28 open forum.
Expanding access to honors level learning is healthy for everyone, but especially elementary age children, he said.
“Sometimes we have a fixed mindset in terms of what our kids can do and we put them in boxes too early on. We do that to the adults too. That’s not fair,” Vazquez said, adding: “Kids should have a chance to reinvent themselves, to grow, and to be supported by the community, whether that’s in academics or sports.”
Vazquez thought many parents come to North Salem because they “know their kids are going to get a chance that they wouldn’t typically in a larger school district.”
The biggest hurdle, therefore, is “changing our mindset and helping the community to see that there’s another path forward,” he said.
To DiGrandi, that can sometimes apply to the kids themselves.
“I think we have students who don’t think of themselves as honors students who are capable of doing that level of work because they’ve never had that opportunity. This now provides that opportunity,” he predicted.
Board of Education President Brandy Keenan agreed that once set on a particular academic track, it’s very hard for a student to “break out of it.”
“One, because you figure you’re there for a reason. Two, some parents don’t know that they can advocate (their children) or have a conversation about placements,” she explained.
Feeling stuck can also affect social/emotional growth.
“We’re a small school” and individual academic cohorts don’t change that much, she said, pointing out that a student may have a separate group of friends, but those friends “can disappear” if they’re assigned to a different track.
Also, sometimes choices in extracurricular activities can be limited as are their chances for exploring topics that they’re personally passionate about, Keenan surmised.
“These students, for the lack of a better word, are getting lost. I think this is kind of a way to make sure we’re not losing those students,” she said of the change. “At the same time, if we’re talking about raising the ceiling, we’re not losing the high achievers.”
Schools Superintendent Dr. Adam VanDerStuyf thanked administrators for their presentations on embedded honors – and earlier that evening, on mental health and wellness -- calling them opportunities “to have conversations about teaching and learning and creating a culture that is responsive to meeting the needs of all students.”
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