Group+4


 * Part I**

You are a 12th grade English teacher at Central Texas High School. It’s your twelfth year on the job, and while you enjoy teaching, you are uncomfortably familiar with the politics that accompany the job. While you feel that a child’s education should be the focus of schooling, it is undeniably less important than the state’s favorite pastime: sports. Central Texas has an outstanding reputation as an athletic powerhouse. It currently has the state titles in football, basketball, and volleyball. The soccer team, in spite of its recent addition, made the playoffs its first year, and a current Olympic gold medalist is a graduate of the school's illustrious swimming program. At Central Texas sports are more than just an extra-curricular activity; they are the fabric of the community. The community proudly celebrates every success, and personally laments every failure. During your first years at the school, you held the idealistic zeal of the typical educator fresh from college. You felt you could change the world, one child at a time. You believed you could handle any situation, and if you encountered any problems, your colleagues would understand and help you find appropriate solutions. But reality proved to be far from what you imagined. Your first day on campus alerted you to the mass hysteria surrounding sports. Instead of meeting at homeroom and reviewing schedules and procedure, administration threw a huge pep rally in the gymnasium for the whole school. The rally lasted two hours, and you did not see your new students until third period. Many athletes, including the starting quarterback for the football team, the point guard for the basketball team, and the ace senior pitcher, ran out in front of the rest of the students. The applause was deafening as the students screamed and the band blasted the school fight song. Other faculty members sat on the bottom row of the bleachers, furiously waving pompoms and brandishing banners. Each athlete waved to the crowd and then shook hands with the principal and assistant principals. The coaches of each program walked out, all smiling and waving to the crowd. The championship banners from the previous year were hoisted to the rafters and balloons fell from the ceiling. At the time, the whole scene seemed surreal and you vowed never to be a part of it. ..

Years later, you lack the fervor from your youth. You have succumbed to the influence of the sports teams. While you still believe in education first, you have also participated in the obsession claimed by the rest of the school. You sit in the stands wearing school colors and screaming at the top of your lungs. You assign less homework on the nights of the big games. You are more lenient on athletes, especially in the areas of in-class behavior and grading. One day late in the school year, you ask a football player to pull his pants up. “The class is not interested in what your boxers look like, Mr. Johnson.” The class laughs, and as you turn to walk toward the chalkboard, you hear the athlete say “Hell naw! I’m an athlete and I can do whatever I want in this school.” Angry and flustered, you quickly scribble a note and send the student to the principal’s office. “You know ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to me, right?” sneers Mr. Johnson as he leaves the classroom, smiling. Later that day, you sit in the teacher’s lounge thinking about the incident. What have I become?, you ask yourself. You realize that you are far away from the ideals and principles you had at the beginning of your career. You are just like every other faculty member. As hard as it may be, you know that you have to change.

Record your thoughts at this point. What do you think about the school being so focused on sports? What made the teacher change his/her way of teaching over the years?
 * Questions for Part I**

[|Personal Opinion from a Student]

[|Prep School Priorities]

[|Culture of Texas High School Football]

This case presents a dilemma for the classroom teacher. Candidates should assess possible causes for student's behavior as well as side effects of the classroom situation from both an individual and peer-focused academic perspective. The candidate’s evaluation should facilitate development of various potential solutions.
 * Facilitator Notes**


 * Part II**

Derrick smiles as he listens to the cheers. A chill travels down his spine as he hears the thousands of people in the packed gymnasium screaming. The first pep rally of the year was always raucous, but this year it seems particularly electric. Closing his locker door, he slips on his varsity jacket, pausing to take in the smell of fresh leather. He has never owned a real leather jacket. As he zips it up, he notices a pause in the noise as the crowd breaks off into a synchronized chant. Derrick moves closer to the door, straining to make out what the masses are saying. But it doesn’t take long, as he’s heard this particular cheer countless times. The words become more and more audible as everyone starts to scream at the top of their lungs: “DERRICK! DERRICK! DERRICK!” He loved that sound. It was the sound of admiration, of approval. But more importantly, it was the sound of acceptance—something he’d been longing for his whole life. For a while, Derrick thought he never would be accepted. He was always a little different than the rest of the kids when he was younger. He always treated as an outsider. But he didn’t blame the other kids. How could he? He was the one who has the problem, not them. He remembered trying to read aloud in Science class in 5th grade. He was so nervous that he began to stammer, and for some reason, he could not read the words in the right order. He can still hear the other kids laughing and mocking him as he ran out of the classroom. He recalls running until he found the darkest, most hidden place he could find. It was hours before the PE teacher found him in the gym storage room, clutching an old basketball.

I guess that’s where it all began, thought Derrick. His mom would say he thrived on the basketball court. It just felt natural having the ball in his hands. He could escape from everything. Instead of being teased by other kids, Derrick received autograph and picture requests. A college scout came to see him play a home game in the 8th grade. The next week, two scouts came. Everyone kept telling him he was an extraordinary talent on the court. His off-the-court life seemed to get easier as well. No longer was he asked to read in front of the class. In fact, his teachers never seemed to ask much of him at all. He never received homework assignments. He rarely finished class work or tests, yet always seemed to pass. He had never taken the ACT or SAT, but received NCAA scholarship-eligible scores in the mail. Though these occurrences puzzled him, Derrick never questioned his teachers or his coaches. His life had finally taken a turn for the better, and basketball was the key. He was a senior and was preparing to head to The University of Texas on an athletic scholarship. With hard work, he would reach the NBA and make enough money to provide for his family forever.

Looking in the mirror, Derrick couldn’t help but smile. This was going to be the greatest year of his life. He looked down to make sure his jeans were cuffed perfectly on his tennis shoes. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the locker room door. It was time to make his entrance.

What is happening in this vignette? What do you really know about this student? Who is behind the scenes regarding Derrick's grades? Do you need more information? If so, what do you need and why?
 * Questions for Part II**

[|An Introduction to Dyslexia]

[|NCAA Eligibility Center]

Candidates should be familiar with the signs of dyslexia and dysgraphia. Candidates should review NCAA student athlete scholarship requirements and the collegiate recruiting process. This part presents a possible situation for young athletes. Candidates should not question why early diagnosis was neglected and should focus on the current situation.
 * Facilitator Notes**

You start the new school year with renewed principles. You are determined to help every student without favoritism. Your resolve is tested quickly. This term you have Derrick, the starting point guard of the basketball team, in your class. From the beginning of the school year, Derrick has proved to be the worst problem you've had with a student athlete. He does not show up for the first two days of class. On the third day, after arriving late, he hands you a handwritten note from the coach stating he was at pre-season workouts, while continuing a conversation on his cell phone. Members of the coaching staff visit him during class, and he answers his cell during discussions, even though cell phone use is prohibited during school hours. When he is not disrupting class, he is absent. He missed five days in late September to celebrate his birthday at Disneyland, and he missed another week in late March to attend the NCAA Final Four tournament. Both were excused as "sanctioned school activities." He has failed to turn in virtually all homework assignments, and did not take one of the three exams. The work he has done is very rudimentary, exhibiting poor writing style, grammar, and trouble with reading comprehension. He struggles with in-class assignments, and seems to have difficulty with word retrieval, manipulating sounds in words, and correctly arranging letters and words in writing and speech. At first you attribute this lack of progress to years of being passed without question, but you later suspect he may have a learning disability, namely dyslexia. Near the end of the year, you realize that he will not have earned enough points to pass your course.
 * Part III**

In late March, you meet with Derrick to inform him that he will not pass your course. He is openly upset, saying it will jeopardize his scholarship to the University of Texas. His family has always lived in poverty, and basketball may be his opportunity to provide financial security for them. He says that you will upset many people and remarks that you "need to open your eyes and get with the program." He then storms out. Later in the afternoon his basketball coach comes to see you. He asks if there is any way you can give Derrick's grade a "boost." He says that by doing so, you will be making many people happy. You consult the principal to apprise him of the situation, but he reiterates how important sports are to the community and asks if you are absolutely certain you calculated your grades correctly. Surprised by this lack of administrative support, you sit in your empty classroom thinking about the situation. You have made exceptions for athletes like Derrick in the past, but you promised yourself this year would be different. You understand his situation and do want to see him succeed. But which would be better for Derrick in the long run: giving him a passing grade or failing him? How can you possibly stick to your convictions when virtually everyone in the school expects you to do the opposite?

What will happen to Derrick if he does not pass? What will happen to the teacher if s/he does not pass Derrick? Is there anyone else that the teacher can consult or collaborate with and why? What information will help the teacher make a decision?
 * Questions for Part III**

[|Darrell Arthur and High School Math Class]

[|Derrick Rose and the SAT]

[|Robert Dozier and the SAT]

Candidates should be familiar with school policies on tardies and absenteeism as well as the typical repercussions of tardies and absences (i.e., detention, suspension, truancy procedures). Candidates might examine emotional effects of standardized testing, possible sources of testing bias, and the effects of urban environments on education. Candidates need to address the lack of administrative support and the abundance of outside pressure to pass an athlete.
 * Facilitator Notes**