This week, in another chapter of our continuing series on education, we explore a successful curriculum that can be implemented in your school or your home; it's called the Hillsdale model.

Hillsdale College, a well-respected and historic liberal arts school founded in 1844 was the wellspring for this model. The Michigan college has been ranked among the best small colleges in the country by US News and World Report and Barrons. The Academy (grades K-12) was founded in 1990 to serve as "a model for America." Such an ambitious goal certainly creates high expectations and it would appear that they are delivering results.

Hillsdale Academy was conceived to provide local children with "a highly traditional, values-centered curriculum, stressing basic skills and logical analysis," and as an extension of this - to provide the country with a solid model for educational reform that could be implemented anywhere.

Locally, the school ranks in the 96^th percentile nationally. What makes it effective? It's rooted in the basics: traditional education, hard work and values. The administrators pride themselves on not being cutting edge.

"We believe that school children today are not only deficient in basic factual knowledge, but they also rarely develop the discipline necessary to learn. So called 'progressive' teaching methods and oversimplified textbooks make it difficult for students in most schools to acquire the mental discipline that 'traditional' instruction once cultivated. Modern educators stress 'learning skills' and 'self-esteem,' but they do not acknowledge that students acquire these elements by addressing tangible facts, considering logical concepts and using intelligent language," said an Academy administrator.

Hillsdale Academy's curriculum features a traditional, well-balanced core of subjects: phonics, reading, penmanship, writing, spelling, grammar, literature, history, geography, geology, classical and modern foreign languages, mathematics, science, music, art, theater and physical education.

All subjects are presented cumulatively, with each level of difficulty building on prior learning. This may sound like common sense, but it is something that is not happening very often in our current education system.

In all grades, emphasis is placed on moral development through daily prayers, Bible reading and a variety of activities that are spiritual in orientation without being denominational. Patriotism is promoted daily.

The school talks about "the olden days," when American schools proudly displayed their mission statements. This is now the exception, rather than the rule.

I recently reviewed a book called The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them - by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. The author also lamented the absence of mission statements in our public schools and even the lack of standards and specifics for what should be taught in each grade.

"In the U.S. we have somehow placed more importance on self-esteem and freedom of expression than on hard work, learning the "basics," and academic achievement. These are some of the reasons why American students lag far behind almost every other developed nation…and why American colleges now have to maintain remedial centers to bring students up to speed.

"Educators don't seem to want to 'force' children to use their brains early on; yet in other countries children start with academics at three and love learning." - E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

Children who enter Hillsdale Academy do work hard and their school does publish a mission statement, here's an excerpt:
Hillsdale Academy develops within its students the intellectual and personal habits and skills upon which responsible, independent and productive lives are built, in the firm belief that such lives are the basis of a just and free society. The Academy strives to offer enrichment and to develop character through both curricular and extracurricular offerings, to nurture the child's humanity-spirit, mind, and body-with a constant view to the potential adult.

Thomas Sewell, Syndicated Columnist said this: "The Academy is not afraid of being out of step with the educational fashions of the time. Hillsdale Academy was set up to teach traditional subjects in traditional ways."

Hillsdale Academy is committed to motivating their students to master academic content at each level. They may not go on to the next grade until they have.
This is in sharp contrast to the widely used practice of "social promotions" - whereby students are promoted to the next grade, even though they are clearly not prepared for it.

After a year of Kindergarten, elementary grade classes are clustered combining two grades per room through grade six. This cluster approach, the school says, gives children at different skill levels a greater amount of flexibility while mastering each subject.

Hillsdale makes their model curriculum easily available to interested schools and parents. It is being used in private schools and chartered public schools. A charter school is a school that receives funding through the school board, but operates according to a set mission and curriculum -- its "charter."
Charter schools are usually started by parents and other members of the community. The guide is also used in homeschooling.

The curriculum is published in two guides - one for grades K-8 and the other for 9-12. The guides have been purchased in all 50 states and 12 foreign countries. Each guide contains the school culture, curriculum, supplementary reading list, parent's handbook, faculty handbook and weekly curriculum outline. They are available for $175 each and include a video.

Of course, it's difficult to really grasp the spirit of the place unless you witness it for yourself. To this end, Hillsdale Academy offers ongoing visitation days for interested parties.

According to the school's literature, about 220 schools are operating currently. One school using the model is a charter school in Oklahoma. The school opened in 1998 as a result of community and parental outcry to increased violence and sliding academic performance. The rigorous academic standards and discipline have drawn families from all over the area.

Stephanie Umphress, marketing director of the Hillsdale Academy, said: "Many charter schools throughout the country are using the Curriculum Guide, but few [conventional] public schools are using it." This is likely because of the inclination towards the progressive movement, as opposed to traditional education.

For information on how to adapt the curriculum to your school's or homeschool's needs, or for information on where there might be an academy in your area, call Stephanie Umphress at 1-800-989-7323.