Principal Mr. Max Berkowitz has a goal for every student enrolled at Foran High School: to help each student prepare for the world ahead of them.
“What I want for students is for them to be deep thinkers and be as prepared as possible for the future,” Berkowitz affirms.
In order to evaluate a student’s growth during their time in the Milford Public Schools system, each graduating class is required to complete a mastery-based diploma assessment (MBDA) in their senior year before they move on to the next phase of their lives.
The assessment was first implemented as a graduation requirement for the class of 2023 via Foran’s advisory program, where students wrote a reflection paragraph based on Milford’s “Vision of the Learner”, evaluating their growth in scholarship, personal development, citizenship, and creativity during their time in the district.
Foran alumni Jordan Hines recalls writing her reflection, explaining the process she underwent to accomplish the task, including a word sort and a graphic organizer to help students brainstorm.
“When it came to the actual assessment, it was just a couple of questions about how I’ve grown personally and academically in the Milford Public Schools system. I remember it being kind of enlightening, like it really showed me how far I’ve come, since I was five years old, anyway,” Hines remembers.
After students submitted their reflections, they were sent to school administrators for review. Assistant Principal Mrs. Beth Gilman worked with last year’s graduating class and read through each student’s responses.
“It was a really rich experience for me because it made me feel connected to students that I don’t always get to meet. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear about the things they have really challenged themselves with and the things they have learned as Milford Public Schools students,” Gilman reminisces.
This year’s graduating class can expect a similar experience to that of last year for their MBDA. However, changes to the program are in the works for the class of 2025. Assistant Superintendent Mr. Steven Autieri looks to expand the process to more than a short summary at the end of one’s high school career.
“I really want to make sure our students understand what’s in the Vision of the Learner, and that it’s not just a document that hangs on a wall, but the things that you’re doing within your classes actually give you the opportunity to learn and practice those skills,” he expresses.
In January, Autieri plans to assemble administrators and teachers from both Foran and Jonathan Law to finalize plans for what the MBDA will entail in the coming years. While nothing is decided yet, Autieri has hopes for the future of the project.
Autieri’s plan is to integrate elements of the MBDA assessment into core content areas, such as social studies or sciences, as well as into the senior internship program. He hopes to stretch the evaluation across the entire experience in all Milford high schools.
“It’s almost like a portfolio, where you would take it grade level to grade level, and by, let’s call it your junior year, you would have a fully developed portfolio of all of the different opportunities that you’ve had,” he proposes.
While the courses subject to integration will remain undecided until January, Autieri’s vision provides a solid map for the upcoming changes. His reimagination of the process looks to bring a new component to each student’s learning journey.
“It’s not some separate graduation requirement like community service where you’re trying to check off a set amount of hours. You’re really immersed in the learning and it’s part of the work you’re doing in your courses,” Autieri emphasizes.
