Cross Case Features: Context

Hardin Middle School: Admin Support Context

The principal, Kenneth Johnson, thinks it’s important for students to be exposed to other cultures ¾to “open their eyes to the real world and to help them compete in a global economy.” He notes that he believes in risk taking and tells his teachers to try new things. However, in the spring, “most of the conversations are about the state assessment.” The ninth-grade Ancient Civilization class is a “ natural” for adding Asian content, but the “roadblock” is the state assessment, which emphasizes international education and has only a few questions about Asia.

The district is currently undergoing a curriculum review to align instruction with standards. According to the superintendent, the review provides an opportunity to add Asian studies: “We need to make sure that our curriculum is aligned with the state and the national testing program. That is a high priority but, within that scope, there is still room for expanding our curriculum and including areas such as Asian studies. I think there would be a lot of flexibility in this district to integrate Asian studies.”