For Same Course, Students Can Succeed on Many Levels

Atwell said some of his students are first-timers in honors; a few are AP students who were taking other AP courses and wanted an easier history class.

This is Jeff Lawrence's first honors course -- he is taking it at Atwell's suggestion -- and the 17-year-old said it is more challenging than the on-grade course but "not as hard as I expected."

On this day, the class is doing the same assignment as the on-grade class but with differences:

"Today, we are working on a map," Atwell told the students. "It's a neat activity."

He briefly reviewed Cold War terms they had learned the day before, but he did not write on the board and he did not put the map on the overhead projector.

As he handed out the assignment, he said to the class, "Can you work with a partner?"

"Yes," they responded.

"You guys are good. I don't care what they say about you," he said, smiling.

"What I would suggest is drawing a boundary line to show the separation between East and West. Write 'Iron Curtain,' " he said.

Students popped out of their seats, some forming teams, some conferring with Atwell. They laughed as they got down to work, many saying they understood the assignment.

"This isn't hard," Cristina Diaz, 16, said.

The IB Course

The International Baccalaureate program is a two-year college-level program in six subject areas. For an IB degree, students not only must pass tests but also must perform community service and individual research.