Subcommittee approves Durfee Program of Studies; STEAM job description and competency-determination proposals referred

The Fall River Public Schools Instructional Subcommittee discussed proposed changes to Durfee High School’s Program of Studies on Feb. 5 and approved the program after debate; the subcommittee also voted to refer a revised STEAM job description and a competency-determination proposal for the Class of 2025 to the full School Committee.

Durfee administrators and curriculum leaders described several substantive changes they proposed for the Program of Studies, citing goals to strengthen math and science coursework, broaden access for multilingual learners (MLL), expand co-taught and newcomer options, and enhance the twelfth-grade experience.

Doctor J (Durfee administrator) and Doctor Stevens (district curriculum leader) outlined the proposed senior-year changes: a recommended minimum of 15 credits in senior year to encourage sustained engagement and a new senior elective structure focused on competency and real-world skills. Doctor Stevens said the proposed senior elective — described as “achieving the vision of a graduate” or an adulting/life-skills workshop — would emphasize communication, critical thinking, financial literacy and postsecondary planning; the course would be term-based and driven in part by…