Students in Lakeville, MA will have more school choice options this year by now being able to attend schools in communities outside than the city or town where they live.

In 2011 the Freetown Lakeville Region offered school choice for grades six and nine. Now the School Committee is welcoming students in grades six through 12. As a result, curriculum was rewritten and the district has a new literacy program and achievement goals for every grade.

“Learning doesn’t happen in one year, in one classroom,” Dr. Huizenga, interim school superintendent, said. “We’ve established benchmarks of mastery. We want it to be clear to parents, students, and teachers exactly what skills and concepts each student is expected to know at each grade. That way parents can help their students at home, partnering with us to ensure that their children are developing in the appropriate time frame. Not every child will get the same thing at the same rate as another. If these benchmarks aren’t met, students will receive extra help and support. We’re trying to individualize and personalize our educational programs.”

In 2010 the district’s MCAS scores, their statewide standards-based assessment program, placed it in the top third of over 300 districts across Massachusetts.

Read more about how this district is offering families choice here.