1 / 28

Salt Lake City School District

Salt Lake City School District K-8 Schools: Exploring A Choice for the Future Beacon Heights Dilworth Highland Park Nibley Park Whittier Indian Hills ( 1/2 Hillside, ½ Clayton) Bonneville Emerson Hawthorne Lincoln Uintah Who’s Involved? Hillside, Clayton, and Their Feeders

Jims
Download Presentation

Salt Lake City School District

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. SaltLake City School District K-8 Schools: Exploring A Choice for the Future Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  2. Beacon Heights Dilworth Highland Park Nibley Park Whittier Indian Hills (1/2Hillside, ½ Clayton) Bonneville Emerson Hawthorne Lincoln Uintah Who’s Involved?Hillside, Clayton, and Their Feeders Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  3. What is a K-8 School? • A school with a continuous grade span that begins with kindergarten or pre-K and ends after the 8th grade. David Hough Editor, Research in Middle Education Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  4. Whyis SLCSD Considering K-8? • Current research on K-8 schools • Consistent with Student Achievement Plan • National move toward re-thinking middle grades • Rebuilding Opportunity • SLCSD enrollment data Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  5. SLCSD Student Achievement Plan • Choice Initiatives: (Essential #6) “Families and students have a variety of school or program choices including neighborhood schools, academies, magnets, and optional programs”. Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  6. SLCSD Data • Over 5 years, SLCSD 7th grade enrollment is down 7-13% compared to 6th grade. • 7th – 8th grade enrollment drops 2-3%. • 9th grade enrollment makes slight gains. • District enrollment down ~1% yearly. • Choice options have been shown to attract and retain students. Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  7. Transition Year Enrollments: Numbers of Students Enrolled in Grades 6, 7 & 9 in SLCSD Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  8. What Can a K-8 School Look Like? Some information from a survey of K-8 and Middle Schools, 2004.

  9. Structure of a K-8 School Day: • 5th grade – most often in a self-contained classroom (similar to current settings) • 6th grade – mix of single classroom, uniform periods, and flexible block schedules *K-8 schools can offer more options for 5th and 6th graders depending on the design of the day ** Programs and Practices in K-8 Schools (2004) Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  10. Structure of a K-8 School Day: • 7th and 8th grade – 74 % in uniform periods, 21 % in flexible block schedules ** Programs and Practices in K-8 Schools (2004) Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  11. Facts about K-8 Schools: • Your school would keep your 6th graders to become the 7th grade class • Those same kids would become the 8th graders next year • Not necessarily many transfer students – just neighborhood kids Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  12. Facts about K-8 Schools: • 5th through 8th graders will: • Gradually add more teachers during the school day • Gradually add more class taking options in their schedules Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  13. Facts about K-8 Schools: • Benefits for kids and parents: • Long-term relationships with teachers • Students stay closer to home • Same school schedule as younger siblings • Familiar building Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  14. RAND Corporation(Largest Educational Think-Tank in the US):“Wonder Years” Report Positive Findings: • Test scores slightly up for 13 yr. olds • Achievement gap closing slightly • Promising middle school practices available Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  15. RAND Corporation “Wonder Years” Report: Issues of Concern: • Mismatch between MS practices and philosophies • Lack of common planning times • Lack of advisory periods • By middle school, U.S. student achievement lags behind other countries Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  16. RAND Corporation “Wonder Years” report: Six Recommendations Made: • Reconsider stand-alone middle schools to reduce transitions • Offer interventions for lowest- performing students • Adopt comprehensive disciplinary models focused on prevention Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  17. RAND Corporation “Wonder Years” report: Six Recommendations Made (cont.): • Make use of proven professional development models for best practices at each level • Offer parents information about teaching and learning goals • Research programs that promote positive school climate and student well-being Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  18. What Journal Articles Report: Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  19. A Visible Trend … • Many Large districts are implementing K-8 grade configurations, including: Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. • Stated Reasons: • Enhance Academic Performance • Improve Behavior • Increase attendance K-8 Bunch, District Administration 2005. Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  20. One Journal Summary: Many school systems conducting their own research are finding students in grades 6, 7 and 8 who attend K-8 schools… are scoring higher than their counterparts in other grade-span schools as measured by standardized and state assessment exams. D. Hough, 2005 Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  21. K-8 Schools: Potential Advantages, Concerns & Design Issues Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  22. Potential Advantages of K-8 Schools • Data shows that fewer transitions = better student outcomes • Early research indicators of higher student achievement • Parental involvement remains higher • K-8 schools can often better implement the true middle school philosophy • Students well-known over a longer period Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  23. Other Potential Advantages: • Facilitates teacher teaming and planning • Advanced options for younger students • Additional sports opportunities possible • Cross-age tutoring • Flexible scheduling for all students Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  24. Parent Concerns When Considering K-8 Schools • Social, emotional, academic differences • Schedule options – classes and building • Difference between K-5 and 6-8 philosophy • Middle grade students interacting with younger students • K-8 preparation for high school • Don’t get to experience advanced activities Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  25. Issues for K-8 Design Consideration: Choices must be made in the structure of a K-8 school considering: • Student differences at each level • Organization of electives and required courses • Advanced options for students • Best practices at both elementary and middle school levels • Building re-fitting needs Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  26. Exploring K-8 Schools: Strategies • Involve all stakeholders • Read grade configuration literature • Research districts with the same structure • Consider best fit with community values • Thoughtful consideration Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  27. New K-8 Website Website Address: http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/ Visit the site to learn more about K-8 schools, find articles for your team, and keep current on meetings and dates. Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

  28. Questions: Please fill out the questionnaire provided and return to team members. Salt Lake City School District 801-578-8305 http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/

More Related