A double dose of the core subjects, close proximity of classes, in a teamed, collaborative learning environment are what students and parents can expect during the middle school years at Hazelwood schools beginning in the fall of 2007.
With the approval of a new middle school program, the district now has guidelines in place that will consistently be used at all middle schools to produce an environment that will improve academic performance while being sensitive to the needs and the development of pre-adolescent students.
“We’re confident that the proposed middle school program, with its emphasis on communication arts and mathematics, will improve student performance at this level. We simply must ensure that every middle school child goes to high school prepared for academic success,” Chris Wright, superintendent of schools, said.
Grayling Tobias, assistant superintendent of school accountability, led the development of the new middle school program.
“There was definitely a need to restructure our middle schools due to a downward trend in student performance, an overcrowded student population and inadequate facility space,” Tobias said.
The approved recommendations follow a year of intensive study by the Middle School Planning Committee (MSPC), composed of parents, teachers, students, middle school and elementary principals from throughout the District. MSPC recommendations approved by the Board of Education include:
? Design programs to meet the needs of 11-14 year-olds based on best practices of middle level education and the development of the whole child
? Organize middle schools around interdisciplinary teams, with the same students, common class proximity, and planning time for individual teachers and for the teams
? Create smaller learning environments of 25 students or less per classroom to meet student needs
? Distribute special education and gifted students equitably across teams
? Create collaborative opportunities for special education and general education teachers
? Align the middle school curriculum to grade-level expectations (GLEs) with a strong emphasis in reading
? Teach process and higher-order thinking skills with connections between at all levels
? Provide clubs, activities and intramurals
? Provide students with uniform support systems for academic success, such as organizational and study skills
? Assign frequent homework or “independent practice” based upon the guideline of 10 minutes multiplied by the student’s grade level, and coordinated among the teams
? Create a standards-based middle school report card
? Conduct workshops for students on library orientation, note-taking skills, organizational strategies, avoiding plagiarism, and research techniques for students, teachers and parents
? Create an environment of inclusion for special education teachers and students
? Provide opportunities for special education students to participate in all aspects of middle school life, including co-curricular activities
? Develop transition activities from elementary to middle school and from middle school into high school
? Create parent and community involvement activities
? Provide consistent communication to parents
? Provide professional development for staff on program implementation, diversity training, teaming and professional development by special education teachers to general education teachers on inclusion best practices
The committee worked within the parameters previously set by the Board of Education and was facilitated by Dr. Jerry Valentine of the Middle Level Leadership Center at the University of Missouri – Columbia. Those parameters include six schools with 900 students in grades 6, 7 and 8, with 300 students in each grade. Two teams of students (150 each) will be in each grade. Middle school students will have an eight period day or a 4×4 alternating day block schedule.
“The Board of Education approved parameters in January 2005 relating to school organization, programming and staffing. The committee began with a review of research about middle school education. The recommendations approved by the Board reflect today’s best practices for middle school education,” Tobias said.
Perhaps the most significant changes are in the curriculum. Students will have double communication arts and double math time, science and social studies. Music and physical education classes will be held on alternating days throughout the year.
The complete report of middle school recommendations will be available online at www.hazelwoodschools.org.
