K-8 Reconfiguration Update

What we are not doing:

· There is no “exploratory committee” as yet formed.
· K-8 is not a foregone conclusion.
· The addition of 6th grade to the elementary schools will not take place in September 2008.

What we are doing:

· The School Committee is proposing a grade reconfiguration to K-8 for the district’s elementary schools. Much work needs to be done if this continues to implementation.
· The School Committee is looking at the feasibility of the K-8 model through the following efforts:
- Application for funding for school facility upgrades through the Massachusetts School Building Authority
- Advanced fact-finding by the school district administration

What we will be doing:

· School district administration is and will continue to be visiting successful K-8’s in the Northeast with similar demographics to North Adams.
· We expect to be hiring a third party, out-of-district, facility-planning organization to fully assess educational space needs.
· A School Committee exploratory K-8 sub-committee will be formed that will include school committee representation, a teacher and parent from each of the elementary schools & Conte, a city councilor, and a community representative. I will be chairing this committee, which will be receiving for our review all of the advanced fact finding of the district administration, all funding information provided by the Mass School Building Authority, and the details on the in-process and completed assessment of educational space needs by the facility planning organization. This committee will make its recommendations regarding K-8 grade reconfiguration to the School Committee.

Why are we looking at a K-8 grade reconfiguration:

There is considerable research and anecdotal evidence that this is the best and the right choice for the education & social development of children in the middle grades. We know it is not a magic bullet for solving all the challenges of educating the kids, but reasons include:

Families develop strong and continuous connections to the school over 9 years together. Parents of younger kids tend to be a lot more active than middle school parents, and the schools retain the benefit of experienced, active parents as younger siblings come in. With the kids having long-term relationships with teachers & the school, students experience less anxiety about entering 6th, 7th & 8th grades. K-8 schools can give at-risk students, in particular, greater opportunities at success by building relationships with staff over a course of nine years

Older students develop leadership skills and responsibility, and experience the value of helping others. Middle grade students in a K-8 school behave differently than in a middle school. They take on the role of protector and role model as opposed to having to establish new reputations upon entering a middle school.

Students have a more seamless transition between their primary, intermediate, and middle grade programs. The continuity of K-8 reduces feelings of anonymity that may be experienced in middle school, which in a middle school can lead to negative coping mechanisms, including fighting, displaying a "don’t care" attitude, or self-destruction.

Research indicates that, in many cases, students in a K-8 environment at each grade level achieve higher levels of academic growth over time.

K-8 models eliminate one transition and student achievement levels do not drop as is typically seen during transition years.

A K-8 school can incorporate a distinct, rigorous, and developmentally appropriate middle grades program within a K-8 grade span – what’s frequently called an “Ellemiddle” school. Best practice middle grade implementation can be successfully incorporated within the K-8 model.

Research indicates that by the end of eighth grade, students in a K-8 school show higher self-esteem, less victimization by other students, greater levels of participation in extracurricular activities, and healthier adolescent development.

K-8 schools across the country display higher attendance rates and fewer disciplinary problems.

The School Committee is well aware that there are great things happening in the North Adams School District, thanks to the extraordinary dedication of the faculty, support staff and administration, in spite of the many pressures put on them by the requirements of No Child Left Behind, AYP, MCAS and so on. There are tangible and significant improvements occurring throughout the district, including at Conte Middle School. K-8 isn’t being considered because the School Committee is unhappy with the academic improvements or lack thereof in the school district. The look at K-8 addresses many issues beyond educational improvement, as outlined above. If these issues could be addressed successfully with K-8, this would enhance the good things that are happening in our current grade structure.

The exploration of K-8 grade reconfiguration also exposes in a more significant light, the issues of school facility deficiencies and declining enrollments. These two issues add to the interest in the K-8 conversion as a way to make better use of educational space in the district.

K-8 Information

I know there may be many questions, concerns and ideas regarding the proposed K-8 grade reconfiguration in the North Adams School District. For many of the questions you have, we may not have answers yet. But I welcome your input and your questions. I intend to use this blog as a vehicle to keep the parents and the community informed as we go through the process. I also hope you will take advantage of this medium to provide your input, your thoughts and your ideas on the proposed K-8 grade reconfiguration. If you would prefer to do so more directly, you can email me at newa@adelphia.net.

Teacher Raises Concerns

A Letter to the Editor in The Transcript from Susan Chilson, a veteran teacher in the North Adams School District, addressed concerns she has with cuts being made to staff and programs.

A local blogger (who has long-time issues with the administration of the North Adams School District) supports her views by saying that he has "had conversations with dozens (yes, dozens) of teachers who have voiced frustrations over many different subjects in the past couple years." He goes on to say that "I do not think I know Susan Chilson, at least not by name." I find it curious that for someone that has talked to "dozens (yes, dozens)" of teachers, this local blogger does not know Susan Chilson; a North Adams School District teacher for 20+ years - and a former member of the NATA board. How is it possible that someone so close to so many ("dozens") North Adams teachers does not know of Susan Chilson?

I know Susan Chilson; I like Susan Chilson; I respect Susan Chilson as a great teacher & a great parent. I share her concerns and frustration with any cuts made to staff and programs. But let's set the record clear on staff and program cuts.

Staff and program cuts are not exclusive to the North Adams School District. It's unfortunately happening everywhere - locally, regionally and state-wide - for a variety of reasons. In North Adams' case specifically, decisions for cuts to staff and programs proposed in the FY2008 budget are driven by decreased enrollment in the school district. As a result of declining enrollment, cuts to staff can be made without impacting the integrity of the programs. Decreased enrollment has led to, in many cases, very small class sizes - under 15, some under 10 students. For those programs (class subjects), the same students can be served with fewer teachers while continuing to hold class sizes under 20. In regard to Susan Chilson's reference to specific programs that have been cut or reduced, again this is driven by enrollment - (French will be offered at Conte Middle School in 2007-08).

Regarding declining enrollment, some of this is due to declining population in the city - much of it is due to negative perceptions (& in some cases, negative realities) of the middle school - some of it is due to the charter school. Declining enrollment is not a new phenomena. It has been going on for many years.

We will be addressing declining enrollments in part by examining the feasibility of grade reconfiguration. More specifically, converting to K-8's and eliminating the middle school. This will not be a magic bullet - but if implemented (and done so correctly), will likely provide a significant improvement in the academic and social experience of the students in the North Adams schools.

And let me add - the city of North Adams contributes to the school district close to $4 million dollars over the state "required minimum local contribution". If that was not the case, you would obviously see much deeper cuts.

A Bump In The Road

The middle school concept, in my opinion, creates a bump in the road to the academic and social growth of the children the schools are educating. It disrupts the flow of the social and academic growth of the developing child. Research and anecdotal evidence all over the country shows that doing this is perhaps doing the opposite of what it was intended to do – instead of helping the kids through the rapid changes they’re going through at this age, the middle school is adding to the challenges the kids are facing. Moving to a new unfamiliar environment at 6th grade – to a larger school with teachers they don’t know, with kids they don’t know, with more demands and stress heaped on them – is not the way to make their lives a smooth transition during this difficult time.

The answer in my opinion and in the opinion of many across the country is the conversion back to K-8 Schools. The North Adams School District will be considering the feasibility of this conversion over the next few weeks and months. Your input is welcome.

Thirty Advantages (There's Others) of K-8 Over Middle School

1 Better student academic performance

2 Greater parental support

3 Smaller class size

4 Reduced drop-out rates

5 Lower absenteism rates

6 Lower transportation costs

7 Better student behavior

8 Higher student self-esteem

9 Better continuity & stability (one less transition)

10 Reduced sexual activity

11 Longer term student & teacher relationships

12 Mentoring benefits to younger students

13 Older student leadership role improvements

14 Decreased anxiety

15 Best practice middle grade implementation

16 Opportunuties for accelerated learning

17 Improved teacher collaboration

18 Reduced "falling through the cracks" issues

19 Greater opportunity for success for "at-risk" students

20 Improved internal accountability

21 Less anonymity

22 More opportunity for adult supervision

23 Decreased transfer out-of-district numbers

24 A more seamless transition through grades

25 Healthier adolescent development

26 Improved positive student attitudes toward school

27 Increased student motivation, less disengagement

28 A safer, more familiar environment

29 Less victimization by other students

30 Decreased peer pressure

Standardized Testing

There are no teachers, no school administrators and no school committee members in North Adams (or likely any other public school district) that support standardized testing as a central focus of a student’s education.

NCLB federal mandates and Mass D.O.E.’s MCAS (a state mandated standardized test tougher than any other in the country) are something public schools (including charter schools) are required to live with.

It’s a double-edged sword – public school systems have improved (including North Adams) as a result of the assessment testing. Yet it has led to a serious drain on the students, teachers and administration in addressing the multitude of demands that the mandates from others puts on them. And it takes significant time away from providing the education it's supposed to be assessing.

Ongoing Concerns About Teen Pregnancy

The North Adams Public Schools, through grant funding from the Department of Public Health, is providing a nationally recognized health unit to eighth graders. Quoting from the letter sent to eight-grade children’s parents, ” “Making Proud Choices” is an eight hour, research-based program that has proven to be successful in encouraging teens to behave in ways that reduce their risk of unintentional pregnancy and infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted illnesses.

The curriculum encourages participants to take pride in themselves and their communities, to behave responsibly for their own sake as well as for the sake of their family and their community, and to consider their goals for the future and how unhealthy behavior might thwart those goals.

The curriculum acknowledges that abstinence is the most effective way to eliminate the risks associated with sexual activity. It also provides factual information that will help students who do not choose abstinence to practice safer sex.

“Making Proud Choices” contains eight class lessons on topics ranging from setting life goals, to attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS and condom use, to the consequences of sexual activity, to helping students build their refusal and negotiation skills to help them deal with the pressures that teens inevitably feel.”

Teenage pregnancy continues to be a serious issue in North Adams. The Pittsfied School District is also doing the “Making Proud Choices” program.

Anything that addresses teen pregnancy is a step in the right direction. What would you recommend the North Adams School District do to further address this important issue?

Sullivan Elementary School Receives High Marks

In 2005-2006 Sullivan School was ranked in the top three schools of the Massachusetts Reading First project for its success in increasing the percentage of students who moved from the fall 2005 rating of "low average" to the spring 2006 rating of "average or above".

Cheryl Liebling, Ph.D., Director of Reading and Language Arts for the Massachusetts Department of Education, has informed the North Adams School District that Sullivan School was one of three schools selected to participate in the Reading First case narratives for 2006-2007.

This year's best practice sites were selected because of their expertise in using data from the Reading First assessments to inform instruction. The purpose of the 2006-2007 case studies is to highlight best practices in schools that are targeting instruction to meet the needs of students as identified by Reading First assessments.

N Adams District Out of Watch Status

The North Adams School District received notification from Joe Rappa, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of EQA (Educational Quality and Accountability), that the Educational Management Audit Council, after reviewing the February, 2006 audit report - which indicated the scope and depth of the changes that have occurred in the past two years - the council voted to remove North Adams Public Schools from "Watch Status", despite some continuing concerns about Conte Middle School.

The North Adams School District was one of the first in Massachusetts to be placed in Watch Status and received a lot of negative publicity as a result - some warranted. Now you'll find a "Watch Status" school district in your neighborhood wherever you live in the state.