Integration Of Middle School Into A K-6 SchoolEssay Preview: Integration Of Middle School Into A K-6 SchoolReport this essayProposal for the Integration ofJunior High (7th & 8th Grades) into a K-6 Elementary SchoolA small town school 20 minutes West of Flagstaff, AZTable of ContentsIllustrationsPurposeSituational OverviewPotential issuesSocial DiversityEthnic DiversityKey BenefitsPersonalized Attention and PerformancePeer-tutoring Leadership SkillsLess TransitionsImproved Extra-curricular OpportunitiesImplementationConclusionAppendix AAppendix BAppendix CWorks CitedIllustrationsPurposeMost of todays parents are products of an educational system that sent them through an elementary school, bussed to a separate transitional junior high school, and then funneled into a large high school. Yet, is this model the best for our children today? Would students perform better overall if they were to continue their middle school education at a single school before making the transition to high school? I experienced the classical approach as a child, and now as a parent of a 6th grader in Parks, AZ, I am intrigued with the possibilities of a reformed educational structure. Members of the community are organizing to evaluate the need for change.
In the interest of determining how Maine Consolidated School District (MCSD) can better serve its students, a committee of parents, students, teachers and faculty has assembled to investigate the feasibility of 7th and 8th grade students attending MCSD for their middle school education. The committee believes there are many immediate and potential benefits by having students continue their education here in Parks until they transition to high school. Additionally, the students will be better prepared and in many respects with more opportunities for involvement in the school, community and extra-curricular activities. The following facts indicate the need for the school board to consider grade expansion at MCSD.
Situational OverviewMaine Consolidated School District is a public school in the rural community of Parks, AZ and currently serves 96 enrolled students in grades kindergarten through 6th (K-6). Students who graduate from 6th grade into junior high must either ride the bus 30 minutes to Flagstaff Middle School (Flagstaff M.S.) or parents can provide student transportation to any school of their choosing in the state. However, one choice parents do not have is whether to allow their children a 7th and 8th grade education in their own town.
The MCSD school does an excellent job of educating our students and preparing them for middle school. The students Arizonas Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) scores has earned the school its designation as “Highly Performing” by the Arizona Department of Education in 2004-2005 (Greatschools 2006). This year all of our previous 6th graders successfully entered the math and science intensive National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) program at Flagstaff Middle School. Our students have proven themselves very successful in this competitive program. The success of MCSDs performance has even attracted students from more populous cities. MCSD can even better prepare them for challenging high school programs by continuing our students education here in Parks for an additional two years.
The teachers at MCSD are teaching our students the state mandated requirements, and expanding upon those standards whenever time is available and the abilities of the students demand it. Our students will continue to receive this high level of education if we are able to keep them at MCSD for two more years. Curriculum options are being considered by the current administration and staff. Flagstaff Unified School District expectations of incoming high school students will be met and often exceeded by the teaching and curriculum learned during the middle school years at MCSD. Also, the curriculum will create consistency between grade levels and linear progression of skill mastery for all students at MCSD beginning with kindergarten.
• “The MCSD Unified School Board has been in the business of doing things that aren’t done by the students and taking decisions about what is done with the program or how best to fund it, but by using those efforts to build an environment in which faculty, student, staff and learners are given the benefits of such efforts. In our past, our students had issues when they used their credit without a student being able to get a written evaluation. This is nothing new at MCSD. Some believe that when the school is open to members of the community, it could make a difference to their lives; some say it will be just what the school provides for the community to have a say in all of our development. This approach makes a difference, because it can help us in our own communities and within our community.
• Many schools throughout Western University want to get along better. We want better public schools, better arts and culture programs, better public education services for our students, better and more efficient schools — it all has to be part of our goals to foster a better environment for students for higher quality education. The MCSD community needs to have their voices heard, not forced to listen. • Please allow for the MCSD Unified School District to pursue the above-mentioned steps. This could include changes to our current schedule, the appointment of a new superintendent, hiring a new board member, and ultimately a new president. If there are any other steps you would like to see taken, please discuss them with other schools in the community and with your local community school leaders.
• The education and health care systems for students of MCSD and other schools have some very important issues that need to be addressed. For example, they need to be built into all future models of education, including some for students in this particular area (except the College of Science and Technology). You can see how the MCSD Unified School District’s School Trustee is responding to the needs of students in the areas they depend for educational attainment by: the College of Engineering and Technology and The Art & Design Center of the MCSD School of Art and Design as well as the College of Physical Education; the American Academy in Arts & Culture of MCSD and MCSD University School of Architecture and the American Institute in Design of American Academy of Arts and Culture; and the Institute of Manned Science and Technology of MCSD. As outlined above, MCSD cannot continue to grow under one or more of these funding streams. This is particularly frustrating when it comes to the school system and other communities with a substantial population of students. There are a number of factors contributing to school failures at MCSD, which we need to address at the local level and with your help. • We will continue to invest in schools in the MCSD community, but many of those can’t afford to hire more teachers. We are still trying to figure out a long term plan of how
Tribune of the Century
The TCCA Education Center is a joint venture of American Institute for Educators and the National Council on American-Islamic Relations of TCCA.
If you are a registered public servant with a school district you can request an EIS application online at TCCA.gov.
Read the full story at the TCCA Times
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
You may also see some of the following pages at this TCCA News Release: http://www.usi.edu/news/cnn-news/article/0,4,50646529,00.html
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Tribune of the Century
The TCCA Education Center is a joint venture of American Institute for Educators and the National Council on American-Islamic Relations of TCCA.
If you are a registered public servant with a school district you can request an EIS application online at TCCA.gov.
Read the full story at the TCCA Times
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
You may also see some of the following pages at this TCCA News Release: http://www.usi.edu/news/cnn-news/article/0,4,50646529,00.html
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Tribune of the Century
The TCCA Education Center is a joint venture of American Institute for Educators and the National Council on American-Islamic Relations of TCCA.
If you are a registered public servant with a school district you can request an EIS application online at TCCA.gov.
Read the full story at the TCCA Times
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
You may also see some of the following pages at this TCCA News Release: http://www.usi.edu/news/cnn-news/article/0,4,50646529,00.html
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Potential issuesThere have been several issues brought up by members of the community. Most of these are logistical issues that are answered in the Fact Sheet (see Appendix A). Yet, one of the parents voiced key issues focusing on diversity during an open forum held at MCSD.
Social DiversityExposure to different teachers and students is considered one argument on diversity. Some officials and parents are concerned the student needs greater exposure to the high school-type setting. This issue was witnessed in one study that found, “some children become too familiar with the school setting and dont expand their horizons socially and academically; they dont get exposure to a wide array of teachers, teaching styles, and specialty fields” (Paglin, 1997, p. 17). However, students who graduate from MCSD 8th grade will have a greater sense of personal identity and security before entering the torrential river of diverse high school personas.
Ethnic DiversityOne parent was concerned their child would not be exposed to the diverse population that Flagstaff M.S. would offer. MCSD has an estimated white population of 78% (Greatschools 2006). Another parent counter-argued that diversity is not the responsibility of our public schools and diversity education should be left to the parents. There is no easy answer for this concern, but both teachers and parents who foster a safe respectful environment for ethnic minorities will promote a lifelong influence over our students viewpoints.
Despite