Committee will examine issues, devise solutions over next several months before bond construction begins to remodel Hallett and middle school
By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
About 20 teachers, administrators and parents gathered at Medical Lake Middle School last Thursday, Feb. 24, for a first round discussion of how students will be moved into new grade configurations following facilities construction.
Administrators say that before the start of the 2011 school year 12 additional classrooms will be built at Medical Lake Middle School to accommodate sixth grade students and six classrooms will be added on at Hallett Elementary, making it a preschool through fifth-grade building. Medical Lake Elementary School will be torn down and replaced by play fields.
“It's up to us to help come up with a plan of what's best for kids according to the research and find how to do this the smoothest way we can,” assistant superintendent Ralph Headlee told last week's group. He conceded that “choices are somewhat limited” since the bond plan necessitates sixth-graders moving to MLMS, but said the district plan offers plenty of time to look carefully at all options. The committee will be developing suggestions on building design as well as recommendations to the school board.
“Too often in education when we do something it tends to just stay that way forever,” Headlee said. “Here we're starting fresh so we have the opportunity to recommend some changes.”
Headlee summarized the available information on grade configurations, noting that while not all studies favor grade 6-8 middle schools, most of what he saw supports the idea. He said sixth-grade students in a middle school setting were found to have more access to advanced and exploratory courses, athletic opportunities and a wider variety of instructional tools. Students in all grades generally fare better with fewer school-to-school transitions, he said, and the situation would offer better alignment with current state curriculum standards and instructional materials.
Headlee's investigation also unearthed some concerns, including increased discipline issues, potential problems inherent in the mixing of younger and older students, and loss of leadership opportunities at the elementary school for the transition year class.
Committee participants formed small groups to generate questions and comments on the transition process. Numerous topics were discussed at length, including how scheduling might work, what new instructional resources might be available and how much intermixing there might be between grade levels.
Many instructors expressed worry about state rules on middle school instruction that say certain sixth-grade courses such as science or math must be taught by “highly qualified” teachers, or those with a specialized degree. Headlee said he's looking into whether or not teachers holding K-8 degrees would be allowed to teach specialized courses in self-contained sixth-grade classrooms. “I want to first find out what (the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction) says and then we can discuss what our options are,” he said.
The next meeting to discuss grade level configuration and other aspects of the upcoming Medical Lake School District move will be held Thursday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Medical Lake Middle School library. Members of the public are encouraged to take part.
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at [email protected].
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