6th grade in elementary, better prepares students for middle school ... Online courses will help students in college ...
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Grade Reconfiguration
Strength/Rewards: prek5 configuration ● PreK in elementaries would help families for transportation ● Supportive of curriculum alignment, but not physically in elementary school ● helps younger kids feel ready for kindergarten; learn a lot from the older kids ● Eases transition from preschool to kindergarten ● May help prek students develop better socially Concerns/Risks: prek5 configuration ● PreK need strong relationship and bond; too much switching/clustering for the younger grades ● A bridge to PreK is nice, but not in elementary school ● Do buildings have access to developmentally appropriate facilities in these buildings? ● Sending 3yearold to a center is comforting b/c all are there for preK ● PreK not funded through state yet still optional ● PreK is not academic, it is social could get lost in elementary school ● PreK students too small for elementary schools ● Cost ● Concern with age range (PreK5) Strength/Rewards: 68 configuration ● Kindergarteners are scared of 6th graders th ● Elementaries not built for 6 grade ● Like the 68 configuration ● Advocate for moving 6th to middle school so students can feel safe as they transition ● Sixth grade learning fits middle school model Concerns/Risks: 68 configuration ● Is there space at CMS? ● Cost
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How does this affect Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion? Major change that requires family/student readjustment Safety concerns: bullying from older students 6th graders exposed/vulnerable to peer pressure/being influenced by older students Lose extra support from elementary setting The large of amount of students at middle school 6th grade in elementary, better prepares students for middle school
Change: keep 6th grade in elementary schoolintroduce middle school style teaching Add: K3 or PreK3 along with a 46 school. Hybrid / Blended Learning
Strength/Rewards: ● see the value in it; explore it across the schools ● like the mix/options ● Learning is what our jobs are more meaningful ● Online courses will help students in college ● Benefit determined students ● Expands comfort zone ● Flexibilitycould help with spacing/facilities ● Going online gives them uniqueness ● When teachers/students absent, learning continues on nonschool time ● This is where education is going ● Benefits different learning styles Concerns/Risks: ● Needs to be in conjunction with maturity ● Blended/Hybrid learning should be the student's choice; provide both options ● Access to technology (ieWiFi at home) ● Start times ● Losing social skills not interacting with kids on a regular basis ● Facility Space (CMS) ● Effects on Family time, transportation, working parents
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Project Based Learning
Staffing (long schedules) Cost Don’t want at all levels, concerns especially at elementary level Elementary students don’t have impulse control to direct themselves Managing screen time Unless teacher is skilled at teaching hybrid learning, students could get lost Middle schoolers need to be equipped with blended learning courses because they are not ready for open access to technology Face to face also important Is this option fully providing students the support they need to learn? Does this negatively affect class sizes? Requires students to regulate themselves Videos should be watched during the daytime when students have access to teachers.
Strength/Rewards: ● at the high school; see the value in it; explore it across the schools ● Time to be creative would be great ● Like more communication between subjects and different departments ● More extensive work in middle school around project based learning ● Project based is what the future will be. Helps put meaning and importance behind my learning. ● In a career many things are a project ● Seems to come from the High Tech High and that seemed exciting to me. ● Teaching focused on group collaboration would benefit students at younger ages too ● Helps with content retention because of personal interest ● Good to get kids up and moving around wants to learn more Concerns/Risks: ● How would teachers grade/evaluate projectbased learning ● Phase it in then it will be a strength ● Could be hard with kid that is introverted, isn’t good or mature enough; students on a 504 ● Not all will thrive in PBL environment; don’t enjoy longterm projects
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Not all collaborative Could specials be used for PBL time? Need professional development for teachers Would need to adjust based on level (Elem vs ms) Pathways should not lock a student in Requires careful and intentional development and planning Can’t be all project based learning Needs diverse support structure PBL is good, but still a place for memorizing facts Parents can’t keep up with helping students with multiple projects
Add: ● Scaffolded PBL, how to be independent learner/collaborative learner, get them to metacognition about how students learn best ● Utilize EPHS Connections time for PBL time Elementary Structure (flexible groupings within grade levels, recess/creativity time, academy model with structured blocks)
Strength/Rewards: Recess/Creativity Time ● Feel kids crave this ● Creativity time is important – freedom of choice ● Believe recess could be longer – emphasizes kids can have some freedom and they can chose what they want to do; helps communication among their peers ● Promotes health/wellness ● MS students also like idea of recess/option to move around or lunch outsidelike transitions because gives them time to move around ● Include in upper grade levels (CMS/HS) ● Recess Petition: https://www.change.org/p/petitioningsuperintendentcurttryggestadtheadministrationoftheedenprairie publicschoolsa30minutesofdailyrecessforalledenprairieelementaryschools ● Exposing students to multiple students Concerns/Risks: Recess/Creativity Time
● Takes away from instructional time if you don’t lengthen the school day ● Flexible grouping is problematic if students have to be pulled out for special programming
Strength/Rewards: Flexible Groupings within Grade Levels by Interest ● Allows students to be pulled out for literacy/math but also still be included in PBL experiences ● Consistent adult who knows student ● Allows for changes without major disruption ● Allows customized learning based on interest ● Offers more flexibility Concerns/Risks: Flexible Groupings within Grade Levels by Interest ● Did not know what I really liked in elementary school ● it is important to work with students who have different interests as you ● Elementary schools will become siloed into too many different options ● Needed more information about this Strength/Rewards: academy model with structured blocks ● Keep families together ● Rotation in later grades at elementary schools is important to prepare students for middle school ● Students will know teachers better ● Keep integrated block at intermediate level Concerns/Risks: academy model with structured blocks ● Integrating the core subjects and not moving students around so much ● Allow differentiation in classrooms so there is no tracking ● Too many transitions ● Needed more information about this Choice Schools Strength/Rewards: Add a choice school (add a choice school, all ● Another choice school is a good idea because the perception of choice schools is good for school ratings elementaries choice ● STEM/STEAM could help fast track career choices schools, vertical ● IB benefit students who may seek higher education/careers outside US
cohorts, alternate by grade)
Concerns/Risks: Add a choice school ● Deciding which school becomes a choice school ● Students could opt out of important learning/classes/challenging courses ● Another choice school could potentially segregate our district more (racially and socioeconomically) Strength/Rewards: all elementaries choice schools ● Concerns/Risks: all elementaries choice schools ● School hopping could become issue if student changes their mind ● Parents could make mistake on choosing choice school for child ● Transportation ● Selfsegregation ● Could create more demand for choice schools ● Could disjoint the community even more; people will start comparing ● Need to think about level students are at when they all reach the middle school ● Don’t believe we can really create a choice in each school ● Choice school vs. neighborhood school mentality ● Inconvenience to some families with many kids who want kids to go to the same school ● Would like a “traditional” kept as one choice school ● Want choices at each school to be exposed to STEAM, STEM and Spanish ● Different siblings with different choices could create family challenges ● Concerned about all curricular areas being strong enough ● Keeping a balance between all schools Strength/Rewards: Vertical Cohort ● Like vertical cohort but need to match to standards it would break it up and give kids variety ● Younger kids like working with older kids Concerns/Risks: Vertical Cohort ●
Strengths/Rewards: alternate by grade ● Students get exposure to various areas Concerns/Risks: alternate by grade ● Would alternating focus area by grade level be difficult for students moving in? ● Could there be an option for band, orchestra, choir, arts, STEM, Spanish, robotics, theater? Strengths/Rewards: Choice Schools in General ● could increase a student’s interest Risk/Concerns: Choice Schools in General ● Does it make it more difficult to hire? ● Will this track kids? ● Transportation concerns: Would we still have similar start times for the elementaries? ● Are we designing this with our marginalized students in mind (choice schools option)? What families are going to be attracted to those choice options? ● It is the parent’s choice, not student’s ● Testing/Specialty schools are good for those who do well in schoolwhat about the other students? ● Choice Schools can create “drains” in our schools ● Reverse diversifying ● Could divide schools/communities ● Staffing: specialized classes ● Choice schools can cause a system of “privilege” ● Parents don’t want too many choices ● Want students to have broad, general knowledge at elementary level ● Parents want neighborhood schools ● Not great option for elementarystudents don’t know what they want ● Elementary students should get options to try everything ● “I want my kid at that school” mentality ● Concerned if there isn’t room at the school you want for your child
Add: provide STEAM in each school, but not a choice school Evidence of Learning (assessments, portfolios, capstone project)
Strength/Rewards: Capstone Project ● meaningful learning outside of the classroom ● Using Capstone in Prek6 or younger as well linking capstone digitally ● it would be great to see the changes you had over your school career ● if it became more important than a grade, then EPHS students would really like it ● Capstone/digital portfolio could separate us from other schools ● Important to share mastery of topics in unique ways ● Connects theory to practical application ● Good to be graded on multiple things Concerns/Risks: Capstone Project ● Capstone who is the audience? Who will look at the projects/portfolios? How are you going to showcase it? Does it fit in with a college application process? Want to make sure it is valuable, meaningful and authentic ● What about a Capstone project for students transferring in during junior/senior year? ● Does this lose the kids that aren’t going on to get a 4 year degree? Strength/Rewards: Portfolios ● Requires you to show what you are interested in ● Multiple methods of understanding or showing how you learned would make more students successful ● HS student is more proud of the experiences and projects, than the numbers ● Like portfolios as a way of showing capabilities ● Good if we get to choose what is in it ● Good to share with colleges Concerns/Risks: Portfolios ● Don’t start too soon(ie colleges not interested in kindergarten work) Strength/Rewards: Assessments ● Like formative assessments to manage daytoday learning
● Access to multiple different assessments to help prepare students adequately ● Show true grade/what we got out of class ● Multiple assessments gives not good test takers other avenues to demonstrate skills/talent
Concerns/Risks: Assessments ● Curriculum and assessments have to support one another ● State baseline is not whole story ● Multiple assessments are neededdifferent types for different learning styles ● Evidence of soft skills isn’t apparent ● Summativeif you can take it more than once, don’t care about first time ● How often will there be testing for competency? Schedules and Calendars
Strength/Rewards: Middle School Option A ● want longer passing time along with longer classes; CMS is too many classes for one day; not enough time for classes to actually learn something ● As long as middle school block schedule is active and hands on ● Provides more time for learning or need more help/time with teacher Concerns/Risks: Middle School Option A ● Block schedule is a lot of time with a middle school class 80 minutes with a CMS kid is long; possibly a modified block ● Unsure whether middle school students could handle intensity of block schedule ● If they don’t have class every day, will lose information ● Less personal, don’t get to know kids as well ● Is block schedule good for Spanish or math? too much time for those subjects ● Could this change middle school start times? Strength/Rewards: High School 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. schedule ● Lots of benefits to offering choice and options and year round ● Support students outside of school day who don’t have family support ● Must be a choice, not assigned
Concerns/Risks: High School 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. schedule ● students need to have selfcontrol to have it work, it is already hard to get everyone to class ● Transportation issue and how that would work ● Sports schedule ● Must be well organized or could be chaotic; certain designated area for students who stay on campus all day, some sort of checkin process ● Interested in how teacher contracts would work with 8 to 8 schedule ● Inconvenience to families who have based work schedule around school hours ● Students may abuse/misuse the flexible schedule ● Diminish social interactions ● Confused by how this option would work and its purpose ● Parents will have a hard time keeping track of whether their child is in school or not, especially if students are taking online classes ● Many students are not mature enough for this model yet Strength/Rewards: High School Year Round Schedule ● keep kids caught up; helps kids stay on track; help marginalized students ● Good for construction process ● gives more choice; could work around sports instead of having to choose between Concerns/Risks: High School Year Round Schedule ● Not good if not all schools are doing it; Could affect/disrupt families with kids across grade levels ● People use that time to visit family in different countries ● gives students time to have a job ● Make sure that sports are taken into account in the calendar/schedule ● Calendar not aligned across district (K12) ● Would create issues with summer PD Strength/Rewards: Option B Schedule ● Like a longer school day for elementary ● Accommodates internships/hands on experience
Risks/Concerns: Option B Schedule ● already some elementary schools doing the block schedule (variation of) would it be across all grades? ● How would students be supported if they moved around and didn’t have a base/homeroom teacher? ● Would a capstone project take away from any existing learning? ● Students who are shy would not do well with a capstone project if they have to present it publicly Add: ● Piloting one elementary school as a year round school ● increase CMS by 15 minutes; Make elementary more like CMS; elementary – instead of one teacher teaching everything, have specialized teachers that can focus on certain subjects ● EPHS should have “recess” or time to chat with friends; miss recess time; time to not do anything ● Move more college classes in HS as opposed to having students leave the school to get the college credit
