Grade Level Centers Board of Education Task Force Presentation Chaired by: Dr. Duane Meighan Mr. Matthew Bohrer - ABD
Committee Members Mr. George McCarty - Board of Education Mrs. Shirley Bradley - Board of Education Dr. Michael Schiffman - Superintendent Dr. Duane Meighan - Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Chris Shockey - Director of HR Mr. Matthew Bohrer, ABD- Elementary Principal Dr. Beth Summers - High School Principal Ms. Renee Coleman - FMS Principal Mr. Ben Asche - CSMS Principal Ms. Dallas Pieper- Dir.of Enrollment & Transportation Teachers ● Martha Wachlin ● Joel Tuten ● Kristy Brinkmeier ● Cheri Crawford ● Kim Blair ● Stacy Green Community Members - ● Erica Kraft - Parent ● Casey Anthony - Parent
Vision / Purpose: Review of the current 5-8 Middle School Structure to determine the effectiveness for students as it relates to academic achievement and social and emotional development, while keeping a laser like focus on student growth and learning.
Vision / Driving Issues We have established two of the four important pillars of learning for our students 1. Curriculum Alignment a. SchoolWide - English Curriculum b. Bridges - Math c. Fundations - Phonics Curriculum d. College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) - High School Math e. Focus on 21st Century Teaching and Learning (P21) f. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) 2. Assessment a. MAP - NWEA - K-10 b. PARCC - 3 - 8 c. F&P - K - 5
Vision / Driving Issues Focus #3 - Instruction Question: Is what we currently have in place, at the middle school level, serving our students to the best of our ability? 1. 2 Middle Schools 2. 5 - 8 Grade 3. Different Experiences 4. Different Atmospheres 5. 5th Grade at Middle School Level 6. Equity - or lack thereof
Vision / Driving Issues Focus #4- Social Emotional Question Is what we currently have in place, at the middle school level, serving our students to the best of own ability? 1. Different social and economic populations 2. Different middle school experiences 3. Different structural needs within grade levels 5-8
What’s our survey data telling us?
Community Survey Results - 447 Responses To Date: 10/31/2017 Middle School Configuration ● In Favor: 71% ● Opposed: 15% ● No Opinion: 14% Adjusting School Start Time ● In Favor: 32% ● Opposed: 50% ● No Opinion: 18%
Staff Survey Results - 441 Responses To Date: 10/18/2017 Modify Middle School Configuration ● In Favor: 79% ● Opposed: 9% ● No Opinion: 12% Adjusting School Start Time ● In Favor: 37% ● Opposed: 48% ● No Opinion: 15%
Process: Whole Committee Meeting Dates ● Thursday, October 19, 2017, 5:30 - 7:00 ○ Subcommittees meet ● Thursday, November 30, 2017, 5:30 - 7:00 ● Thursday, December 14, 2017, 5:30 - 7:00 - Recommendation Ready ● Tuesday, January, Board of Education Presentation
Subcommittee Studies ● Time Study (Beth) ● Transportation (Dallas) ● Feasibility and Teacher Certification (Chris) ○ Movement of educators to fit new configuration
Subcommittee Studies ● Facility (Ben) ○ Pros and Cons - make this switch? ○ Custodial ● Academic Achievement Research (Matt) ○ Middle School Concept ○ Scheduling (Integration and Collaboration) ● Social Emotional Research (Renee)
Transportation / Time Study Sub-Committee Beth Summers Stacy Green Dallas Pieper
Time Study/Transportation Sub-Committee Committee's Recommendation: This committee recommends restructuring into a grade 5 and 6 campus and a grade 7 and 8 campus. ● Keep current time configuration ○ CSMS remains 7:40-2:50 ○ FMS and FHS remains 7:30-2:35 ● Add 3 buses with additional drivers ○ Accommodates additional riders due to new configuration
Rationale for Transportation/Time Study Recommendations The Transportation and Time Study Committee have found the following to be true: ● If grades 5 and 6 start at the elementary time, we will need to add approximately 12 more buses ● Sports transportation is an issue if start and end times change. ○ 70% of athletic and extracurricular trips leave prior to 3:30 ● FHS can utilize electronic curriculum and creative scheduling options for alternative start times without impacting the district start times and athletics.
Social Emotional Sub-Committee Renee Coleman Shirley Bradley Casey Anthony
Social Emotional Impact Summary Committee's Recommendation: This committee recommends restructuring into a grade 5 and 6 campus and a grade 7 and 8 campus. We looked at the following impacts given our restructuring recommendation: ● Staff Morale Impact ● MTSS ○ Age appropriate Incentives will be more focused ■ Behavioral PBIS and MTSS (RtI) ● Social Emotional Learning Curriculums ■ Second Step
Academic Sub-Committee Matthew Bohrer Martha Wachlin Erica Kraft Kristy Brinkmeier Invited Guests: Bill Peterson, Ben Asche, and Renee Coleman
Academic Impact Summary Committee's Recommendation: This committee recommends restructuring into a grade 5 and 6 campus and a grade 7 and 8 campus to produce alignment across grade levels. ● Academic / Curriculum is in place ■ Fundations ■ School Wide ■ Bridges ■ College Preparatory Mathematics ■ Focus on 21st Century Practices ● MTSS ○ Age appropriate Incentives will be more focused ■ Academic Support
Past Years Middle School Behavior Data
Feasibility Group Sub-Committee Chris Shockey Kim Blair Cheri Crawford
Feasibility Impact Summary Committee's Recommendation: This committee recommends restructuring into a grade 5 and 6 campus and a grade 7 and 8 campus. ● Maintain current staffing numbers ● Staff remain in current grade level/department which may require them to switch buildings ● Utilize collective bargaining agreements if numbers warrant staff transfers ● Attempt to keep the number of minority teachers similar in each middle school
Facility Sub-Committee Ben Asche George McCarty Greg Munda
Facility Impact Summary Committee's Recommendation: This committee recommends restructuring into a grade 5 and 6 campus and a grade 7 and 8 campus. ● Projected Numbers ○ CSMS would be about 590 ○ FMS would be about 530 ● Space Considerations Examples: ○ Industrial Tech - huge room to be utilized at CSMS. ○ Would need to move Industrial Tech equipment to FMS ● Science Equipment Example: ○ FMS doesn’t have the same science lab set up as CSMS. ○ Wouldn’t affect CSMS. ○ Will need to do further investigations
New Academic Transitions New middle level reconfiguration will create an additional transition. Students will experience 4 transitions. Currently, students have 3 transitions as they matriculate from kindergarten to high school graduation. ● Pre K-4 (Center, Taylor Park, Black Hawk, Empire, Lincoln-Douglas, and Jones Farrar International Baccalaureate) ● 5-6 (Carl Sandburg Academy) ● 7-8 (Freeport Middle School Academy) ● 9-12 (Freeport High School)
Previous Academic Transitions Prior to the current configuration, students experienced 5 academic transitions throughout their school experience from kindergarten to graduation from high school. ● Pre K - K (Jones Farrar) ● 1-4 (Center, Taylor Park, Black Hawk, Empire, and Lincoln-Douglas) ● 5-6 (Carl Sandburg Middle School) ● 7-8 (Freeport Junior High School) ● 9-12 (Freeport High School)
What is the difference between a middle school and a junior high configuration? Teaming ● Middle Schools typically schedule four core teachers into teams which share the ○ same students. Approximately 120 students to a 4-5 teacher team ■ Make a large school feel smaller ■ Junior Highs typically follow more of a high school model where the teams are ○ made up of department content members All of the science teachers are a team and share all students across grade ■ levels
Why is the term Academy important? The term, Academy, offers a sense of a broader academic approach. It permits an organization to plan outside of a traditional student learning setting, and will help move the Freeport School District from working within current, traditional teaching and learning styles, toward a broader, project based, authentic learning opportunities, future focused, global approach to learning. Academy also provides the district to dream big and move to a larger concept for classroom instruction and students moving toward their dreams to be globally competitive.
Future Planning and Considerations ● Timeline for communicating to staff, parents and students (Jesse Johnson) ○ Expected communication dates ○ Moving processes ○ Cleaning Considerations ○ Furniture and other student materials to be considered ○ Signage
Recommendation for BOE Consideration As we review all of the data and conversations we have had over the past few months, it is our recommendation to move forward with Carl Sandburg becoming the district fifth and sixth grade building, and Freeport Middle School returning to the seventh and eighth grade configuration. In addition, we recommend the names becoming Carl Sandburg School and Freeport Middle School for the foreseeable future.
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