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IS SHE AT THE RIGHT SCHOOL?

It’s not the number of grades on campus, but philosophy

By Jennifer Leuer Published: October, 2005

Middle school. Junior high. Intermediate school. All synonyms, right? Not quite.

Schools that cater to adolescents come in many sizes with many different missions. Some are seventh and eighth grades only, others include sixth-graders. Still others are seventh through ninth grade, and then there’s the kindergarten through eighth-grade model. For the most part in Southern California, schools are broken into K-5, 6-8, 9-12 campuses. Which is best? The answer isn’t found in the number of grades on campus. You must look to the school’s philosophy.

“The true difference between middle school and junior high is the philosophy of how you organize the school and instruction,” says Lois Anderson, Capistrano Unified School District’s assistant superintendent for elementary schools who previously worked with the district’s middle school programs. “It doesn’t matter which grade levels are involved. What’s more important is what you do with the kids at whatever grade levels you have.”

Middle schools center on the philosophy that students “in the middle” need a different environment, something between the structured, nurturing elementary classroom and the independence of high school, she says. Junior highs, on the other hand, are like small high school campuses that give students a lot of autonomy. In recent years, the middle school concept has gained popularity as research has shown the benefits of bridging adolescents’ transition into multiple classes and teachers on a campus of more than 1,000 students.

“I don’t think there’s any right or wrong way for grade configurations. But I am a big believer in the middle school philosophy,” Anderson says. “They can’t just jump into the pool with no swimming lessons and in the same way they just can’t jump into that junior high environment from sixth grade.”

But why the differences in how the middle grades are structured? In some districts, it’s driven by facility availability. In others, it’s based on philosophy about which groups of students belong together. And sometimes one district will offer several choices so families can pick the school that fits their philosophy.

About a decade ago, Capistrano moved away from a junior high configuration in order to offer students graduated steps into the freedom of high school. After reviewing the body of research around middle grades, it consolidated sixth through eighth grades and launched middle school campuses. Capistrano recently created one kindergarten through eighth-grade school targeted at families who want their students on the same campus until they reach high school. While Arroyo Vista in Rancho Santa Margarita has fewer electives to choose from, many families enjoy the stability of having their child grow up on one campus.

Anderson says the model has worked well because it has the right set of circumstances enough room on campus, a policy of not drawing students into the middle school from other elementary schools, and a group of staff and parents who believe in the model. “Some students really relish the remixing of students at a new school. On the other hand, some students just fall apart in that environment.”

Irvine Unified School District has a mix of intermediate schools and K-8 campuses with sixth- through eighth-grade middle schools. Some are on traditional schedules, a few on year-round schedules. And although they have traditionally embraced the philosophy of providing extra social and emotional support to students in the middle grades, the day-to-day routines look slightly different on each campus.

“Choice has always been part of the philosophy of this district,” says Leah Laule, assistant superintendent of education services for Irvine Unified School District. “Irvine opened up with the perspective that there are lots of good ways to educate children and we wanted to be able to offer parents choices. We have schools doing things very differently and all being successful in their own right.”

For instance, the K-8 schools have seen a decrease in discipline issues with the older students because they take their status as role models for the younger students very seriously. But the sixth- through eighth-grade campuses have also shown success.

Although the programs have different names on different campuses, their goals are the same help students have a successful transition into high school by giving them the right balance of support and freedom in the middle years.

The schools also have added more counseling and personal support. Each student is assigned to one teacher or administrator who acts as their advocate. They are included in counseling sessions and are a liaison with the family as well.

“Successful high schools, more and more, are mirroring middle school philosophy,” Anderson says. “The old high school philosophy was you put the information out there and they either get it or they don’t. Now with standards-based education, we know what kids need to be able to learn and do, and we need to do whatever it takes to help them.”

Laule adds that families shouldn’t necessarily think that a school’s grade configuration or educational philosophy is going to be the key to their child’s success.

“You see trends come and go,” she says. “One size doesn’t fit all and there isn’t only one right way. We can talk about a ton of different configurations, but it really comes down to who the principal is, who the teachers are and what they are doing. It’s the people that make all those models work. It’s the people involved with the kids and their families that make the difference.”

Jennifer Leuer of Yorba Linda is an education reporter.

MORE ON MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Interested in what research has to say about the middle years?

Here are two studies to check out:

California Department Education “Middle Grades” resource page: www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/mg
Carnegie Foundation “Turning Points” school reform model: http://www.turningpts.org

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