At the end of any school year, it seems we are in two school years at the same time: we are finishing the current school year but also putting everything into place for the next school year. This year, it seemed that we were in three school years at once as we were finishing this year, planning for next year, and simultaneously planning for the fall of 2012 when all schools will be in a new school configuration. In the new school configuration, elementary will be grades K-5, middle schools 6-8, and high schools 9-12.

Each year, our school board hosts “linkage” sessions to hear from our community on a specific issue or interest. This spring, the board sessions are focused on transition as we move to the new school configuration. In May, fourth grade parents (next year’s fifth graders) were able to hear about the thinking to date, and share their concerns and excitement about what is to come. This will be the first class that will experience middle school as sixth graders. Next year will be the last year in elementary school for both the fifth grade and sixth grade classes, since both will move to middle school as sixth and seventh graders for the fall of 2012. So right now, elementary schools are grappling with how to make that last year of elementary school special for not one but two classes. Similar work is being done for the transition from junior high to high school for the fall of 2012.

School principals and central office staff have been working together for over a year to develop common belief statements for our middle schools and high schools in their new grade configuration. The focus has been more on middle school, since we are consciously making a significant change from a junior high model to a middle school model, though work is going on at all levels. Junior highs tend to be designed like small high schools, with students changing classes every period. Middle schools are more typically structured as a transition between elementary school and high school.

Staff members have spent considerable amounts of time researching the ideal models and best practices for each level. There is a new resource on the district website called "Shifting Grades" that highlights some of the work to date. Included are our belief statements that have been used to guide our work. These statements incorporate research that suggests that middle school students experience success when -

• …they have personal connections, are known well by at least one adult, and have connections to their peers.
• …they are part of a safe, healthy, and constructive culture; and when the environment fosters the creation of the students’ individual identities.
• …they experience a rigorous and relevant curriculum…

In addition, junior high administrators worked together on a common framework for grades 6-8 that gets into more detail on how our middle schools will be structured. Specific agreements on the number of minutes each week for each core subject have been developed. Ideally, to minimize transitions and foster personalization, 6th grade students will see no more than three teachers for their Literacy/Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies instruction.

Junior high principals and their staffs are now working on how these beliefs and the framework will be realized in their schools in the fall of 2012. For example, Inglewood Junior High will break its incoming 6th grade class into smaller groups or houses, with four teachers within each house. Language Arts and Social Studies will be taught in one block by one teacher; Math and Science will also be taught in one block by one teacher. Students will be able to get all of their classes from three to four of the teachers in their house. A similar block pattern for core subjects will be in place for 7th grade but by 8th grade, math and science classes will be separated, as these students prepare for moving on to high school. This is just one example of what one of our schools is doing. Each junior high school will host meetings in the fall to describe what their particular structure will look like.

At the linkage session with fourth grade parents, we were encouraged that most of the concerns parents expressed were shared by administrators and are already being worked on. Parents worry that kids won’t be known by adults in the school and they worry about the transition from elementary school to middle school. School administrators are concerned about these things as well and are planning for smooth transitions.

Fourth grade parents also hope that the district will use this transition to a new grade configuration as an opportunity to improve areas in need. We are indeed using this as an opportunity to look at our programs and practice. I am confident that as each of our schools examines how to best meet the needs of our students in a new grade configuration, they will look seriously at what they need to change to improve connections for students and how we can assure our parents that students will be future ready. I know the work our administrators have done so far as a team and with the teachers in their schools has focused squarely on students. The ideals embodied in the district’s vision and mission along with our Student Profile have driven the belief statements and frameworks developed. I believe this grade shift at our schools will result in a better Lake Washington School District, not just a different grade configuration.

We are excited about the future and remain confident that we can deliver on the promise of “Every Student Future Ready.”

Sincerely,

Dr. Chip Kimball
Superintendent
Lake Washington School District