Report and Recommendations Regarding Facilities Options

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Matthew Hopkins
October 31, 2000

Introduction

The Board is facing a complex problem: how to address both the increasing enrollment and the facility upgrades in a way that is fiscally responsible, but still provides for a quality educational program. This report contains my research, thoughts, and recommendations regarding these issues.

Selection of the Option Close this window, back to CQE.

The choice of which option to select is the most important decision the Board will be making. The selected option will affect the future education, tax rate, and traffic flow of Cedar Grove.

The question of central importance here is "Does the option chosen actually matter when considering education?" In other words, will the grade spans of the schools affect the quality of education? The National Middle School Association (NMSA), in a summary of research on grade configuration, writes, "It is difficult to say definitively that one particular grade configuration is ‘best’." The summary also states that "effective programs and practices" determine the quality of a school, not which grades the school contains (NMSA, Grade Configuration). Therefore, the evaluation of the educational viability of the options should focus on what program and practices each option allows for.

Academics Close this window, back to CQE.

Science should be a central element of a middle school program. The American Association for the Advancement of Science recommends that middle school science programs need to "engage students actively" and "concentrate on the collection and use of evidence." The Association also states that these science programs should "not separate knowledge from finding out." (Carnegie, 44) Such an exploratory and hands on approach to science education requires the use of lab work. There are currently science classrooms, but no proper science labs, at the Middle School and elementary schools. Thus, the 3 K-6 plan wouldn’t provide science labs for any of the middle grades, the

K-4, 5-6 plan would only provide them for the 5th and 6th grades, but the K-4, 5-8 plan would provide them for all the middle grades.

Another key aspect of middle school education is teaching students to go beyond memorization, to analyze and think through problems. The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development states, "A primary goal in choosing curricula and teaching methods in the middle grades should be the disciplining of young adolescents’ minds, that is, their capacity for active engaged thinking (Carnegie, 43)." An excellent way to accomplish this is a technology education program. By utilizing a problem solving approach, tech ed helps students to develop a critical and creative mind. In fact, a survey of middle school principals showed technology to be considered an exemplary program (Dickinson, 114). In the 3 K-6 and K-4, 5-6 plans, only the 7th and 8th grades would have access to a technology lab, whereas in the 5-8 plan, all the middle grades would.

What a school is able to do is in part limited by when it can do it. The current sharing of the high school building by the middle school and high school limits the scheduling ability of both. The 5th and 6th grades are also currently limited in trying to schedule a middle school curriculum. The 5-8 plan would increase scheduling ability for the 5th through the 12th grades. In addition, the 5-8 plan would allow the middle school flexibility in scheduling such programs as team teaching, advisories, and electives. The Carnegie Council states, "a key feature of the transformed middle school should be flexibility in the duration of classes (Carnegie, 52)." Flexible scheduling allows for better use of time and space, improves the teaching climate, and helps implement effective practices (Canady). Both the NMSA and a survey of middle school principals (NMSA, Flexible Scheduling and Dickinson 114) identified schedule flexibility as an exemplary program.

Administration Close this window, back to CQE.

The 5-8 plan would improve administration in two ways. First, it would allow for a unified middle grades guidance program, not one split between two schools. Second, having all the 5th through 8th grade teachers under one roof would make it easier to implement such elements as cross-grade curriculum articulation, teacher advisory committees, and staff development focused on middle school education.

Student Well-being Close this window, back to CQE.

Focusing on the needs of pre- and early adolescents has been a major reason for the creation of middle schools. One element that can be negative towards middle school students’ development is transitioning from one school to another. Students are forced to make a major adjustment at the very same time they are dealing with other adjustments. "Two grade middle schools cause young adolescents to make three transitions from one school to another in four years (Dickinson, 130)." Under the 5-8 and 3 K-6 plans, the students would have to make two transitions. Under the 5-6 plan, they would have to make three.

Teachers and students should have a chance to know each other. This allows students to trust their teachers, and teachers to understand their students. The Carnegie Council believes, "teachers must have the opportunity to get to know every one of their students well enough to understand and teach them as individuals (Carnegie, 9)." Middle grade students in the 5-6 plan would get one faculty for two years, then an entirely new one for the next two years.

The entertainment age is upon us. The explosion of cable, the Internet, and video games has led to decreased fitness among youth. Low fitness can affect education. "Ample evidence suggests that the absence of good health lowers students academic performance (Carnegie, 60)." Regular exercise can improve mood and relieve anxiety (U.S., 8). This is an important point considering the stressfulness of early adolescence. Exercise is needed for healthy physical development. "Weight-bearing physical activity is essential for normal skeletal development during childhood and adolescence. (U.S., 150). The Surgeon General recommends a "moderate amount of physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week," and, "daily physical education" (U.S. 4 and 6). The 5-8 plan is the only option that will provide daily physical education for the 5th and 6th grade students.

Traffic Close this window, back to CQE.

The effect the options will have on traffic needs to be considered. In order to understand this issue better, I conducted a traffic count at the LRP and Ridge Road locations. All observations were made during a fifteen minute period, from 2:45 to 3 PM, when parents could be expected to be picking up their children. Vehicles were counted on Route 23 at the point they crossed the entrance to the LRP parking lot. On Wednesday, October 25, I counted 211 vehicles traveling Southbound on 23. On Friday, October 27, I counted 241 vehicles traveling Northbound on 23. Vehicles were counted on Ridge Road at the Ridge Road school, including ones turning into or out of Normal. On Thursday, October 26, I counted 120 vehicles traveling towards Pompton and 115 traveling towards Little Falls on Ridge Road. On Monday, October 30, I counted 121 vehicles traveling towards Pompton and 104 traveling towards Little Falls on Ridge Road.

All things considered, I would rank the options, from best to worst, in regards to traffic issues as: 5-6 at Ridge Road, 3rd K-6 at Ridge Road, 5-8 at Ridge Road, 5-6 at LRP, 5-8 at LRP.

Option Preference Close this window, back to CQE.

Three leaders in middle grades education, based on data from 1798 middle schools, made the following recommendation: "Grade organization decisions should be driven by the developmental characteristics, needs, and interests of young adolescents rather than by expediency. Middle schools should house grades 5-8 or 6-8 (Dickinson, 133)."

I fully agree with this statement.

Upgrades Close this window, back to CQE.

Upgrades are a tough issue. On the one hand, the referendum may be the best opportunity to address the buildings’ facility needs, especially considering the available state assistance. On the other hand, including too many upgrades in the referendum could be asking Cedar Grove’s residents to take on too much debt. The Board does need to formulate a plan that is fiscally acceptable to our citizens. The two upgrades I specifically feel should be included are the fire alarm at the high school, because safety has to be the top priority, and the chemistry lab, because I can not imagine teaching high school chemistry without lab work.

Recomendations Close this window, back to CQE.

Based on my research, the investigation of the PFIC, the community survey, and the input of Dr. Merz, I make the following recommendations:

References Close this window, back to CQE.

Canady, R.L., and Rettig, M.D. (November, 1995). The power of innovative scheduling.

Educational Leadership.

Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development (1989) Turning points: Preparing

American youth for the twenty-first century. NYC, NY: Carnegie Corp.

Dickinson, T.C., Jenkins, D.M., and McEwin, C.K. (1995). America’s middle schools:

Practices and programs-A 25 year perspective. Columbus, OH: NMSA.

National Middle School Association. Grade configuration: Research summary.

http://www.nmsa.org/resum1.htm

National Middles School Association. Flexible scheduling: Research summary.

http://www.nmsa.org/resum2.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (1996). Physical activity and health: A report of the Surgeon General.

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