Rocklin Academy

1
Rocklin Academy

• A Core Knowledge K-8 Charter Public School
• Requesting K-8 Facilities
• January 19, 2005 Presentation

2
Introduction

• Questions and Answers
• Reasons and Rationale

3
What Do We Want To Do?

• Offer Rocklin families a choice
• Core Knowledge - K-8 Educational Program
• Ruhkala School site beginning in
• 2005-06

4
Why?

• Core Knowledge is a K-8 curriculum
• Consistent with our intent from day 1
• Research/Experience
• Higher academic achievement, student engagement,
  parental involvement
• Safety
• Small school setting

5
K-8 Schools Are Mainstream

• K-8 Schools operate throughout Placer/Sacramento
• Loomis has K-8 schools
• San Juan and Sacramento City School Districts
  offer the choice of K-8 and middle schools

6
What We Are Not Doing

• Not seeking to change or criticize District
  programs
• The District operates excellent schools
• Provide research-based reasons
• Mindful of the Districts financial issues

7
What Are The Typical Reasons Cited for Middle
Schools, and How Will We Address Them?

• Wider range of electives
• Facility issues (gym, labs, etc.)
• Concern about the behavior of 7th and 8th grade
  students and younger students
• Development of skills needed in high school,
  encouraging maturity
• Melting Pot

8
What Does The Research Tell Us?

• Conducted a comprehensive review of the research
  on K-8 and middle schools
• The evidence supporting middle schools is weak,
  at best
• The evidence supporting K-8 schools is positive,
  but limited

9
Focus on the Wonder Years The Best Report on
Middle Schools

• Focus on the Wonder Years Challenges Facing the
  American Middle School
• Best and most current review of middle schools
• Rand Corporation - Fall 2004

10
Focus on the Wonder Years

• Research suggests that the onset of puberty is
  an especially poor reason for beginning a new
  phase of schooling, inasmuch as multiple
  simultaneous changes (for example, the onset of
  puberty and school transfer) are stressful for
  young adolescents and sometimes have long-lasting
  negative effects. Furthermore, the few studies
  that compared schools with different grade
  configurations suggest that young teens do better
  in K8 schools than in schools with
  configurations that require a transition to an
  intermediary school.
• From the Summary Finding (Page 4)

11
Additional Info From Focus on the Wonder Years

• Separating the Middle Grades Is Scientifically
  Unsound
• Our history of reform (Chapter Two)
  indicated that the scientific rationale for
  creating separate schools for young adolescents
  was weak. Middle schools have become the norm
  more because of social and demographic pressures
  than because of scientific evidence supporting
  the need for a separate school for young teens.
  Not only is evidence showing that young teens
  benefit from a separate three years of schooling
  weak, there is strong evidence suggesting that
  transitions (especially if they involve several
  changes in the school environment and
  instruction) have at least temporarily negative
  effects on some youth.
• From Conclusions and Recommendations (Page 137)

12
Education Week May 2004

• Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, New York and
  Philadelphia
• K-8 configurations
• Help academic performance
• Decrease discipline problems
• Enhance parent involvement
• Save money

13
Baltimore Embraces K-8 Schools

• In the early 1990s, Baltimore had eight such
  (K-8) schools. This year, there were 30.
• "I'd say the majority of those parents who are
  knowledgeable prefer to have K-8 schools in their
  community," says Michael Hamilton, president of
  the Baltimore Council of PTAs. "Parents who don't
  want them at first start fighting for them once
  they learn more about what a K-8 school is."

14
Why This Is The Right Time To Offer K-8?

• Ruhkala School Site
• New
• Best time to offer a K-8 option
• Doesnt change district structure
• 7-8 school next door in future
• Rocklin Academy
• K-8 significant part of our program
• Supported by our families

15
Why This Is The Right Time To Offer K-8?

• Little risk very small number of students
• Willing To Work Collaboratively
• Pilot program?
• The issue is not going to dissipate

16
Our Request

• Approve our 7th grade for 2005-06
• Pilot program
• 30 Students
• Work collaboratively with us
• Long term
• Implementation issues
• Mutually agreeable growth and facility plans

17
If Our Request is Denied

• Continue to work collaboratively with RUSD
• Review viability of two sites
• Economics
• Consider expanding our enrollment
• Continue to educate the Rocklin community about
  the value of K-8 schools

18
If Our Request is Denied

• Explore other options e.g., 7-12 school
• Dispute resolution process
• Legal options

19
Additional Resources

• Executive Summary Focus on the Wonder Years
  Challenges Facing the American Middle School
• Research Reports And Articles
• Legal Analysis