Elementary Reconfiguration

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Elementary Reconfiguration

• K 1
• 2 3
• 4 - 6

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GOAL

• To improve achievement for all students in all
  schools
• How do we meet this goal through grade-level
  schools?

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1Teacher Collaboration

• Current alignment does not allow for adequate
  collaboration
• When teachers work together to share, improve
  and develop teaching strategies, they are
  collaborating. For professional development to be
  effective, it needs to be embedded in the
  teachers workday.
• -National Staff Development Council

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Realignment provides same-grade teachers

• physical proximity
• daily interaction
• sharing of resources
• the chance to meet on a regular basis within
  their own setting to allow the sharing of methods
  and ideas

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2Consistent Curriculum

• Curriculum and implementation of curriculum
  should be uniform within and between schools.
• All students should enter the Junior High with
  the same knowledge base.

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2Consistent Curriculum, cont.

• As one teacher remarked in the teacher survey
  regarding realignment I feel (realignment)
  would be the best scenario for teachers, and more
  importantly, the children. Its obvious that
  each grade builds off the other, but I feel more
  could get accomplished as far as lesson and
  instruction ideas with this option.

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3Differentiated Education

• The Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District has
  made differentiated education one of the goals
  for the districts 6-year Strategic Plan
• Differentiated Education is a flexible approach
  to teaching in which the teacher plans and
  carries out varied approaches to teaching in
  response to student differences in readiness,
  interests, and learning needs.

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3Differentiated Education, cont.

• Grade-level buildings make meeting this goal more
  attainable for teachers and allows students
  greater access to the benefits of differentiated
  instruction.
• The more students per grade level, the easier it
  is to group equal capabilities together.
  Students at every level will make greater
  strides.

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3Differentiated Education, cont.

• Grade-level buildings mean opportunities to
  match students to teachers according to learning
  and teaching styles, to place students with
  others with whom they work well, or to separate
  students who dont get along.
• - Grade Configuration Who Goes Where? Northwest
  Regional Educational Laboratory

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4Equal Access for All Students for All Resources

• By having the chance to attend each of the
  districts elementary schools, all students have
  equal opportunity to utilize and experience the
  resources of all the buildings, not just the
  building nearest their home.
• Students are given the opportunity to experience
  three unique educational communities, as fostered
  by the differing attributes of each of our
  elementary principals.

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5Specialized Schools

• Grade-level schools afford
• Schools that are completely focused and geared
  toward an exact age group.
• Principals whose talents, knowledge, and
  leadership can be centered on two or three grades.

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5Specialized Schools, cont.

• Grade-level schools afford
• School activities, assemblies, equipment and
  services with a specific student population in
  mind. An assembly could be scheduled which meets
  the needs of all children in the school, rather
  that some of the children.

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5Specialized Schools, cont.

• A K-1 configuration is by its nature more
  effective for those ages because all of their
  resources are directed specifically at those
  ages. A K-6 configuration has a much broader
  scope and consequently has a wider range to
  cover.
• - Identification of Human Interactions and
  Behaviors in a Kindergarten-2nd Grade Configured
  Young Primary Elementary Which Resulted in
  Superior Student Achievement Observed in the 4th
  and 5th Grade, H.S. Norwood

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Additional Benefits

• Realignment offers these new schools a new
  baseline for PSSA scores, and a new start for the
  districts elementary schools PSSA progress.
• New-School Status allows the district to apply
  for grants for which we are currently not
  eligible.

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Additional Benefits, cont.

• Title 1 in two buildings, rather than three
• Band and chorus classes in one building rather
  than three
• Better concentration of students who participate
  in extra-curricular activities, including
  athletic programs, music, drama, and academic
  enrichment programs, such as Odyssey of the Mind

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Additional Benefits, cont.

• Equal class sizes, and the ability to equalize
  class size every year

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Additional Benefits, cont.

• EXAMPLE Under the status quo, one 4th grade
  classroom at PE has 31 students for one teacher.
  At OME, there are 31 students divided between two
  4th grade teachers. (131 vs. 115 116 ratio)
• With realignment, the class sizes would be 23
  students in each 4th grade classroom across the
  district.

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Additional Benefits, cont.

• Less teacher shifting between grades
• EXAMPLE At PE, there are currently four
  kindergarten classes and only two first grade
  classes. Next year, either two teachers from
  different grades or different buildings (or both)
  must move into teach 1st grade.

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Elementary Realignment Survey Comments

• Misconception
• The only benefit I see is larger classes and
  fewer teachers.
• Clarification
• Class sizes would be equaled out among the grade
  levels. ALL teachers would have the SAME class
  size. Current large class sizes will be reduced.
  Teachers dont have to be eliminated under
  realignment.

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• Using next years projected enrollment (shifting
  enrollment up one grade and keeping Kindergarten
  constant) with the same total number of
  classrooms we currently have (51)
• Kindergarten (9 classrooms) 16.1 students
• First Grade (8 classrooms) 18.1 students
• Second Grade (7 classrooms) 18.7 students
• Third Grade (8 classrooms) 19.4 students
• Fourth Grade (7 classrooms) 23.6 students
• Fifth Grade (6 classrooms) 22.2 students
• Sixth Grade (6 classrooms) 23.7 students
• This grouping involves shifting one classroom
  to 4th grade to accommodate the bubble coming
  through.
• To maintain small class size and equality
  throughout every building, only one classroom
  shift was needed and no additional teachers
  needed to be hired.

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• Status Quo using the same enrollment figures as
  the previous slide
• K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
• PE
• 16 15 14.7 19 21 18.3 25
• 15 16 14.7 19 21 18.3 25
• 16 16 14.7 19 21 18.3
• 16 16
• NLH
• 13 14.6 13.6 22.5 18.7 23.5 22.5
• 16 14.6 13.6 22.5 18.7 23.5 22.5
• 15 14.6 13.6 (-1) 18.7
• OM
• 12.7 19 14.7 17.7 23 15.5 23.5
• 12.7 19 14.7 17.7 23 15.5 23.5
• 12.7 14.7 17.7

Numbers in red denote classrooms that would need
to be added. In order to keep class size in the
same range achievable with K-1, 2-3, 4-6 model (K
less lt 17 students, 1st and 2nd lt 20 students 3rd
6th lt 25) a total of 6 additional teachers
would need to be added to the schools. Even with
the additional classrooms, there is still
discrepancy between classes in different
buildings. To keep class size within the limits
the school board has attempted to meet in the
past (K-2 lt 20, 3rd-4th lt 23 and 5th-6th lt 27) a
total of 5 additional teachers would need to be
added.
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Elementary Realignment Survey Comments

• Misconception
• I would like to see all three elementary schools
  remain status quo. This has always worked in the
  past, and it still works!!!
• Clarification
• 2007-2008 PSSA Results

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• Additional support for collaboration was found in
  a 2008 practice guide from the U.S. Department of
  Education. The guide cites teacher
  collaboration as a frequent approach to improving
  instruction and substantial gains in student
  achievement within three years.
• -Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing
  Schools, U.S. Department of Education

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Elementary Realignment Survey Comments

• Misconception
• It is hard enough to keep three of us on the
  same page, let alone 7 or 8 of us. Not a good
  idea.
• Clarification
• Effectively implemented collaboration gives
  teachers regular common planning time to assure
  parity of unit objectives, goals and assessment.
  Research shows collaboration is a good idea.

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Summary

• Realignment of elementary schools offers teachers
  the chance to effectively collaborate on a
  regular basis in classrooms that meet the size
  preferences of both school board members and
  teachers.
• It allows for a consistent curriculum and
  differentiated education to be more easily
  achieved.
• It also allows for more specialized elementary
  schools that better meet age-specific curricular
  and extra-curricular district goals.

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In conclusion . . .

• The members of the realignment committee in favor
  of this option support realignment PROVIDED the
  administration implements adequate time for and
  effective management of teacher collaboration.