How will 6th grade work in schools that might expand to 6th grade next year? What will it look like in later years?
If approved by the School Board, the new K-8 schools would be phased in over three years. In most cases, schools would add one grade at a time beginning with 6th grade in 2006-07. Most schools will choose one of two models for the first year’s sixth grade: either having them in self-contained classrooms, or to have a two-teacher team. Under the team model, one teacher would cover literature, writing and social studies, and the other would teach math and science, with students spending a block of time in each classroom every day. Because 6th grade is a transition year for students, many of our current middle schools already provide a “core” or “block” schedule for those students, resulting in fewer transitions and preserving some of the familiarity of elementary school. This gives students more flexibility and choice. As grades 7th and 8th are added, schools will add content specialists in core subjects such as mathematics. We expect all of our schools, whether in a traditional middle s
