In just an hour, the group of eighth-grade boys in Mr. Robert Owens’ class covered a lot of ground. None of it was academic instruction.
These Atlanta students spent the class period talking about what to do with a million dollars (“End world hunger.” “Save for college.”), ways to say no to drugs (“I got ambitions”) and their emotional weather (Most said “Sunny.”).
What played out this Wednesday morning at Sylvan Hills Middle in Southwest Atlanta is an effort to build stronger connections between middle schoolers, who are at risk of losing interest in school, and educators who can monitor and mentor them. It’s during these years, sixth through eighth grade, when the seeds of dropping out are often sown.
That’s why schools in metro Atlanta and beyond are re-thinking middle schools – searching for ways to keep students engaged and achieving.
“People have concerns about middle schools, and we have to solve those problems,” said Erroll Davis, superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, at community meeting last month.
As Atlanta redraws school boundaries across the district, unease about the quality of middle schools is surfacing, Davis said. But the worries aren’t exclusive to Atlanta. Nationally, there is a growing opinion that students tune out in middle school, even if they don’t physically quit until high school. Pressure from the federal government to improve graduation rates has more districts trying to address the issue in middle grades.
In Georgia, test scores highlight those concerns. From fifth grade to sixth grade, more students fail to test on grade level in subjects like math and social studies. Middle schools are less likely to hit annual testing goals than elementary schools. More students stumble and are retained in the ninth-grade, evidenced by the “bulge” in enrollment during that critical year.
“Our high school colleagues [tell] us over and over [middle school students] have to have more academic structure and rigor so they can be successful,” said Martha Reichrath, deputy state superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Replacing junior high with the middle school concept was seen as a way to build a stronger bridge between the nurturing environment of elementary school and the academic rigor of high school. But balancing those two goals has proven to be a challenge for educators, especially as achievement tests introduced new demands.
Atlanta Public Schools has earmarked about $1.9 million a year to reform middle schools and is starting with three areas: improving school culture, increasing parent involvement and easing the transition in and out of middle school. The centerpiece to these efforts is the district’s advisory classes, which launched in every middle school this year.
Once a week, schools set aside an hour for students to gather in 15- to 18-person classes and talk about what issues are on their mind. It’s Homeroom 2.0, only instead of taking attendance or listening to morning announcements, students are building relationships with each other and an adult in the school, said Raynise Smith, Atlanta’s coordinator for middle school transformation.
“If that child hasn’t experienced success or had any teacher in the building connect to them, than that child turns 15 or 16 and decides ‘This is not working for me. I’m going to do something else. No one is going to miss me,’ ” she said.
The 400 students at Sylvan Hills Middle are exactly the kind middle schools must do a better job of educating. Most qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and in 2009-10 about 40 percent received remedial instruction, according to the most recent state data available. After middle school, many will go onto to attend nearby Therrell High, where nearly one in three will quit before graduating.
But today in Mr. Owens’ class, graduation feels like a long way away and every day in between holds infinite possibilities. There is no eye-rolling or snickering as the boys gather in a circle, tell their names and what they would do with a million dollars. Antwan Crews, 14, says he would save for college. Mr. Owens told Crews he will be valedictorian. Crews says he can’t wait to come back and see Owens when he meets that goal.
“Mr. Owens is like a mentor to me,” Crews said after advisory class. “He helps me deal with problems and emotions, if I want to talk about anything. It’s gotten to the point he can read me like a book, so he knows if something is wrong.”
District officials say there are early signs the advisory sessions are working: At Sylvan Hills, the number of students failing two or more classes has dropped 20 percent since fall. Since October, the number of students getting discipline referrals is down 9 percent, and the number of students in danger missing 10 or more unexcused days of school has declined 15 percent.
This is the first phase of Atlanta’s focus on middle schools. Next, the target is academics. District leaders will look at the quality of instruction in middle schools and whether it’s challenging and engaging to students.
Schools in other metro Atlanta districts are making strides in these same areas. For example, McClure Middle in Cobb hosts a “sixth-grade university” for incoming parents and students to explain the challenges of middle school. Fulton’s Crabapple Middle and Webb Bridge Middle are among 16 Georgia “Schools to Watch” a designation from the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, considered the gold standard of middle school improvement.
“Middle school is a tough age,” said Avis King, Georgia’s deputy superintendent for school improvement. “Kids are going through a lot of transition. They’re learning who they are and who they want to be.”
Atlanta stands out because of its systemwide approach to solving the middle school problem. But the district has been criticized for investing in school improvement fads without following up on the results. Superintendent Davis has called for an audit of all of the district’s academic programs to see what’s working and what’s not, and that includes the middle school reform initiative, said at-large school board member Courtney English.
“We’ve done a lot without connecting all of the dots, without making sure this is going to be a good strategy for students,” English said. “But I don’t think we’ve had enough time to see if [middle school reform] is working in the way we’ve intended to work.”
Teachers asked about middle school improvements say this feels different because it’s tailored to the needs of each school. For example, even high-performing schools like Inman Middle are using the initiative as a chance to improve. The school has an enviable transition program for incoming sixth-graders, but a school survey showed rising eighth-graders need support heading into high school. Inman is also trying to improve communication with students by getting more of their feedback.
“In 21 years, I’ve seen a lot of change, and I don’t think this is something that will come and go,” said Mark Washington, who teaches seventh-grade social studies. “What I hope is that each building has the choice to pull pieces they need.”
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