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What does everyone think of this new(-ish) phenomenon of intermediate schools that typically serve some combination of grades 3, 4, 5, and/or 6? It seems like a bunch of these schools are starting to pop up in my area when districts reconfigure their grade structure. Do you think it's worthwhile for districts to have specific schools for pre-adolescent students that are a little mature for elementary school but not quite ready for middle school? Or is this unnecessary and overkill?
Unless I'm not understanding this correctly, it's not a new phenomenon at all, at least not around here. For years our district has had a school for grades 1-3, another for 4-6, and another for 7-8, then of course high school. Though next year they're opening a new mega school that will house grades 1-12.
Unless I'm not understanding this correctly, it's not a new phenomenon at all, at least not around here. For years our district has had a school for grades 1-3, another for 4-6, and another for 7-8, then of course high school. Though next year they're opening a new mega school that will house grades 1-12.
No, you're understanding the question correctly. How long has your district had that configuration? Most districts around here used either a K-5/6-8/9-12 or K-6/7-9/10-12 configuration. It wasn't until the 1990s, at the earliest, that some districts around here started creating specific 3-5, 4-5, 4-6, or 5-6 schools.
Regardless of when this began, I am more curious to hear what people think of these schools.
No, you're understanding the question correctly. How long has your district had that configuration? Most districts around here used either a K-5/6-8/9-12 or K-6/7-9/10-12 configuration. It wasn't until the 1990s, at the earliest, that some districts around here started creating specific 3-5, 4-5, 4-6, or 5-6 schools.
Regardless of when this began, I am more curious to hear what people think of these schools.
My mom went through this in the 60s and that's also when the newest school was built, so I'd say around that time. Even though I haven't experienced it (went to Catholic 1-8, and now high school) I don't think it matters. You're just changing buildings IMO.
I've found that school districts do this because of overcrowding or eventual overcrowding. In our district they added a 4-6 building, taking the 4th and 5th grade from the elementary and the 6th from the middle school, thus freeing up space for those buildings. In our area, it would have been more expensive to do additions to the older buildings then it was to build on land they already owned.
What does everyone think of this new(-ish) phenomenon of intermediate schools that typically serve some combination of grades 3, 4, 5, and/or 6? It seems like a bunch of these schools are starting to pop up in my area when districts reconfigure their grade structure. Do you think it's worthwhile for districts to have specific schools for pre-adolescent students that are a little mature for elementary school but not quite ready for middle school? Or is this unnecessary and overkill?
I was born in the mid-'60s, and I attended intermediate school. It wasn't until the '80s that the district shifted to a k-5, 6-8, 9-12 configuration.
I agree that often configurations come about because of overcrowding.
My kids (mid to late 70s) were in k-5, 6-8, 9-12. This seemed to work well academically for both kids. Socially, though, 6th grade was a mess for my dd and we transferred her to another 6-8 school for 7th grade where the social atmosphere was better for her. I am not sure if having 6th grade in middle school was what made the difference or not. The district we were in has since changed to k-4, 5-8 and 9-12 for the particular school they were in, but other schools in the district kept the k-5, 6-8 configuration.
My grandchildren here are in k-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-12. For the 5-6, I am a little less pleased because of the way it has been structured with kids having to move together in homerooms so that they have to be in all advanced or all regular classes. That does not fit my granddaughter well since she is advanced in math and science and should really be in regular reading and social studies. I do like her school because it has many extracurricular activities that the elementary school did not have.
So, I think that it is not the configuration of the schools that matter, but the way the configuration is implemented by the particular teachers and administrators.
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