We are the middle child caught between the elementary schools and high school. Like the television show, we truly are in the midst of “The Wonder Years.” From district to district, building to building our middle schools can look incredibly different, some more effectively meeting the needs of our students than others, but all trying to support the unique group of students that walk through our doors every day. At no time during a human’s life, other than infancy, do we develop more physically, psychologically, socially, and cognitively, than during the age of ten to fourteen. As an organization it is our philosophy that these students need a different set of supports than what we provide our elementary and high school students. A structure that allows us to pool our resources, experiences, and expertise to better meet the needs of our students during this challenging period of development is essential. Some of the factors within Middle School that research has repeatedly identified as having a strong correlation to student success are interdisciplinary teams, flexible scheduling, flexible grouping, integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum, and comprehensive guidance services. It should be our goal to maximize our time and incorporate as many of these factors as we can.
But with
much attention on new Standards, Standardized Assessments, and Teacher &
Principal Evaluation the focus right now is more on what shouldn’t be going on
in education, rather than what should be taking place. And while the debate
continues I think some of us, both within education and out, are losing sight
of what our Middle Schools should look like.
In July
2003 the New York State Board of Regents issues its policy statement on middle
level education. The statement declared that the New York State Education
Department’s seven Essential Elements must be in place in standards-focused
middle schools in New York State, and it is those elements that provide us with
the charge to deliver research-based, proven programs for our early adolescents
that address both academics and personal development. Basically, we need to
have a comprehensive approach that the addresses the needs of the whole child
that goes well beyond classroom instruction alone. The Essential Elements are a
framework for us to work from to ensure that we are focused on what our Middle
schools should be.
So what
are the seven Essential Elements?
1. A philosophy and a mission that reflect
the intellectual and developmental needs and characteristics of young adolescents.
2. An educational program that is
comprehensive, challenging, purposeful, integrated, relevant, and
standards-based.
3. An organization and structure that support
both academic excellence and personal development.
4. Classroom instruction appropriate to the needs and
characteristics of young adolescents provided by skilled and knowledgeable
teachers.
5. Strong
educational leadership and a
building administration that encourage, facilitate, and sustain involvement,
participation, and leadership.
6. A
network of academic and personal support
available for all students.
7. Professional learning and staff development for all
staff that are ongoing, planned, purposeful, and collaboratively developed.
Middle
schools that work effectively and intentionally to incorporate these elements into
practice are truly encompassing the many needs of the middle school student. We
know what works at the Middle School level and we know what types of programs
and supports our students need to be successful. As part of our efforts to
continuously improve, West Genesee Middle School will conduct a self-assessment
of the seven Essential Elements over the next few months to identify areas of
strength and areas in need of improvement. As a staff we
will collectively develop some concrete ideas to help us improve in order to
better support our students both in their academic and personal development.
New
Standards, Standardized Assessments, and Teacher & Principal Evaluation are
a part of what is happening in education today, but it isn’t the most important
thing and certainly isn’t the focus of all of our energy. We cannot
underestimate the power of building relationships and making connections with
our students and with one another. It is on the shoulders of those relationships
and connections that our students will grow and flourish.
Thank
you for your continued support of our students and staff.
Continued
Success,
Steve Dunham
@Sdunhamwgms
sdunham@westgenesee.org
