| Educational Research; Facts and Research | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 30 2005, 05:54 PM (5,781 Views) | |
| f11 | Nov 3 2005, 08:56 AM Post #16 |
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LPS, transportation for all
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Someone please elaborate on this!!! There is a chart on the livonia public schools website http://www.livonia.k12.mi.us/district/Fina...charts/k-12.jpg Labeled "K-12 fourth friday student count" Under "district information", then to "finance" at bottom of page "k-12 fourth friday student count" Now, the demographics committee states that "Since 1995, the district has experienced a decline in enrollment of 1,100 students" THIS CHART REFUTES THAT STATEMENT!!! DID THEY JUST MAKE A MISTAKE??? And actually it shows we are HIGHER THAN 1995 by more than 200 students AND currently above average on enrollment. 17494 students (04/05) Average for the 13 years on the chart is 17423 students I just dont get their numbers?!!??? |
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| Elisa | Nov 3 2005, 01:26 PM Post #17 |
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Some additional facts to chew on: These are cited from the Chappaqua Central School District (Yes, that is where the Clintons reside). They also struggled with changing school configurations and cited their research used to come to their conclusions. Some of which is relevant to us in Livonia. Title: Middle School ConfigurationsII: Questions and Research Link: www.chappaqua.k12.ny.us/ccsd/SchoolDistrict/configqr.htm "Educators believe that at least 3 years in one setting helps to increase the continuity of program, student affiliation with the school and its staff, and a more personalized learning experience. Conversely, in a 2 year middle school, 50% of the student population is new every year. Students are either transitioning in or out of the school." "Students thrive in a caring school community. Continuity is an important construct in the creation of such an environment." "Schools are places where students know and are known by the adults. This comes with an extended experience." "Multiple and frequent school transitions hamper academic performance and student motivation." "When comparing the academic performance of students who make 2 school transitions before reaching high school to others who had to make but one transition, it was revealed that the GPA of the "two transition" groups were consistently lower." |
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| Elisa | Nov 4 2005, 10:07 AM Post #18 |
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I loved the comment at the frosr meeting the other night "thank for allowing me to look at other districts" I too would like to thank the committe for the opportunity to look at all of the research concerning grade configuration. It reall y has been quite interesting and I do not think that I would has ever done it if it were not for this proposal. Any way, here are a couple of other things that I found: Source: The School Administrator (a Journal) Link: www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=984 Title: The Rise of The 'elemiddle' School" March 2005 Within this article they cited a national study drawinf from a stratified random sample of 500 us schools. They examined the relationship between grade span configuration and student outcomes. The study found that k-8 'elemiddles" were producing the most desirable results. They went on to describe that these configurations have more parent involvement, tend to be smaller in size and ELIMINATE ONE TRANSITION BY STUDENTS. "All of those factors are backed by "substantial reasearch documenting that they are beneficial to young learners." Title: "Focus On The Wonder Years" An enormous research undertaking (179 pages) by RAND Education. Link: www.rand.org/pub/monographs/2004/RAND_MG139.pdf They focused on placement of grades 5-8. If you can't read the entire article, and I do not blame you, look at p. 137: "Separating the Middle Grades is Scientifically Unsound" "Middle school have become the norm more because of SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC PRESSURES than because of scientific evidence supporting the need for a separate school for young teens.Not only is evidence showing that young teen benefit from a separate three years of schooling WEAK, there is STRONG evidence suggesting that transitions (especially if they involve several changes in the school environment and instruction) have at least temporarily negative effects on youth. Separate elementary and middle schools cause transition problems for students that can negatively affect their developmental and academic progress. In short, the research findings indicate that separate middle school has weak empirical support. (MEANING THAT PUTTING OUR KIDS IN A SEPARATE SCHOOL IS NOT SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH). Many research article go on to document the changes that are currently taking place in large urban districts. Many cities are converting back to k-8 based on the new research. It is interesting why these districts are converting. It is not because of budget crunches or demographics studies, it is because they have been targeted by No Child Left Behind as failing with their current practices. As a result, they really have to look at adopting the best researched models or else face take over by the government. Why can't we, at least in part, adopt something that research is backing? Keep the 5/6 schools, at least 2 of them, for the people who are really on board with that idea. Open a k-8, in a central location. It would be a school of choice, a magnet for the district. Something that, if done right, could be a real attraction, something that would draw people to our aging district. We would staff the school with teachers throughout the district that are qualified at each level, afterall Mr. Bauman (at the frost meeting) told us that almost all of LPS teachers have reached "highly qualified" status. We could move the ACAT program here (sorry Webster but I think that you need to sacrifice like the rest of us) and possibly find a new home for the county program that is currently housed at Webster. The district could talk this plan up in a HUGE way as there is no lack of evidence supporting the model. What do you think? |
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| f11 | Nov 4 2005, 10:39 AM Post #19 |
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LPS, transportation for all
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Again Elisa, you are digging up some GREAT information, I mean it!! Do you have any information on exactly how many cities have or are converting to, or back-to a k-8 format?? that would be great information!! BUT!!!! Its a money thing, they couldnt close as many buildings! If anyone thinks its NOT 100% a money issue then they are on another planet. It is ABSOLUTELY about closing the most buildings, that is why any suggestions for different formats etc.. are quickly shot down and told how it "would not work' or how "expensive" it would be to keep another building open. KEEP DIGGING!!!!!!!!!! |
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| c3hull | Nov 4 2005, 11:12 AM Post #20 |
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Principal
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Can anyone find out who is the main person or group that is making the Financial decisions for our schools? Something just doesn't seem right here. We have seen the chart from 1995 - 2005 for K-6. It claims a loss of 1,100 students. But when we look at K-12 chart for the same period at: http://www.livonia.k12.mi.us/district/Fina...charts/k-12.jpg In 94/95 enrollment was 17,115. In 04/05 it was 17,494. So, 17,494 minus 17,115 = 379 student increase! They are giving us incorrect, manipulated numbers! Personally those statistics are not of much relevance. The kindergartners from 1995 are 15yrs. old and in High School. Something more relevant would be a 4 year look back from 2000-2005. Here are the findings from the same chart provided by LPS. In 2000/01 enrollment was 17,678 In 2004/05 enrollment was 17,494 We can all see this is a loss of 184 students over 4 years! Who is doing the math on the Committee and on the Board of Education??? I think they need some help, seriously! Remember, 5 out of 7 Board Members were on the Committee.They are handling $157 million annually, and are having trouble with basic math. No wonder LPS is in a financial crisis!!! I did not write this just to critisize, this is a serious matter that needs to be looked into further by all concerned parents and citizens. |
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| c3hull | Nov 4 2005, 11:24 AM Post #21 |
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Principal
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Thanks Elisa and "Research Geek"(his chosen screen name) from the other website. I started reading from the links both you suggested....WOW!!! This is exactly the kind of information I've looking for! Well, I now understand why there has not been ONE fact or finding posted on either website from the supporters of the proposal....because there are NONE to be foundl. All evidence, research, facts, findings and statistics show that the current proposal will bring nothing but NEGATIVE results in all areas of concern!!! |
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| Elisa | Nov 4 2005, 12:50 PM Post #22 |
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There is a growing trend toward k-8. I am not absolutely saying that this model is th emagic bullet but it certainly does merit a look. The committe did say that they looked at it but did not tell us their conclusion. Probably the best model, arguably, for our kids but too expensive? any way here is a short list of who has already converted and who is in the process: -The whole movement seemed to take root in Cincinnati in the 90's. -Orange County CA, the Capistrano Unified District is converting 8 of its elementaries to k-8. -Brookline, MA is an entirely k-8 district. -Boston suburb of Everett converted its jr. high and elementaries to prek-8 and built 3 new k-8's from 1999-2003. -The largest district to make a concerted effort to change from a 3 school model to a 2 school model is Philadelphia. They are in the midst of a 5 year plan to do away with many of its middle schools. -Denver is initiating 3 more k-8 schools in n.w. Denver. They recently approved 5 and already had 6 in place. -Baltimore has 30 new k-8 schools. -New Haven Conn. school board, in 1992, voted to eliminate middle school, replacing it with k-8. There are many, many more examples. You will notice that many of these districts are urban. But again, if your school is failing and the government is on your doorstep, you look to make a change that shows the most promise. There is a good article: k-8 schools: an idea for the new millenium? at www.educationworld.com Put "k-8 schools" in their search box and the article will be listed. Sorry, that is the only way I can get it to come up. |
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| Elisa | Nov 4 2005, 04:18 PM Post #23 |
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ok, I can't seem to stop myself. Here is some info from Leon County Florida, they published their process of restructuring grade levels. "A significant study by Lee and Smith (1993) controlled for socioeconomic status and found that restricting schools to middle grades, with a larger number of students in the grade, had negative consequences on both engagement in learning and achievement, with the effect larger for lower ability students. They found that smaller schools and k-8 schools had many advantages for the early adolescent especially being more personal and less isolated." This one is also very interesting to look at. The Okemos School District right here in MI. put all of their research online when they were dealing with the same issues of grade reconfiguration. They also wanted to isolate certain grades. But get this-they surveyed parents on their preferred configurations! Then they did their research and found a way to make it work. You can read there info at: www.okemos.k12.mi.us/users/admin/policies/5yplan/Res_Lit.pdf |
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| f11 | Nov 4 2005, 09:20 PM Post #24 |
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LPS, transportation for all
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Here is that link again, I had trouble with it in the last post. okemos.k12.mi.us/users/admin/policies/5yplan/Res_Lit.pdf Unfortunately, I think the model they are shooting for saves the most money(at the expense of our children, and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise!!) Elisa, I pose this to you: Is there anything "supporting" the k-4 model. While these other models sound great, would they be feasible with our current buildings? Cause' they ain't gonna build new ones! |
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| Elisa | Nov 4 2005, 10:31 PM Post #25 |
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Principal
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There is nothing that I have come across that is against the k-4 model. Some districts do this and kids go on to 5-8 schools. There is also a lot of debate over the inclusion of 5th grade in the middle school. Some research saying that 5-8 and 6-8 are comparable. Additionally, there is significant debate over scrapping the middle school all together. Studies show that 6-8 is the most prevalent model across the country and that it is the preferred model of educators. I do not think that anyone would say that k-4 is negative or affects student achievement in any way but most would assume that those kids would move on to a 5-8. the research tells us that designing a school with a particular span of grades will not itself guarantee student success. But kids who can stay in a particular school longer (span more grades) do better than those who transition more frequently. These 2 grade span schools are also often very large (as ours would be) and the literature on school size is also very clear: smaller is better. These k-8 school may be very difficult to implement-I do not know. But they are receiving a lot of attention these days. I thought that it could possibly be an alternative for LPS. Keep the 5/6 schools for those who want it. And add a smaller (maybe by a few hundred) k-8 in a cental location. It would be a school of choice, a magnet type of program. Something innovative, something to spark interest in our aging school system. I do not know financially how it could be accounted for but maybe an additional building could be closed. Webster kids are bussed currently. The ACAT program could be housed in the k-8 and the county program relocated. Webster could then be closed. It all sounds so simple in theory, but who knows. I think that the committee should at least pay a little bit of attention to what measures could be taken to stop or slow down their projected enrollment decline. Otherwise, where will it all end? if we do not think of innovative, fresh new ways to pump some life into our district. |
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| rooseveltmom | Nov 4 2005, 10:38 PM Post #26 |
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Principal
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In Northville they experienced an overcrowding last year. They had a commitee come up with many plans, and then held regular meetings with the community to decide the best option. The plans changed as the input was gathered. There was much controversy and after a long debated informed session they came to a common ground. Cohesive to all. I was a part of this as the school in which I was employeed was an option, and we had Dickenson as an alternative to move our present school for lease. The forum was open to employees, residents, and anyone else to offer opinions. Meetings were held regularly and all were invited to input. The quikness of our Livonia comittee leads me to question. I think there is more than meets the eye here, I am very skeptical. Just food for thought. |
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| scooter | Nov 5 2005, 01:40 AM Post #27 |
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4th Grade
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Awesome job Elisa! I want to let you know I copied and pasted the Okemos link you provided and it didn't work, so I pasted it in Google. It took me to the Okemos School website, I read a few of the tabs, but thought I'd ask if you can tell me which one to visit. P.S. Don't stop...there are still too many supporters. I think the only hope of making them see a different light is by providing them with lots of information that you and others have taken lots of time to find. This needs to be shared with ALL concerned parents. Informed decisions are the best decisions!!! |
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| Elisa | Nov 5 2005, 08:14 AM Post #28 |
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Principal
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Scooter, go to google, type in "okemos grade span" and the article will be the first one in the results-not sure why the link is not working. We may all be backing or have certain grade cinfigurations in mind in terms of what is best for our kids. Just remember, a review of the literature reveals: -Narrow grade configurations and lowered student performance have been linked due to the extra school to school transition. _"smaller is better" these 5/6 schools are too large, not to mention our middle schools-particularly Holmes. The research on school to school transition is particularly powerful for those who have kids at Grant, Roosevelt and Randolph. Correct me if I am wrong but those kids, k-3, will be asked to make 3 transitions before high school under this proposal. That just isn't supported by educational research. |
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| c3hull | Nov 5 2005, 11:42 AM Post #29 |
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Principal
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Research Jackpot!, Proposal Crashes!!! (Since these findings are FACTS, I have posted it here too) OK everyone, here is the PROOF I have searched countless hours for!!! This endless research was conducted by several Professors, Doctors, Research Groups, etc. There may be close to 100 people with impecable credentials behind this study. It was very lengthy(and still is), so I deleted quite a bit of reduntant information and the sources that were listed all over throughout the paragraphs. I did not alter ANY information and have provide the link below to read the whole article and view the sources. There were several other studies similar to this, so no, this is not a needle a haystack by any means! This is overwhelmingly, conclusive evidence found over and over, now that I know where to look! http://phkhome.northstarnet.org/ikepto/GradeCenterReport.htm "Elementary School Grade Span Configuration: New Evidence on Student Achievement, Achievement Equity, and Cost Efficiency" The term "grade span" refers to the number of grade levels in a school building. "Grade configuration" identifies which grades are taught in a school building. The belief of many policymakers and educators that grade configuration simply didn't matter educationally was unchallenged until recent research. Today, however, a substantial body of new research demonstrates that decreasing grade spans, thereby increasing the number of students per grade, and multiplying students' transitions from school to school negatively impacts student achievement. This new research suggests that the most equitable and cost efficient means of delivering high student achievement is through smaller schools with broader grade spans. District policymakers should analyze and consider the findings of this new body of research before moving in an opposite direction. Transitioning Negatively Effects Student Outcomes Transitioning refers to the movement of students from school building to school building. For example, if a configuration requiring students to attend four schools, students will experience four transitions by the time they reach high school. University of Missouri's School of Education and Counseling Psychology, conducted research that correlated poor educational outcomes with students' learning instability resulting from school transitions: The achievement loss in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies occurred when the transition was at grade 5, 6, 7, or 8. We can expect reconfiguring would cause transitional achievement loss as students move from each of the four transitions. In fact, a plan requiring students to attend every school in the District would require that every year the students would either be suffering transitional achievement loss or be making up for it. Additionally, students do not appear to "get used to" transitioning over time. Given these findings, it would appear obvious that a district requiring four transitions from kindergarten to high school would cause a higher dropout rate than a district requiring only one or two transitions. Alspaugh’s study demonstrates that students placed in relatively small groups for long spans of time tend to experience better educational outcomes, these better outcomes overlap into the students' high school education. Multiple transitions cause other negative outcomes. School transitions impose stress on students and negatively influence schools' identity and sense of community. Thomas Moffitt's 1996 dissertation presented to Miami University at Ohio studied the impact of a district's elementary grade span structure on family-school partnerships. He stressed the importance of family-school relationships on educational outcomes: The studies added tremendously to our knowledge about the contributions families made to their children's success, and the support families need from educators to guide their children successfully through their schooling. When parents are involved, children do better in school and go to better schools. However, research concluded that schools with narrow grade configurations have a negative impact on family-school partnerships. Professor of Ohio University suggests that each transition from one narrowly configured school to another seems to disrupt the social structure in which learning takes place. That disruption includes the decrease in time families have to contribute to the education of their children when their children attend multiple schools within a district. They also cause a host of problems associated with larger school size. Smalls Schools Increase Achievement Level In prior years, only a few studies had been conducted on school size and grade spans, and the findings had been inconclusive. Today's research and initiatives are more numerous, and researchers are more comfortable with making strong claims and assertions, these and other findings suggest that small schools are universally better". Renewed interest in small school size is growing nationwide. In fact, adding one elementary school transition before high school have the best results. The studies showed that smaller schools outperformed larger schools on a level playing field, and they were more cost-effective than larger schools and districts in producing achievement. Additionally, research asserts that at smaller schools, regardless of economic affluence, achievement is more equitable than in larger schools. The strongest influence of school size on achievement equity was realized in the small size category of 300 or fewer students “This effect was so strong that smaller schools, with higher levels of poverty, actually outperformed its larger schools." Two studies suggest that smaller size may improve odds for collaboration, communication, and common purpose. Wasley makes similar claims based on personal experience and professional research: Over the years, I have taught students at nearly every level, from 3rd grade through graduate school. As a researcher, I have spent time gathering data on students at every level from preschool through 12th grade. My teaching and research experiences have provided me with data that convince me that both small classes and small schools are crucial to a teacher's ability to succeed with students. Students reported feeling safer and more connected with adults in these schools. Teachers reported a greater sense of efficacy, job satisfaction, and connection with parents, as well as more opportunities to collaborate with other teachers, build a coherent educational program, and use a variety of instructional approaches. Parents and community members reported increased confidence in the schools. We could conclude students may benefit if they were to be reconfigured as smaller schools with larger grade spans. Making an Educated Choice Only recently have scholars begun to feel confident that enough research has been done to make strong claims about grade spans, grade level configurations and school size. Unfortunately, most of today's educators and policymakers are products of large schools and large school districts, and that bigger is better. Now, cognitive scientists, neurological biologists and educators have determined that all students have the capacity to learn. This evidence is what lead the charge of "The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Now what do you think of the Demographic Committee's Proposal?" |
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| heymom | Nov 5 2005, 11:48 AM Post #30 |
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Principal
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Still for it! One study's info doesn't cut it for me. |
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3:39 AM Jul 11