SKSD Grade Reconfiguration Memo

July 15, 2015

Grade Reconfiguration Recommendation Memo

To: SKSD Board of Directors
SKSD Staff
From: Michelle Reid, Ed.D,
Superintendent
The purpose of this memo is to announce and explain the recommendation for the phase in of
grade reconfiguration in the South Kitsap School District.
BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH
This past year, the South Kitsap School District commissioned a community committee to address
the challenge of school district boundary review. This process is one that has not been undertaken
in many years (by some accounts, not since the last building projects undertaken in the district,
circa 1990). This is work we are planning to maintain a committee for so that we can be nimble in
our responsiveness to subsequent student enrollment trends. Our goal would be to continue to
anticipate moves we need to make so that all students needs are equitably met.
As the enrollment trends in the South Kitsap School District continue to be variant, we needed to
have a review of the current school district boundaries and establish policy that will effectively
guide our decision making on this topic in the future. Many school districts have faced similar
challenges as population numbers shift within district boundaries. With current zoning and
construction permitting, we must be intentional.
This is both a timely and important topic as our community is also experiencing enrollment pattern
shifts. We must equitably distribute our students so that we can be financially prudent and so that
we can offer access to the best education possible to all students in the district no exceptions.
This past spring, the committee made its recommendation. This dedicated group of people,
including parents and staff representative of all schools in the district, and staff from all affected
departments in the district, contributed countless hours of diligent study and research into the
dilemma our district is facing. The Boundary Committee's recommendation regarding grade
reconfiguration was to reconfigure to K-5 Elementary Schools, 6-8 Middle Schools and a 912 High School as soon as 2016-17, but no later than 2017-18. They believed that their
recommendation addressed several critical topics.
The first was the educational needs of our students, in particular the unique needs of the ninth
graders. For the upcoming year, we are planning to bus ninth graders from the three junior highs
to the high school so that they might be able to take an Algebra Trig course. Currently, ninth
graders are not able to access the courses at the high school since they are housed at the junior
highs. There are a range of courses that ninth graders in other districts are able to access because
they are on the same campus as tenth thru twelfth grade students. Several examples include, but
are not limited to, the availability of multiple foreign language courses, Career and Technical
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Education courses, NJROTC and other academic and activity programs. We have moved several
new course offerings to the ninth grade in the junior high structure; e.g., AP Human Geography,
AP Environmental Science, Pacific Rim languages, etc. However, we cannot financially replicate
all the current high school offerings at each junior high site.
Another reason for the Boundary Review Committee recommendation is that moving the sixth
graders up to a middle school model (6-8 grades) will leave fewer children at the elementary
schools and enable the crowding at multiple elementary schools to be relieved. The class sizes at
the elementary level have been reduced and we have worked hard in our district to eliminate the
use of split classrooms. Instructionally, it enables more differentiated math and science content
instruction at the sixth grade level, as often middle schools have dedicated science lab spaces
unavailable at an elementary school, and varying course levels to choose from in the math content
area, as there is a different economy of scale to offer these courses at a feeder middle school.
For those that argue that our school district was once much larger in the past and we made
everyone fit; today, there are many more program needs and the requirements for these needs have
radically changed in the last fifteen to twenty years. For example, all day kindergarten has
doubled our classroom space needs for kindergarten students, and each year, more and more
preschool students are being identified for special needs intervention classes requiring classroom
space within our schools. While these are all great program supports for our community and our
families and children, the space in our schools is limited.
It is clear that there are many advantages to the K-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high
school model. All of our surrounding school districts have transitioned to this model. In fact, the
majority of Washington State and the nation operate using this model. The transition to a K-5
elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high school model in the South Kitsap School
District, makes sense educationally and will also address the issues of school capacity.
In reviewing the research, there are several clear findings inherent in this topic. Hanover Research
has done several Meta studies of the data across the country and provided the following history
and perspective on the topic of grade level redesign. While many constituents might say it does
not matter what the rest of the country is doing if what we are doing here is right for South Kitsap,
we must recognize that we are connected to the rest of the country in that we serve many children
and families of military personnel. These families and children move about the country and world
and are often caught in local school district challenges when there is not alignment.
For example, we have numerous families who transfer here and have students previously enrolled
in high school (grade 9) and then find out they need their student enrolled in junior high here to
complete their ninth grade year. This has caused issues when we are not able to match courses in
a junior high that these students might otherwise have had access to in the high school setting.
According to current research, the middle school grade configuration modelthat which
separates sixth, seventh, and eighth graders from elementary school students and high school
studentsis the prevailing model among U.S. schools. Furthermore, the number of junior high
schools in our country has been decreasing over the past four decades. Junior high schools that
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serve grades 7 through 9 have become exceptionally rare compared to middle schools, with
fewer public schools serving grades 7 through 9 currently identified in the United States.
Currently, the middle school model is dominant among U.S. school districts. According to the
National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2010-2011 school year, there were approximately
12,963 middle schools in the United States, which is an increase of over 10,000 middle schools
since 1970. The number of U.S. junior high schools has decreased exponentially during the same
time period. The chart below depicts the number of U.S. middle schools relative to junior high
schools over the past four decades. The NCES does not report the number of schools with K-8
configurations.
Figure 1: U.S. Middle Schools and High Schools, 1970-2011

Digest of Education Statistics: Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, By Level of School: Selected
Years, 1970-71 Through 2011-12. National Center for Education Statistics.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform has developed a list of key
considerations for middle grades education that is designed to bring about positive and lasting
school improvement, regardless of grade configuration.
Much of the literature surrounding grade configuration suggests that factors outside of grade
configuration play equally if not more important roles in student achievement. These factors
include the degree to which schools provide focused, individualized instruction to middle grades
students and ninth grade students in a high school, as well as the extent to which schools are
invested in and committed to taking measures to improve student outcomes.
Generally, this policy agenda notes that young adolescents (middle grades) require more
focused, individualized instruction than younger students, as well as ample opportunities to
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explore and develop creative interests. Additionally, the National Forum suggests that students
should receive specialized instruction in math, science, and reading in order to help them improve
their scores on standardized assessments. The National Forums full policy agenda states that
schools that serve the middle grades should provide:
Smaller learning communities and other supports from the school, family, and
community that help personalize instruction and give students the targeted assistance
they need;
A focus on adolescent literacy with support for advancing reading and writing in all the
content areas;
Rigorous mathematics and science instruction for all students to equip them for success
in high school and beyond;
Qualified teachers in every middle-grades classroom who not only know their subjects
well but also how to teach those subjects to young adolescents;
Academic, health, mental health, and other services that support student learning and
healthy development;
Access to an array of curricular and extra-curricular activities that foster healthy
development, creativity, critical thinking, career exploration, and civic responsibility;
and
A fair share of federal, state, and local resources for middle-grades schools and
students.
Finally, during the 2008-2009 school year, the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy
Research conducted a study of 303 middle grades schools in California, as well as the teachers and
administrators that serve these schools. In this study, the authors identified specific practices that
are characteristic of effective middle schools, regardless of grade configuration or the
demographics of the students being served. Foremost among these practices is an intense,
school-wide focus on improving students academic outcomes. The studys authors further
concluded that a sense of shared responsibility among educators for students futures is a hallmark
of high achieving schools, and that schools that are the most effective are those that are designed
to enable students to leave the middle grades high school-ready,with strong foundational
skills, on track to pass Californias high school exit exam, and ready to enter college-preparatory
courses. This has ramifications in our planning for the coming transition.
Toward this end, the study concluded that effective schools are those that adopt the following
practices intensely focused on student outcomes:
Close alignment of curricula and instruction with state academic content standards;

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Extensive use of assessment and other student data to improve student learning and
teacher practice;
Personalization so that students and their work are known well;
Early identification of students needing additional support and proactive
intervention;
Extensive review of the incoming records of students entering the middle grades as
well as the students entering the high school at grade nine.
We also know that students who complete a successful ninth grade year, and are thereby deemed
credit ready when they exit the ninth grade year, are four times more likely to graduate from high
school on time. This year is a critical academic as well as developmental year.
As we contemplate the movement of sixth graders to the newly designed middle school model,
and the movement of ninth graders to the high school, the re-boundary committee recommended
this to occur for educational reasons as well as the efficient use of our district facilities given the
growth of our population and the increase program requirements on our strained facility needs. It
is now up to us to make this transition as smooth and successful as possible.
Each of the two broad based constituent committees (defined later in the report) will have as a
focus for their work this coming year, the best educational interests of the children we serve.
There will be a great deal of research, much more than the research snippets I have shared in this
memo, that will be reviewed. Further, there will be structures and systems to review and
recommend for implementation in the innovative model we are developing to meet our student,
family, community and school district 21st Century needs. We will maintain a transparent and
participatory process.
RECOMMENDATION AND RATIONALE
With this in mind, I am making the following recommendation for the phased-in transition to K-5
elementary schools, 6-8 middle schools and 9-12 high schools (including Discovery) in the South
Kitsap School District.
This is a topic that principals and the district leadership team have been discussing for some time
and I have been told that across the district this has been a topic for several years.
Parent representatives on the Boundary Review Committee recommended the change. Further, it is
a topic that I received a great deal of feedback on during our community strategic planning event
on January 31, 2015 and during our Thought Exchange online survey.
Another significant factor moving this recommendation forward is the recent decision by our
neighboring districts resulting in the athletic league adjustments necessary for our ninth grade
student athletes. The move to 9-12 high schools now in place at all our league schools has
resulted in our ninth graders needing to be transported to the high school daily during the course of
the athletic seasons. This has caused consternation for the transportation department, resulted in
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lost classroom time at the end of the day for students in some junior highs and in certain sports,
and in general diminishing the student attachment or affinity to their junior high school. In
speaking to a variety of student focus groups over the course of the prior school year, the junior
high school students involved in these athletics and activities were reflective about this topic and
disappointed in the outcome.
There are also many high school clubs and activities that ninth graders in other school districts are
able to participate in; e.g., forensics, language and arts clubs, etc. Our ninth graders were
encouraged to be involved in these; yet, the timing of the school day and transportation challenges
negated this participation for the most part. Given these factors, I concur with the Boundary
Review Committee recommendation to realign our grade spans in the South Kitsap School
District.
I am planning a conservative four year roll-out for all students in the district. The chart below
illustrates the pacing for the plan in a chart format.
TABLE 1: FOUR YEAR PHASE-IN PLAN FOR GRADE RECONFIGURATION
2015-2016

Year of continued study

and planning:

Planning Committee
for 6-8 Middle
School Model
Planning Committee
for 9-12 High School
Model

Middle School Models

and High School Models
of school within a school
might be looked at
Professional development
of staff to meet new
model needs.

2016-2017

2017-2018

Phase 1
Implementation of K5 grade configuration
at Sunnyslope, Sidney
Glen, and Hidden
Creek or Burley
Glenwood (pending)
Or transition Burley
Glenwood to Marcus
Whitman feeder group
Cedar Heights Junior
High will shift to 6-8
Middle School
9th grade students in
this feeder group will
move to South Kitsap
High School
Open enrollment
option for families to
choice in or out.

Phase 2
Implementation of three
more elementary
schools to K-5
One more Junior High
shifted to Middle
School Model or
One more set of 9th
grade students to SKHS
Move Explorer
Academy to allow room
for additional
students/classrooms at
SKHS site
Monitor and adjust plan
based on continued
evaluation and input.

2018-2019

Phase 3
Implementation of
remaining three
elementary schools to
K-5
Final Junior High
shifted to Middle
School Model or
Remaining 9th grade
students to SKHS
Grade reconfiguration
phase-in plan is complete.
Continue to monitor and
adjust programming based
on feedback.

We will focus on a year of study during 2015-2016 to support and provide professional
development for staff on the new grade level reconfiguration plan and how to best prepare our
students and families for the transition. The changes in grade configuration are not simply where
students are housed, but are based on academic program excellence, curriculum and instruction,
activities and relationships. As we develop future innovators, we need to be thoughtful and
research based in our approach. Our instructional program structure and delivery matters.
In 2016-2017, the schools with the most urgent capacity issues (Sunnyslope, Sidney Glen, and
Hidden Creek) will make the transition to K-5 elementary school (with the possibility remaining
that Burley Glenwood might be considered as an alternative within enrollment dependent
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parameters.) The seven remaining elementary schools, Burley Glenwood, East Port Orchard,
Mullenix Ridge, Manchester, South Colby, Orchard Heights, and Olalla, will continue as a K-6
model during this year. Sixth grade students from Sunnyslope, Sidney Glen, and Hidden Creek
will transition to Cedar Heights which will transition to a 6-8 Middle School model. Students in
grade 9 at Cedar Heights for 2016-2017 will move to South Kitsap High School.
In 2017-2018, three additional elementary schools and one junior high will make the transition to
the K-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high school model. We have not identified the
schools for this phase of the plan as they will be chosen based on the feeder enrollment patterns at
that time. We might also defer to the possibility that we will move the next third of the ninth
grade group by way of open enrollment during this year. Again, this is very enrollment
dependent and is designated as a choice point for future committee work. Explorer Academy is
currently housed on the South Kitsap High School campus and will be relocated to another school
to free up capacity for the additional students at the high school. This will enable us to be more
financially respectful in that we will not need to spend money on more portables that we might
otherwise be spending on student educational needs.
In 2018-2019, all the remaining schools will transition to the K-5, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12
high school model. It will be at this time that all students in the district will be fully integrated
into the new grade level configuration model that the Boundary Review Committee recommended.
While it is not the most desirable to have a dual system in the district, I have carefully weighed
this reality. I recognize the need to begin moving forward with the stated goal of reconfiguring the
grade alignment in the district. I also must acknowledge the limited resources we have as a district
and must remain resolutely mindful of how best to sustain deep innovative change and therefore
have chosen the methodology to phase in the transition. This four year approach preserves the
stability of our district and enables us to build on the strengths and traditions already present.
It is also important to note that we currently have 85 portables in use in the South Kitsap School
District. This plan supports limiting the use of portables and minimizes the need to purchase more
of them to place on our school sites. I believe it is the more financially responsible decision to
have a conservative phased in approach that will be monitored and adjusted and that could be
accelerated based on feedback and resource availability.
As a district, we have undergone significant change in the past several years and need time to
thoughtfully process this significant teaching and learning structural adjustment. Staffing
decisions and professional development, curriculum and activities design, student needs, facility
challenges, transportation models, and changing career and college readiness dynamics, all must
be taken into consideration. The transition plan is conservative and offers families the choice of
open enrollment throughout the implementation.
While there will be costs associated with this transition plan, we must also weigh the costs of not
moving forward to best support our students instructional needs. We must steadfastly maintain
high expectations and must continue to keep high support in place for all of our children no
exceptions.

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COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT
This recommendation was discussed at the Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 and will be
finalized at the Board Meeting on July 15, 2015. I will continue to meet with the building
principals and district leadership team to discuss the recommendation, process for implementation
and seek feedback on the support needs required for a smooth and effective program transition.
We will maintain an open and transparent process throughout this transition time.
We will be seating two district wide committees to address the smooth implementation of this
plan. One of the committees will be to address the planning and implementation of a new middle
school design and philosophy for students in our district. The second grade reconfiguration
committee will be to address the integration of ninth graders into the high school. There are many
best practice research ideas and models worthy of review and discussion.
As we continue this process, I will keep you informed of the progress and monitor and adjust
with feedback from teachers, support staff, principals, parents, students, and the community. If
you have any questions, comments, concerns or ideas for me, please feel free to contact me at
[email protected] or 360.874.7001. We are committed to transparency in all our work.
I will join Kitsap Sun reporter Chis Henry on July 16 at 7:00 p.m. for a live online discussion
about the transition to a K-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high school grade
configuration. Our district website will also keep up-to-date notes on the transition progress. The
weekly Superintendent Blog will note progress as well and provide an interactive platform for
community members. I know there will be many more questions to ponder and scenarios to
discuss and so we will be preparing a FAQ (frequently asked questions) document for release later
this summer based on feedback we receive in the next few weeks.
I want to thank each of you who have taken the time to process this topic with me, with the
Boundary Review Committee members, and with the leadership team of the district. We
recognize this shared goal can only be accomplished through a strong and collaborative
partnership which includes the school, family, student and community resources. We remain
committed to this collaborative partnership. We need to continue this conversation as we sustain
the work to build on the traditions of this strong and proud district.
Thank you for your inspiring work with children each and every day. It matters.

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