The 1999-2000 school year marked the fifth year for implementing recommendations concerning the reorganization of education for grades 5 through 8 in Oak Park Elementary School District 97.

These recommendations were made by the Middle Level Education Steering Committee in August 1995 in the document Promise and Possibilities: Envisioning Middle Level Education.

The text of this report is available from the District office and can be found on the District 97 home page:http://www.op97.org

On June 28, 2000 the Innovation Coordinator for Middle Level Education presented the fifth annual Middle Level Education report to the Board of Education.

In an effort to keep parents and community informed concerning the progress of middle level education in District 97, what follows is a summary of the Board Report.

From its inception in 1996, the Ad Hoc Steering Committee for Middle Level Education has served as the monitoring group for the implementation of middle level education practices in District 97. With the decision by the Board of Education to reconfigure Emerson and Julian Schools to grades 6, 7, and 8, and the passing of a referendum to build two new middle schools, the Committee felt it was imperative to begin to develop the process for this transition.

One of the recommendations for that process was the reorganization of the Steering Committee.This enlarged committee with membership representative of teachers in grades 6 through 8, administration, parents and community, was formed in the Fall of 1999.

The District 97 Oversight Committee for Middle level Education will monitor the transition process to new middle schools, acting as the oversight authority for setting guidelines and approving curriculum and organizational decisions for grades 6, 7 and 8.One of the goals of the monitoring process will be to ensure program quality and consistency between the two middle schools.

During the past school year, five recommendations were outlined for middle level education practices. A summary of each follows.

Continue to monitor the middle level team organizations and team leadership at each building.

This is an important component in the middle school concept. It involves a group of two or more teachers from different subject areas who work as a team with a common group of students, a similar schedule with common planning time, and share the same part of the building.

As identified in middle level practices, the team has four important functions:

• Coordinate curriculum and instruction

• Coordinate and monitor student assignments, homework, progress, etc.

• Coordinate parent communication and involvement

• Coordinate the teams efforts with members of the building staff.

As a result of the collaboration, teams are able to better address the academic and affective needs of their students. The 1999-2000 school year provided the opportunity to train new team leaders in strategies to make teams function more effectively.

Continue to provide regular and systematic opportunities for articulation with District 97 and with Districts 90 and 200.

Both building and district-level administrators from Districts 97, 90 and 200 met on a regular basis. The Joint Institute Day 2000 grew out of the meetings between District 97 and 90 department chairs and high school division heads during the 1998-99 school year. This event provided the opportunity for teachers and administrators in Districts 90, 97 and 200 to improve their knowledge and skill in using technology to support the learning of students in the classroom. As one of the first steps in a comprehensive review of the grades 7-8 science curriculum, District 97 science teachers spent time observing freshman science classes at Oak Park and River Forest High School and discussing the curriculum with science teachers there. In addition, a number of teachers from Emerson and Julian participated in a District 200 workshop organized for their division heads that focused on improving student reading skills in such areas as science, social studies and mathematics.

Within the district, regularly scheduled department meetings for Julian and Emerson provided teachers with time to discuss and better align curricula between the two buildings. In April the district held its second annual Middle Level Student Careers with Technology Conference students from grades five through eight came together with professionals in the fields of science, engineering, medicine and other technology related careers to learn about their vocations. In May, sixth grade students from the district’s eight elementary schools met at their connecting 7-8 school for the day-long Middle Level Math Event.

Increase the communication about middle level education to parents and the community.

One of the great challenges of education in the middle school years is parent communication. Research continues to suggest, however, that there is a correlation between the level at which parents participate in the education of their children and high student academic achievement. Interdisciplinary teams at both Emerson and Julian have engaged in a number of strategies to communicate with our district’s parents during the past school year, including team newsletters, articles in the school or PTO newsletter, voice mail, e-mail, progress reports, assignment notebooks, quarterly and weekly progress reports and providing a weekly syllabus.

Provide staff development activities for teachers in the area of teaching students in mixed-ability group settings.

During December 1999 District 97, with the Association of Illinois Middle-Level Schools, hosted a workshop entitled “The Differentiated Classroom,” with nationally-known clinician, Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson. She helped teachers to address academic diversity in their classrooms in positive and challenging ways through a variety of instructional strategies.

Review and strengthen the development of the activities in the Advisor-Advisee curriculum, particularly in the area in interpersonal skills.

Emerson School implemented its Anti-Bullying Curriculum based on work done by the Association of American University Women. A more complete review of the district Advisor-Advisee curriculum was postponed to coincide with a curriculum review to be completed by a teacher study group related to upcoming transition activities.

• Continue to provide regular and systematic opportunities for articulation with Districts 90 and 200.

• Increase the level of articulation among district 97 teachers in grades 5 through 8.

• Continue transition activities with the Oversight Committee and teachers in grades 6 through 8 in preparation for the new middle schools.

• Strengthen the quality of communication with parents and community regarding middle level education.

• Provide opportunities for high-level professional development with middle level staff

As we enter a new school year, it is important to take a few moments to remember the district’s original vision for middle level education and the recommendations found in Promise and Possibilities.

The Steering Committee envisions our school settings as environments:

• Concerned about the way each and every child learns and works for success:

• Respect of staff and students engaged in active learning, rich in integrative curriculum, the arts, and technology;

• Cognizant of the continual process required to create our vibrant communities for learning;

• Promoting self-understanding and acceptance of each other.

For more information about middle level education, please contact the Innovation Coordinator for Middle Level Education at 708-524-3000