Figures Lie and Liars Figure, Part Two....

Here we go again! The author of a recent guest editorial in the Cape Cod Chronicle presented an argument against the proposed 8-12 grade configuration being considered for the new Momomoy Regional High School. The argument seemed logical and the author cited research to support his claim that to put eighth graders with high school students would be unsound, in part, based on a research study conducted in Maine "several years ago" that found that eighth grade students housed in schools other than a K-8 configuration performed less well on standardized tests. Interesting information but, once again, its only part of the story and based on that alone one could draw an incorrect conclusion.

Here is some additional information from this specific study that the author neglected to share. It was conducted more than "several years ago", in fact, it is almost two decades old. It was published in the summer of 1992 before the onset of state mandated high stakes testing and increased accountability, the emergence of the focus on school culture, and a host of other educational reforms. Secondly, the authors merely stated that eighth grade students in a K-8 environment seemed to do better than students in other grade configurations without making any assertions of superiority of one model over the other. The study implied that the question of why Maine eighth graders in schools with elementary spans outperformed other eighth graders remains unanswered and that their findings actually "call into question any simplistic assertion regarding the superiority of (nominally) middle-level schools." Thus, the research the author cites actually seems to refute the critical importance of the typical 5-8 middle school grade configuration which was such an important part of his argument. Furthermore, another study entitled Grade Configuration: Who Goes Where? (Paglin and Fager, 1997) concluded that every grade configuration has its own strengths and weaknesses relative to the context which the grade span occurs and that "no particular sequence of grade spans is perfect or in itself guarantees student achievement and social adjustment." The key, they suggested, is to focus on developing the positive potential within any given grade configuration.

Research and passionate arguments aside, here's the bottom line from someone who has spent the last forty years working in a 9-12 high school environment - grade configuration is not nearly as significant as many would have you believe. Much more important is what you do in any school with curriculum, student support services, and co-curricular activities to meet the needs of all students. Here's my two cents worth, and it is not based on twenty year old research. First, let's be totally transparent. The consideration of the 8-12 grade configuration for MRHS is being driven by the numbers. The magic number of 700+ students will enable the model school to be constructed in expeditious fashion with close to 50% state reimbursement to the towns. That in itself is not a bad thing because even though it may seem that the decision is not focused on kids and their needs, it really is. The decision will lead to the building of a state-of-the art, environmentally sound school which will expand learning opportunities for all students. It seems the right thing to do for so many reasons and it will be good for all students.

Simply stated, putting eighth graders in a high school environment will not result in dire academic, social, or emotional consequences. Actually it has been done in a number of school districts across the nation. In fact, the town of Shrewsbury did it back in the mid-eighties with good results. While recently most school districts such as Barnstable and Dennis-Yarmouth are being forced by declining enrollments to reconfigure their schools by incorporating eighth graders in their high schools, some have done it as a matter of choice. Hudson combined their eighth grade students in their high school over a decade ago as a result of a conscious decision to improve learning for their students. It has worked so well that even though the town is currently constructing a new middle school, the eighth graders will not be part of that school. They will remain at the high school where they are, for the most part, fully integrated in that school environment.

The 8-12 configuration works well for students in Hudson and I believe it will work well at Monomoy Regional High School. Eighth graders would be fully integrated in all co-curricular activities such as the arts, clubs, and in interscholastic sports where they would enable robust junior varsity, and possibly, freshmen teams with a 'no cut" policy. A modified teaming approach in the core curricular areas would provide the comfort, stability, and individual attention students at that age need but other curricular areas would be open to eighth graders allowing for accelerated learning in subjects such as math, foreign languages, and science. Having eighth graders in the building would also allow teachers to begin implementing a pre-advanced placement curriculum to lay a solid foundation for students who plan to challenge themselves with A P courses later in their high school career. Socially, the eighth graders would be semi-isolated in that they would not be allowed to attend high school dances and other major social events, however dances, class trips, and other special events specifically scheduled for them would allow eighth graders to bond with each other, develop their own identifies, and grow socially and emotionally at their own pace. They would also have their own guidance counselor who would focus entirely on their concerns and help ease the transition to the rigor of a high school curriculum. These are but just a few of the exciting possibilities afforded by developing a grade 8-12 high school.

So, don't be swayed by emotional claims and outdated or misstated research. Check out what is happening in Hudson High School right now and think about what this exciting model could do for our kids in the new Monomoy Regional High School.