Community Relations
Panel Discussions Overview
The Charlottesville City School Division hosted dozens of meetings with school staff, parents, and other community members to consider the use of school facilities and grade configurations. This is an overview of the materials and events.
Handouts with pros and cons, details of all four options
Panel Discussions
The public participated in two panel discussions examining pedagogy and learning environments on July 22 and September 1 at Charlottesville High School. The discussions were part of the ongoing Community Engagement Workshops concerning the use of school facilities and grade configurations, based on the four options proposed at early community engagement sessions.
A panel of University faculty membersdiscussed research concerning upper elementary and middle school environments and the developmental needs of their students. Questions were submitted in advance or taken at the workshop.
Podcasts of Discussions
- July 22, 2009 (mp3; 92 MB)
- September 1, 2009 (mp3; 73 MB)
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Related Research Recommended by Panelists
Putting Middle Grades Students on the Graduation Path - This document was recently released from the National Middle School Association and addresses the critical issue of middle grades being the launch pad for graduation. (16 pp.)
Keeping Philadelphia Students on the Graduation Path - This document identifies early warning indicators and interventions for middle grade students. (27 pp/slides)
Effective Practices for Ninth-Grade Transition- This VDOE document highlights the issues surrounding the ninth grade transition and lessons learned by our schools. (5 pp.)
Making Middle Grades Work – This SREB article identifies strategies to increase academic achievement in the middle grades. (16 pp.)
Grade Configuration: Who Goes Where? - A “hot topic” report produced by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (45 pp.)
High Performance in High Poverty Schools: 90/90/90 and Beyond— A review of research in high poverty schools that have demonstrated high academic performance. It outlines the five common characteristics of these schools, none of which are a common grade configuration. (20 pp.)
Reducing the Negative Effects of Small Schools – An overview of different approaches to smaller learning environments as well as considerations related to school downsizing. (26 pp.)
Children’s Social Consciousness and the Development of Social Responsibility – A visionary and developmental perspective of Sheldon Berman. (95 pp/slides)
Other Research
Bill Gates' Annual Letter: Education
New Middle Schools for New Futures
Grade organization Trends – America’s middle schools in the new century