As Pennsylvania’s two largest school districts grapple with declining enrollment and budget constraints, they are both exploring the possibility of closing certain schools to better manage their resources and aging infrastructures.
The School District of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Public Schools share similar challenges, with aging facilities and a variety of school configurations. However, their strategies to address these challenges are markedly different, particularly concerning middle school education.
Philadelphia is currently operating with 13 distinct grade-band configurations. These include schools that serve a wide range of grades, such as K-4, K-5, 5-8, and even 5-12. The district’s Superintendent Tony Watlington has expressed a desire to streamline these configurations down to just six grade bands while completely eliminating standalone middle schools.
This new plan emphasizes educational environments that combine elementary, middle, and high school models. Watlington stated that district data supports this approach, aiming to reduce transitions for students as they progress through their education.
In contrast, Pittsburgh has proposed a focused plan to restructure its grade bands into dedicated K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 schools. During an April 2024 meeting, PPS assistant superintendent Nina Sacco indicated that this transition aims to create nurturing educational environments tailored to the distinct developmental needs of students at various stages.
Reactions to both closure plans have been mixed. Some Pittsburgh parents express excitement about dedicated spaces for middle schoolers, while others appreciate the community feel inherent in K-8 schools.
The size of the two districts adds another layer to their respective plans. With roughly 250 school buildings, Philadelphia dwarfs Pittsburgh, which is planning to shrink its number of schools from 54 to 39 while dismantling its 11 K-8 schools.
Capacity usage reveals that about one-third of Philadelphia’s school buildings are underutilized, with nearly half of Pittsburgh’s schools experiencing similar issues, as estimated with 2021 capacity figures. District officials in both cities assert that under-enrolled schools struggle to offer rigorous and varied courses. In Pittsburgh, for instance, only 13 out of 23 schools serving grades six to eight offered Algebra 1, while just four provided world language instruction.
The ongoing debate centers around whether middle-grade students benefit more from being integrated into expanded elementary schools or from attending dedicated middle schools. Mary Beth Schaefer, an associate professor of adolescent education at St. John’s University in New York, suggests that while K-8 schools can be effective, she typically advocates for the standalone 6-8 model.
Schaefer emphasizes that successful middle school programs rely on essential components, such as collaborative teaching teams and programs that allow students to explore their interests. These elements are easier to implement in a standalone middle school, where the educational focus aligns with the specific needs of middle-grade students.
Conversely, K-8 schools can also be effective if there is intentional planning to distinguish the programs for upper grades from those for lower grades. The 6-12 model, which Pittsburgh employs in more than half of its high schools, is criticized by Schaefer as being too focused on academic subjects for middle schoolers who require a more child-centered approach.
As districts face declining student populations, there is a temptation to reassign educators to teach different grade levels, often without adequate preparation for the developmental specifications that middle school students require.
Both experts and educators like Katie Powell, from the Association for Middle Level Education, agree on the importance of understanding the developmental needs of middle schoolers when deciding on grade configurations. Powell underscores that the key to success lies not in the structural model but in the implementation of developmentally appropriate practices and programs.
For successful transitions to new middle school arrangements, Pittsburgh plans to develop three new teacher professional development centers as part of its reconfiguration strategy. Such centers aim to consolidate resources and ensure that educators are better equipped to address the needs of their students.
During his presentation, Superintendent Watlington stressed research indicating that fewer school transitions may correlate with better student performance. Historical studies from Philadelphia show that students in K-8 environments performed better on standardized tests compared to those in standalone middle schools.
Critics of this research, however, highlight that the positive impacts were primarily associated with established K-8 schools serving more economically advantaged families. More contemporary studies present a mixed bag of results, asserting that while some K-8 schools benefit middle-grade students, others do not yield the same advantages despite similar configurations.
Bruce Vosburgh, a retired middle school principal with two decades of experience, points out that the success of transitions from elementary to middle school greatly depends on effective management and support from school leaders. He recalls informing parents that while their children may adjust to middle school in a couple of weeks, it could take parents longer to adapt.
As Vosburgh evaluates middle schools for the Pennsylvania Schools to Watch program, he emphasizes the importance of curriculum continuity throughout different grade levels, ensuring that communication exists between fifth and sixth-grade teachers, as well as between other consecutive grades.
Ultimately, the success of school leaders in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will hinge upon their ability to navigate the complexities of student transitions amid these significant changes to their school systems. Both districts are considering various factors, such as enrollment trends, transportation access, and school building capacities, as they finalize decisions on which schools to close and which will host the early adolescent population.
Powell stresses that a singular research study should not dictate the choices made by each district. Instead, careful consideration of diverse data and factors should inform their decision-making processes. Both districts must ensure that the final grade configuration they select aligns with the best practices for their students’ developmental needs, allowing school leaders the flexibility to adapt their strategies to effectively support their student populations.
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