Salt Lake considering K-8 schools

Some Salt Lake City elementary students may have the choice to stay in the cozy elementary school environment until high school, if communities think it would be beneficial.

It's a move that could shake up Utah's school configuration model and has generated strong emotions and opinions on both sides.

For the past couple of months, the Salt Lake District has been kicking around the idea of making some of its elementary schools K-8.

"But this is just an exploration — a decision has not been made," said Charles Hausman, associate superintendent. "We are just asking communities to explore the K-8 option."

School teams are holding community meetings at elementaries that feed into Hillside and Clayton middle schools to find out how parents feel about leaving their students in elementary school until eighth grade.

According to district leaders, national data show that middle schoolers perform better in a more nurturing environment surrounded by teachers who know them and their individual achievement levels.

Both the Clayton and Hillside facilities will be rebuilt within the next three or four years, and the district felt this was an opportune time to look at different ways to serve students. And Hausman said there is a national movement toward rethinking the middle-school configuration.

Salt Lake District data show that schools lose 7-13 percent of students once they leave elementary school and enter the seventh grade. It can sometimes be a tough transition for students who may not be ready.

According to the RAND Corp., an independent national research organization, students in K-8 schools have slightly higher test scores, shrinking achievement gaps and higher retention.

Large districts nationwide, such as those in Denver, are implementing the K-8 model hoping to enhance academic performance and improve behavior.

Hausman said research shows that the fewer transitions a child has, the better the student's outcome. Students in K-8 schools are well-known to teachers over a longer period of time, making it harder for children to fall through the cracks.

Such a model could also help implement the middle-school philosophy — that students in grades six through eight need both a nurturing and academically challenging environment.