Give K-8 schools due consideration

The sad truth is, a lot of students struggle in their middle-school/junior high years. Some education research suggests that the transition between elementary school and middle-level education is very difficult for students who come from nurturing elementary school environments. They go from an atmosphere where everyone knows their names, academic histories and family dynamics to settings where students can more readily slip through the cracks.

In an attempt to boost student achievement and give young adolescents more support in what some middle-level educators call the "white-water years," Salt Lake City School District is exploring the concept of K-8 (kindergarten through 8th grade) elementary schools. District administrators deserve credit for looking into a concept that has had notable success elsewhere.

Educational research suggests there are many advantages to the K-8 configuration. A study of Philadelphia schools found that that standardized test scores of middle-level students schooled in the K-8 configurations were significantly stronger than those of peers in traditional middle schools. This was particularly true in mathematics.

The same study found that higher percentages of students from K-8 schools ended up earning admission to high schools that require special academic admission standards, such as college preparatory schools, than did their middle school-educated counterparts.

While Salt Lake school officials are primarily concerned with boosting academic achievement, other academic writing suggests that K-8 schools have higher degrees of parental involvement, which generally drops off once students enter middle school and high school. Other research maintains that K-8 schools boast higher retention rates. Both trends bode well for healthy social development.

But the concept of 5-year-olds attending the same school as 14-year-olds gives some parents pause. There are huge developmental gulfs between the youngest and oldest students in the K-8 configuration. Parents have legitimate concerns about bullying and young children being exposed to issues that confront older children.

Then again, educational research suggests that K-8 schools are safer than middle schools because the presence of siblings and younger students tends to reduce aggression and disciplinary problems.

This discussion offers a lot of food for thought. Certainly, school patrons should not dismiss this innovation out of hand, because research supports many of its benefits. That said, school administrators need to be sensitive to the heartfelt concerns of parents as this debate unfolds.