Elementary Redesign FAQ

July 10, 2012

In April, 2012, the Lincoln Board of Education approved the redesign of the district elementary buildings.  Below are a list of Frequently Asked Questions that have been compiled as a part of this transition process.  As new questions are brought to the attention of administration, the answers will be updated on this webpage.

 

Will Transportation to be provided to Childs Elementary?

On June 25, 2012, the Lincoln Board of Education approved bus transportation for students residing outside the established walking boundaries to Child Elementary.

What is the name of the new school?

On June 25, 2012, the Lincoln Board of Education followed the recommendation of Board Policy to name the school Bishop Elementary after one of the original 13 schoolhouses.

What is a multi-age classroom? 

In a multi-age classroom, different aged students are combined into the same classroom.  Students are divided into grade level houses; Lower House (K-1); Middle House (2-3) and Upper House (4-5).  This is different than a “combination class” or “split class” where students in each grade study a different grade level curriculum.  Instead, our students all participate in the same units of study in a two year cycle.

What is looping?

Students will attend a single grade classroom in which a teacher spends two years with the same group of students.  By getting to know how each student learns, how they retain information, and what motivates them, teachers develop connections to help students succeed.

How many years are looped?

Students will spend two years with the same teacher and group of classmates.

What is “High Scope”; How is it different?

High/Scope curriculum has been around since 1967. It was originally developed to serve at-risk kids but is now used in many settings that serve a full range of infants to preschool-aged children. The central principles of the High/Scope program are;

1. Active Learning (which incorporates the Key Developmental Indicators(KDI’s)
2. Adult-Child Interaction
3. Learning Environment
4. Daily Routine
5. Assessment

Active Learning is the core of the High/Scope Curriculum (see “Wheel of Learning”). Young children construct knowledge that helps them make sense of their world through active learning-having direct and immediate experiences and deriving meaning from them through reflection. The power of active learning comes from personal initiative. Young children act on their innate desire to explore; they ask and search for answers to questions about people, materials, events, and ideas that arouse their curiosity; they solve problems that stand in the way of their goals; and they generate new strategies to try.

Active learning depends on positive adult-child interactions. Teachers working with the High/Scope curriculum practiced positive interaction strategies-sharing control with children, focusing on children’s strengths, forming authentic relationships with children, supporting children’s play, and adopting a problem-solving approach to social conflicts. This interaction style enables children to express thoughts and feelings freely and confidently, decide the direction and content of the conversation and experience true partnership in dialogue. Teachers rely on a problem-solving approach to deal with everyday classroom situations rather than a child-management system based on praise, punishment, and reward.

Because the learning environment has a strong impact on the behavior of the children and teachers, High/Scope places a strong emphasis on the planning of the layout of the classroom and selection of the materials. An active learning environment provides children with ongoing opportunities to make choices and decisions. Play spaces are divided into specific interest areas to support children’s abiding interest in such areas as sensory play, block play, pretending and role play, drawing and painting, “reading” and “writing”, counting, sorting, etc. These areas contain a wide and plentiful assortment of easily assessable materials children can choose and use to carry out their intentions and ideas for play.

A consistent daily routine that supports active learning enables children to anticipate what happens next and gives them a great deal of control over what they do during each part of their day. A High/Scope daily routine incorporates a plan-do-review process which enables the children to express their intentions, carry them out, and reflect on what they have done.  This process helps children develop a sense of initiative and pro-social disposition that positively affects their subsequent learning and life decisions.

Assessment of the children is the last principle of the High/Scope program. Key Developmental Indicators, or “Key Experiences”, are the building blocks of thinking and reasoning at each stage of development. These indicators are based on the latest child developmental research and decades of classroom practice. They were developed with the entire early childhood spectrum from infancy to age 8 in mind. (see “key experiences” attached) Throughout the day, teachers are taking anecdotal notes based on what they see and hear, analyzing their observations in terms of KDI’s, and making plans for the children or the class for the next day. KDI’s are also used when creating lesson plans or setting up their environment.

In sum, the High/Scope approach encourages children to;

• Develop initiative within a supportive social context
• Express, carry out, and reflect on their intentions
• Develop their own interest
• Generate ways to answer their questions and discuss their ideas with others
• To be able to construct their own understanding of the world around them
• To gain a sense control and personal satisfaction which will serve children throughout their lives.

How is the curriculum different at Bishop?

All public elementary schools in the state of Michigan are expected to follow the Common Core State Standards through the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE) guidelines.  All Lincoln Elementary Schools teach the same curriculum.

Language Arts

• Reading 
• Writing 
• Grammar

Math

• Patterns
• Counting
• Addition
• Subtraction 
• Money 
• Time 
• Logic
• Problem Solving 
• Critical Thinking

Science

• Animals 
• Matter 
• Earth 
• Weather 
• Plants 
• Solar System 

Social Studies

• Families 
• Communities 
• Michigan History 
• US History 

Specials

• Art 
• Fitness 
• Media 
• Music
  Technology

What does the daily schedule look like?

Sometimes looking into a classroom is a bit like looking into a beehive:the uninformed visitor might see lots of bees moving in many directions with no apparent logic,but the beekeeper knows what each bee is doing and how an activity fits within the overall pattern.

Lower House (K/1) Sample

 

8:45	Entrance
8:50	Morning Work
9:00	Math Rotations
9:55	Specials
10:50	Morning Meeting
11:00	Learning Lunch
11:25	Enrichment
12:05	Chapter Books
12:25	Language Arts Workshops
	Guided Reading
	Self-Selected Reading
	Word Work
1:50	Recess
2:15	Writing or Science/SS  Rotations
2:45	Plan-Do-Review (PDR)
3:51	Dismissal

Middle House (2/3) Sample

 

8:50	School Officially Starts  (Students arrive at 8:46)
	Writing
9:00	Announcements/Attendance
	English Language Arts Workshops
	(Spelling, Grammar, DLR)
	Class Meeting/Sharing Bag
	(Reading Comprehension, Shared Reading, Guided Reading,
	Vocabulary, SSR, Book Clubs, Interventions)
	Content Workshops (Science and Social Studies)
10:15	Snack and Recess (weather permitting)
10:45	Special
11:40	Lunch/Read Aloud or Whole Group Activity
12:00	Enrichment Choice
12:35	Complete Language Arts and/or Content Workshops
1:15	Math Workshops followed by Math Choice
2:45	Plan, Do, Review
3:35	Prepare for Home
3:51	Dismissal

Upper House (4/5) Sample

8:41	Arrival, Agenda, Journal, SSR
9:05	Special
9:55	Reading
10:50	Language Arts and Writing
12:10	Lunch and Enrichment
12:50	Math (teaming)
1:50	Recess
2:10	Social Studies (teaming)
2:50	Plan Do and Review
3:40	Jobs/Clean-Up
3:51	Dismissal

 
 What High/Scope training be offered to teachers?

Teachers who will be working at Bishop Elementary will be offered 5 days of training from High/Scope during August.  Teachers who are already High/Scope trained with provide guidance and support to teachers that are new to the program.

What process was used for placing students?

Elementary and district administration met to develop a procedure for placing students within the redesigned elementary structure.  Parents at Redner  and Model Elementaries were provided the opportunity to give their preference to one of the three remaining elementary buildings.  Responses  were submitted for over 50% of the students, and all of them were placed with their first choice.  The remaining students were placed based on several factors including older siblings in the elementary, and balancing students with disabilities and at-risk students.  Families were notified via mail of the placement of their students for the 2012-13 school year.

How many students were given first choice?

All of the requests that were provided were given their first school choice.

What recourse is there to request a change in student placement?

An Elementary Student Placement Appeal Process has been developed to address requests for changes in placements. 

The parent completes a Placement Appeal Form and returns it to the current school. During the summer, the appeal can be turned into the Superintendent’s office.  Principals at both the current and requested school will review the request and makes a determination based on several factors including class size, grade level, and request rationale.  The parent will be contacted with the final determination.

How will the classrooms be placed within the hallways at Bishop Elementary?

Classrooms will be grouped by grade level.  K, 1, and K/1, etc.  classrooms will be near one another so that resources can be shared.   Multi-age and looping classes will not be separated by hallways.

How are classroom placements made?

Classroom placement is determined by the building principal. 

What teachers am I getting?

Classroom placement is determined by the building principal.  Notification will be made prior to classes beginning in the fall.

What is the process for how teachers are placed? 

Staffing of teachers is governed by the Lincoln Educational Association master agreement.