Georgia Studies for 8th Grade Social Studies
All course content is aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for 8th Grade Social Studies. Students will cover Geography, History, Government, and Economy. The content is accessible through various resources such as the ItsLearning page, where classwork and homework assignments are posted. Recommendations for high school courses are made based on 1st Semester grades, with options like AP Human Geography and World Geography & History in Film. Students aiming for AP courses have specific grade requirements to meet. Stay updated on ItsLearning for upcoming tests and study resources.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
+ Grade Configuration at the Middle Level A brief comparison of K-8, 6-8, and 7-12 school settings
+Introduction The review of literature was conducted with a focus on the following guiding questions provided by IPS regarding middle grade school configurations: 1. What is most effective nationally in urban districts? 2. What makes the chosen model effective? 3. What are the national trends? 4. Any other interesting facts? Focused mainly on recent research, 2000 to present, but included two studies from the 1990s as well. Reviewed articles that appeared in peer-reviewed and reputable journals. Avoided research that appeared to be overtly biased or opinion based. Researchers tended to focus on the following outcomes of adolescents, and in turn this review focuses on these outcomes as well: student achievement behavior psychological and social-emotional
+ The K-8 School Setting Strengths of the configuration Things to consider Increased social-emotional growth (Weiss and Kipnes, 2006). More research is needed on the differences in culture, relationships, leadership, teaching practices, school size, grade size, demographic differences, and student populations in K-8 schools versus middle and junior high schools (Gordon, 2011). 6th graders in elementary school perform significantly better on state standardized English/Reading exams than 6th graders in middle school (Poncelet & Metis Associates 2004 and Cook, et al., 2008). Byrnes & Ruby (2007) hypothesized that the differences found in achievement may lie in the differences in the populations that middle schools and K-8 schools generally serve (e.g., Byrnes & Ruby, 2007). Bringing elementary and middle school teachers together could lead to greater collaboration and enriched curriculum opportunities. The typical elementary school could become a place where subject matter depth is more effectively utilized. Secondary teachers could come to see the value of the whole child perspective of the elementary schools (George, 2005). Positive effects of K-8 setting may be short term. By 9th grade results were similar for students coming from a K-8 and 6-8 schools (Abella, 2005). Franklin & Glascock (1998) found that 6th and 7th graders had fewer suspensions and better attendance in K-8 schools than in middle schools. Shifting to a K-8 model would require one less school transition for students. Alspaugh (1998) found a significant achievement loss following each school-to- school transition.
+ The 6-8 School Setting Strengths of the configuration Things to consider Note that real strengths of this configuration were slightly difficult to find in the research. Middle school can have a detrimental effect socially and on the self-esteem of students (Byrnes and Ruby, 2007, Bedard and Do 2005, Cook et al. 2008, Rockoff and Lockwood 2010, Schwartz et al. ). Dove et al. (2010) found no significant differences between student math and reading scores pre- to post-transition for 6th graders. Students moving from elementary to middle school in grade 6 or 7 suffer a sharp drop in student achievement in the transition year. The evidence is especially strong for students in high-poverty schools (Schwerdt, 2011). One study found no significant differences between 8th graders in K-8 versus 8th graders in middle school on G.P.A. or number of failed subjects (Weiss & Kipnes, 2006). Structural school transitions (or being in the youngest cohort in a school) adversely impact student performance (Schwerdt, 2011). Fink (2010) found that general and special education students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in K-8 schools had significantly higher attendance rates than students in those grades who attend middle schools.
+ The 7-12 School Setting Strengths of the configuration Things to consider Note that many of the strengths listed here also apply to a K-8 setting. Limited research touches on the specifics of a 7-12 school setting, most refer to a 9-12 setting as high school. Broader grade configurations in secondary schools, including the 7-12 model, can have a significant effect on reducing drop- out rates, most significantly in males. (Alspaugh, J. W., 1999). Although research does indicate some loss of academic progress for middle schools when separated from younger cohorts, this research does not include broader grade configurations, or models which include high-school grades. (Paglin & Fager, 1997; Abella, 2005). Schools with a broad span of grade levels present opportunities that do not exist in middle schools. There is more opportunity for cross-age activities such as tutoring and older role model programs (Paglin & Fager, 1997). By 9th grade attendance, suspension rates and achievement even out regardless of the school configuration students came from (Abella, 2005). Parents are more involved in a school in which their children are more likely to be in the same building (Paglin & Fager, 1997). Students entering high school in grade 9 experience a smaller one-time drop in relative achievement, but their relative achievement improves by grade 10 (Schwerdt, 2011).
+ Other considerations Rather than debate which grade configuration is best for middle grades, we would be better off expending our energy creating a curriculum that intellectually engages and inspires young adolescents, pushing for organized structures that support high-quality relationships, and finding better ways to reach out to families and communities (Beane & Lipka, 2006, p. 30). There is some evidence showing that lower SES students tend to have a harder time academically in larger rather than smaller schools (e.g., Alspaugh, 1998, Rockoff & Lockwood, 2010). Because middle and junior high schools have higher enrollments per grade than K-8 schools, some of the academic disadvantages may be due to grade size rather than grade configuration. As stated above, other potential variables such as, school and class size, and socioeconomic factors should be taken into consideration when doing this research (Byrnes and Ruby, 2007 and Weiss and Kipnes, 2006). No particular grade configuration is the magic bullet to improving student achievement (Anfara and Buehler, 2006).
+ Resources Alspaugh, J.W. (1998). Achievement Loss Associated with the Transition to Middle School and High School. Journal of Educational Research, 92(1), 20-25. Anfara, V., Patterson, F., Buehler, A., & Gearity, B. (2006). School Improvement Planning in East Tennessee Middle Schools: A Content Analysis and Perceptions Study. NASSP Bulletin, 277-300. Byrnes, V. and A. Ruby (2007). Comparing Achievement between K-8 and Middle Schools: A Large-Scale Empirical Study. American Journal of Education, 114(1): 101- 135. Dove, M. J., Pearson, C. L., & Hooper, H. (2010). Relationship Between Grade Span Configuration and Academic Achievement. Journal of Advanced Academics, 21(2), 272-298. Fink, L.L. (2010). A comparison of grade configuration on urban sixth to eighth grade students outcomes in regular and special education. Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland,College Park. Franklin, B.J. & Glascock, C.H. (1998). The Relationship Between Grade Configuration and Student Performance in Rural Schools. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 14(3), 149-153. George, P.S. (2005). K-8 or Not? Reconfiguring the Middle Grades. Middle School Journal. 37(1), 6-8. Gordon, Molly, et al. (2011). Review of Literature on Grade Configuration and School Transitions. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. Poncelet, P., & Associates, M. (2004). Restructuring Schools in Cleveland for the Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Development of Early Adolescents. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 81-96. Rockoff, J. E., & Lockwood, B. B. (2010). Stuck in the middle: Impacts of grade configuration in public schools. Journal of Public Economics, 94, 1051-1061. Schwerdt, G., & West, M. (2011). The impact of alternative grade configurations on student outcomes through middle and high school. Journal of Public Economics, 308-326. Weiss, C. C. and L. Kipnes (2006). Reexamining Middle School Effects: A Comparison of Middle Grades Students in Middle Schools and K-8 schools. American Journal of Education, 112(2): 239-272.
