The School Administrator

March 2005ReconfigurationK-8 schools gain in popularity among grade-span mixes

Features

The Rise of the ‘Elemiddle’ School
by David L. Hough
Not every K-8 school genuinely applies best middle-level practices and deserves the new designation that’s coming into vogue.
Similar Reading: A Cautious Opening Move and Additional Resources
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Figuring and Reconfiguring Grade Spans
by Kimberly Reeves
Variations on grade spans in schools typically are the result of enrollment gains and losses and space needs — and less frequently are driven by academic rationale. K-8 schools are among the biggest gainers over the past decade.
Similar Reading: District Examples of Grade-Level Configurations
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The Slowdown of the Multiage Classroom
by Priscilla Pardini
Once a popular approach to instruction, the use of multiage groupings has fallen victim to demands of No Child Left Behind, especially grade-level testing.
Similar Reading: Our Long, Winding Road to Multiage Classrooms and Additional Resources: Feature Story
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The Cultural Maelstrom of School Change
by Patricia Lennon and David Middlemas
Ultimately, the board-superintendent nexus allowed a multiage program to survive a hostile environment … until recently.
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The Ninth-Grade Bottleneck
by Anne Wheelock and Jing Miao
An enrollment bulge in a transition year that demands careful attention and action, especially for Latino and African American students, if graduation rates are to improve.
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Profile

Robert L. Gross by Jay P. Goldman

Bob Gross left his home state of North Dakota for the first time as a college graduate. Now he heads a high-flying school for American students in Singapore.

Departments

Punchback: Answering Critics

‘Failing’ Schools or Insensitive Tests? by W. James Popham

Because of No Child Left Behind, many schools now are regarded as failing, although such negative appraisals, which are often based on faulty exams, are unwarranted.read more

Focus

Leadership: Choosing and Using a Statistical Consultant by Gary M. Ingersoll

The most common and preventable mistake: Bringing in a consultant late to the process and asking the person to make sense of data that were not gathered with a plan.read more

Guest Columns

A Civic Mission To Do What’s Right by William J. Cirone

A superintendent who serves as the incoming chair of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship on finding tangible ways to nurture the values of democracy in students.read more

People

People

News of the comings and goings of several dozen AASA members. The Sidelight falls on the superintendent in Beloit, Wis., who competes nationally in the martial arts.read more

Board-Savvy Superintendent

What Comprises an Award-Winning Board? by Stephen L. Kleinsmith

In Nixa, Mo., the superintendent helps to maintain a culture of high expectations for board service, contributing to a governing culture that others envy.read more

President’s Corner

The Test-Taking Time of Year by Don Kussmaul president, AASA

Tests and testing during the next couple of months may overshadow the joy of learning, yet we should take time to enjoy what those assessments tell us: Public schools are doing a good job.read more

Executive Perspective

Seeing the Forest and the Trees by Paul D. Houston, executive director, AASA

AASA’s executive director draws parallels between the unique perspective he gained of the Amazon rain forest and the perilous balance one must maintain during the journey to see the great beauty.read more

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