Promoting Academic Excellence in ACPS Middle Schools
Middle school is a unique and often difficult time in many childrens’ lives. Students must transition from the comfort and familiarity of spending most of the school day with one teacher and the same group of students to a much larger group of subject-specific teachers and a wide range of classmates. In addition, adolescence brings many physical, psychological, and emotional changes. Children develop a more independent identity during this phase of their lives, but also have to navigate new social challenges such as “popularity” and changes in friendships. And piled on top of all this are increased academic expectations, as well as extracurricular activities.
As both a school board candidate and a mom of 5 kids enrolled in Albemarle County Public Schools – including two eighth graders at Henley Middle School – I am passionate about crafting a middle school education that prepares our students for academic excellence and also helps further their personal development and growth. Research shows that “middle schools need to promote both SEL [social-emotional learning] and challenging academic content” to be successful. I have already discussed my support for mental health in our public schools, including funding for counseling resources and SEL learning coaches, so in this post, I will focus on how I will promote academic rigor in ACPS’s middle schools.
First, I support major improvements in how we teach math in middle schools, particularly Algebra I, which is a critical “gateway” course that allows students to enroll in more rigorous math courses in high school, including college-level advanced placement (AP) courses like calculus. Following the recommendations of the Bellwether Report, I will work to improve middle school students’ Algebra 1 skills in both the short- and long-term, including the adoption of high-quality instructional materials for Algebra; embedding Algebra 1 concepts in 6th and 7th grade math courses; and encouraging prepared students to take Algebra 1 while in middle school, instead of waiting until 9th grade, which often precludes them from taking calculus. I also support returning our middle schools to math instruction five days a week.
Second, I favor increased instructional time for reading, literature, and writing skills as part of our middle schools’ curriculum. One common complaint among middle school ELA teachers is that classes of under an hour are insufficient to engage in high-quality instruction. In particular, I support returning to ELA instruction every day for 8th graders, instead of the current every-other-day block scheduling.
Third, I advocate accountability for completing homework by our middle school students. Homework is valuable in instilling in our students a sense of responsibility and helping them learn planning and organizational skills, which serve as a foundation for success in high school and beyond. Research shows that “beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.” We cannot wait until 9th grade for students to learn how to complete homework on a regular basis. Moreover, homework must be high quality–that is, “engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” rather than simply busy work.
In sum, both a rigorous middle school curriculum and social-emotional learning are key to nurturing well-rounded students who are equipped for success in academia and life. By promoting Algebra in middle schools, increasing instructional time for ELA, and making everyone accountable for completing high-quality homework, we can create a middle school experience that empowers our students to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.
