Superintendent's School Redesign Plan Sets the Stage for School Improvement, Greater Choice for Students
A newly adopted plan to change the grade-level structure of Rochester's schools is being viewed as a potential first step toward academic improvement and an opportunity for greater school choice for students and parents.
On February 13 and 27, the Board of Education approved both parts of Superintendent Manuel Rivera's proposal to add sixth grades to most elementary schools and offer grades 7-12 in most middle and high schools.
'I am convinced that a change in the grade configuration of our schools is necessary for substantial academic improvement to occur,' said Dr. Rivera. 'This change alone will not improve student performance, but I firmly believe it is in the best interest of our students and will set the stage for substantial school improvement.'
The Redesign: Elementary Schools Under the plan, all elementary schools will be K-6 or preK-6 schools beginning in 2003-2004 except:
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Schools No. 35, 50, and 52, which will add sixth grades in 2004-2005.
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School No. 57, which will remain a K-2 school
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School No. 25, which will become a K-3 school.
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School No. 54, which will become a grades 3-6 school.
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Nathaniel Rochester, which will become a continuous K-8 school.
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The Montessori School at Franklin, which will serve grades preK-8.
The Redesign: Secondary Schools
The transition of middle and high schools to grades 7-12 will happen gradually and will differ from school to school. For the 2003-2004 school year:
- Monroe will continue to serve grades 6-8. It will add an additional grade each year beginning in 2004-05 and eliminate its sixth grade to ultimately become a 7-12 school.
- Madison will be a 6-9 school. It will add an additional grade each year
beginning in 2004-05 and eliminate its sixth grade to ultimately become a
7-12 school.
- Charlotte, Jefferson, and Freddie Thomas will be 7-9 schools and will add
an additional grade each year beginning in 2004-05 to ultimately become
7-12 schools.
- Douglass will become a 7-9 school serving as a preparatory school for
Edison. (Douglass students will also have the option of transferring to a
school other than Edison for tenth grade.)
- Edison will continue to serve grades 9-12, and will become a 10-12 school in 2005-06.
- East and Wilson will continue to serve grades 9-12, adding an additional
grade each year beginning in 2004-05 to ultimately become 7-12
schools.
- Franklin will house four small schools: the Montessori school, grades preK-8, and three Career Schools, each serving grades 7-12.
- Marshall will continue serving grades 7-12, and School of the Arts will continue serving grades 6-12.
- Lofton and School Without Walls will continue serving grades 9-12 and will not transition to 7-12.
Details about specific program offerings at each school will be provided in the
School Selection booklet that will be mailed to students' homes.
What the Redesign Plan Means for Students for 2003-04
Under the redesign plan approved by the Board of Education, the following
options will be available to students for 2003-04:
Students who are currently fifth graders in K-6 schools may:
- remain in their current school for sixth grade.
- apply to one of the following for sixth grade: Monroe, Nathaniel Rochester, School of the Arts, or the International Middle Years Program at Madison.
Students who are currently fifth graders in K-5 schools may:
- remain in their current school for sixth grade.
- apply to one of the following for sixth grade: Monroe, Nathaniel Rochester, School of the Arts, or the International Middle Years Program at Madison.
Students who are currently fifth graders at Schools No. 35, 50 and 52 (schools
which cannot accommodate the addition of sixth grades for 2003-04) may:
- apply to one of the following for sixth grade: Monroe, Nathaniel Rochester, School of the Arts, or the International Middle Years Program at Madison.
- request a transfer for sixth grade to a K-6 elementary school with
available seats.
Students who are currently sixth graders in K-6 schools may:
- apply to one of the following for seventh grade: Charlotte, Douglass,
Franklin, Freddie Thomas, Jefferson, Marshall, Monroe.
Students who are currently sixth graders in middle schools may:
- remain in their current school for seventh grade.
Students who are currently eighth graders may:
- apply to one of the following schools for ninth grade: Charlotte, Douglass, East, Edison, Franklin, Freddie Thomas, Jefferson, Lofton, Madison, Marshall, Wilson.
- apply to remain in their current school if they attend Charlotte, Douglass, Freddie Thomas, Jefferson, Madison, or Marshall.
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