Early adolescence experts say the broad age range of K-8 likely will not be a problem in Cleveland. That s because in most cases, the upper-grade students are simply last year s students in a new grade, not students who are entirely new to the school. Their presence will provide continuity. Still, teachers and administrators must be sensitive to the breadth of ages under one roof, says Ron Stebelton, executive director of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators. You have a lot of different needs, Stebelton says You need to be cognizant of those.
Houses are separate, self-contained areas of a building.
Some research suggests students benefit academically in smaller learning communities that allow a cluster of teachers to stay with students for a few school years, says Tom Ash, president of the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center. Looking ahead to plan how all the pieces of school will work together is essential, Stebelton says. There s an immense amount of work that needs to be done to make a school a success, he says. Schools step forward The CTU has taken no official position on the district s shift to K-8 schools. A.G. Bell Benjamin Franklin Hannah Gibbons Margaret Ireland R.G. Jones Charles Lake Mary B. Martin Paul Revere Sunbeam Buckeye-Woodland CTU officials say that, so far, they have heard no complaints from the rank and file about the new grade grouping.