2020 Zoning and Feeder Pattern Revision Proposal

2020 Zoning and Feeder Pattern Revision Proposal

2018 – 2020 ZONING AND FEEDER PATTERN REVISION PROPOSAL JULY 24, 2018 BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS 2015 Park Place Birmingham, AL 35203 CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: Not for Dissemination Not for Dissemination Table of Contents Rationale for Feeder Pattern Alignment ......................................................................................... 2 Rationale for School Reconfiguration ............................................................................................. 3 Feeder Pattern Revision Proposal ................................................................................................... 4 Enrollment Summary Definitions .................................................................................................... 5 Specialty School Locations and Zones if Applicable: ...................................................................... 6 Current District and Specialty School Enrollment Summary .......................................................... 7 District Enrollment: ................................................................................................................................... 7 Specialty Schools: (Capacity) ..................................................................................................................... 7 High School Zones with 2-mile radius ............................................................................................. 8 Distance between High Schools (driving distance in miles): .................................................................... 8 Current High Schools Enrollment: (Capacity) ................................................................................. 9 Current Middle & K8 School Zones with High School 2-mile radius overlay ................................ 10 Distance between Middle & K8 and High Schools (driving distance in miles): ....................................... 11 Current Middle Schools Enrollment: (Capacity) ........................................................................... 12 Current K8 Schools Enrollment: (Capacity) ................................................................................... 13 Current Elementary & K8 School Zones with High School 2-mile radius overlay ......................... 14 Miles between Elementary and High Schools (driving distance): ........................................................... 15 Elementary Schools Enrollment: (Capacity).................................................................................. 16 General Zone Changes .................................................................................................................. 17 General Zone Change 1: .......................................................................................................................... 17 General Zone Change 2: .......................................................................................................................... 18 General Zone Change 3: .......................................................................................................................... 19 General Zone Change 4: .......................................................................................................................... 20 General Zone Change 5: .......................................................................................................................... 21 Next Steps: .................................................................................................................................... 22 SY 2018-2019: Stakeholder Input ........................................................................................................... 22 SY 2019-2020: Implementation .............................................................................................................. 22 Appendix A: FY2019 LEA Unit Breakdown .................................................................................... 23 Appendix B: Grade Divisors........................................................................................................... 25 1 CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: Not for Dissemination Not for Dissemination Rationale for Feeder Pattern Alignment Several of Birmingham City Schools have been closed during the past decade without detailed consideration of the zones associated with these schools. Often school zones were combined without consideration of the feeder pattern from elementary to middle to high school. This has evolved into a situation in which students may attend elementary together and split between two different middle schools and return to the same high school or they may attend middle school together and then split to three high schools. Some children are bused by one high school to attend another on the opposite side of the city. We even have one school that does not sit inside its own zone. In a summary of research on school feeder patterns, Hanover Research found the following: Transitioning between schools is difficult for many students. Students advancing from one level of education to the next face more difficult coursework and stricter grading standards at each level of schooling. School becomes progressively more impersonal, academically challenging, and socially complex as students move from elementary to middle to high school. (p. 4) The following benefits of a direct feeder pattern from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade will be felt by all stakeholders in Birmingham City Schools. 1. Direct feeder patterns are the least disruptive to students’ academic and social stability 2. Direct feeder patterns make planning for transitions from one school to the next easier for parents, students, teacher and school district employees. 3. Direct feeder patterns allow schools to work together from grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade to create a unified educational experience through instructional vertical planning and instill a common school culture. 4. Direct feeder patterns assist with the continuance of services for students. 5. Direct feeder patterns facilitate the student’s ability to maintain social relationships. 6. Direct feeder patterns strengthen the link between eighth and ninth grade performance. 7. Direct feeder patterns allow for effective planning and implementation of school orientations. 8. Direct feeder patterns provide a sense of stability for students and parents (Hanover Research, 2014). In addition to eliminating split pathways from Pre-Kindergarten to twelfth grade, several other factors have been taken into consideration in the development of the feeder pattern proposals. Items such as school capacity, student proximity to school, transportation costs, neighborhood locations, and natural boundaries such as interstates, highways, railways and waterways have also been analyzed in the preparation of these proposals. Hanover Research, (2014, May). School Feeder Patterns: Overview and Impacts. Retrieved April 4, 2018, from https://www.napls.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=4047&dataid=8331&FileName=School Feeder Patterns- Overview and Impacts.pdf 2 CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: Not for Dissemination Not for Dissemination Rationale for School Reconfiguration Statistical research related to the reconfiguration of school grade levels and pedagogy is inconsistent. Some research studies show a positive impact of the grade level structure of a school while others show a negative impact or no impact at all. Instructional leadership and high expectations are commonly cited to be the main factors in the success of a school (Dove, Pearson & Hooper, 2010; Williamson, 2012). “When schools focus on implementing ideas correctly and with fidelity, positive results can be achieved. Middle schools need to revisit the middle school philosophy to ensure they are carrying it out completely. (Johnson, 2017 pg. 6)” With inconclusive research to review, BCS must make decisions for our students based upon our unique needs in Birmingham. The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) bases school funding and units on the grade configuration and enrollment at the school. The ALSDE funds four school types, elementary, middle, high and career technical centers. This structure negatively impacts our schools that are configured with grades K through 8 because they are funded as elementary schools. The base enrollment size for a fully elementary school is 500 students and for a fully funded middle school is 300 students. Our K-8 schools are often not able to provide the students in grades 6 through 8 with elective courses that our students in traditional middles schools are able to access. Often times our 7th and 8th grade students are with the same set of core academic teachers for both years because of lack of teacher units. Sometimes this even trickles down to 5th and 6th grade sharing core academic teachers. Additionally funding for assistant principals, counselors and library/media units are based on the elementary scale which means that most do earn a full unit. This results in schools utilizing Federal Title funds to fill in the gaps. Carolan, B. V., & Chesky, N. Z. (2012). The relationship among grade configuration, school attachment, and achievement. Middle School Journal, 43(4), 32-39. Retrieved from https://sites.newpaltz.edu/ncate/wp- content/uploads/sites/21/2014/06/Example-Chesky.pdf Dove, M. J., Pearson, L. C., & Hooper, H. (2010). Relationship between grade span configuration and academic achievement. Journal Of Advanced Academics, 21(2),

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