- Anchorage School District
- Current Hot Topics
- Moving to Middle School
Moving to Middle School Project
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Leveling Up Our Students
6th Grade to Middle Schools
It is the Administration’s recommendation that the School Board approve a two-year transition of remaining elementary 6th graders to comprehensive middle schools.
Currently, three of ASD’s ten comprehensive middle schools support 6th grade students: Begich, Clark, and Mirror Lake middle schools.
The move of 6th graders to middle school is not a short-term cost savings for the District; however, it is viewed as a long-term benefit for students.
To ensure a smooth transition and to help mitigate risks, planning for the 6th grade to middle school should be completed over the course of the 2023/24 school year, with implementation for the 2024/25 school year.
- 2023/24 (Year 1): Planning for implementation
- 2024/25 (Year 2): All (comprehensive) 6th grade students move to middle school
FAQs
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Why is ASD moving the remaining elementary 6th graders to comprehensive middle schools?
Moving elementary 6th graders to middle school programs provides long-term benefits for students including:
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More options for core instruction
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Increased elective / exploratory opportunities:
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Band, orchestra, choir and PE are offered daily
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CTE course offerings available
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World language electives available
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Daily PE classes and participation in sports and activities
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Greater access to school counseling
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Increased daily instruction in Social Studies & Science
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Availability of higher level math (i.e. Algebra & Geometry)
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Will ALL 6th graders be entering Middle School next year?
Yes and no.
Yes: All 6th grade students at neighborhood elementary schools will move to middle schools.
Please consider that this means current 5th grade students (2023-24 school year) will follow the Middle School start/release schedules beginning August 2024. For more information, please see: https://www.asdk12.org/schoolstarttimes.
No: The following Alternative and Charter Schools will maintain their 6th grade classrooms:
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AK Choice (K-12)
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Alaska Native Cultural Charter School (Pre-K-8)
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Anchorage STrEaM Charter School (6-8)
- Aquarian Charter School (K-6)
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Eagle Academy Charter School (K-8)
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Family Partnership Correspondence School (K-12)
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Frontier Charter School (K-12)
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Girdwood K-8
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Highland Academy Charter School (6-12)
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Northern Lights ABC K-8
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Polaris K-12
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Rilke Schule Charter School (K-8)
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Whaley School (K-12)
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Winterberry Charter School (K-8)
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What about students attending Aquarian Charter School (K-6), Denali Montessori School (K-6), Chugach Optional School (K-6)?
These three schools will go through a process within their school communities to determine whether the 6th grade programs will remain at their schools or move on to Middle Schools. Please check with your school principal regarding the process for this decision.
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Will 6th grade students in Highly Gifted and Immersion programs move to Middle School?
Yes. All Immersion and Highly GIfted Program students will attend 6th grade at the feeder middle school for these programs.
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Are there options for my 6th grader other than Middle School?
Students may enter the lottery to attend alternative and charter programs that include grades 6-8. For a list of all ASD programs, please visit https://www.asdk12.org/domain/1262.
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Will families be able to apply for a zone exemption?
Yes. However, some schools may have limited capacity in the lottery as we move 6th graders.
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Will boundaries be changing? Â
It is too early to determine if boundary changes will need to occur. We hope to have answers regarding boundaries by November, 2023
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What school will current 2023-24 5th grade students attend for 6th grade in 2024-25 school year?
Use Find Your School to see your zoned neighborhood middle school. Note that these may change if/when any boundary changes are determined.
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What is a typical school day for 6th graders in a middle school?Â
Students in middle school have seven classes; students have four core classes (language arts, math, science, and social studies), PE and/or Health, and two electives. Schools offer a variety of music and art classes, world languages such as Spanish, and they offer Career and Technical Education classes, and other electives of interest. Students have a thirty-minute lunch and many schools offer time for physical activity when students are done eating. Some schools offer all seven classes each day, while others use a “block” schedule similar to high school so students have more time in each class, but only see that teacher three or four times each week. Throughout the year, schools offer many after school sports and activities.
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Will my student’s middle school provide an open house or other opportunities to get information and see the school?
Yes. Middle Schools offer opportunities for new students and families to tour the building, meet staff, and explore educational and extracurricular options prior to the start of the school year. Middle School administrators and counselors will be reaching out to 5th and 6th grade families in February to begin announcing these opportunities.
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Will 6th graders next year get to participate in sports?
Yes, all 6th graders have access to Middle School sports. Please visit the ASD’s MS Sports webpage for more information:
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Will our 6th grade teachers move to middle school with us?
Because Elementary Schools will not have 6th grade classrooms starting next year, they will not need as many teachers. As these 6th grade students move to middle schools, there will be a need for more teachers in those schools/programs. The ASD is developing a process for ensuring there is adequate staffing in Middle Schools to support this increased student enrollment.
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How do I know which core classes my student will have in middle school?
Your student’s elementary teacher will use data such as grades, assessment scores, participation, and attendance to help decide which classes are appropriate for your student in middle school. This process will begin in February, 2024 and they can use data from the end of the year to help determine these classes as well. Student schedules will be available for families and students in the week before classes start in August, 2024. To learn more about the classes offered in our schools, please visit the Teaching and Learning website and explore each content area’s resources: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/5366
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How will I get to know my student’s new school?
Your student’s middle school will provide many opportunities to tour the facility, learn the academic program, and ask questions. Middle school counselors will be visiting feeder elementary schools in January and February of 2024 to talk about middle school, the elective choices, extracurricular opportunities both during and after school, and to answer any other questions. Your student’s future middle school’s website is a great place to gather useful information. School information can be found by searching “Middle” here: https://www.asdk12.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1439
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How can I learn more about after school sports and activities?
- There is information on ASD’s webpage about after school sports and activities here: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/5459
- To learn more about which sports and activities are offered in middle school, and to see current schedules, follow this link: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/19827
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Check back frequently for continued updates
Media
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- Joe Cadotte, KTUU: "Parents voice concerns about Moving to Middle School Project at school board meeting" Published: October 3, 2023
- Morgan Krakow, ADN: "Anchorage School District proposes moving 6th grade to middle school to reduce costs" Published: November 16, 2022
- Katie Anastas, Alaska Public Media: "Anchorage School District proposes moving all sixth grade students to middle schools" Published: November 15, 2022
Initial Analysis
Board Meetings
Resources
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On 2/21/23, the Board voted 6-1 for this year (2023) to be a planning year, and for all (comprehensive) 6th grade students to move to middle school in the 2024/25 school year.