Middle schools a priority for superintendent

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Supt. Christopher N. Maher says 2017-2018 will be the year of the middle school.

Middle school is where students most often disconnect from the classroom. Suddenly, they are transitioning from the cozy, connected world of elementary school, where everyone knows everyone, to a large middle school. Students are switching classes and thrown in with new kids, all while navigating the emotional shoals of adolescence.

When Maher arrived in Providence, twice as many students were suspended in middle school as high school. Even one suspension in middle school makes students six times more likely to drop out of high school, he said.

"How do we prevent middle school kids from disengaging? By giving them as many adults to connect with as we can," he said.

This fall, the district will hire seven school culture coordinators, one for each middle school. Neither teacher nor guidance counselor, these adults will serve as a lifeline for youths who are struggling with hardships at home or in school. The goal is to reach students before they grow so frustrated that they give up on school.

But the coordinators will also serve as bridges between the school and the community. As in so many urban districts, the Providence teaching force isn't anywhere near as diverse as its student body. The coordinators will be responsible for finding adults in the community who can bring their particular expertise to a classroom discussion on, say, the early history of Rhode Island.

This move continues last year's efforts to diversify the curriculum so that it reflects more than a white, male perspective on history and culture.

Last year, the district introduced the concept of a middle school dean, a teacher whose task would be to catch students before their frequent absenteeism or repeated suspensions derailed their academics.

"We know we are losing students in middle school," Maher said. "Many of our middle school students are not prepared for success. We're hoping if we engage them more in middle school, they will make connections to their future." 

Because many middle schools in Providence exceed 1,000 students, the district is experimenting with breaking a couple of them into smaller academies. DelSesto Middle School is divided into three smaller schools, each one based on a theme, such as the sciences or the arts.

"We're trying to give kids a better sense of their identity," Maher said. 

This year, the district has also hired the Highlander Institute to work with small groups of teachers in each middle school. Highlander, a non-profit based in Providence, specializes in something called "personalized learning," which typically involves breaking a class into small groups and allowing students to control more of their own learning with the use of laptops.

lborg@providencejournal.com

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