1.2 Change and the knowledge base of educational administration  (Page 8/16)

School-Site Visits

Teachers and administrators visited middle schools in their state and elsewhere during the year prior toopening the middle schools. They spent several days at different sites, talking with middle school teachers and principals. Theyobserved the operation of the schools, classroom routines, and middle school students in the context of middle schoolenvironments. According to the study participants, these visits resulted in a clearer understanding of the middle school concept inoperation:

I think there was uneasiness at first about being a junior high teacher and going to a middle school. But whenwe got there, we talked to students and teachers and saw what a typical day was like. I mean, I think those experiences helpederase some of those feelings.

I don’t know how many visits we made to the schools. Some of it was very exciting in that we saw some thingsgoing on in middle school that gave us a concept that we didn’t have before. I was geared to a junior high concept.

Community Education

A strategic public relations effort, to educate the parents and community about the transition to middleschool, was planned and implemented. Study participants recalled the format and parent concerns in the following ways:

We did presentations in the community…to anybody who would have us. That was interesting. We did somepresentations in churches, civic groups, flower garden clubs. I mean, it was the strangest mixture you’ve ever seen. We did presentations to hundreds and we did presentations to nine orten.

I think it served to alleviate or displace some of the fears and anxieties that all of us had about what wasgoing to transpire—teachers and parents. Especially in the area of transportation. And, especially what was going to happen in thelocker room. Parents were very, very concerned about physical education. Whether the kids had to strip and go take a shower andthis sort of thing. It dispelled some of that.

Parents didn’t have too many questions about curriculum. They’d have questions about instructional needs. That was right interesting. Parents would address a concern—my child is identified gifted in language arts, but is not doing well inmath—will the middle school accommodate instructional needs? That was a“biggee”with parents.

Committee Work

During the 2-year preparation year, the teachers and administrators formed committees with differentresponsibilities. Participation in these groups was voluntary. One committee designed the new student advisory program, and one wasresponsible for a system to report student progress to parents. Other teachers divided into nine-week writing teams in each subjectarea, and another designed the interdisciplinary curriculum. Study participant had this to say:

But I think one thing happened that really made a difference. Teachers on committees had to come back and selltheir ideas to the rest of us. Now and then, these teachers had more influence than the principal did because teachers would listento them because they were involved and could say what was going on.