MILLSTONE — Third-grade students will not change classes next year.
That was one of the scheduling changes outlined in elementary school Principal Brandy Worth’s presentation to the Board of Education on June 13.
While the third grade will revert to selfcontained classrooms, the majority of fourth and fifth grades will continue to change classes with the teamed teacher approach, according toWorth. The fourth and fifth grades are divided into six sections. Sections will be paired for team teaching in the content areas of social studies and character education during their homerooms. Fourth- and fifth-grade language arts teachers will also teach two periods of reading and one period of writing to two classes, while math teachers will teach two periods of math and one period of science to two classes.
Worth reported that the district has determined that scheduling three solid blocks of social students and science during one marking period is not effective for third graders. The district has also determined that four blocks of language arts andmath in a row is too long for fifth graders and that teaching health and world language on the same day is problematic, she said.
Other proposed changes to the elementary school students’schedules include taking reading and writing instruction for 120 minutes four days a week and then for 80 minutes on the remaining day instead of having reading and writing classes for 80 minutes five days a week. Instead of having 40 minutes of social studies and science five days a week, next year students will have both subjects for 40 minutes four days a week, with 40 minutes of character education on the remaining day. While related arts were scheduled for eight periods a week this year, next year they will be offered during seven class periods, according to Wroth.
Worth presented the board with the results of a survey given to students and teachers and the results of a survey sent to parents about changing classes. Most parents agreed that having two teachers helps children academically, and the majority of students said they liked changing classes and felt “both teachers knew and cared” about them. Worth said that third grade teachers were split in their opinions about changing classes.
“As principal, I made the decision I thought would benefit everybody,” Worth said.
In response to a question posed by Board of Education President Kevin McGovern, Worth said that having third graders change classes this year was not detrimental to them academically but “it was not helping as much as I’d like.”
Board member Denise Touhey said she is happy to see the third grade going back to selfcontained classes.
“It’s a more smooth transition from primary school to elementary school next year,” she said. “They’re eight years old.”
According to the presentation, the district has set goals for next year including increasing the number of students in grades 3-8 demonstrating advanced proficiency in the mathematics and language arts sections of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) test by 10 percent, as well as increasing the number of students demonstrating proficiency on these sections by 10 percent.