Summit Middle School

Summit Overview

One year ago, a group of parents and educators began planning a middle school based on a philosophy different from that specified by Boulder Valley School District's "middle level education essentials." After months of organization and negotiation, Summit Middle School has developed into Boulder Valley's first charter school, opening for 6th, 7th and 8th grades in fall 1996. Summit is a tuition-free, public school. Its mission is:

to provide a rigorous, academic curriculum that promotes high levels of student effort and academic achievement;
to foster high self-esteem through stimulating intellectual challenge and meaningful academic accomplishment;
to inspire in students a lifelong love of learning and a desire for self-development;
to create a community of peers who value scholarship, academic achievement, and creativity;
to serve as an excellent preparation for students intending to study in the International Baccalaureate program and other college-preparatory high school programs.

If this is the type of education you want, read on.

Is Summit the Right Middle School for Me?

Summit's program is designed for students of at least average ability who are willing to work hard. Students by no means have to be "gifted"; however, the needs of gifted students will be met. Enrollment is open to all residents of Colorado, with preference given to residents of the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), on a first-come, first-served basis for the 1996-97 school year.

Questions for students:

Are you getting good grades without much effort? Do you wish you could learn more in class?
Are you getting poor grades but have CAT or other test scores that suggest you are capable of much better work?
Are you often bored in class? Do your teachers often go over things you already know?
Does your present school offer "enrichment" as after-school activities rather than in the classroom?
Does your present school think that "academic excellence" means "give more homework"? Do you agree that homework should be assigned carefully and thoughtfully? Do you want to learn efficient study skills? Do you agree that there should be time for extracurricular activities?
Do you want a peer group that values academic achievement?
In each subject, would you mind being with students of varying ages but similar abilities and interests?
Would you like school to be interesting, exciting, and challenging?

Unlike schools that used to practice "tracking," individual course levels at Summit will be all self-selected, with guidance offered by teachers and counselors. Students can take advanced classes in some subjects and easier classes in other subjects. You will not find this kind of choice in any other middle school in Boulder Valley. To the extent possible, students' preferences for teachers and courses will be accommodated.

What Will Summit Middle School Be Like?

A school primarily devoted to academic excellence. The curriculum will be modeled after the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, and will meet or exceed all BVSD and State standards.
A school where every student is challenged at his or her own level.
A school where students who are willing to expend the effort will be thoroughly prepared for the most challenging high school programs.
A school that meets students' physical, emotional, artistic, and social needs.
A school that is accountable and responsive to students, parents, and teachers. Summit will be governed by its Board of Directors, elected annually, for staggered terms, by the parents of enrolled students, teachers, and staff.

Summit will have horizontal and vertical integration of the curriculum to ensure high standards and continuity. English language mechanics will be emphasized in all written work. Foreign language will be required beginning in 6th grade, unlike most District middle schools. Math will be offered through at least algebra and geometry. Students will receive instruction in the scientific method and technology. Science courses will include both descriptive concepts and, unlike most District middle schools, basic mathematical relationships. The teaching of critical thinking skills will be balanced with the teaching of facts and knowledge. All traditional electives for which there is adequate demand will be offered (e.g., art, drama, music, choir, dance). Physical education offerings will be designed around the characteristics of the school site.

High Expectations for Teachers Too

"Study after study demonstrates the importance of the classroom teacher. Estimates suggest that in a single school year, an average student with a good teacher can progress more than a full grade level faster than an average student with a poor teacher. The same also holds for disadvantaged students." — Eric Hanushek, Making Schools Work, pp. 85-86

Summit teachers will be paid competitive salaries. They will receive the same insurance and leave benefits as any other BVSD teacher. District teachers may request a one-to-three-year leave of absence to teach at Summit. Educators from outside BVSD can also apply to teach at Summit. All teachers will have regular or alternative Colorado certification and will be selected by the Summit Board of Directors. Summit's student/teacher ratio will be no higher than that of other District schools. Summit is evaluating scheduling options that would make classes smaller than the average in other middle schools.

Are Summit Students Elitists?

A student who enrolls in Summit for the purpose intended—a high-level education—is not elitist. Some people believe that offering choice will result in segregation along racial, ethnic and social-class lines. These people believe that minority or disadvantaged students are simply unable to excel academically. In fact, Summit offers the choice of a challenging, high-level education for children who do not have the financial resources to attend private school. It is designed for students of at least average ability who are willing to work hard.

"... Schools and school districts are free to hold students up to high standards or, as often happens in the case of disadvantaged children, to decide the kids can't do the work and give them a watered-down curriculum. The trouble with this is that it virtually guarantees these children will fall behind their more advantaged peers—and never catch up."
Albert Shanker, President, American Federation of Teachers (New York Times, 16 December 1991)

Why Will Summit Use Ability Grouping?

An Analysis of the Research on Ability Grouping: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (Abstract)

James A. Kulik, Ph.D.
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
February 1992

Researchers have struggled for decades to find answers to questions about ability grouping. Does anyone benefit from it? Who benefits most? Does grouping harm anyone? How? How much? Why? Research reviewers have never reached agreement about the findings. For every research reviewer who has concluded that grouping is helpful, another has concluded that it is harmful. Today, however, reviewers are using statistical methods to organize and interpret the research literature on grouping, and they are more hopeful than ever before of coming to a consensus on what the research says. They have painstakingly catalogued the features and results of hundreds of studies, and with the help of new statistical methods, they are now drawing a composite picture of the studies and findings on grouping. In his 1976 presidential address to the American Educational Research Association, Glass coined the term meta-analysis to describe this statistical approach to viewing research literature.

Meta-analytic reviews have already shown that the effects of grouping programs depend on their features. Some grouping programs have little or no effect on students; other programs have moderate effects; and still other programs have large effects. The key distinction is among (a) programs in which all ability groups follow the same curriculum; (b) programs in which all groups follow curricula adjusted to their ability; and (c) programs that make curricular and other adjustments for the special needs of highly talented learners.

Programs that entail only minor adjustment of course content for ability groups usually have little or no effect on student achievement. In some grouping programs, for example, school administrators assign students by test scores and school records to high, middle, and low classes, and they expect all groups to follow the same basic curriculum. The traditional name for this approach is XYZ grouping. Pupils in middle and lower classes in XYZ programs learn the same amount as equivalent pupils do in mixed classes. Students in the top classes in XYZ programs outperform equivalent pupils from mixed classes by about one month on a grade-equivalent scale. Self-esteem of lower aptitude students rises slightly and self-esteem of higher aptitude students drops slightly in XYZ classes.

Grouping programs that entail more substantial adjustment of curriculum to ability have clear positive effects on children. Cross-grade and within-class programs, for example, provide both grouping and curricular adjustment in reading and arithmetic for elementary school pupils. Pupils in such grouping programs outperform equivalent control students from mixed-ability classes by two to three months on a grade-equivalent scale.

Programs of enrichment and acceleration, which usually involve the greatest amount of curricular adjustment, have the largest effects on student learning. In typical evaluation studies, talented students from accelerated classes outperform non-accelerates of the same age and IQ by almost one full year on achievement tests. Talented students from enriched classes outperform initially equivalent students from conventional classes by 4 to 5 months on grade equivalent scales.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of student should attend Summit Middle School?

Students who need or want more challenge, who seek to perform at a higher academic level.
A student does not have to be "gifted"; however the special needs of gifted learners will be recognized and accommodated.

Why should middle level students have to work hard?

Self-esteem and self-reliance result from meaningful accomplishment.
Acquiring knowledge and effective study habits in middle school is not too early for any student.
Advanced high-school programs require a strong middle-school background.

My child already gets plenty of homework. Would Summit just pile it on?

Fair amount of homework. "Enrichment" does not mean "extra work."
Homework assigned carefully and intelligently.
Homework very important, but not a student's only after-school activity!

What about grade inflation?

Grades = feedback to student and parents.
Grades = incentive for students.
Grade inflation can cause students to become complacent.
When compared to high-performing peers, there is no shame in getting a "B" or "C."
Grades at the middle school level do not count toward high-school class ranking.

Will group grades be given?

Will there be flexibility in scheduling?

We plan to have seven periods per day, each 50 minutes long.
No block scheduling.
Individualization of the curriculum as needed.
Class and teacher preferences accommodated whenever possible.

What kinds of electives will be offered?

The traditional electives, for which there is adequate demand, will be offered.
Expect music, drama, art, choir.
Health and physical education.

How will students get special help?

Students encouraged to seek help as soon as they feel they need it.
After-school tutoring by Fairview IB students and parent volunteers.

How will bullies be dealt with?

Intimidation and coercion are unacceptable.
Suspension or expulsion to extent permitted by law.
Parents' concerns investigated immediately.

Will computers be available?

Full access and instruction in word processors, spread-sheet programs, educational games, electronic mail, World Wide Web.

What Is a Charter School?

A charter school is ...

... a public school, part of the local school district.
... publicly funded.
... able to have more autonomy than regular schools.
... run under a charter, or contract, with the local school board.
... operated by parents, teachers, or community members.
... able to hire its own teachers.
... a school of choice.

Do charter schools take money away from public schools?

A charter school is a district public school.
Its students are district students.
Their parents are district taxpayers.
Its teachers become district teachers.
Funding follows the students.

Why Did Summit Choose the IB Middle Years Program as a Model?

It has the elements the Summit organizers were seeking in a middle school program.
It is a perfect fit with the IB program at Fairview, comprising the first 3 years of the 5-year pre-IB program.
Formal affiliation with the IB Organization will not be sought initially.

Goals and Objectives

For the Program

To expand educational choices within the Boulder Valley School District by offering middle school students the opportunity to enroll in a rigorous academic program modeled upon the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.
To provide the option of advanced classes for any student on a self-selecting basis.
To group students according to subject mastery rather than grade classification or age.
To challenge each student in every course.
To elicit academic achievement commensurate with each student's ability.
To maintain an unwavering commitment to the mastery of educational fundamentals (content) and the development of critical-thinking skills (process).
To enhance each student's social and emotional development and to foster positive relationships among peers.
To recognize that its customers are students, parents and the community and to be responsive and accountable to their concerns.
To strive to reflect the diverse population of the Boulder Valley School District.
To meet or exceed District and State curriculum, content, and performance standards.
To monitor the program and evaluate it regularly.
To implement a code of conduct that will insure safety, civility, and an optimum learning environment.

For the Student

To realize one's intellectual and personal potential.
To have high expectations for performance in all curriculum areas.
To eagerly meet academic challenges and learn to take intellectual risks.
To reason critically, solve problems creatively, develop intellectual integrity, tolerate ambiguity, and express ideas competently and fluently in oral and written presentations.
To acquire a genuine love of learning that will be a lifelong source of strength and enjoyment.
To internalize the values of personal responsibility, individual freedom, and respect for others.
To appreciate the human capacity and drive to enjoy and improve the quality of life over time.
To acquire a firm understanding and command of the English language as a means of communication and to develop admiration for the elegance and richness of human expression.
To begin or continue the study of a foreign language in 6th grade and to continue for the duration of the middle school years.
To acquire research skills as a means of developing individualized learning, independent thinking, and self-reliance.

For the Faculty

To continue intellectual and professional development and to pursue further education in a primary academic discipline.
To understand, model and foster independent thinking skills, creative problem solving, and abstract reasoning.
To develop with parents and students a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and objectivity.
To show empathy and understanding and to share ideas and observations with the students and the parents.
To assess student performance frequently and objectively.

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