Parkside Discussion: Characteristics of Elementary Education

         Parkside Discussion:

         What are characteristics of elementary education in Rockford Public Schools?

This document is intended to answer questions that have arisen as we have begun a conversation about repurposing Parkside Elementary to an Early Childhood Center.

RPS Elementary School Landscape: Our elementary school programming offers students and families an experience that understands their student’s individual learning needs and responds to enhance personal learning experiences. We believe that we have a responsibility to every RPS student, regardless of where their home is located, to provide them with an equitable learning experience, both now and in the future. 

Core Instructional Belief:   Teachers collaborate on building grade level teams to ensure high quality instruction, assess student understanding, and respond to student learning.  Increased academic and social/emotional student learning outcomes result from a system that is structured to promote teacher collaboration.  One of the key tenets of productive collaboration includes having multiple sections at each grade level in each building where teachers have teammates to “think and do” with.  

2024/25 School Year Parkside Grade Level Sections:

• Kindergarten: 1
• 1^st Grade: 2
• 2^nd Grade: 2
• 3^rd Grade: 2
• 4^th Grade: 1
• 5^th Grade: 1

2025/26 Projected Parkside Elementary Grade Level Sections:

• Kindergarten:  1
• 1^st Grade: 1
• 2^nd Grade: 1
• 3^rd Grade: 1
• 4^th Grade: 2
• 5^th Grade: 1

Projected Valley View Elementary Grade Level Sections With Adding Current Parkside Students for the 2025/26 School Year:

• Kindergarten: 3
• 1^st Grade: 3/4
• 2^nd Grade: 3
• 3^rd Grade: 3/4
• 4^th Grade: 4
• 5^th Grade: 3

How does collaboration among teachers in the same building increase student experiences?

• A core belief of our buildings is that grade levels are responsible for the learning of all students and not just those that are assigned to a specific teacher.
• Teachers in our elementary buildings have weekly shared planning time with their grade level colleagues. Our early release calendar is intentionally designed to provide time during the school day for building grade level colleagues to discuss and respond to student learning. 
• An outcome of teacher collaboration is tiered instruction (RAMS XII 1.A.2).  Elementary schools with multiple class sections at a grade level routinely share students among teachers to intervene and extend learning.   This is not possible with one teacher per grade level and limits learning opportunities for students.
• In the instance of Parkside Elementary, teacher collaboration is limited because of current and projected single section grade levels.  Teachers are not currently afforded the benefit of collaborating about real time student learning status to improve it in the best agreed upon practice in the moment and in the future. 

What are the limitations of single grade level learning environments for the social and emotional needs of students?

• When a single section of students interacts only with each other over an extended period of time, students do not have the benefit of diverse experiences and social interactions that prepare them for the future.
• Similarly, there are times when students need space from peers.  Consider times when there are conflicts among classmates, families or others.  Always being in the same space can limit student well-being and even learning. 
• Student dynamics influence overall class learning potential.  If students learn with the same class of students for 6 elementary school years, it is likely that they may not be able to fully engage in discourse, debate and varied perspectives which support future learning.  
• Multiple sections afford increased opportunity for students to learn at their highest level as well as develop their minds and hearts because of increased interactions and options for intentional arrangements while kids develop socially and academically.