Pre-K - 8th Grade Model
The Pre-K – 8th Grade Model
After examining the relationship between grade-span configurations and student outcomes in more than 500 schools and school systems nationwide, the Institute for School Improvement concluded that of all grade-span configurations, K-8 programs produce the most desirable results. – 2004 ISI Policy Brief, “Grade Span Does Make a Difference”
Academic Performance
- 8th graders in K-8 model schools typically score 50 points higher on standardized tests than their peers in traditional middle schools. (Time Magazine, 2005)
- K-8 grade students demonstrate higher SAT scores, high school placements and freshman letter grades.
Social Influences
- No “trickle-down effect” of high school social pressures (particularly physical relationships and controlled substances).
- In Charlotte Prep’s small atmosphere, children view their classmates more like siblings. The focus is on academic success, not on the opposite gender.
- Charlotte Prep’s Middle School students engage in a formal leadership curriculum and take the responsibilities of campus leadership normally reserved for upper school students.
- Children are ready for a change at 8th grade – the timing is developmentally appropriate.
- The relatively protected K-8 school setting makes the entry into adolescence less stressful for both boys and girls. (Moving Into Adolescence: The Impact of Pubertal Change and School Context by Roberta Simmons & Dale Blyth, 2008).
Sports
- A pre-K - 8th grade program provides an exceptional venue to play sports – Middle School students are the star athletes.
- In Charlotte Prep’s small environment, more children have the opportunity to play and hone their skills.
Focus of Resources
- Our Middle School children receive the benefits of outstanding athletics, foreign exchange and high school placement programs.
- In a K-12 environment, the Upper School’s programs and facilities receive much of the school’s resources and attention.