Grade Five Through Grade Eight

As ownership for learning shifts from parent to the student, it is important that parents continue to communicate their value for education and maintain high realistic expectations for achievement as well as a productive home learning environment. Parenting during this phase of development will require higher levels of reflective problem solving, more sophisticated two-way parent-student communication, and an unwavering commitment to upholding the standards for achievement and behavior established by the school.

Learning is, in most cases, a cumulative process. The moment to moment decisions both students and parents make every day will impact how well-prepared a student will be when they enter high school. As students develop the ability to take ownership of their learning, they will need consistent guidance, support, and encouragement from their parents. This is especially important when students are developing the noncognitive behaviors, attitudes, strategies, and skills they need to become successful learners. 

Students and their parents need direct access to the information that will assist them in the process of making well-informed decisions about education and the future. The middle school parent/student orientation and course registration meeting offers an opportunity to share information and research to help demystify the process of becoming well-educated.  

The syllabus will serve as the main guidance and reference document for both regular and honors courses. Providing students and their parents with a syllabus will help them evaluate the expectations and responsibilities associated with successfully completing the course before enrollment and allow students to take ownership of their learning. Once a student's schedule has been confirmed, students should be expected to create an academic calendar to include all course requirements as well as establish a study plan and schedule.   

Students are expected to maintain college and career readiness performance throughout their K -12 school career. Therefore, all students should be in a position to benefit from enrolling in an honors course and they should be encouraged to do so. The added commitment to learning required in an honors course provides the opportunity for students to advance the development of the noncognitive skills, attitudes, behaviors, and strategies they will need to successfully transition to high school.  

Enrollment in an honors course will require students and parents to make a formal commitment to preserve the academic integrity of the advanced learning opportunity as outlined in each honors course syllabus. 

Student-led conferences offer students an opportunity to reflect on, plan, and take ownership of their learning during the school year. Before fall conferences take place, students should spend time considering what it will take to successfully fulfill the requirements of the courses they have selected before planning and completing a student learning protocol for the year. During fall conferences, students should review and discuss their learning protocol with their parents and a representative teacher before the team determines the best way to monitor academic progress and the successful completion of all course requirements.   

Midyear student-led conferences will allow the students an opportunity to review their student learning protocol with their parents and representative teacher, evaluate their progress, and resubmit a revised learning protocol for parent and teacher approval if necessary. The formal review process will reinforce the student's responsibility for his or her academic achievement and school performance.   

Students will review their final student performance protocol with their parents during an end-of-year grade-level academic planning session. Students will also have the opportunity to ask their next year's teachers questions about the courses they will be taking to determine how to spend their time preparing for these courses over the summer. Before school is dismissed for the school year, students should be expected to create and share their summer learning schedule as well as their academic calendar for the coming school year with their parents.    

Schools host multiple student and parent information and learning sessions throughout the school year and scaffold the parents' and students' ability to identify and meet their own learning needs.  Some example topics for school-sponsored information and learning sessions are as follows: 

• Creating a well-planned student learning protocol including a study plan
• What to consider when establishing a student academic calendar
• The relationship between noncognitive factors and academic success
• Parent-adolescent relationship
• What we know about learning strategies
• The role of parents in learning interventions
• Establishing effective study habits
• The science of motivation
• What to consider when planning a long-term assignment or project