Results of

recent studies into the Fayette County School System's structure for middle

schools are now under consideration by the Board of Education and will

likely be adopted in the near future.

Staff proposed

some changes after comparing the current county system, adopted in 1989,

with the requirements of new state laws and regulations.

"These

adjustments to the current middle school program will assure compliance

with mandated reforms and allow the procurement of the maximum rate of

funding while recognizing the top level of achievement that all of Fayette

County's middle schools are currently experiencing," according to

the school system's Middle School Restructuring Commission.

The commission's

recommendations are as follows:

Increase the

current academic block from 4.5 hours (270 minutes) to five hours (300

minutes) per day to comply with the statutory requirements of House Bill

656. The academic block will include instruction in English, reading,

mathematics, science and social studies.

Students who

are performing at level one of the Georgia Criterion Reference Test would

be offered remedial instruction in math and reading with the addition

of remediation in science and social studies when needs in those academic

subjects are identified. Remedial instruction in math and reading would

occur in appropriately leveled classes.

Reduce teacher

planning time from the current 105 minutes to 90 minutes to accommodate

the additional time in the academic block. This would still be above the

maximum 55 minutes funded by current legislation, and would also allow

for two tracks of Connections (formerly called Exploratory) classes of

42 minutes in length.

Extend the

Connections block from six to nine weeks. This would provide 33.75 hours

of instructional time for each class. Fayette County currently offers

two tracks of 53-minute Connections classes, totalling 26.25 hours of

instructional time for each class. But the A+ Reform Act now mandates

30 hours of instruction for each Connections class.

This change

would also allow middle school grading periods to be aligned with the

current high school grading periods.

Adopt a proposed

schedule to accommodate the aforementioned recommendations while expanding

the current role for Connections teachers. This schedule contains an additional

60-minute period of time for Connections teachers.

During those

blocks of time, these teachers would be assigned by their principals to

provide instructional assistance based on their academic background and

certification. Such services can include, but are not limited to, tutoring,

collaborative teaching and differentiated instructional support.

When outlining

these recommendation at Monday's Board of Education meeting, staff informed

board members that implementing these changes would not lengthen the school

day for middle school students, who already have the longest day of any

students in the system.

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