PATRICK H ENRY SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE

1. PATRICK HENRY SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE School Board Update – Nov. 7, 2013

2. Purpose • To engage the Community and develop recommendations for the ideal Pre-K to 8 School and/or the Patrick Henry School of the Future, which meets the needs of the Patrick Henry and West End Community

3. Essential Questions • What are the essential considerations in developing a robust Pre-K to 8 model? • Considerations for Pre-K to 8 Schools • Conditions needed to support Pre-K to 8 Schools • How do we effectively engage the Patrick Henry and West End Community in a discussion about the Patrick Henry School of the Future? • Do we move forward with the planning/feasibility study in accordance with the Scope of Work?

4. Considerations for Pre-K to 8 Schools • Educational continuity - fewer transitions • Structure supports personalization/relationships • Intimate environment/small school identity • More leadership opportunities for middle grade students • Offers families choice at the middle grades • Stronger family partnerships • Continues the ‘Child’ focus of the elementary grades • Students tend to feel safer

5. Considerations for Pre-K to 8 Schools • Limited academic course selection • Fewer special facilities (science labs, CTE labs, etc.) • Fewer opportunities for sports programs • Media Center needs a wider selection of materials • Certification issues for teachers can make assignments more challenging • Broader focus than just adolescence

6. Pre-K to 8 Academic Outcomes • Studies show mixed results compared to Traditional Middle Schools • Growing body of research indicates Math and Reading achievement higher in Pre-K to 8 than Traditional Middle School • Academic advantage disappears in High School

7. Conditions Neededto Support Pre-K to 8 Schools • Division support/Initiative: Multiple Schools • Clear Vision and Mission that stands apart from Elementary & Middle Schools (Branding & Communication) • Unique curriculum offerings • Clearly defined leadership and extracurricular opportunities for adolescents • Teacher support for working with Pre-K to Adolescence • Clear parental roles

8. Community Engagement Three-tiered Approach: • Core Group • Meets Bi-weekly • Membership: Staff members representing ACPS School Board, administration, facilities, & special projects; City Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities (RPCA); City Department of General Services(DGS) and project manager

9. Community Engagement • Patrick Henry Community Engagement Committee: • PHCEC Meets Monthly • Membership: The Core Group plus representative members of the community. Care was taken to include a diverse group from each neighborhood & surrounding schools • Community Meetings • Monthly/Quarterly • Membership: Open to anyone interested in the project

10. Community Meeting Topics • Current and projected enrollment across the Division, and in the West End in particular • The Pre-K to 8 educational specifications created in the Fall of 2011 • Examples of Schools that included both primary and middle school grades (Pre-K to 8, K to 8, 1 to 8) • Characteristics of the ideal Pre-K to 8 School

11. Evolving Design Principles • Participants suggested goals for the overall project include creating a site that is: • Open and welcoming to the community • Easily accessible by multiple modes of transport, and from all directions • Respectful of the natural resources and the sense of open space the site provides

12. Aerial View of the Site

13. General Principle - Community • Community members were asked to envision a 16 - hour day where citizens accessed both the school and recreation center during the school day and attended a myriad of activities until late in the evening.

14. General Principle - Community • Participants suggested: • The Recreation Center entrance be separate from the School and along Taney Avenue • Providing well-lit and marked trails in the wooded area that include information highlighting the history and natural resources of the site • Providing lighting at athletic fields to maximize utility. Shield lighting by locating fields on the interior of the site to minimize impact on surrounding residential units

15. General Principle - Systems • Site access must provide clear entry and exit for daily use vehicles, buses, pedestrians and neighbors and support shared parking.

16. General Principle - Systems • Participants suggested: • Locate loading docks & bus drop-off point close to the edge of the site to minimize impact • Separate drop-off and pick-up for cars, buses and early childhood classes • Maximize the permeable surface on parking spaces and pedestrian walkways

17. General Principle - Ecology • The School and Recreation Center must be environmentally sustainable and connect the students to the natural features of the site which provide rich opportunities for outdoor learning.

18. General Principle - Ecology • In order to accomplish this, participants suggested: • Orient structures on the site to maximize opportunities for natural light and minimize impact on building envelope • Use water features such as a splash park to irrigate the garden • Link science curriculum to the design of the building systems

19. Concepts for Scope of Work • Concept 1: • Expansion/reconfiguration/renovation of the existing facility to house 800 students • Concept 2: • Construction of a new Patrick Henry Pre-K to 8 School on the existing property to house 800 students and demolition of the existing facility • Concept 3: • Renovation of the existing facility and construction of an addition to create a new Patrick Henry Pre-K to 8 School to house 800 students

20. Concepts for Scope of Work • In addition, coordination with City staff from the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA) and the Department of General Services (DGS) is essential, to align school planning with the City-funded new Recreation Center on the site.

21. Scope of Work - Tasks • A table of design criteria to be used in the project development specifically for Patrick Henry • A survey of the existing building condition • A survey of existing site and utilities including stormwater management considerations • Research on all potential environmental constraints of issues that influence early determinations of the project’s feasibility, timing and cost • Public meetings with City, ACPS officials and community stakeholders

22. Scope of Work - Deliverables • A concept design that is reasonable and technically feasible for achieving the project goals • Community meetings to gather input and feedback from stakeholders • Opinion of probable cost, a preliminary cost estimate for each proposed project concept • Following review & approval by ACPS Educational Facilities Staff/Patrick Henry Core Group, a final report

23. Scope of Work - Deliverables • Timeline: • November 2013 – Notice to Proceed • May 2014 – Feasibility Study School Board report • June 2014 –School Board Decision on approved Concept • FY15 – Design of approved concept

24. Continue community engagement to review & provide feedback on the final report by the A/E Continue community engagement to advance the design and further develop Pre-K to 8 model (in collaboration with Jefferson-Houston) Work with RPCA to expand community involvement as we develop recreational opportunities on and around the site Continue to engage City officials to determine if the construction start date, July 1, 2015 is appropriate Considerations

25. Pre-K to 8 Reviews • Tamer, M. (Fall, 2012). Do middle schools make sense? Ed. At http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news-impact/2012/09/do-middle-schools-make-sense/ retrieved 10/29/13 • Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (Summer, 2012). What the research says (or doesn’t say) about K-8 Versus Middle School Grade Configurations. Education Northwest at http://educationnorthwest.org/news/1694 retrieved 10/29/13 • Blair, L. (April, 2008). Back to the future: The shift to K-8 schools. SEDL Letter at http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedl-letter/v20n01/k-8_schools.html retrieved 10/29/13 • Rockoof, J.E. and Blockwood, B.B. (Fall, 2010). How and why middle schools harm student achievement. Education Next at http://educationnext.org/files/ednext_20104_68.pdf retrieved 10/29/13 • Vyrnes, V. and Ruby, A. Comparing achievement between K-8 and middle schools: A large scale empirical study. Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University at http://www.csos.jhu.edu/new/Comparing%20Achievement.pdf retrieved 10/29/13 • Rockoff, J. E. and Lockwood, B. B. (Dec., 2010). Stuck in the middle: Impacts of grade configuration in public schools. Journal of Public Economics, 94, 1051-1061. • Wiles, J. (2009). Developing Successful K-8 Schools. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.