A “redesign” of Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 middle schools started during the 2021-2022 school year as the community was emerging from the coronavirus pandemic is ready for full implementation.
Beginning by making programs consistent at the district’s five middle schools and getting more input from the students, the final piece of the puzzle was a daily schedule. Geared to the needs of sixth, seventh and eighth graders, it debuted in August at John Lewis Middle School.
Molly Schaefer, the Lewis principal, said the schedule is designed to take pressure off students, and create a learning environment where skills from one subject can be used to buttress another. It also assists students who need additional support.
“They have more time now to use their reading and writing skills with social studies and science,” Schaefer said. “There is more time for students who need more support.”
The District 60 middle school redesign program — which focuses on programming and instruction, and is not related to any structural changes — will be fully operational at Lewis, Edith Smith, Jack Benny, Miguel Juarez and Robert Abbott middle schools when students return to class in August in an effort to improve overall academic performance.
Schaefer said the schedule reduces the amount of time students spend each day in English language arts and math from 82 to 60 minutes each. It also increases the social studies and science courses from 40 to 60 minutes, while all other subjects are 40 minutes.
With the former math and English language arts schedule, Schaefer said it was hard for students of that age to maintain concentration for such a long amount of time.
Though a full statistical analysis is not yet available, Schaefer said the standardized test scores for the first half of the school term are improved over the year before.
When the redesign first began in the fall of 2021, Berry said student councils were created at all five middle schools to give students a voice. The curriculum was also modified to make it consistent in all five schools throughout the year.
“Sometimes kids switch schools,” Berry said. “Now kids in all the (middle) schools get the same program at the same time, which puts everybody on even footing.”
While the district’s elementary schools and Waukegan High School are generally rated commendable — the second-highest rank — on the Illinois State Board of Education annual report card, the five middle schools were consistently below that the past two years.
Superintendent Theresa Plascencia said after the report card was issued reflecting the district’s performance in the 2021-2022 school year, she planned to take steps to change middle school performance. The redesign is part of the effort.
Besides placing equal emphasis on the English language arts, math, social studies and science classes. Schaefer said there were other changes designed to make the school day go more smoothly.
Bells no longer ring to signify the end of a class. Schaefer said when it is time, the teacher dismisses the class and walks part of the way to the next room with their students.
“It went pretty well, Schaefer said. “It took a while for everyone to get used to it. Once they did, it made the passing time more controlled in the hallways.”
Classes in subjects like gym, art and music are 40 minutes. Students who need more support to do well academically have one 40-minute period a day to where they have additional time for their academic endeavors.
Not all about academics, Berry said establishing student councils at all five middle schools creates leaders among the youngsters chosen by their schoolmates to sit on the body. Part of their job is to let teachers and administrators know how students feel.
“It gives a voice to the students,” Berry said. “It lets them take a leadership role.”
