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Board hears proposed middle‑school encore pilot: 10‑week sixth‑grade courses, new electives
Summary
District staff proposed a reimagined middle school encore program tied to a move from four to three middle schools: sixth grade would have 10‑week encore rotations and new course pilots (digital literacy, success strategies, newspaper/journalism, world language sampler).
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools staff presented a plan to pilot a redesigned middle‑school program of study tied to the district's facility reconfiguration from four middle schools to three.
Administrators said the current middle‑school encore model has not substantially changed in about 20 years and that the transition to three middle schools offers an opportunity to update elective offerings. The proposal would make sixth‑grade encore courses 10 weeks long (allowing students more variety across the year), keep seventh and eighth grades at 20 weeks for most encore courses, and retain year‑long band and orchestra. New or revised offerings proposed for pilot implementation include a "Middle School Success Strategies" course (executive functioning, organization, basic financial literacy and career exploration), Digital Literacy (Google Suite, digital citizenship and an introduction to AI), leadership courses (separate seventh and eighth grade options), newspaper/journalism and yearbook combined courses, and a world language sampler to let students sample French, German and Spanish before committing to high‑school credit language classes in eighth grade.
Jennifer LaCrosse (science/math coach), Mike Weaver (career readiness coach) and others described committee work, staff surveying and visits to nearby districts to design the pilot. Staff said they will gather midyear and end‑of‑year surveys from students, staff and families to evaluate the pilot and make adjustments in later years.
Board members asked about ties between leadership courses and student council, club participation versus course participation for yearbook/journalism, and inclusion of STEM and typing skills. Presenters said design‑tech classes already provide STEM and hands‑on project work at the middle level and that digital literacy would include typing; CTE and higher‑level STEM remain concentrated at the high‑school level. The board did not vote on program adoption at this meeting; staff described a phased pilot and evaluation plan.
