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Rochester board hears RPS 2030 middle-school recommendations to boost rigor, transitions and belonging
Summary
Education First presented a set of middle-school recommendations to the Rochester Public Schools board on March 17, urging clearer academic expectations, tiered supports, stronger advising, expanded electives and near-peer mentoring to improve engagement and long-term outcomes.
Education First consultant Spencer Sherman on Tuesday laid out a set of recommendations the Rochester Public Schools working group developed to guide the district's RPS 2030 middle-school strategy.
Sherman said middle school years are "highly predictive" of later academic success and described four cross-cutting priorities: academic rigor and relevance; navigation supports; engaging offerings; and relationships and belonging. He told the board that committees conducted broad stakeholder engagement, including 46 interviews with teachers, community partners and industry representatives.
On academic rigor, the consultant recommended clear districtwide expectations for grading, retake policies and handling missing work; consistent classroom practices (Tier 1), targeted small-group interventions (Tier 2) and individual supports (Tier 3); and accountability mechanisms so students and families understand when academic recovery is required.
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