Thank you to everyone who attended our Parent University about the Middle School Schedule. We hope this recap is helpful.
Starting in the 2026-27 school year, Emerson and Lincoln Middle Schools will have a redesigned schedule focused on academic achievement and student well-being. Led by the Middle School Review Committee, the plan is the result of an extensive review that analyzed student data, stakeholder feedback, and best practices from area middle schools.
Here are some important resources to help explain how the middle school schedule was created.
- Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning, Dr. Samantha Alaimo’s Parent University Video
- Slides from the Parent University Presentation
One of the key changes is shifting to 80-minute blocks for English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, up from 50 or 60 minutes. This adjustment was due to data showing that many students were not achieving their academic growth targets. The changes are also intended to align with best middle school scheduling practices and to engage electives that develop future-readiness skills.
What’s the same?
- Start and end time
- Lunch/recess period
- 4 core content areas
- 12 elective choice slots
- 6th-grade exploratory classes
- Team configurations
- Homeroom/advisory
What’s different?
- Common bell schedule
- No large core/elective blocks
- All classes run on trimesters
- 3 periods for 7th & 8th grade electives
- Length of core classes
- Team configurations
- No core elective classes
Below are some questions asked during the event and Dr. Alaimo's summarized answers.
Q: To carve out so much extra time for ELA and math, those minutes have come from other places... How are those decisions being made about what is going to be removed from the curriculum?
A: The science and social studies teachers and I have been evaluating our instructional time to see what we can adjust. We're looking at state mandates and standards to guide our decisions. In science, we're focusing on maintaining units while reducing the time spent on them—balancing depth and breadth. For instance, in a unit on chemical reactions, can we cut down from seven labs to five? We need to identify which labs can be omitted while still meeting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Q: Why only make ELA and Math longer?
A: We analyzed our math and ELA achievement data and found that we've missed our targets since 2018, and only 37% of our students are meeting their growth goals. As a former ELA teacher, I recognize that an ELA classroom covers reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary. In just 50 minutes, we just weren’t hitting all of those standards or doing them justice.
Q: Eighty minutes of math seems like a lot... the idea of having to sit for 80 minutes of math... how is that helpful for the students?
A: Part of the PD for the 80-minute class includes brain breaks, involving movement and short activities outside the content area for two to five minutes. Research shows that children shouldn't or may not be able to focus well for more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Research shows that your age indicates how long you can concentrate intensely (e.g., 14 minutes at age 14), which is why the 15-minute marker is used for middle school students.
Q: Do you teach spelling in middle school?
A: We don't have spelling as a subject or a topic in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. We don't have spelling tests. Spelling, I would say, is embedded in some of our grammar and our writing.
For more background on this topic, check out the summary of the School Board’s approval of the changes from our meeting on April 17, 2025.
Next Up?
Come and learn about our district's behavioral supports! This parent night will provide an overview of the programs and teams we have in place to create a positive learning environment for all students. We'll be sharing details on our school-wide strategies, as well as our more targeted programs, including Check-In/Check-Out and mentoring. You'll also learn how our school-based teams use data to identify students who may need extra help and monitor their progress. Join us to find out how we're working to ensure every child has the support they need to succeed. This Parent U will be on Thursday, April 2, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Hendee Rooms of the Hendee Professional Development Wing, 8200 W Greendale Ave, Niles.