Middle School Model Change

Background

At its core, we believe that middle school is the bridge between building foundational skills in elementary school and pursuing their learning purpose in high school. At Mounds View Public Schools, we are committed to providing exposure to a variety of exploratory options while continuing to build foundational skills as students learn more about themselves as learners.

Starting in the 2022-23 school year, middle school staff began intentionally exploring preadolescent development. As part of the School Board’s District Operational Goal, we hired a consulting group to gather input from families, students and staff on middle school experience and programming. 

What this means for students

Education Elements provided the School Board with four recommendations, and we have been working to implement those recommendations at all three middle schools by the end of the 2028-2029 school year. While the timelines vary between buildings, we are confident that the middle school a student attends will not impact their opportunities to access solid school programming.

1. Establish a design team to continue creating a vision for the middle school experience, including developing a purpose statement and learner profile.
   Our goal is to create a dynamic learning environment where students practice being curious thinkers, resilient learners, solution seekers and empathetic leaders. Representatives of the three middle schools came together to analyze content area standards, business corporations’ recommendations for future-ready skills, and developmentally-appropriate skills to create the Portrait of a Middle Schooler and corresponding future-ready skills.
   Timeline: Launch of this language and framework started in the 2025-26 school year in all three middle schools.
    

2. Align to a common student-centered instructional approach in all courses to support young adolescent development and increase student engagement and ownership.
   Managing seven different classes and transitions can be a lot for a middle schooler.  By creating a daily advisory-type class, we are able to focus on a student-centered approach to the learner and supporting student learning across their varied day. 
   Timeline: Highview started this in sixth-grade this year and will be expanding it next year. Edgewood and Chippewa are starting this in the 2026-2027 school year.
    

3. Provide students with more opportunities to develop future-ready skills  (“essential skills”) throughout their middle school experience.
   Representatives from all three middle schools worked and are continuing to work together to develop lessons about the essential skills that are delivered during advisory time and are practiced across the school day and in various content areas.  
   Timeline: Ongoing at all three middle schools.
    

4. Consider alternative schedule structures that allow for expanding exploratory courses to reflect student interests.  
   In order to prioritize daily advisory time and the flexible use of instructional minutes that will ensure students get support and/or extension opportunities in their academic courses, the middle schools will be adjusting course offerings and frequency. For the 2026-2027 school year, advisory and flex time are added into the sixth-grade daily schedule by adjusting the length of classes at all three middle schools. For the 2026-2027 school year, Highview students and families will get a choice of which allied arts courses their student will take, including an option for every day music, similar to what is currently offered to Chippewa and Edgewood students. All three middle schools will look at what course offerings will be available to families in the 2027-2028 school year and beyond.

Looking ahead to 2026-27

This model offers the most positive benefits possible for the most number of students possible. However, some community members have expressed concerns and confusion about the original plan for moving music from daily instruction to every other day in grades seven and eight. In response, the District will dedicate the upcoming 2026-2027 school year to meaningful re-engagement with the middle school communities. For next year, students in grades seven and eight will have an option for daily music at all middle schools. Students in grade six will continue to have music every other day at all middle schools.