The Outcomes of a Pre K-8th Grade Model

Last week, I spent my mornings doing one of my most favorite things: touring families. (I love it!) As we were walking to the technology lab, one parent asked, “When is RMS going to add a high school?” 

Though I was delighted by her enthusiasm, a large body of research shows that students who attend school in a PreK/K - 8th grade model have better learning outcomes than any other model, including K - 12 and stand-alone elementary, middle, or high schools. 

Here is what we know:

• Stronger School Climate: Malone, Cornell, and Shukla (School Psychology Quarterly) examined 39,036 seventh- and eighth-grade students across 418 schools. Students attending K–8 schools reported a more positive school climate, including a stronger sense of belonging, better discipline, greater engagement, and fewer concerns about bullying.
• Higher Academic Achievement: Byrnes and Ruby (American Journal of Education) studied 40,883 eighth-grade students across 95 schools and five cohorts. They found that students attending K–8 schools significantly outperformed their peers in other school configurations.
• Greater Reading Achievement: Kieffer (Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness) conducted a longitudinal study showing that students attending K–8 schools were nearly a year ahead in reading compared with students in other school models.
• Less Disruptive School Transitions: Schwerdt and West (2013) analyzed statewide data comparing school transitions in sixth and ninth grades. They found that transitioning in ninth grade resulted in only a small, temporary decline in achievement, while transitioning in sixth grade was associated with larger academic declines lasting through tenth grade, increased absences, and higher dropout rates.
• Academic Impact of Middle School Transitions: Rockoff and Lockwood examined student transitions in New York City and found that changing schools in sixth or seventh grade was associated with a decline of 0.15 standard deviations in math and English achievement.
• Greater Academic Resilience During COVID-19: Diliberti et al. (Combined Schools as a (Non) Protective Factor During the COVID-19 Pandemic) analyzed pre- and post-pandemic assessment data from approximately 20,000 students. They found that students attending K–8 schools demonstrated higher math and reading scores both before and after the pandemic, suggesting greater academic resilience during periods of disruption.

Why is the PreK/K-8 model so effective? In my experience, I believe it allows us to be wholly dedicated to the journey of childhood. In stand-alone elementary and middle schools, 7th- and 8th-graders miss the opportunity to be community leaders and mentors to younger students. In K-12 schools, resources that could be focused on childhood get redirected to college admissions, sports, and student discipline. 

At RMS, we are experts in the development of early childhood through middle school students. Our community is safe, nurturing, and designed so that every student becomes the best version of themselves by 8th grade. Middle school matters because it is when students begin to understand who they are and who they want to be in the world. That sense of self prepares them for a successful transition to high school and beyond.

Having spent many years observing adolescents, it is also clear that they thrive when the high school is matched to the individual child. Because our students know who they are by the end of 8th grade, they are equipped to select and attend the high school that is best for them. We are fortunate to have many wonderful public and private high school options in Richmond. Our high school advisory program guides families through the process of selecting the right school for each child, and, as evidenced by our 9th grade admissions rates, high schools are eager to welcome RMS graduates into their communities.

I love the village that our students grow up in, and I am grateful that you are part of it. And if you ever want a tour, please reach out to me!