Crossroads

Crossroads is a year-long alternative to the traditional sixth grade curriculum. The program combines            the study of language arts, social studies, and science to explore issues related to cultures of family,       community, nation, and world.  Students in Crossroads do not have defined times for science, social studies, or language arts each day.  Instead, they work on assignments and projects that integrate the topics and skills learned in those classes around the theme of culture.

Students study the cultures of their families, community, nation, and world as they make connections between these realms of culture and the content and skills covered in the regular sixth-grade curriculum.  The methods of learning in Crossroads differ in some vital ways. Students work both individually and cooperatively to study the topics of culture. There are fewer tests and quizzes, and a greater emphasis is placed on individual and cooperative projects and presentations that allow students to demonstrate what they learn. Students also demonstrate their learning through frequent writing tasks that require recall, synthesis, or application of learning experiences.

Crossroads students and their teachers, Mr. Canny and Mr. Rendulich, spend four of the nine class periods (about three hours) in Crossroads every day.  The other five periods consist of math, two electives/specials classes lunch, and advisory/homeroom.  On math “ELT” days, which occur every four days, students spend three periods in Crossroads and two periods in math.

No. Instead of grades, students complete self-assessments several times per year. The teachers then review and comment on their self-assessments.  Finally, students review the self-assessments with parents who provide their own comments. Also, mid-way through the year, parents have a parent teacher conference to review student goals and progress.  This is in addition to the student-led conference that occurs in November.  At the end of the year, parents receive longer, more formal reports on their child’s progress completed by the teachers. Additionally, there are two annual expositions for students to show their parents what they have learned. They receive regular grades for math and all specials subjects.

No. Crossroads students are taught the same math curriculum as the rest of the sixth grade and have   access to the same math levels as any other sixth grade student.  Math is not integrated into the Crossroads program; however, many Crossroads students may have one of their Crossroads teachers for math.

The strategy of differentiated instruction is utilized for students of varying reading and writing abilities.  Crossroads students read novels and engage in significant nonfiction reading during the school year.  For many reading experiences, students are matched with books or materials that suit their reading level.  Crossroads students slated for accelerated language arts in sixth grade typically continue at that level in seventh grade.

Approximately 15-20% of in-class time is spent in the cooperative process, although there is much     more group work toward the end of the year than at the beginning of the year. Students are assessed not only on their group’s final product, but also on their individual contributions to the group and their     public speaking performance. Detailed rubrics are used to assess each individual and the group on a   whole.

When students are working in groups, the teachers roam the room to guide and assist the groups. Typically, there are 8-10 groups of students working in the room, so the teachers can only be with two of those groups at any one time.  Students are expected to stay with their group and be on task even          when a teacher is not with them.  This can be a challenge for some students in a busy classroom of 40 students.  Students are evaluated at the end of each major group task on their contributions and behavior during the group project.

Be fully aware that students always sit in groups in Crossroads and spend time every day in group work working as a group. Some students like to “sit back” and let others do the work.  Others like to have control of projects and don’t allow others to have any real responsibility.  Students who are not willing to work to overcome those challenges often struggle in Crossroads.

Yes. Crossroads students mix with other sixth graders at lunch/recess and during electives/specials classes.

We typically have around six field trips. All are important learning experiences that specifically connect to what we learn in Crossroads. There is preparatory work in advance as well as writing tasks that follow the trips. Several trips extend beyond the school day, requiring early drop off or late pick up. Field trips are fun, but students must understand that they are a small part of their Crossroads experience. We are not on trips for the other 176 days.

Yes, Crossroads students who elect to be in a 7^th or 8^th grade integrated program have the same opportunity to be selected for those programs as any other student.

Students who are selected for Crossroads must make a final decision approximately one week after notification. After that time, students may not change their placement.

No, students make a year-long commitment to Crossroads.  We ask that students and their parents      learn all they can about the program before committing to it.

Many students can find success in Crossroads, but students who have the following characteristics work best in the program:

• You want to have more responsibility and independence when learning and presenting what you learn.
• You like to “dig deeper” and explore answers to questions independently or as part of a group.
• In addition to doing individual projects, you enjoy working in cooperative groups and consistently do your fair share of work.
• You are not motivated to learn solely by grades, appreciate more extensive feedback about your work, and you’re willing to use that feedback to improve future work.
• You want to be part of a community of learners who spend the year together, exploring who they are and how they fit into their world.
• You want opportunities to get out of the classroom and explore the world around you.
• You are interested in learning about culture and how it applies to you at the levels of family, community, nation, and world.