Jason Gonzales

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Penny Baker moved to Nashville from Chattanooga in mid-September fully expecting to put her fifth-grade son in a Metro elementary school.

What came next was a bit of a shock. Her son started middle school instead.

Nashville is the only large district in Tennessee to predominantly serve fifth-grade students in middle school. Of the 84 middle schools in Tennessee that have fifth grade, about half are within Metro Schools. In most school districts, including Chattanooga, middle school is grades 6 to 8.

Baker and her son didn't like the change.

"That year, there is a difference," she said. "Some kids aren’t ready to mix and mingle with the older kids."

But Metro Nashville Public Schools could join the majority of districts if Director Shawn Joseph follows a recommendation by his transition team.

It's a move that could present a major logistical challenge in reworking the makeup of schools but one that experts say could have a positive effect on students and their ability to learn. In its Feb. 7 report. Joseph's transition team said the change also could help resolve one of the big issues facing the district: The school district loses a significant number of students between elementary and middle school.

About 7,600 students leave the district on a yearly basis, according to a 2013 Vanderbilt study, and about 11 percent of those students leave the district after fourth grade — a number that is higher than other kindergarten through eighth grades. The study says many parents choose to leave Nashville schools after elementary school due to safety concerns.

And research suggests students benefit from more one-on-one time with teachers, said Melissa Gresalfi, a Vanderbilt University Peabody of College professor who has studied student psychology. Middle schools use block schedules, while most elementary schools assign kids to one general classroom throughout the school day.

"Within middle school that personal relationship is less robust because of the structure," she said. "So I was surprised to see in Nashville that the model was expanded."

There aren't any studies that speak to whether fifth-grade students benefit from staying in elementary or moving to middle school, Gresalfi said. The question the district must answer is whether the choice is the right one for students.

Gresalfi said she does believe how Nashville structures its grades is a mistake, but there aren't often clear-cut solutions to every problem.

"Schools are very complex systems," she said. "What is the developmentally appropriate choice and the logistics schools and districts are trying to balance don’t always fit."

Trellaney Lane is the executive principal at Nashville's I.T. Creswell Middle Prep. Everywhere she has worked, she's always had to be especially aware of her fifth-grade students.

"If you are going to have fifth-graders in the building, you have to be aware that they are younger," Lane said. "You have to be thinking about where their lockers are and be strategic that they aren't intermingling with the older students."

For principals such as Lane, a change might make more sense in terms of teacher staffing because she would have fewer types of licenses to keep track of within the school. Most middle and high school teachers have licenses that allow them to teach in grades 6-12. Elementary licenses cover the lower grades.

Still, Lane said within the first few weeks, students adjust to the new routine of middle school. Fifth-grade students have homeroom teachers who help mentor them throughout the year at I.T. Creswell, she said.

And I.T. Creswell also makes sure students have the resources to understand the transition, Lane said. Teachers and administrators give parents and students resources to familiarize them with the new expectations of a block schedule versus mostly self-contained classes with one teacher.

Lane said she believes the real change will be for the parents.

"For parents, I think they get nervous about that transition," she said. "But I believe all transitions are hard."

For his part, Joseph has said he will look toward the next budget process when deciding how many of the transition team's more than 100 recommendations to put in place. The report did not outline how much it would cost to shift fifth grade to elementary school.

Board members also have been supportive of the transition team's report, but Joseph and board members aren't making any promises yet.

School board Vice Chairwoman Jill Speering said it will take plenty of analysis on the district's part.

"We recognize any changes would involve monthslong analysis," she said. "Absolutely no decision has been made to change the grade configuration."

It's too late for Baker, but if a change does happen, she said she's sure other families would welcome it. It would have eased her move into the district, she said.

"For my son, coming into middle school with the bigger kids, the older kids, it was very different," she said. "It was very intimidating for him."

Reach Jason Gonzales at jagonzales@tennessean.com or 615-259-8047 and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.

Fifth grade at a glance

Fifth grade in Tennessee is primarily taught in elementary schools in districts throughout the state.

Nashville is one of a handful, however, to teach fifth grade in middle school. Most fifth-graders are 10 or 11 years old.

Maury County Schools, a neighboring Nashville district, is one of the districts that shares a similar model, according to Tennessee Department of Education records. As well, Cheatham County Schools has a few schools that teach fifth grade in middle school.

The transition team report highlights

Nashville Director of Schools Shawn Joseph gathered almost 50 local and national education experts to help ease his transition into the school system. The six months of work yielded data on the district and a report with specific recommendations for Nashville schools.

The report has over 100 recommendations — which include short- and long-term goals — that Joseph probably will use as a map for changes in the district. The recommendations include:

Short-term recommendations

Ensure the school board develops clear academic priorities and then reorient the board’s work and its meetings primarily around monitoring the academic progress of the district’s children.

Reaffirm the district’s commitment to diversity.

Establish a transportation committee that includes staff from the district, the Metro Transit Authority and other agencies to study options to improve transportation access for students exercising school choice.

Long-term recommendations