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Many Eton parents have heard me speak on the advantages of children attending a school that encompasses the elementary and middle school years. NPR recently aired a story about a new study that provides additional data emphasizing these advantages. The study, published in American Educational Research Journal - Social and Institutional Analysis, indicates that schools culminating in eighth grade provide a more comfortable environment and allow children – also going through a stressful period of adolescence – an opportunity to be "top dogs" on campus. The end result is that those students experience less bullying, earn better grades, and score higher on tests. According to the study, this held true for students attending a K-8 school as compared to attending either a 6-8 school or a 6-12 school.

I believe there are additional advantages not encompassed by the scope of the study. In my experience, schools that go through twelfth grade are largely "driven" by the high school. The needs of the high school, in other words, outweigh the needs of the lower grades. This often impacts the schedule, the use of facility, and the allocation of resources. Most importantly, the objective of the middle-school grades in such a school is to prepare the students for that high school. In a school such as Eton, we strive to prepare the students for any high school. There are also, naturally, opportunities for leadership and mentoring for our middle school students. They organize all-school events such as the end-of-year dance, run the student council, manage the recycling and composting programs, and create the yearbook each year.

Lastly, my friend and colleague, Michael Murphy, Head of School at Seattle Country Day School, wrote an excellent blog post a few years ago that underscores one of the most important benefits of the K-8 model. Students entering sixth grade are still discovering themselves as learners. As adults, three years seems like a short time. As a tween or young teen, however, three years is an eon and one filled with a multitude of changes. The high school which is the right "fit" is difficult to determine for an eleven-year-old. As Michael Murphy puts it, a K-8 program "gives children time to discover who they are as a learner and achiever so they can help make informed and careful decisions for high school. They are more prepared to find the right high school at the right time."