Value of K-3 and 4-6 Schools

Has any research been done on the pros and cons of the instructional model where schools housing only grades K through 3 are paired with schools housing only grades 4 through 6? There is talk in our district of restructuring the schools in this manner. — Questioning
Answer: Traditional grade spans are changing. Some school districts are moving to having primary and intermediate schools. The most typical configuration appears to be K-3. You’ll also find K-2 and Pre-K through 2 or 3. There is not a lot of research on the benefits of any of these primary/intermediate school configurations. Many schools are reconfigured to reduce crowding, and this has nothing to do with what grade configuration works best for students.
Some of the pros for having separate primary and intermediate schools are: increased parental involvement, more collaboration between teachers, more teacher stability, having children attend neighborhood schools and being able to design schools that match the needs for each age group. The biggest pro, however, is that primary schools can focus strongly on the development of the basic skills that the children will need for future success in school. When primary and intermediate schools are paired, the staffs can collaborate and build upon the curriculum at both schools. And, at times, costs are reduced through the sharing of administrators.
The primary reason for not having separate schools at this level is they increase the number of transitions students will have between schools. Researchers have found that such transitions can be stressful for students. Plus, one study found a significant loss in achievement during the transition year, which wasn’t always made up. Another con to this school configuration is there is less interaction between age groups.