Making Middle School Meaningful: A journey not a destination

1. Making Middle School Meaningful: A journey not a destination Ms. Suzanne Cowper, Teacher Ms. Kathy Kelly, Teacher Dr. Greg Gelderman, Principal Heatherwood Middle School Everett Public Schools March 29, 2007

2. Making Middle School Meaningful • Purpose: Communicate, provide some ideas (not programs) to consider. • Process: Share information, provide handouts, answer questions. • Pay-off: Leave with some questions and ideas that might be useful in working with Middle Level Educators.

3. The Challenge: Making Middle School Meaningful • Critical Question: How can we lead Middle School students to become “self directed learners,” taking responsibility for their learning? • Analyzing data • Setting goals • Collecting and reflecting on evidence • Attending, participating, facilitating conferences

4. What do we know? • What school variables are most strongly related to student achievement? I am Mom and Dad’s best!

5. Remember the “Hedgehog Concept” • “Hedgehogs see what is essential, and ignore the rest” • What is essential to attaining and sustaining high levels of student achievement?

6. Build Instructional Capacity • Create and nurture hope by: • Helping teachers realize the importance of instructional skill, and allow and expect them to teach effectively. • Focusing on “Value-Added” versus “Numerical Quotas.” • Sharing elements of high quality instruction “Instructional Look-Fors.” • If we are doing the right things instructionally, test scores will take care of themselves.

7. Heatherwood Middle School: Instructional “Look-fors” • Guiding Questions • What do we want each student to learn? • How will we know if they have learned? • How do we respond when students don’t learn? • How do we respond if students already know the content? • Setting up the learning: • Entry task relevant to the learning (variety of tasks, individual, cooperative) • Learning goal/purpose for each lesson posted. Learning goals for the trimester communicated to students to • write in their Trimester Goal Sheets. • Engage Preconceptions/Activate Prior Knowledge. What do students know, or think they know about the • concept/new learning • Critical Vocabulary • 4 Ps (Preview, Purpose, Predict, Activate Prior Knowledge/Preconceptions) • Teaching new material • Teacher model (show and tell: “I do.”) Math-Launch: Science-Engage • Do together (“We do.”) Math-Explore: Science-Explore, Explain • Students do under teacher guidance/observation (“You do.”) Math-Summarize: Science-Elaborate • Students demonstrate/show understanding (“You show.”) Math-Closure/Evaluation: Science- Evaluate • Feedback that is timely and specific to improve performance • Lesson closure • Students reflect on the learning at the end of the lesson • Students complete planners • * Cooperative Learning integrated throughout the learning, i.e. entry task, as instructional strategy that promotes learning for all students

8. Increase Leadership Capacity • Common Mission: The purpose of Heatherwood Middle School is to provide relevant, rigorous, engaging learning experiences for our students in a safe, caring, collaborative community. (Posted in every classroom and in common areas.) • Shared leadership and responsibility • Building Leadership Team • Site Council • Literacy and Math Facilitators • Common Planning Time

9. HWMS: A suburban school in an urban district • Enrollment: October 2006:840 (936 in 2000) • Gender: October 2005 • Male 52.6% (48.7% in 2000) • Female 47.4% (51.3% in 2000) • Ethnicity: October 2005 • American Indian/Alaskan Native 1.8% (.7% in 2000) • Asian 16.8 % (15% in 2000) • Black 3.3 % (2.1% in 2000) • Hispanic 6.3% (4.3% in 2000) • White 70.6% (77.4% in 2000) • Special Programs • Free or Reduced-Price Meals 16.1% (7.8% 2001) • Special Education (May 10.6% • Transitional Bilingual 2.3% • Migrant 0.0%

10. HWMS: 7th WASL

11. HWMS: Value Added 7th Math, Reading, Writing Math Reading Writing

12. MSLP: A Journey • In 1997, Everett Public Schools began re-examining “what should each student know and be able to do by the time they complete middle school?” • Students needed to be actively engaged in learning and applying knowledge and skills in changing world. • Students needed to assume responsibility for their learning.

13. Phase One: The Competencies • When looking at the transition from Elementary to High School specific competencies became apparent: • Self-directed learner • Effective communicator • User of skills and strategies • Effective problem solver

14. Phase Two: Evidence of Learning • Improve academic achievement. • Set content area goals in all classes, monitor progress, collect evidence, and reflect on growth. • Present a public declaration of evidence of learning at the end of each school year. • Introduction of the Student Led Conference

15. Phase Three: Educational Planning • Understanding the relationship between success in meeting academic requirements and future options. • Setting goals to achieve desired short-term and long-term educational options. • Introduction of trimester goal-setting cycle.

16. Phase Four: Individualizing • Streamlined competencies to: • Self-directed learner • Effective Communicator • Effective Goal Setter • Each Middle School develops and aligns program with its community. • Three critical components at each Middle School: • Fall Conferences • Trimester Goal-setting cycle • Spring Student Led Conferences • At Heatherwood fall conferences have evolved into Goal-Setting Conferences and the development of the Student Learning Plan for each student.

17. Middle School Learning Portfolio (MSLP) • A framework designed to: • Move students through challenging academic activities to develop the skills needed for lifelong learning. • Prepare students for success in High School by teaching them to set goals, monitor and reflect on progress. • Assist students in developing a high school and beyond plan that will meet state graduation requirements and open up post high school options.

18. MSLP and Lifelong Learning

19. MSLP from a student’s view • Students are actively engaged in the Goal Setting Cycle • Students work with components of the MSLP in each of their classes. • Teachers set class content goals, relate class content to the competencies, using common vocabulary, and allow students to select and reflect on their work in class. • These pieces are placed into a portfolio of student work. • Students attend portfolio classes that meet occassionally to collect work, reflect on their student learning plan and trimester academic achievments, and assemble their portfolios. • Students collect and analyze assessment data, and set year long goals to share with parents at Fall Goal-Setting Conferences.   • Students facilitate a Spring Student-Led Conference.

20. What is a Portfolio? • A binder of evidence that serves as a record of learning. • The focus of the portfolio is on students’ work and their reflection on their achievement. • The portfolio is kept in Portfolio Class • A record of academic achievment with test scores, trimester records of progress, and a map of courses available to them. • A home for creation of career interests.

21. How does MSLP benefit students? • Middle School Learning Portfolio provides students with opportunities to:  • Assume responsibility for improvement in their academic work. • Derive a sense of achievement. • Communicate their strengths and areas of growth with others. • Develop insights into their own learning.

22. MSLP Timeline Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June Collect evidence and reflect on progress Prepare for Student-Led Conferences Prepare growth portfolio Student-Led Conference Goal setting cycle * Set Goals *Collect evidence and reflect on Progress * Goal-Setting Conferences

23. Middle School Learning Portfolio (MSLP): Three Critical Components • Fall Goal-Setting Conferences (GSC) 2005 • Goal Setting 2003 • Spring Student-Led Conferences (SLC)2003

24. Goal-Setting Conferences • Began fall 2005 • Staff initiative • Less than 50% of parents attending arena conferences. • Grades were on-line so parents knew how students were doing. • Students did not attend traditional arena conferences. • Goal of developing a Student Learning Plan for each student.

25. Goal-Setting Conferences • Purpose: Review student assessment data, SMART goals from each class, initial goals from Student-Led Conference previous spring and draft a Student Learning Plan for the current year. • Process:EACH student and parent would have a 20 minute conference with one of the student’s teachers. Teacher would facilitate the conference, which is scripted. • Pay-off: Students take an active role in planning their learning for the year.

26. Goal-Setting Conferences: Outcomes • 92% of parents attended 2005 and 2006. • Less than 50 requests each year for a conference with another teacher. • Increased staff understanding, commitment to building, district and state assessments. • Fall 2007, Student Learning Plan will be on NCR so parents can take a copy home.

27. Trimester Goal Setting Cycle • Purpose: Teach students to set, monitor, reflect on progress, and set new goals as a tool to increase student learning. • Process: Students set SMART goals in each class every trimester; collect and reflect mid trimester and end of trimester. • Pay-off: Increase student learning by teaching students to assume responsibility for their learning.

28. The Goal Achievement Cycle

29. Trimester Goal Setting Cycle • SMART Goal • Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant, Time-bound • Collection/Reflection • Mid-trimester • End of trimester • Monitor, plot progress

30. Heatherwood Middle SchoolProjected number of years to complete High School Name: _______________________________ GPA_____________

31. Student-Led Conferences • Purpose: Each student will facilitate a spring Student-Led Conference that reviews learning from current year and drafts initial learning goals for the next year. • Process: Students share annual progress on goals and assessments with parents, as well as their drafted learning goals for the next year. • Payoff: Students and parents complete reflection and set initial goals for the following year.

32. What is a Student-Led Conference? • A formal conference, facilated by the student, with a parent or other important adults in their life. • The student discusses their learning, educational goals, and strategies used to meet those goals. • A presentation before an authentic/high stakes audience. • Having an audience that a student knows and cares about gives them a purpose for collecting work samples, talking about their learning, and showing their skills.

33. Why Student-Led Conferences?  • A forum where students provide evidence (student work) that indicates knowledge and skills they have acquired. • An active learning experience/celebration where students have opportunities to self-assess and evaluate their work, and to accept greater responsibility for their learning. • Research and experience supported benefits such as: • Strong sense of accountability/responsibility for self-evaluation of progress. • Increased sense of pride in achievement. • Development of student leadership skills. • Productive student-teacher relationships. • Increased parental participation in conferences. • Heightened teacher focus on instruction aligned with standards and competencies.

34. What does a Student-Led Conference look like? • Students share their growth portfolio with their parents to: • Celebrate learning over the year as they share academic progress. • Discuss how well they have met goals through the year. • Parent and student identify an area for improvement/ growth and set a goal to begin at the start of the next academic year of how to improve or maintain their progress. • Parents are encouraged to ask questions such as: • What can you tell me about this assignment? • What skills did you use? • What would you do next time to improve your work? • How does this portfolio show growth throughout the year? • What goals have you set? Can we set any together? • How can I help you meet your goals for next year?

35. What is a parent’s role during the Student-Led Conference? • Be a good listener. • Talk and ask questions about the work/evidence. • Identify ways to support student learning.

36. What is a teacher’s role in the Student-Led Conference? • Provide students an opportunity to collect, select, and organize student work in the portfolio. • Provide time to practice for the student-led conference. • Arrange private conferences if requested. • Act as a host and be available for assistance if necessary during the conference.

37. Student-Led Conferences: Outcomes • All students conference. • If a parent doesn’t come to the conference, students conference with another adult, i.e., staff and/or community member. • Students are doing the work. • Reflecting on their own progress. • Setting goals for the coming year.

38. Final Reflections/Questions • “Victory is in the classroom,” John Stanford.