Middle School Recommendations

December 2009

Middle School Design Team (MSDT)

1. Support for the Middle School Model as Implemented in APS

2. Focus on Improvements to Benefit Students

• Flexibility to Meet Challenges – Helping Students Learn

Current School Initiatives Targeting Student Needs

Acceleration Opportunities During the School Day for Students Not at Grade Level

Resource Allocation

• Helping Teachers Meet Student Needs – Professional Development– Adolescent Learning Theory– Procedurally through Summer Institutes and Small Learning

Communities– Maximizing Benefits of Flexible Scheduling

Guiding Principles• Provide student/staff teams

• Commit to success for all students

• Advocate for and support the needs, interests, and talents of all middle school students

• Differentiate learning opportunities for students

• Provide flexibility in scheduling to best meet student needs

• Engage and educate families and the wider community

Key Components – Impact on StudentsRelationships and Decision-Making

• Teacher-Student Advisory Program

• Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching and Curriculum

• Grade Level Teams

– Interdisciplinary team configurations– Common planning time

Broad Range of Experiences

• A clearly articulated exploratory/electives program

• A comprehensive after-school activity program

• Inclusive opportunities for all students

ChargeChargeBuilding upon the work of the Middle School Design Team Phase I, develop options that will allow the Superintendent to make short and/or long term recommendations concerning the following:

• Alternative/hybrid schedules– Core– Electives (Encore)– Middle School instructional and activities times

• Elective course offerings

• Extended instruction in core classes in response to student need as revealed through achievement data

• Teacher/Advisory time and delivery

• Professional development:– Adolescent learning theory– Summer Institutes and Small Learning Communities– Maximizing benefits of flexible scheduling

Progressive Planning Model – Progressive Planning Model – RecommendationRecommendation

Staff recommends the implementation of a three-phase Progressive Planning Model – Middle Schools.

These phases collectively provide a model for combining approaches and that each phase, or elements within a phase, can be implemented as needed or revised to meet changing needs, challenges, and resources.

Note: Throughout all stages of this process drafts and recommendations have been circulated to stakeholder groups for review, comments, and suggestions.

Progressive Planning Model – Progressive Planning Model – Phase I - Resources and SupportPhase I - Resources and Support

• Staff recommends the redirection of professional and curriculum development funds

to implement immediate recommendations

• Staff recommends funding of middle school program at current levels pending budget deliberations

Phase Actions Planning ImplementationI Implement staff recommended

changes/additions to current APS Middle School (#1-6 on Page 4)

January 2010 – July 2011

September 2011

II Review elective offerings to determine need for additions and/or deletions (e.g., additional pairings with semester Grade 6 Reading per Policy 20-1.110 Addition and Deletion of Courses)

December 2010– February 2011

September 2012

III Support schools to engage in in-depth study of other scheduling models (e.g., 4-by-4, A-B, etc.)

July 2010 – October 2011

TBD

Progressive Planning Model – Progressive Planning Model – Middle SchoolMiddle School

Proposed Middle School Pilot for 2010-2011

Summary of Recommended Changes/Additions to Current APS Middle School Recommendation Addition Change No Change Pilot

AssessmentLong-Term Assessment

1. Middle School Pilot Steering Committee √ Updates N/A

2. Early Adolescent Development Online Course √ Course link, #

enrolled, evaluations

Course link, # enrolled,

evaluations

3. Teacher Advisory – 3 days dedicated to social, emotional, organizational activities

√ Strategic Plan Objectives

4. Teacher Advisory – 2 days

dedicated to academic support

Ability to have extended TAs

√ √ Strategic Plan Objectives

Strategic Plan Objectives

5. Teacher Advisory – consistent developmental curriculum

√ Strategic Plan Objectives

6. Scheduling – Semester Grade 6 Spanish option paired with a Reading course

√ Strategic Plan Objectives

7. Staff Support – Ongoing, sustained, middle school professional development

√ # offerings, # staff enrolled, #

requests

Phase I RecommendationsPhase I Recommendations

Phase I: Middle School Pilot Steering Committee

• June 2009-November 2009 • Developed pilot in accordance with

– Guiding Principles– Key Components– Charge to Committee

Phase I: Early Adolescent Development Course

• May 2009-December 2009 • Developed in recognition of need since

inception of middle school model in Arlington

– Middle school teachers may come to middle school with limited knowledge of pre- and early- adolescent development

– Online course available for Spring 2010

Phase I: Teacher Advisory

• January 2010-July 2010 • Responsive to

– Developmental curriculum/activities– System-wide initiatives– Need for additional time for academic support

that varies over time

• In collaboration with Department of Student Services and the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families

Phase I: SchedulingPhase I: Scheduling

• Fall 2010 as part of pilot implementation • Includes:

– Semester Transitional Spanish 6 paired with Semester Reading in Grade 6 that establishes a K-12 Spanish language proficiency pathway (ACTFL)

– Establishes a framework, that over time, may provide opportunities for other electives/pairings within Policy 20-1.110 Addition and Deletion of Courses

Phase I: Staff SupportPhase I: Staff Support

• January 2010-June 2011 • In addition to early adolescent development

course: – Support for effective Teacher Advisory– Curriculum work for semester reading and

Transitional Spanish 6 (January-July 2010)

– Explicit instruction of reading and writing in elective and core content areas

Phase I – Next Steps

• Implement elements within phase, as needed or revised to meet changing needs, challenges, and resources

• Monitor through an ongoing process

• Monitor and evaluate process to allow for solutions to be fine-tuned in order to meet school-specific and system-wide needs.

• Continue, consistent with the cycle of improvement model (Plan, Do, Study, Act)

Phase II – Next Steps

• Review elective offerings to determine need for additions and/or deletions (e.g., additional pairings with semester Grade 6 Reading

• Implement elements within phase, as needed or revised to meet changing needs, challenges, and resources

• Monitor and evaluate to allow for solutions to be fine-tuned in order to meet school-specific and system-wide needs.

• Continue, consistent with the cycle of improvement model (Plan, Do, Study, Act)

Phase III – Next Steps

• Support schools to engage in in-depth study of other scheduling models (e.g., 4-by-4, A-B, etc.)

• Implement elements within phase, as needed or revised to meet changing needs, challenges, and resources

• Monitor and evaluate to allow for solutions to be fine-tuned in order to meet school-specific and system-wide needs.

• Continue, consistent with the cycle of improvement model (Plan, Do, Study, Act)

Information and materials related to process:Information and materials related to process:

http://www.apsva.us/1540101023111310680/site/default.asp

Web PageWeb Page

Middle School Recommendations

December 2009