GEORGIA LIGHTHOUSE SCHOOLS TO WATCH MORGAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL VISITOR S GUIDE

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1 GEORGIA LIGHTHOUSE SCHOOLS TO WATCH MORGAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL VISITOR S GUIDE Morgan County Middle School School Statistics Community: Madison/Morgan County, GA Enrollment: 775 Grade Levels: 6, 7, 8 School Schedule: Regular Student Demographics 2.1% Hispanic 67.1% White 27.4% African American 1.9% Multi-Racial % Filipino 1.3% Asian/Pacific Islander.1% Pacific Islander 41.7% Free/Reduced Lunch 1.1% English Learners Designated in 2009 Morgan County Middle School District: Morgan County County: Morgan State: Georgia Principal Dr. Joe Hutcheson School Address 920 Pearl Street, Madison, GA Phone (706) joe.hutcheson@morgan.k12.ga.us AYP: 2006 AYP: 2007 AYP: 2008 AYP: 2009 AYP: 2010 AYP: School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Morgan County Middle School is a conversion charter school that allows the school to better adjust funds, schedules, and curriculum to meet the needs of students. Grant funds have also been accepted and will be utilized in the areas of reading, math, smaller learning communities and professional development. Morgan County Middle School is committed to the process of school improvement. Over the past few years, we have made a commitment to focusing our growth on four big ideas. These areas include data disaggregation, differentiated instruction, assessment for learning, and standards based instruction/grading. It is our belief that continued professional learning in these areas will provide us with constant school improvement. The staff at Morgan County Middle School has focused its professional learning on these four areas for the past few years.

2 The staff at MCMS understands the impact that data disaggregation has in life as well as the classroom. It is with intention that we collect data daily through assessment for learning. With data, we can then differentiate lessons to accommodate the learning styles of our students. Morgan County Middle is committed to the continued practice of knowing our student and providing for them. This devotion allows us to proclaim our motto where learning is a way of life Teachers utilize data to vertically and horizontally align assessment information from benchmarks, common assessments, and standardized tests. Teachers feel that there needs to be more consistency and pervasiveness with utilizing informal and formal assessment to drive instruction and are dedicated to receiving more professional learning opportunities to become fully operational in all areas of assessment All stakeholders can articulate standards throughout the year due to a set protocol for writing lesson plans and transferring those plans into an essential question covering standards and what students are to know, understand, and do. A master schedule allows teachers to plan together, learn together, create and review assessment needs, and to maximize the learning potential of each child. A master schedule provides designated times for unit planning, writing common lesson plans and assessments, analyzing data from benchmarks, meeting with parents and students to address academic progress, and for Professional Learning opportunities focusing on Differentiated Instruction every other week. It is the desire of MCMS to have all students, regardless of whom is teaching, receive equal opportunities for success. This requires open communication between teachers about standards and intentional teaching practices. It also requires students to become proactive and to self-assess their learning potential. Students are given many opportunities to work within cooperative groups and/or flexible groups completing performance tasks, project-based and hands-on learning activities. Various types of instruction and learning activities involve performance tasks and project based learning. Students are given rubrics prior to the performance of activities enhancing the quality of work and knowledge of standards, as well as creating a way for students to gauge how well they are doing. The use of peer editing, thinking pairs, contracts, and exemplars enable students to self-assess and take pride in their accomplishments. MCMS has created smaller learning communities to provide remediation and enrichment to all sub-populations (extended learning time, math and reading remediation during the day through connection classes, reading communities for students with significant delays during reading period, after school tutoring three days a week, study hall each day during bus time, and intersession). Through data collection, MCMS found that our repeaters were not making the required academic gains. An academy that targets repeaters (students at least one grade level behind) in grades six through eight, has been created. The Academy, another smaller learning community, operates as a 61/2 and a 71/2 allowing students who would have been retained to receive instruction on and below grade level to stay on track for graduation. Morgan County Middle School implements the research-based Guided Reading Program due to continuous slow and steady progress with special education students and overall improvement of reading scores on the CRCT for the general school population in all subgroups. All teachers are reading certified and trained. A reading specialist is presently overseeing the reading program by providing training, supporting teachers with new strategies, selecting

3 reading materials, teaching students that fall below reading level in reading connection classes, implementing new technology, and testing students to obtain critical reading information. Guided Reading affords students the ability to read books, fiction and non-fiction, on their individual reading level. Reading is taught school-wide during the first instructional period of the day beginning at 8:15 a.m. Students are placed within classrooms with certified reading teachers that manage multiple reading groups on different levels. Guided reading provides a context in which a teacher supports each reader s development of effective strategies for processing text at increasing levels of difficulty. The reading goal for students is to become fluent independent readers utilizing strategies of comprehension. To monitor student reading progress, a Lexile score is determined utilizing two computer programs and a Burns & Roe Informal Reading Inventory. The media center has all books marked to Lexile levels for students and teachers. A separate reading library is maintained to supply quality reading materials for teachers and students. Computer programs such as TeenBiz, SRA, and Classworks complements the reading program and acts as additional data collection along with Individual Reading Inventories and running records. Morgan County Middle School has implemented the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) whose purpose is to help students develop understandings of important concepts, skills, procedures, and ways of thinking and reasoning in number sense, geometry, measurement, algebra, probability, and statistics. CMP is a research based program affording students the ability to explore, theorize, implement and create multiple strategies for gaining an in-depth understanding of math state standards. A built-in assessment piece guides instruction with the support of manipulative materials and technology. Thinking Maps training has been conducted, and Thinking Maps are used within all content area classes. Writing across the curriculum is standard. Increasing the effectiveness of Thinking Maps with the writing process, a newly implemented Write for the Future has also been a success. Technology enhances the learning process and is utilized on a daily basis within the classroom and computer lab. Each classroom has five computers and a smart board. Computers are used to enrich, research, and remediate as well as to assess and publish student work. Smart board technology allows for video streaming, Senteo, student work projection and Power Points. Developmental Responsiveness The MCMS population is becoming more diverse in culture, economic backgrounds, exceptionalities, and motivation. As this occurs, learning then becomes diverse and different for each learner. Morgan County Middle School can no longer afford to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual and teach the same subjects in the same way. Differentiated Instruction is responsive teaching rather than one-size-fits-all teaching. Morgan County Middle School wishes to be a DI school within five years. As Morgan County Middle moves toward becoming a DI school, it is necessary to have the faculty trained through professional learning opportunities at local and out of state colleges (last two years teams sent

4 to University of Virginia). Trained DI teachers re-deliver to faculty twice a month through Professional Learning time. Teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they will show what they have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can, as efficiently as possible. Teachers respond to the learner s needs through guided principles of differentiation: respectful tasks, quality curriculum, flexible grouping, continual assessment, and building a sense of community. Teachers differentiate through content, process, product, or affect/environment according to students readiness, interest, and/or learning profile using a variety of researched based instructional strategies meeting the needs of state standards. Differentiated Instruction is just one way to increase rigor, relevance, and relationships between teachers and students. Thinking Maps, an organizational tool that allows the thinking process to transfer to content through the use of conceptual maps (i.e., defining in context, describing qualities, comparing and contrasting, classifying, part-whole, sequencing, cause and effect, and seeing analogies) has been initiated to ensure the use of higher order thinking and the application of an organizational tool. Thinking maps can be utilized in all content areas as well as in extra-curricular classes allowing for the transfer of higher order thinking skills and processes that are utilized in instruction. A counterpart to this program is Write for the Future which utilizes the Thinking Maps in the writing process. Students are able to use maps to organize thoughts, clarify ideas, create structure, and improve the quality of their writing. Co-curricular activities such as sports, clubs and fine arts allow students to take pride in their school. MCMS offers a myriad of athletic teams including football, coed wrestling, girl s and boy s basketball, track, tennis and soccer, baseball and softball, archery, golf, and a competition cheerleading squad. There are over twenty clubs offered within the school day through an activity schedule. Clubs such as astronomy, poetry, scrap book, and chess compliment traditional clubs such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Georgia Teen Institute, and Y Club. Academic clubs such as Academic Bowl and National Junior Honor Society allows students to compete and become a member of state and national organizations. The fine arts department conducts multiple concerts, plays, and art shows throughout the school year. The band program includes a jazz band, a pep band, and three different concert bands. They compete with other bands in state competitions. The chorus also performs around the state as well as at home having three chorus groups. The drama department performs at least three plays a year. These three fine arts groups offer a year long class which enables quality instruction and greater student achievement. The art department is supported by many local artists and museums. Students have their art tastefully displayed within the school and community. Several local art shows give talented students the ability to show their creations. MCMS offers rich diverse co-curricular activities that enrich and give relevance to what is in the community and beyond. An advisor/advisee program is also instrumental in helping students understand the necessity for setting realistic academic and social goals. Students set academic and social goals, review goals and learn strategies to achieve goals. Students have many learning opportunities through advisor/advisee to become competent academically, socially, and emotionally.

5 Students are divided into advisement groups which meet bi-monthly. A group name is selected by the students and a group photo hangs outside their homeroom door. Through a series of planned activities, created by the guidance counselors, that address the emotional needs of middle school learners, teachers assist students with making short and long term goals. Setting and reviewing goals provide students with a gauge to evaluate personal success and/or growth. Social issues such as peer relationships, positive communication skills, and contributing to others are other topics that are addressed. Celebrations for good attendance, good behaviors, and birthdays are a part of advisement as well. Each advisement group is also encouraged to conduct a service project. Having a caring adult in the school that students feel a connection with and can come to at any time is important. Counselors work with students on career development connecting them to the world of work through GCIS and Future Focus. Students are introduced to careers that they are interested in and develop a long range plan for obtaining the careers of their choice. This information is then fed into the annual career day creating an opportunity for local businesses to come and present relevant information to all students. The graduation coach focuses on three key tools for future success: academic development, a work ethic, and realistic goal setting. Working individually and in small groups students stay abreast of academic progress, complete work and/or develop plans for completing work, and set goals for the future. Morgan County Middle School also recognizes the personal needs and well being of students. MCMS has a full time registered nurse that administers medication, informs teachers and parents of health issues that our children face, feeds the children with food and hugs, makes home visits, and most importantly stays on top of serious medical problems that individual students may have. Parents/Curriculum Night, a new effort to promote positive relationships with parents and empower parents to contribute to the education of their children, allows parents to come and sit in on classes that emulate what students are actually learning in their classes. Parents contribute to the school s instructional day by volunteering to help with reading, organizing the book room, mentoring, creating learning packages, attending field trips, and information disseminating. Morgan County Middle School has a paid Parent Volunteer Coordinator. She works closely with teachers, administration and parent organizations to promote active involvement and facilitate two way communications. Social Equity All students have equal access to a quality education. The special needs population is served through an inclusion model. General education teachers and special education teachers work hand in hand ensuring a standard based education with multiple opportunities for understanding and mastering state standards. Collaboration occurs in all content area classes with all students regardless of disabilities given access to state standards and learning activities.

6 Sub-populations are given the extra support needed through smaller learning communities, tutoring and intercessions. All teachers are expected to deliver instruction through research based best teaching practices. Teachers are made aware through data analysis which sub groups need to be targeted. Morgan County Middle School is aware that the low socio-economic students, African American males, and the special needs population require personalized instruction. MCMS also realizes that the other end of the spectrum needs acceleration. The faculty feels that the utilization of data to drive instruction is still an area of weakness. Smaller learning communities address the needs of students that are not excelling at a consistent rate. A free After School Program offers reading and math instruction three days a week; transportation is included. Everyday students return to homeroom at the end of the day for homework support while buses are being called. Reading and math workshops are offered during connections classes to support the individual needs of students that have not mastered grade level on reading and math standards. Teaching/assessing and re-teaching/assessing is a constant within the classroom as well as smaller learning communities so that all students are given many opportunities to advance their understanding of state standards. It is the desire of MCMS to have every member of the faculty become more diligent in assessing, teaching and re/teaching. In an attempt to create an orderly, respectful, and predictable learning environment, Morgan County Middle School has implemented a new school-wide behavior management system, Paw Pride. The system is designed to promote positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate actions. The goal of Paw Pride is to be proactive for all students and remedial with specialized interventions for violators. Paw Pride is a tool to provide teachers with a resource for handling student misbehaviors as well as rewarding students good behavior. Counselors and the graduation coach meet with students on a daily basis carrying a full case load. Class interventions/trainings are also conducted. A Mentor Program allows caring adults within the community to come into the school setting and mentor students who need positive role models and a significant other in his/her life. Transition programs from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school are in place. Students from both ends of the spectrum have multiple opportunities to become familiar with the next school experience through written materials, visitations, boot camps and open dialogue.

7 Morgan County Middle School also implemented a built-in club day schedule within the school day. As a conversion charter school, the School Council, School Leadership Team, PTO, and faculty shared initial information concerning charter schools. The Charter School will continue to operate a School Council consisting of nine members: the principal, three teachers, three parents, and two business/community members. The council meets monthly to review instructional programs and policies. The council provides feedback from the community to the school administration. The Parent Teacher Organization, PTO, open to all parents and teachers, also serves as a communication network offering programs and presentations that give parents specific information about charter status, curriculum, instruction, and parenting. Through surveys, parent forums, and regular meetings, school stakeholders are kept informed and have a continued avenue for suggestions and school improvements. Partners in Education (PIE), has provided the school with a community resource person that advocates for schools and secures support from local businesses and organizations. This year Kiwanis Club members have supported a student of the month. The administrator and student have lunch with the organization and a framed certificate and publication is then given to the student. PIE also supports the Legend of the Month recognizing educators that contribute unselfishly to the success of students. The school takes advantage of Family Connections and Interagency. These two organizations provide valuable outside support through social services and law enforcement. The resource officer contributes to the safety and education of our students being ever present and communicating with students on a daily basis in a non-threatening manner. The paid school parent volunteer coordinator also communicates information with parents through weekly ed newsletters, quarterly newsletters, and gives parents and community members the ability to respond to the information given. Organizational Supports The motto, MCMS Where Learning is a Way of Life, conveys the true intent and focus of the school. Students are expected to learn, parents are expected to be involved and help their child through this process, and teachers are expected to deliver the best quality instruction at all times. Administrators and district personnel provide the infrastructure permitting current research based teaching practices to be implemented by providing training within the school, through colleges and universities, and through RESA organizations. The district partially funds college courses, and teachers are encouraged to further their education.

8 New teachers to our system go through an extensive training orientation through the district and the contracted school. New teachers are assigned a trained mentor who meets with them on a regular basis. New teacher meetings are conducted throughout the school year. Training with special programs and educational strategies is given throughout the year as well. Partnership with the University of Georgia with CMP has given us many extra hands and strategies. There is a constant influx of student teachers form UGA, Piedmont, and Georgia College and State University. To support continued quality of instruction, the school s vision and mission maintains the need for smaller class sizes. Every effort is made by the local board of education to lower class sizes. Thirty-three core academic (i.e., language arts, mathematics, reading, science, and social studies) teachers are employed at Morgan County Middle School. Eleven core academic teachers are assigned to each grade. Each grade is arranged into teams of two to four teachers. Current average class sizes for core academics range from 23 to 26 with many being less. A special student services teacher and paraprofessional are also assigned to each core academic team that serve special needs students through the inclusion model. Connection classes that are currently offered at Morgan County Middle School include art, band, chorus, Spanish, drama, music, computer application, technology, family and consumer sciences, math and reading workshop, and physical education/health. A master schedule allows for smaller learning communities, professional learning opportunities within the school day, activity schedules for advisor/advisee, club days and assemblies, and a blocked period of time for reading instruction, benchmark testing, and other educational and socials needs of the middle school learner. The middle school has also had the honor of becoming a Silver Award School through the Georgia State Department for making Annual Yearly Progress for the last two years. Two years ago Morgan County Middle School underwent a voluntary Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards review conducted by the Georgia State Department to ensure that we not only continue to make Annual Yearly Progress but that the faculty becomes cognizant of rigor and applies best teaching practices to the curriculum and educational programs. The school has unpacked Keys to Quality ensuring that all areas are examined and evidence and artifacts can be provided. It is the goal to become fully operational in all areas that are now operational and to become operational in emergent areas. All administrators conduct daily walkthroughs allowing for constructive feedback to teachers, parents, and community members as well as securing necessary information for continued improvement.

9 School leadership teams use valuable information from walkthroughs, team meetings, content area meetings, and grade meetings to stay focused on school improvement goals and to improve rigor, relevance and relationships.