California Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | Missouri New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Scott Steele ssteele@leagueofschools.org Participating Organizations California League of Middle Schools California Department of Education California Teachers Association Association of California School Administrators California School Boards Association California Middle Grades Alliance California League of Educators 8583 Irvine Center Dr. #45, Irvine, CA 92618 Phone: (800) 326-1880 Email: ssteele@leagueofschools.org State Website: www.leagueofschools.org Joined National STW Program in 2002 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions California Schools to Watch (Initial Designation Year) Acacia Middle School (2026) Adams Middle School (2023) Adeline E. Kent Middle School (2025) Alder Creek Middle School (2016) Alondra Middle School (2014) Alpha: Cornerstone Academy Preparatory (2023) Alta Loma Junior High School (2023) Alta Sierra Intermediate School (2008) Alvarado Intermediate School (2004) Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School (2025) Animo Florence-Firestone Middle School (2023) Anthony Ochoa Middle School (2026) Arlie F. Hutchinson Middle School (2020) Arrowview Middle School (2025) Atascadero Middle School (2020) August Boeger Middle School (2026) Badger Springs Middle School (2019) Bell Intermediate School (2018) Bell Mountain Middle School (2025) Ben F. Kolb Middle School (2023) Benton Middle School (2025) Bernice Ayer Middle School (2005) Bernice Harrell Chipman Junior High (2023) Beverly Vista Middle School (2025) Bret Harte Middle School (2024) Bud Carson Middle School (2024) Buena Park Middle School (2025) Calavera Hills Middle School (2011) Camerado Springs Middle School (2025) Canyon Hills Junior High School (2020) Carmenita Middle School (2014) Castaic Middle School (2003) Castelar Street Elementary (2026) Cedarlane Academy K8 (2024) Cerro Villa Middle School (2018) Cesar Chavez Middle School (2024) Cesar E. Chavez Middle School (2025) Chaparral Middle School (2017) Christensen Middle School (2022) Citrus Middle School (2026) Clark Intermediate School (2009) Clifton Middle School (2017) Coalinga Middle School (2023) Col Joseph Rodriguez PREP Academy (2025) Colin P. Kelly Elementary School (2026) College Preparatory Middle School (2023) Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School (2026) Community Montessori (2026) Corona Fundamental Intermediate School (2026) Corvallis Middle School STEAM Magnet (2026) Creekview Ranch School K-8 (2019) Culver City Middle School (2003) Curtis Middle School (2016) Dartmouth Middle School (2009) De Anza Magnet School (2018) De Anza Middle School (2015) Del Mar Middle School (2022) Del Vallejo Leadership and STEAM Academy (2026) Don Juan Avila Middle School (2023) Dorothy McElhinney Middle School (2025) Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School (2026) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School (2019) Dr. Russell Johnson Middle School (2025) E.O. Green Jr. High School (2023) East Avenue Middle School (2023) Edgewood Academy (2026) Edgewood Middle School (2024) Edna Hill Middle School (2007) Edward A. Sussman Middle School (2025) El Cerrito Middle School (2025) El Rancho Charter School (2023) El Segundo Middle School (2018) Elizabeth Pinkerton Middle School (2014) Ellen Fletcher Middle School (2023) Enrique Camarena Jr. High School (2019) Ethel Dwyer Middle School (2025) Ethel Kucera Middle School (2026) For the complete list of California STWs, visit the CLMS website .

2017-2018 Butterfield Trail Middle School 2017-2018 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2011 Re-Designated in 2015 Community Size - Suburban School Enrollment - 663 Grade Levels - 6, 7, 8 School Calendar - Traditional Free and Reduced Lunch 71% English Learners 13% Students With Disabilities 16% Demographics Hispanic 22% White 65% African American 2% Asian 2% Native American 3% Pacific Islander 0% Filipino 0% Two or More 6% Other 0% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Expeditionary learning interdisciplinary unitsprovide opportunities for student voice and choicein authentic project-based learning experienceswhich strengthen engagement with requiredcurriculum expectations. Research, reading,writing (multiple drafts), and oral communicationskills are integral components of each EL unit. Learning opportunities within the community areconnected and provide authentic opportunities for students to experience the power of service learning. Multiple data sources, including adaptive technology programs, academic performance, habits of work and learning (HOWLs), attendance, and discipline are used to support personalized learning for each student. School wide processes, including daily advisory and teacher team meetings, continuously identify students who are struggling academically and provide support structures for RtI interventions. An academic honors banquet for students who excel in academics, attendance, and leadership is provided as an end of year celebration. Students in need of intensive academic support are identified weekly as part of our ICU program, then provided time to make up missing assignments before and after school and during lunch times. A schoolwide expectation for learning objectives is evident in classroom instruction as daily learning targets, beginning with “I can” provide clear language to support students in understanding their learning goals. Students establish and monitor academic goals by checking their grades and attendance each week and discussing with advisory teachers. Academic expectation processes are outlined in Habits of Work and Learning (HOWL) and are used to change the lens from teacher to student ownership. Students are equipped and empowered of as “Leaders of Their Own Learning” with various opportunities for student voice and hands on learning throughout multiple courses of study. Explore/activity teachers and athletic coaches value the schoolwide ICU system communicating missing work and intervene to support students turning in work is being turned in on time. Real life experiences being taught in the school (budgeting, water conservation, natural disaster preparedness, speaking skills) are interwoven throughout academic classroom expectations. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses are integrated in science classrooms (medical detectives, magic of electrons, flight and space) as well as during activity times (design and modeling, robotics, technology coding) providing opportunities for all students to learn through problem-based learning units. Students have one-to-one chromebook access, as well as iPad, smartboards, and interactive VR tools available to enhance learning experiences. The core curriculum includes readers/writers workshop and conceptual math units infused with engaging instructional practices to support student problem-solving and independence. Teachers meet in content and interdisciplinary team meetings to review curriculum expectations and design engaging instructional experiences and assessments to strengthen academic learning. Developmental Responsiveness Students meet daily for advisory time (Students, Teachers, and Relationships - STAR) which includes team building activities, conversations about “sticky situations,” goal setting,reviewing academic and behavioral progress, and other activities designed to meet the needs of the whole child (healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged). Small communities of learning for students in each grade level (Discoverers, Pathfinders, Imagineers, Innovators, Adventurers, Challengers, Ignitors) are designed to strengthen relationships and personal connections with each student. Students feel they are valued, accepted and connected to adults and others in the school with daily advisory time and smaller team learning communities. 1:1 student technology is available and utilized daily by students in the learning process as a classroom tool for research, reading, and accessing/creating information as well as to address adaptive learning needs through programs such as ST Math, LightSail, Mindplay, etc. Student-led conferences where students take the lead role in communicating their learning are scheduled in the Fall and Spring which has increased family involvement to 90% parental participation. Health and Wellness (Whole-child) focuses are facilitated by numerous programs including a clothes closet, nurse, mentors, backpack meals, and our School Resource Officer (SRO. Habits of Work and Learning (HOWLs) learning targets are posted in classrooms in addition to academic Learning Targets, addressing student social and emotional needs. Sponsors and teacher teams are deliberate to ensure all diverse groups are represented on committees. Counselors have means for students to access them through various platforms. Flexible seating is used to meet students developmental needs. Parents request Butterfield Trail Middle School because of the way the school responds to students academic and social needs and the level of innovation embedded in the academic culture. Transition to middle school from elementary school is supported through a “That’s How Butterfield Does It” 6th grade learning expedition, culminating with a celebration of learning where students teach their families about Butterfield Trail Middle School. Social Equity All students, including English language learners, gifted and advanced, students with disabilities, multiple ethnicities, etc., participate in heterogeneous classes with high expectations for all students. Students earn tokens through positive behavior supports (PBIS) to buy items from the school store and earn incentives, encouraging both positive behavior habits and economic learning experiences. Student voice is integral to the school culture evident in student led leadership meetings. STAR (Students, Teachers And Relationships) advisory program is implemented daily in all grade levels focused on ongoing dialogue with students in a safe environment to talk and share, including team building, sticky situations, school safety, Habits of Work and Learning (HOWLs) and academic/behavioral goal setting. Student council is nominated by students and faculty and aligned to 4 areas to best meet identified needs across the school (Social, Service, Student Voice and Support). Leadership Council students meets once a month to support growth of student leadership through their STAR class built around the H.O.W.L. character attributes. Students learn through learning expedition units as equality and respect are interwoven components of each unit. Two way communication with families occurs through conferences, remind 101, surveys with feedback, email, newsletter, social media and student agendas. Habits of Work and Learning (HOWLs) ideals (Respect, Responsibility, Perseverance) are visible and evident throughout the school. Parents articulate how the HOWLs are modeled across the school by students and faculty. Organizational Support Exploratory/activity teachers are paired with core teachers for STAR Advisory to ensure a smaller teacher to student ratio to strengthen relationships. Distributive leadership practices for school initiatives is evident as staff members are encouraged and invited to participate in leadership roles and articulate ideals to improve learning across the school evident in the STAR advisory program, Live School, scheduling, etc. Transition documentation and dialogue with elementary school support seamless services for high need students Teachers participate in weekly team meetings with school counselors to review student data (academic, attendance, behavioral) and make RTI referrals. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) meet weekly for both content and interdisciplinary planning utilizing team structures including agendas, setting norms, roles for team members, and access to student data and curriculum resources. Annual evidence of staff, student, and community contribution to the school vision and mission process resulting in a school mantra of “Igniting a Passion for Learning-NOW!” Evidence of distributive leadership across the school to strengthen academic and social responsive areas, including the school leadership team and sub-committees for various school initiatives. The school is connected and supported by the community through a partnership with a local university for the Professional Development School as well as the Van Buren High School Teacher Cadet Program, and project based expeditionary learning opportunities with multlple community supporters. Parents are offered involvement in the school through P.T.A., after school extra curricular activities, and sub committees to support school initiatives such as the PBIS committee. Leadership is continuously involved and responsive to parents, students and staff concerns as issues and questions are addressed immediately, often with phone or face-to-face communications.

2016-2017 Holt Middle School 2016-2017 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated 2017 Enrollment: 441 Grade Levels: 5-6 School Schedule: Modified Block Free/Reduced Lunch 59% English Learners 14.7% Demographics Hispanic 17% White 60.3% African American 15.8% Asian 5.2% Native American .6% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Throughout all we do at Holt Middle School, the belief that “Huskies Pull Together” rings loudly and clearly! As a faculty, we believe in the motto we developed together: “We are Partners United in Learning & Life,” and we practice that core belief each day with every child who enters our doors. We PULL hard to create and build strong relationships while challenging our students to meet high academic standards. Our core beliefs are: Huskies need a safe and caring environment; Huskies excel when we use teamwork; Huskies pursue academic success; Huskies develop healthy and productive futures. These statements signify our commitment as partners to our students, parents, and community. Most of all, we are committed to each other. We are a team. Huskies PULL together. All students at Holt Middle School are expected to meet high academic standards so they can reach their fullest potential, and these expectations are made clear to both students and parents in a variety of ways. We partner with families to share our expectations by hosting a curriculum night at the beginning of the year so that families can meet core teachers in an intimate setting as they gain an overview of our grade-level curricula. Through our school-wide advisory program, students’ academic success is regularly monitored with daily communication among students and parents via student agendas, frequent grade checks, and studentled parent conferences. Our classroom websites, weekly teacher emails, and monthly pack newsletters provide direct communication with our school families so that they stay informed about what students are learning. Some teachers utilize the phone app Remind 101 to communicate with families about timely matters; others set up Google classrooms so students and parents can share a classroom together. Expectations of learning objectives are communicated every day in all of our classes--students are required to write down in their agendas the student-friendly objectives posted each class period and share with parents each night. Holt teachers have worked hard to develop curriculum maps and align core content areas with high academic standards while also clearly defining essential learning skills for students. We believe these essential learning skills serve as a foundational piece to higher academic learning. Throughout the year there is an ongoing process to measure and monitor student academic growth during an early intervention RTI (Response to Intervention) process. Faculty RTI committee members monitor individual student performance during monthly meetings throughout the year, recording and reviewing data on Google spreadsheets. Process outcomes might lead to recommended Tier II interventions in math and literacy for students who are falling behind. Two full-time interventionists are on staff at Holt to work with these students using specialized programs such as Lexia, Raz Kids, and Dreambox. RTI outcomes might also involve new GT referrals and new enrichment opportunities for students. Trained extensively in multiple professional development workshops, Holt teachers have an overflowing teacher toolbox filled with a variety of instructional strategies designed to engage students in rich, meaningful content. Teaching strategies include the gradual release model, differentiation, learning stations, Socratic seminar, partner learning, learning labs, direct instruction, project-based learning, flipped virtual learning, flexible grouping, cooperative learning, science labs including virtual labs; the list goes on and on. To help teach important curriculum content concepts, teachers embed information literacy skills such as researching, note-taking, writing, listening, and speaking skills in carefully planned interdisciplinary study units. Aimed at helping students develop deeper understandings of important concepts, teachers connect and overlap content disciplines such as in art class where students create onomatopoeia pictures connecting art with grammar studies. After seeing her proud student’s art display at a recent family night, one parent remarked, “Wow! I never understood onomatopoeia until now!” Teachers also spend extra time planning and preparing extended learning field trips to business sites such as the County Recycling Center, environmental spaces like Devil’s Den State Park, art centers such as the Walton Arts Center and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. To increase retention of information and emphasize the importance of field trips as learning experiences, teachers often create specialized field guides with focused learning tasks that enhance field learning. Theatre classes borrow scenes from ELA texts and bring them to life on the stage with dialogue and tableaux. Engineering classes bring robots to life with math and science. Enriched learning never stops at Holt! Holt’s master schedule is designed to provide students as much time as possible in the classroom to meet rigorous academic standards. Double blocked classes in math and literacy allow time for Tier II & Tier III interventions and both co-taught and advanced classes. Professional Learning Communities also known as “Prime Time” have common planning time embedded into the master schedule so teachers can work with their content area colleagues during the school day twice a week. The master schedule also allows teachers to meet and work in grade-level teams three times a week. Both of these flexible scheduling options enable teachers to collaborate in vertical and horizontal teaming to create rigorous and relevant curriculum, engaging, effective instruction, and high quality standards-based assessment. Holt teachers value assessment as a means of monitoring student learning and designing meaningful learning experiences around the academic needs of students. Assessment data is collected by multiple methods--student science data notebooks, Google classroom quizzes with immediate feedback, district common assessments, encore showcases, rubric evaluations, self-critiques, student-created rubrics, quick writes, standardized summative assessments--that list goes on and on, too. We give students at Holt multiple opportunities to demonstrate what they know and what they are learning, and we continually search for the magic that happens when instructional methods matched with assessed needs results in student achievement and success. Developmental Responsiveness At Holt Middle School we are sensitive to the unique developmental challenges of early adolescence. All throughout the school year, the Holt staff spends extra effort to create a personalized environment that supports each student’s intellectual, ethical, social, and physical development. Teachers have an opportunity to learn about their students before they arrive for the new school year from profile sheets written from students’ previous teachers. The student profiles includes Triand Reports with test scores, writing samples from students about themselves, any health alerts from the school nurse, and other reference points for each student’s academic, emotional, and social needs. Advisory teachers read these reports, write postcards, and mail them to their new students to welcome students to their Holt advisory classroom. During re-enrollment and school orientation events before the new school year begins, the school counselor introduces students and their families to their “packs” (this term was chosen to highlight our school mascot, the Holt Husky) and advisory teachers. Holt has four grade level teams of teachers to enhance teaching and learning, and every student has a school-based adult (advisor) to provide mentorship in small group classes. During daily advisory periods which begin first thing in the morning, teachers develop and maintain positive relationships with students, serving as an advocate and a guide all year long. Meeting all year long in small group advisory classes, students are engaged several days a week in character building exercises including “Mind-Up” lessons. Advisory students practice setting academic, social, and personal goals and work towards reaching those goals. Advisory lessons also challenge students to confront and strengthen the best parts of themselves, growing with more confidence from team building activities. From the first week of school, routines, procedures, and school culture are taught while using flexible scheduling which makes students feel safe and nurtured within a structured environment. Holt Middle School provides students access to comprehensive services to foster healthy physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Updated yearly, a student services plan through the counselor's office addresses all student services offered at Holt which includes ESOL, Ozark Guidance Counseling, psychological examinations, and social worker services. Holt provides outreach services to students who qualify, and through interim testing, ensure student’s academic needs are met through accelerated math, the Gifted and Talented program, Read-180, ESOL, Corrective Reading, Barton, and Alphabetic Phonics. The Special Education Department provides all teachers with specific IEP goals and modifications for all special education students in their classes, and teachers are made aware in a strict confidential manner of 504 plans and accommodations for students they serve. Holt Middle School has a dual response intervention team ( RTI-A for academics and RTI-B for behavior). These teams, formed by teachers, administrators, counselor, and the instructional facilitator, monitor data gathered through a variety of instruments and surveys to improve academics and student behavior as needed. Students, teachers, and parents are also invited to give input on the school climate through inventories and surveys. Recognizing the middle schoolers need for physical activity, all Holt students have time every day before, during, and after school to engage in physical activities. Often students have a small recess period outside in good weather after lunch, and all students have physical education opportunities that include bike trail riding and Frisbee golf. Students may also choose to play basketball through Arkansas Activities Outreach and the Boys and Girls Club, which provides free transportation from Holt to the Club after school. Numerous clubs designed to pique student interest include running, basketball, gardening, crafts, Odyssey of the Mind, Rubik's Cube, Bible, technology, and Student Council and are offered to all interested students. Some meet at lunch, some after school, some in the evenings and some even on the weekends. In order to address social/emotional needs, Holt provides access to the school counselor any time during the school day. Every student at Holt also has the opportunity to eat lunch in the counselor’s office for daily lunch groups to address student social needs. A Holt Middle School crisis intervention team is trained to respond to emergencies, and all HMS teachers are provided professional development training that emphasizes behavior tools to implement positive behavior interventions supportive and protective of the learning environment. Students are exposed to a variety of instructional situations such as Kagan strategies that enable students in different grouping arrangements to practice using respectful language and conflict resolution skills. During all classes, students are provided Brain Breaks to regroup, recharge, and refocus. Parents are involved and supported with family events such as Math and Science Night that enhance core academics and provide an opportunity to spend time at school learning with their children and Holt teachers. Internet Safety Night assists parents in educating and protecting their children online, and the school counselor hosts morning coffee talks with parents on topics affecting students and arising from parent survey feedback. Teachers aim for deep learning, delivering lessons aimed at reaching William Daggett’s “quadrant D” critical thinking and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Level 4 and encouraging creative thinking using a variety of arts integration methods to teach core curriculum. Kagan cooperative learning strategies and RTI-B committee recommendations are used to develop and support positive social skills in a structured and supported environment. Lunch groups, guidance support personnel, speech pathology services, as well as the counselor, work with individual students during the school day on study and organizational skills. Advisory teachers utilize current technology --Brain Pop, You Tube, Teacher Tube, Ted Talks-- as well as tried and true instructional strategies such as Reader’s Theater, Classroom Courtroom, and Public Service Announcements to support students in developing effective life learning skills. Meeting in interdisciplinary teams three days a week to develop and enrich existing curriculum, teachers organize field trips, a charity fair, Greek and Roman Tech Stations, Adventure Destination events, Purple Pinky for Polio fundraisers, and an Encore showcase presentations. Both 5th and 6th grade students participate in a Financial Literacy unit with a culminating activity of a Financial Literacy Day where members of the community come to Holt and interact with interested students about career details and possibilities. Besides field trips to explore local places such as the Ozark Natural Sciences Center, and the City Water Plant, teachers arrange for engaging guest speakers from tenured university professors to business leaders to local politicians to authors to Miss America to give class presentations that enhance the curriculum, provide positive leader role models, and connect the real world to student learning. All Holt students have several opportunities for posing questions, reflecting on experiences, and participating in leadership activities. Students in both 5th and 6th grade can participate in Student Council activities that plan inclusive school-wide social functions, assist with school-wide fundraisers, initiate Student Council charity projects and take over responsibilities such as raising and lowering the American flag in front of our school. Student Council students also are provided the opportunity to travel to our state capital and learn more about community service and government. By teacher recommendation, Holt students can become student ambassadors at our school who assist new students as they adjust to a new school environment. Because advisory classes are small, students have more discussion options thinking about issues of relevance to themselves and others. Advisory lessons often involve discussions among students over topics that have no particular answer, and students learn about multiple perspectives from multiple life experiences students bring to the discussion. Students bond with teachers and students during advisory time, while learning pack songs and chants, in practicing strong citizenship skills such as helping one another on Green Team school recycling teams, canned food drives, Tween jean collection efforts, retirement center projects, garden club cooking events, and fundraising drives to help local pet shelters or children in orphanages in developing countries. Advisory classes also offer students time to reflect on their work, goals and performance, resulting in student participation in pack reward parties and in focus on student successes and areas needing improvement during student-led parent conferences. It’s not unusual to see parents at Holt Middle School throughout the day. Parents might attend a morning coffee talk with the counselor, lead a PTO meeting, join a parent involvement committee team, attend an ASCIP meeting as a parent representative, share the experience of a Literacy night with their family, or share a school lunch with their child. Movie nights, Math and Science Night, Pack Potlucks, the Health and Wellness Fair--all of these events are grand opportunities for Holt Husky families to pull together and stay strong. Social Equity While the expression “all means all” is sometimes used loosely, at Holt Middle School it is the bedrock of our decision making. We see every student as an individual deserving of the best instruction, resources, opportunities, and supports available. As we plan curriculum, design instruction, coordinate class schedules, create clubs, schedule field trips, and discuss student needs, we are driven by the notion that no single method or program is going to be effective for every student. Rather, we strive to provide as many options as possible so that all students can find a path to success. At Holt, we work hard to ensure that high expectations for academic success and behavior are never compromised. We also understand that some students need more support and scaffolding than others while some students need the option of independent studies or accelerated instruction. Through the use of our fulltime interventionists, Accelerated Math classes, Tier 2 interventions, special education aides, and carefully planned and modified instruction, we are able to meet many instructional objectives within the heterogeneous classroom. All Holt students participate in all encore classes which include art, music, theatre, and robotics classes. Additionally, we monitor students’ progress constantly through a robust RTI-A team process that meets monthly. If students demonstrate a need for more (or less) support, we act quickly to adjust instruction accordingly. Further, our Structured Learning Classroom, Gifted and Talented, and ESOL programs are staffed by talented instructors who not only teach students identified as needing their services but also support classroom and encore teachers by offering advice and strategies that can be used for all students. Because we understand that students learn best when they learn actively, teachers work hard to provide instruction through a wide variety of teaching strategies. On any given day, a visitor to any pack might observe math students in the commons area using IPads to check QR codes after solving a long division problem. Science students working in teams might be measuring the tires on bikes to determine the ratio of tire circumference to distance covered in a given distance. Students in English/Language Arts class might be participating in a Socratic Seminar to discuss relevant themes in a novel study. Social Studies students might be creating a slideshow to highlight a historical character. Or maybe an entire class might be taking a quick Brain Break to play Silent Ball or have a 3 minute dance party! Of course, the use of varied teaching strategies isn’t limited to core classrooms. In Project Lead the Way, students might be using a handmade remote control to sneak a robot down the hall. Music students might be practicing a ukulele and percussion song. Theater students might be found building sets or rehearsing a play based on novels being read in ELA classes while Input Tech students might be learning to manage folders in their own Google accounts. An art student might be painting watercolor insects to reflect science content. A peek out the window might give a glimpse of 26 kids in helmets racing around our dirt bike track. All of these activities reflect our desire to meet diverse learning styles, address middle school developmental needs, and provide real -world, relevant instruction. At Holt, teachers work hard to make school a place where the concept that learning is fun is more than just an idea; it is a reality. Along with other Fayetteville schools, Holt received training several years ago in Bill Daggett’s Framework for Instruction. This work was based upon 3 focusing words: rigor, relevance, and relationships. At Holt, we know that relationships are the driving force in students’ acceptance of rigorous and relevant work. Our diverse student population includes many students from differing socioeconomic levels, cultural and ethnic groups, and family dynamics. To help us better understand the family backgrounds and values of our students, our entire school faculty participated in two book studies based on the work of Eric Jensen, Teaching with Poverty in Mind and Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind. These book studies gave us a framework for understanding why students in poverty learn differently. We begin developing trust and friendship with our students and their families before the school year begins each year by sending postcards, making home visits, and visiting the neighborhoods of our students. During the school year, we host Pack Potlucks to give parents a chance to meet each other and give us time to visit informally. We utilize our school counselor and social worker to make sure our students are getting enough food to eat at home. We provide vouchers to the Potter’s House for clothing and allow students who need help to shower here at school. We wash and dry clothes at school when needed. When planning trips to the Walton Arts Center, we choose presentations that expand our students’ experiences beyond Fayetteville to other cultures around the world. Our 5th graders are all able to attend an overnight trip to the Ozark Natural Science Center at no cost, due to generous support from our active PTO fundraising efforts, and a supportive district administration. We also partner with the Potter’s House, the Fayetteville Public Library, and the Boys and Girls Club to provide free tutoring services for students with academic and financial needs. At Holt, we work to make sure parents are welcome in our school. Besides the Family Potlucks each of our four packs host throughout the year, our Encore teams hold tri-annual Encore Showcase Nights which are well attended. At these events, parents enjoy music, art, and theater with their children. We hold Family Night events that encourage the whole family to come for food and fun. For example, this fall we hosted an event that included food and games, a planetarium, star-gazing with big telescopes, a hayride and a campfire. This culminated in a family movie follow by a campout, both indoors and out, for several brave souls! We utilize tools such as Remind101, parent newsletters, free PTO memberships, transportation to and from parent/teacher conferences, and frequent text, phone, email, and face to face meetings with parents to keep them informed and involved about their child’s progress in school. It is common to see teachers at their students’ ballgames, recitals, and theater performances after school and on weekends. Parents at Holt know that when they drop their child off in the morning or put them on the school bus, the people that greet them when they arrive here care deeply for their child. Holt teachers and staff know our students well. While the middle school concept of teams is commonly used to create smaller school “families,” at Holt we go a step further in creating micro families through our Advisory program. Each “pack” of students is divided among their core and encore teachers to create very small (12-18) groups. Each day begins in the Advisory group. This non-academic start to the day allows each student to have a consistent personal adult interaction each day. Advisory teachers check agendas and handle some homeroom administrative tasks, but the main focus is creating a welcoming atmosphere. Advisory teachers are the first to hear about home situations. They are the ones that know who is absent often and why. They know who just lost their dog or who made the winning basket for their basketball team. They help their students set academic and behavior goals. They talk about character and leadership. They have fun together. This year our Advisory teams are all spending two days a week on the Mind Up curriculum which is an innovative program that teaches brain-focused strategies to improve learning. This crucial part of the day also provides essential information to other teachers in helping each child. During daily team meetings with fellow pack teachers, conversations are centered on students. We spend considerable time sharing information about students for the purpose of providing any support or intervention needed. One pack uses the term “adaption” to designate certain students with significant needs. After creating an individualized plan, teachers volunteer time before or after school or during their lunch hour to meet with the student. It might just be an informal shared lunch; it might mean becoming that child’s “school mama” for the purpose of overseeing student agendas; it might mean helping a child learn a new skill that may or may not be academic but would add value and meaning to the child’s life. With the understanding that middle schoolers need to feel that their interests are shared and that they are part of something bigger than themselves, Holt has developed a number of clubs based upon students’ needs and interests. They vary in number and content from year to year, and they are all designed and sponsored by Holt teachers and staff. This year we have 13 clubs: Technology, Running, Rubik’s Cube, Soccer, Girls on the Run, Yearbook, Garden Club, Basketball, Student Council, American Sign Language, Sew Crafty, Ukulele, and Chrome Dawgs. While some clubs are available almost every year, others are formed based upon specific needs. For example, the Ukulele Club was formed this year because one student has a great skill in the ukulele and can teach others. Last year, the Train and Lego club was created for the sole purpose of providing a special needs student with a club based upon his extreme fascination with trains. This club allowed him to interact with others in a way that he was unable to do in the classroom environment. At Holt we also recognize that citizenship, service, and personal integrity must be modeled, scaffolded, and recognized for all students. Our school rules are simple and based upon the notion of treating others with respect and holding oneself to a high standard. These rules are posted in each classroom and highlighted in the agenda and are taught explicitly at the beginning of each year. Adults in the building follow the same expectations for behavior in the common areas, and we use common attention getting signals such as the Husky Hush and a patterned clap. We all use the “W” (warning) system in the student agenda for communicating student infraction of the rules. All teachers have received training using behavioral tools strategies to assist with off task and “junk” behaviors. For students, this consistency of expectations promotes fairness and makes it easier for them to understand what is acceptable and what is not. As teachers, we follow a well-designed behavior matrix that helps us determine when an administrator should intervene or become part of the team for the purpose of shaping appropriate behavior. This year our vice-principal has created a RTI-B (behavior) team. This team is developing a referral process for teachers to use for students with significant behavioral challenges. Additionally, they will serve as consultants in planning and implementing individual behavior contracts and plans for students who need that level of support. Our hope is that the supportive team approach will reduce anxiety for the teachers and increase the likelihood that students referred can improve their behavior. Further, we look for every possible opportunity to recognize and celebrate student successes. Individual teachers do a variety of things: notes/stamps in the agenda, birthday pencils, phone calls/texts/pictures of students doing something great, and other classroom recognition. Packs use weekly Pack Meetings to recognize individuals for improvement or a job well done. Fifth grade students receive Husky Bucks which can be redeemed for a variety of items. Students with particular skills are invited to tryout and participate in the Spelling Bee, Quiz Bowl, and Fire Marshall program. Our principals recognize all students’ hard work with yearly trips to the Naturals Baseball Game or the Boys and Girls Club. Finally, at Holt students give back to their community. Our Recycling Team manages recycle bins in each classroom and in the teacher workrooms. The Student Council organizes a yearly food drive. Advisory Groups contribute jeans to a local organization in the Jeans for Teens drive. Sixth grades sponsor Purple Pinky Day to raise money for polio eradication in undeveloped countries. One advisory group visits a senior citizen home to sing for them. Each year other opportunities based upon student interest or curriculum topics are translated into a service project of some type. All means all. Again, this is our driving force in decision making. It is a challenging expectation in the busy school environment. Our school implements several tools to help us facilitate fluid and flexible placement for students. First, our daily team meetings are the front line for identifying student needs academically, behaviorally, socially, and personally. School personnel such as our counselor, school nurse, school-based counselor, special education designee or psychological examiner, and administrators are invited to attend as needed to address specific student issues. This means having a master schedule that allows the 4 core teachers to have the same planning time. Second, we also meet twice weekly during the school day with our subject area or fellow encore teachers in Professional Learning Communities (PLC). During “Prime Time,” we discuss subject area issues, look at trends in learning based upon data from formative assessments, create curriculum maps, revise and adapt instruction, and plan for upcoming units of study. Next, our Instructional Facilitator coordinates monthly RTI meetings when student academic needs are identified based upon review of test and classroom data. We develop a course of action and assign specific persons responsible for key areas. At each meeting, we review the progress of students previously referred and make decisions based upon their need for continued support. Sometimes that means a student has progressed to an indirect status, with monitoring only. Sometimes it means more supports are provided. Sometimes it means the student has progressed to a point at which no further extra support is needed. These records are kept on a Google document that can be reviewed as needed for future grades. Finally, as noted previously, we are in the process of building a Response to Intervention - B (behavior) team. This team will be responsible for managing teachers’ referrals based upon behavioral needs. All of these groups allow us to have a very clear picture of each of our students. Organizational Support In our efforts to achieve excellence, Holt Middle School drives improvement through the lens of shared core beliefs. These core beliefs were developed at our annual retreat by leadership and staff through reflective analysis of the previous year’s progress. These core beliefs, milled to precision over the course of a year, are the filter through which decision-making takes place. They are posted in highly-visible places within the building, in every student agenda, and on our website. Advisory lessons have been developed around the shared core beliefs to reinforce their value, absorb student nuance, and create school-wide action initiatives. Our common vision, “We are Partners United in Learning and Life,” is recited each morning by students and staff before the Pledge of Allegiance as a promise to our students and a reminder to each of us. Recognizing the value of shared leadership, decision-making teams are made up of members of all sections of our school, including core and encore teachers. Through the process of modifying our Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (ACSIP), smaller committees determine courses of action to improve performance and close achievement gaps within the building. Evidences of shared leadership include representation from all teams in the building on the Holt Leadership team, a body responsible for communication to and from administration and toward teams regarding building-wide initiatives that do not fall under other specific headings. This collaborative body not only supports, but also fosters interdependent collaboration where the idea that “no one succeeds alone” applies: Huskies PULL together with each other. The entire Holt faculty participates on ACSIP teams that include small committees built around areas of identified need, and a central leadership team that targets specific needs and monitors growth within these areas. This central team also makes final decisions in determining the direction of funding to best meet the targeted areas of need. The RTI-A committee teams attend to the state mandate requiring the documentation of student progress and teacher interventions in the ongoing effort to scaffold excellence. Each team within the building meets monthly to update and evaluate students’ data and needs. Our new RTI-B committee, developed specifically for students whose behavior was determined to be a major obstacle to their academic success, is made up of administrators and teachers who were designated and trained to lead fellow staff in a building-wide initiative to establish norms among staff in reinforcing positive behaviors and responding to negative behaviors. With the implementation of content PLCs, came the development of SMART goals for each content area. Teachers set a quota for common assessments, and achievement to raise expectations of high-quality collaborative assessment, and accountability for student achievement. Besides shared leadership, Holt believes in clear communication among all stakeholders. Communication of general information, including testing schedules and tiered behavior resources are available through our principal’s webpage, “Morningstar Informs.” Communication of time-sensitive or day-to-day information is distributed regularly through the principal’s Daily Memo. Other more immediate tools, such as Remind 101, Blackboard Connect, and the principal’s calendar are shared electronically with all staff. Communication and collaboration at the district level is facilitated by our district interactive website and frequent bulletins and newsletters. Our new superintendent demonstrated his desire to understand the vision and needs of our school by coming to meet with us personally. We were also invited to respond to the question, “What do you need, that you don’t have, to do your job?.” This survey served as a needs assessment to accompany State and district achievement data, to better serve each member of the Fayetteville Schools community. Holt works with faculty and staff of our “feeder” elementary schools as well as the junior highs to which we send our 6th graders in order to ensure a seamless transition. Students from feeder elementary schools make multiple visits to Holt each year to inform and assuage incoming students. Holt 6th graders visit their anticipated Jr. High school in the spring for tours and informational assemblies presented by administrators and students. Each spring, Holt counselors facilitate staff preparation of student profile sheets to send to teachers at the next grade level. Needs, interests, academic performance, and social behaviors are reported in an effort to better inform new teachers. Staff volunteers time after school to examine student profiles to determine best grouping for Teams, Advisory, and class schedules to maximize potential learning and achievement, and minimize situational distress to students. The structure of Holt faculty professional development opportunities includes training tied directly to educational goals. Workshops focused on better teaming, stronger behavioral response and intervention strategies, and more defined professional learning communities are scheduled so that all Holt faculty can attend and work together. Professional development days for teachers of similar content areas are also arranged each semester by district staff to bring staff together both in horizontal and vertical teams to articulate a collaborative curriculum and to determine common methods for assessment and data collection. These are led by district-level directors for each content area, or grade-level instructional facilitators. District-level support to content disciplines is further provided through support from Instructional Facilitators, who are assigned and housed in school buildings and who assist school staff in modeling new and evaluating current instructional practices, gathering and evaluating data, and facilitating cooperative instruction and assessment. Holt definitely has the very best instructional facilitator in the district! In response to continued examination of State testing data in staff meetings, District content meetings, and Primetime PLCs, Holt develops and implements Academic Improvement Plans for each student not yet proficient in content achievement, according to the each year’s EOY benchmark. Parents receive notice, and classes are modified to provide every opportunity for best teaching and reinforced learning within the school day. In response to 2015-16 scores in Math, the master schedule was amended to create a double block of Math, similar to Literacy, in order to provide more time to all students. Accelerated Math classes were created at each grade level, and in each team, to exhort and engage those students who already demonstrated grade-level capabilities. As a result of concentrating professional development on Holt needs, Holt Middle School has implemented and improved a school-wide positive reinforcement system which has been in place for several years. A reward day schedule was created to provide an additional period to each third Friday. Students earn “reward “ status if they have received fewer than 5 “W”s (warnings) in their agenda over a three week period for misbehavior. Students are invited to participate in fun and engaging activities, many proposed by students, during this time hosted by each advisory team. Students who have attended a requisite number of reward times during the second semester are invited to a larger, out of school, celebration, such as a baseball game during the school day. Implementing this structure has focused teachers and students on achieving student successes, both by setting the expectation for success and also by celebrating success regularly. Our school Parent Teacher Organization also supports these efforts by raising funds to provide resources and learning opportunities for our students. Holt teachers take seriously the maxim that the most important factor in the education of a child is the quality of his or her teacher. The teacher evaluation process uses the Danielson model (The Framework for Teaching), in coordination with each teacher’s growth plans, allowing for general, as well as individual growth, reflection, and evaluation. The TESS process (evaluative) is under the guidance of building administrators, who, along with their assigned teachers, develop plans for ongoing improvement. This intensive self-reflection pushes us to find and use innovative practices and creative approaches. Additionally, we seek to learn from nationally recognized educators. In the past three years, teachers in our building have attended several conferences: Model Schools, Professional Learning Communities, Plain Talk About Reading, Corrective Reading, the National Science Conference, Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems, and the National Conference for Teachers of Mathematics. Finally, Holt Middle School recognizes our obligation to extend the tradition of excellence we inherited from those before us to the next generation of educators. Accordingly, Holt is host and mentor to intern teachers from regional universities, including the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), and Harding University (Rogers). Holt partners with colleagues in Higher Education to mentor experienced undergraduates for longterm placements, and for novice students through programs like UA’s Introduction to Education course. This fall, 50 UA students came to Holt to observe middle school classes and students, and have meaningful dialogue with our teachers. By invitation, Holt administrators have addressed students about the roles and responsibilities of educators and the organization and structure of middle schools.

2016-2017 Old High Middle School 2016-2017 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2017 Enrollment - 622 Grade Levels - 5-6 School Schedule - CORE/ENCORE/PE 4 LIFE Free/Reduced Lunch- 26% English Learners- 1.9% Demographics Hispanic 7.7% White 85.12% African American 3.1% Asian 2.1% Native American 1.8% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Old High Middle School (OHMS) challenges all students to meet high academic standards. Academic excellence is expected of all students through a flexible yet systematic approach based on a faculty-created core belief statement. OHMS promotes lifelong learning through a culture of high expectations with purposeful and engaging instruction. This core belief is infused through curriculum, instruction, assessment, and intervention. The common belief that all students can learn and achieve is the foundation for relationships at OHMS while also guiding what happens each day in response to students’ needs and learning goals. This belief is evident in our flexible master schedule, student-centered opportunities to explore interests and master Old High Middle School Designated 2017 Old High Middle School - Bentonville Schools Benton County - Jeff Wasem, Principal 406 NW 2nd Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712 Tel: (479) 254-5440 Fax: (479) 271-1111 Webpage: bentonvillek12.org Twitter: @OLDHIGHMS Instagram: OLDHIGHMS 2016-2017 School Statistics (Sources: 2016 ESEA Report) Enrollment: 622 Grade Levels: 5-6 School Schedule: CORE/ENCORE/PE 4 LIFE Student Demographics • 7.7% Hispanic • 85.2% White • 3.1% African American • 2.1% Asian • 1.8% Native American • 26% Free/Reduced Lunch • 1.9% English Learners (Visit ade.gov to view this school’s data for prior years.) SCHOOLS TO WATCH – ARKANSAS DIAMOND SCHOOL OLD HIGH MIDDLE SCHOOL PROFILE challenging content, consistent and engaging instruction and feedback, and support and relationships among teachers, administration, and staff. OHMS has core content team that meet weekly. Each team works together to integrate curriculum by creating and implementing Project Based Learning (PBL) practices. Students research content-related subject, topics of interest, and develop community-based plans to improve the world around them. Community partners, such as Crystal Bridges, help students explore personal interests to drive their learning and create authentic engagement. OHMS uses a variety of instructional strategies to engage and challenge students. The teacher serves as a facilitator for all learners. Many teachers use the instructional tool of Socratic Circles to facilitate deeper analysis and to encourage students to listen and speak critically about content. OHMS faculty experienced this strategy first-hand through teacher-led professional development. Teachers expect students to develop goals, work in cooperative groups, utilize research tools, listen and discuss learning concepts, evaluate information, and create projects and presentations. For example, a core team is helping students recognize real-world problems and encouraging students to identify a cause to address the problem. Another team is collaborating on a theme-based unit focused on exploration of the New World. Each teacher focuses on content that relates to this theme. Science addresses the cause/effect relationship with new species and diseases. Math students analyze statistical data about the time period. Core teachers are also integrating the use of an organizational writing method called C.E.R. that focuses on creating a claim, providing evidence, and reasoning that explains how the evidence points back to the claim. This tool is used in core subject areas across the disciplines. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are vertically and horizontally aligned subject area teachers. PLCs work alongside content facilitators to identify standards that will guide formative and summative assessments, and rubric development for standards based grading. Rubrics are designed by a team of content teachers, including special education and acceleration teachers (interventionists) with the support of academic facilitators. Rubrics provide clarity of the content and expectation of what it means to meet the standard. To ensure high expectations, content-specific rubrics include exemplars of each level of performance. Students practice comparing their work to the exemplars and analyze how they can meet the expectation on each component within the rubric. For example, students read samples of responses explaining that matter still exists even though it may not be seen. They use the rubric to evaluate the written response by giving constructive feedback. In literacy, students evaluate the effectiveness of a claim using the rubric. Teacher and peer feedback, along with the rubric, guide student learning and provide direction on how to meet or exceed learning expectations. Developmental Responsiveness Old High faculty has developed a set of Core Beliefs to keep the staff and students focused on the unique developmental challenges of early adolescence. These Core Beliefs guide the staff on a developmentally responsive commitment to young adolescents from the way our teams are structured to the unique opportunities offered at OHMS. In doing so, students and core teachers are grouped into small learning communities called teams. Having students on teams allows them to feel a sense of belonging within the larger learning community of Old High and allows the students to build authentic relationships with one another. OHMS consists of 6 cross-curricular teams with a maximum of 112 students on each team. Each crosscurricular team is split into four homerooms where the homeroom teacher serves as the primary advisor. As an advisor, the homeroom teacher is responsible for establishing a positive rapport with his/her students and families. The team meets weekly to not only discuss student academic needs, but also social and emotional needs. This time allows for the team to function as a cross-curricular Professional Learning Community (PLC). Teachers also benefit from being grouped in content-specific PLCs. This allows time for conversation to ensure developmentally appropriate instruction is being delivered so that students’ intellectual needs are being met. Ensuring that each student has a homeroom teacher who acts as a mentor/advisor is important to the Old High staff. The staff strives to offer opportunities for building relationships beyond the structure of the small learning community. Students have opportunities to develop meaningful relationships with many adults in the building. For other students, their true advisor comes through their fine art class. Still others form a strong relationship with the school counselors or administrators. All in all, the staff as a whole is committed to making sure every student has one or more advocates within the building. Social Equity OHMS supports social equity for each student in multiple ways to ensure an optimal educational experience. All students, including gifted students, students with special needs, and students who speak English as a second language are in heterogeneous general education classes with peers and share high academic and behavioral expectations. Teachers assess and differentiate based on student need, interest, and learning style, in order to give every student equal opportunity to comprehend the standards-based curriculum. Students utilize varied approaches to achieve competency and mastery of standards. A high emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary curriculum and project-based learning (PBL) as all students enhance teamwork and problem-solving skills. Students create essential questions based on passion, interest and voice. They set their own goals, choose materials, differentiate for themselves and guide their own learning. For example, a group of students, including one with an autism spectrum disorder, chose to research autism and to construct a brochure to create awareness. All students have access to valuable knowledge and student choice in classes. All students utilize technology for valued learning. Each OHMS team has access to a technology cart (iPad, Chromebooks, laptops) to use for reading, researching, analyzing data, accessing Google Classroom, and solving mathematical problems. Additionally, every OHMS student has a Bentonville Public Library Tech Card, which provides access to online research opportunities and eBooks. Fifth graders are allowed choice between music and choir. Sixth graders are allowed choice of musical opportunities based on interest, including band, orchestra, choir, and music. Out of 622 total students at OHMS, 164 are in choir, 67 are in band, and 124 are in orchestra. Students involved in these activities include students who speak English as a Second Language, students with IEPs, students with 504 accommodation plans, and students who are identified as gifted. These groups perform for peers, parents, and the community providing a foundation for future opportunities in music and performance. Old High offers a variety of clubs that are positive options to create a sense of belonging for all students. Clubs reach a diverse group of students seeking participation and association in social, physical, academic, and/or special interests groups based on like-mindedness. Clubs include: Knightly Gardeners, Tinkering Club, Tech Club, STEAM, Girls Club, Fitness Club, and Running Club, Girls on the Run, Book Clubs, and Odyssey of the Mind, Math Counts, Student Council, Recycled Art, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Giving Tree Club. The OHMS club schedule is strategically planned to utilize different times of the day in order to allow opportunities for all students. At this time, the weekly club attendance is at 437 students. Organizational Support As a high performing middle school, Old High strives to establish norms, structures and organizational arrangements to support and sustain its trajectory toward excellence. OHMS began a journey several years ago of creating a document to highlight a shared vision that drives every decision made within the building: OHMS’s Core Beliefs. The Core Beliefs are the result of extensive work by the faculty, and they are the guiding principles of every decision made for the students at OHMS. The beliefs are centered on: academics, arts, social, and emotional aspects of a middle school-aged child. The purpose is to ensure our students have a common vocabulary which supports the vision of the Bentonville School District and OHMS. The Core Beliefs are in both principals’ offices and in classrooms. It is because of these established Core Beliefs that Old High is driven to seek constant improvement. Examples of the staff’s eagerness to improve abound throughout the building: staff members participate in book studies; teachers participate in “open door” walk-throughs to hone their craft and improve instructional practice; counselors seek to bring in new programs such as the Mentor Matters program as a means to connect the school and community, while also improving methods in which OHMS supports the emotional, social, and academic needs of the students. The school is in a constant state of change and improvement. Much of this growth and forward momentum is due to a system of checks and balances through shared, distributed, and sustained leadership. The administration team is the perfect combination of a person who pushes the school in new directions combined with a person who supports that same forward energy, but also strives to preserve the institutional memory and purpose of what makes Old High special. This allows the building leaders to work together in a positive manner to establish a well laid plan and keep the school’s vision and Core Beliefs at the central focus. Relationships, prioritizing literacy in instruction, calculated risk-taking, and a growth mindset are all valued highly at OHMS. The establishment of relationships is imperative in all learning goals set for students. Relationships among teachers, staff, administration, parents, community members, and students are based on trust and common goals. Literacy is prioritized across the curriculum in many ways, including giving presentations and using C.E.R. (claims-evidence-reasoning) in math, science, and social studies. Teachers and students are also encouraged to take calculated risks in various ways, such as through Genius Hour and interdisciplinary PBLs. Interdependent relationships developed among grade and content levels support a risktaking and reflective instructional culture. Using a variety of systematic communication efforts, including monthly faculty meetings, a weekly Next Week @ OHMS email, daily emails, electronic calendar, text messages, and administrative visibility. The driving force is getting information to the necessary stakeholders in an efficient and responsive manner. The key is thorough and precise communication through clear lines of leadership. Much of the success of OHMS can be attributed to the variety of communication tools utilized. There are nine teams (three-6th grade, three5th grade, SPED, Encore, & PE4Life). Each team has a representative to voice concerns and act as a liaison between administration and staff. Additionally, team leader minutes are shared with staff through Google drive. Weekly team meetings and weekly PLC meetings provide opportunities for reflection and school improvement, Administrators attend team and PLC meetings regularly and provide clear feedback to the teachers regarding team and PLC discussions and notes. Communication with students and families is vital. Communication methods include daily announcements for students, weekly Tuesday Folders, 5th and 6th grade information boards, a marquee at the entrance of the school, a monthly newsletter, the utilization of social media (via Twitter), Parent-Teacher conferences, and an active PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization). The hashtag #weareoldhigh is used on Twitter when communicating about student achievements, engaging activities, and school events. Additionally, when a student’s data indicates a schedule change is needed, the first step is to directly involve the student’s family, teachers, counselors, and administration. Families are informed about the school’s goals for each student and progress in meeting those goals. The acceleration teachers send postcards home to parents with positive notes regarding student participation and progress throughout the year. Feedback for accountability from all stakeholders is important. Through the counseling program, online surveys via Google Docs are available to all students. Students have access to surveys at the beginning of the year through the school counselors meeting with each homeroom class. Data is collected and counseling procedures are determined. Surveys are sent to parents electronically and in Tuesday Folders. The data collected from this survey guides the quarterly Parent Involvement meetings. The district conducts an online survey for parents. Ninety-eight percent of responders agreed/strongly agreed that they feel welcomed when visiting OHMS. While 97% of responders said they receive timely communication in many different ways.

2014 National Schools To Watch Conference Featuring Dr. Sharon Faber June 26-28, 2014 View conference photos

2017-2018 Brookland Middle School 2017-2018 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2011 Re-Designated in 2015 Community Size - Rural School Enrollment - 378 Grade Levels - 5, 6 School Calendar - Block Free and Reduced Lunch 37% English Learners 3% Students With Disabilities 8% Demographics Hispanic 5% White 90% African American 2% Asian 0% Native American 0% Pacific Islander 0% Filipino 0% Two or More 0% Other 3% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Implementation of “Zero Lab” provides an additional avenue for students to excel. Availability of chromebooks for both fifth and sixth graders are housed in classrooms/ Teachers are trained in a variety of instructional strategies. Building educators provide quality training to their colleagues in their area of expertise. Online resources enhance core instruction for the classroom teacher. Recognized for being in the top 20% of schools in Arkansas on state assessment results; acknowledged by the Office of Educational Performance at the University of Arkansas. Developmental Responsiveness Watch D.O.G.S program provides a way to incorporate parents into the school. Second Chance Breakfast fosters the importance of health and wellness and also ensures the needs of all students are being met. Career Day provides students the opportunity to discover potential occupational choices. Protected Advisory time with the same adult advocate cultivates positive relationships and addresses the need of the “whole child”. Parent Teacher Organization plays a vital role in assisting the school. A well developed transition plan is in place for students both entering and exiting the building planning for student success. Social Equity Weekly Club Day embedded in Master Schedule in which students have a voice in choosing their student-led club. Implementation of quality programs such as Zero Lab, RtI, and Red Wolves Read motivates students and fosters a culture of high expectations. BMS utilizes many community partnerships enhancing opportunities for student success. Differentiated instruction is a common practice in every classroom. Organizational Support Strong Student Council which allows for student voice and choice. A multi-tiered RtI program is in place to support all students. Professional Learning Communities are established by teams and by subject area. The Master Schedule allows for teaming. Central Office Personnel is supportive of the middle school concept and initiatives. Principal is actively involved in promoting middle school concepts through participation in middle level organizations.

2023 William Mendenhall Middle School Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Alameda County Tammy Rankin, Principal Enrollment: 882. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Strong shared leadership between administrators and instructional leadership team High expectations to meet the needs of all students PBIS program guides students daily Counselor creates weekly SEL videos taught by teachers Inclusive student leadership activities where all students participate

Virginia Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | Missouri New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Mychael Willon mychaelkan@aol.com Logan Childress lchildress@bvps.org Participating Organizations Virginia Middle School Association Joined National STW Program in 2003 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions Virginia Schools to Watch (Initial Designation Year) Andrew Lewis Middle School (2016) Bailey Bridge Middle School (2017) Belmont Ridge Middle School (2009) Blue Ridge Middle School (2008) Brambleton Middle School (2023) Bull Run Middle School (2008) E.H. Marstellar Middle School (2005) Eagle Ridge Middle School (2007) Elizabeth Davis Middle School (2019) Elkton Middle School (2016) Farmwell Station Middle School (2007) Gainesville Middle School (2011) Glenvar Middle School (2016) Harmony Middle School (2014) Harper Park Middle School (2010) Herbert J. Saunders Middle School (2004) Hickory Middle School (2015) Hidden Valley Middle School (2009) J. Lupton Simpson Middle School (2016) J. Michael Lunsford Middle School (2015) Lake Ridge High School (2014) Mary G. Porter Traditional School (2010) Mercer Middle School (2012) Midlothian Middle School (2016) Montevideo Middle School (2016) Northside Middle School (2014) Philip Michael Pennington Traditional School (2011) Powhatan Middle School (2022) Providence Middle School (2020) Rachel Carson Middle School (2004) River Bend Middle School (2010) Robious Middle School (2017) Seneca Ridge Middle School (2015) Short Pump Middle School (2008) Smart's Mill Middle School (2009) St. Clare Walker Middle School (2010) Sterling Middle School (2012) Stone Hill Middle School (2011) Swift Creek Middle School (2017) Tomahawk Creek Middle School (2016) Trailside Middle School (2018) West Point Middle School (2016) Western Branch Middle School (2018) Willard Middle School (2023) William Byrd Middle School (2016) Woodbridge Middle School (2009)

Arizona Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | Missouri New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Dr. Robert Caplinger SchoolstoWatch@AzAMLE.org Participating Organizations Arizona Association for Middle Level Education 2840 E. Germann Road #1071 Chandler, AZ 85286 www.AzAMLE.org Sponsoring Organizations Mountain America Credit Union www.macu.com Joined National STW Program in 2024 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions Arizona Schools to Watch Overview www.AzAMLE.org/STW Arizona Schools to Watch (Initial Designation Year) Arizona College Prep Middle School (2025) Casa Grande Middle School (2026) Cooley Middle School (2026) Desert Meadows Elementary School (2026) Estrella Foothills Global Academy (2026) Kyrene Aprende Middle School (2025) M.C. Cash Elementary School (2025) Mount Elden Middle School (2026) Paseo Pointe Dual Language Academy (2025) Sossaman Middle School (2025) Vista del Sur Accelerated Academy (2026) Wakefield Middle School (2026)

2023 El Rancho Charter School Orange Unified School District Orange County Michele Walker, Principal Enrollment: 1,109. Grade Levels: 7-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices 0-7 period bell schedule with flexible options for families in the school day Twice-weekly, 30-minute tutorial for all students with embedded support Two therapy dogs support students and put smiles on everyone’s faces Psychologist-made wellness center for students to reset/decompress Consistent communication: Social media, weekly newsletter, Google Classroom

Florida Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | Missouri New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Alicia Harp aliciaharp@gmail.com Participating Organizations Florida Schools to Watch Joined Schools to Watch in 2024 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions Florida Schools to Watch (Initial Designation Year) Hidden Oaks K-8 School (2025) Plumosa School of the Arts (2026)

Martinrex Kedziora Past President Originally, from Memphis, TN, Dr. Martinrex Kedziora has been a middle school teacher, special education coordinator, K-8 Principal and Professional Development Director during his 30-year career. He serves as Chairman of the California League of Educators. As an Education Faculty member for National and Brandman Universities. He serves as a team member of CLE for the California Department of Education and the Middle Schools Alliance. He is a committee member of the Urban Education Committee for ACSA. He is the Chair of the Advocacy Committee for the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades, Vice President of the Moreno Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and on the advisory board for the Schools First Federal Credit Union. < Back