Transforming the SCPS Middle School Experience for ALL

Transforming the SCPS Middle School Experience for ALL Learners

Agenda Virginia’s Profile of a Graduate Life long skills: Virginia’s and Stafford’s 5 C’s Student Achievement Trends Best Practices in Middle Schools Middle School Curriculum Opportunities Middle School Schedule Changes

“Virginia’s public school students will need opportunities to learn about multiple subject areas and to use personal skills during their educational years. The need to reconsider how Virginia children are educated stems from the evolution to a complex economy, with diverse and rapid change as underlying forces, rather than stability and standard workforce practices. ” Source: Virginia Department of Education Briefing, June 2016 Progress Report on the Board of Education’s Development of a Profile of a Virginia Graduate http: //www. doe. virginia. gov/boe/committees_standing/accountability/2016/06 -jun/progress-report-for-profile-of-a-graduate. pdf

VA Profile of a Graduate A successful Virginia Graduate will: • Achieve and apply academic & technical knowledge; • Demonstrate workplace skills, qualities, & behaviors; • Build connections and value interactions with others as a responsible & responsive citizen; • Align knowledge, skills & personal interests with career opportunities.

Virginia’s 5 C’s Students In Every Grade Will Experience A New Approach To Instruction That Focuses On Key Skills For Success In A Modern World Critical Thinking Communication Creativity Collaboration Citizenship

Research and Best Practice in Middle Schools Key Characteristics Interdisciplinary teaming with heterogeneous student grouping Cross-curricular opportunities Multi-tiered systems of support Advisory time Content Considerations Critical Needs Varied Elective Opportunities Targeted Professional Learning Access to World languages School Schedule to accommodate Career Exploration these learning experiences

Interdisciplinary Teaming ● ● ● Advantages Share the same students Get to know students better Share strategies Meet with student together Meet with parents together and Plan for interdisciplinary or cross curricular activities and projects SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER COLLABORATION TEACHER ENGLISH TEACHER MATH TEACHER SPECIALIST OR ELECTIVE TEACHER

Cross-Curricular Opportunities Explore topics connected across content areas Strengthens students’ understanding and investigation of real-life applications. Provide ongoing, concrete, experiential learning Integrated curriculum that is more compatible with the way their brains work Senn, Gary; Mc. Murtrie, Deborah; Coleman, Bridget. (2019). Collaboration in the Middle: Teachers in Interdisciplinary Planning. Current Issues in Middle Level Education, v 24 n 1 Article 6 2019. https: //files. eric. ed. gov/fulltext/EJ 1204875. pdf.

Multi -Tiered Systems of Support Can we guarantee that every child, no matter the content, no matter the grade, can get extra time and help if they need it?

Multi -Tiered Systems of Support Regular Classroom Instruction Teachers facilitate learning and provide extra help and support as they are able Flex Time Intervention - just in time support for current work, skills, or concepts Support Courses Remediation - additional instruction for students substantially behind peers in reading or mathematics

Multi Tiered Systems of Support 669 students or 9% of middle school students are two or more grade levels below in math 719 students or 10% of all middle school students are two or more grade levels below in reading What it means: students lack skills in the computation of numbers including decimals and fractions and find algebraic concepts difficult. What it means: Students lack knowledge of basic sounds, connecting sound together to form words, difficulty reading words quickly, and lack knowledge of basic vocabulary to decode words and place them in context.

Advisory Time When an adult advisor meets regularly during the school day with a group of students to provide academic and social-emotional support. Benefits of Advisory Time ● Support academics ● Help students navigate social and emotional issues ● Create a positive culture ● Develop lasting relationships with teachers and students ● Enhance communication A student takes part in a celebration for the school’s 6 th grade advisory group, which sets aside unstructured time for students to build relationships and bond with each other. Ertl, Gretchen. (2019, March) How Schools Can Make Advisories Meaningful for Students and Teachers. Education Week, 38 (25). Retrieved Edweek online

Varied Learning Experiences COMPUTER SCIENCE DISCOVERIES PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS DIGITAL ART MUSIC TECHNOLOGY CREATIVE WRITING INTRODUCTION TO GUITAR EXPLORING LITERARY STYLES LATIN LANGUAGE EXPLORATORY BUILDING LEADERS WORLD MUSIC WORLD LANGUAGE

XY Schedule Format MON (X) TUE (Y) WED (X) THUR (Y) FRI (X) Period 1 Period 5 Period 1 Advisory Advisory Period 2 Period 6 Period 2 Period 3 Period 7 Period 3 Period 4 Period 8 Period 4

Sample 7 th Grade Schedule First Semester Second Semester X Y Homeroom English 7 Science 7 PE Art PE Creative Writing Civics Math 7 Band Drama Band STEM Innov

Sample 7 th Grade Schedule First Semester Second Semester X Y Homeroom English 7 Reading Strategies PE Civics Knowing Math 7 Science 7 World Language Exploration Science 7 Music Tech

Sample 7 th Grade Schedule First Semester Second Semester X Y Homeroom English 7 Science 7 PE Spanish 1 A Civics Math 7 Orchestra Performance Lab Orchestra Music Tech

Sample 8 th Grade Schedule First Semester Second Semester X Y Homeroom English 8 Hon Science 8 PE World Geo Algebra Math Perf Lab Algebra Innov Studio Spanish 1 Adv Drama Spanish 1 Debate

Sample 8 th Grade Schedule First Semester Second Semester X Y Homeroom English 8 Reading Strategies PE Eng & Design PE Digital Art Math 8 Knowing Math 8 Building Leaders World Geo Science 8

Handouts for Registration Timeline Due dates Online/paper Expectations Next event - Math night April

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