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Department
heads and administrators at Seminole Middle analyze student data
and brainstorm strategies over the summer and at the beginning of
the school year, to help ensure that all student needs are considered.
It is also a time to plan programs based on those needs, focusing
on the skills students need to be academically successful. Individual
student data is analyzed to make sure students are placed correctly
and to determine if they need tutoring or other supplemental services.
Scores from the Tower Test (a test based on fluency and decoding
skills) are also utilized to place students appropriately for reading.
Teachers in other content areas - such as science or social studies,
are then notified so curriculum adjustments can be made to help
improve the potential for success in those subjects. Benchmark Testing
is used along with monthly informal assessments of student progress.
This frequent monitoring of goals and objectives for student achievement
allows staff at Seminole Middle to make necessary adjustments throughout
the year as opposed to waiting for FCAT results at the end of the
year. Department heads monitor and provide support for this process
that is documented through a school wide database.
Results: School Grade: 2002 A; 2003 A.
Practices that Promote High Performance:
- Careful attention to student placement based on previous performance
and test scores to give students the best opportunity for success
- Continuous monitoring of student progress towards goals and
objectives, with adjustments made as needed
- Use of a school wide data base to help monitor progress of all
students
At Seminole Middle the curriculum extends
beyond FCAT academic goals and objectives and provides an experiential
integration of life skills and current events into classrooms. New
programs such as advanced literature and pre-law are offered to
students, reflecting an extension of the curriculum at a time when
many resources go to remediation efforts. Academic grouping is flexible
and instruction is adjusted at all levels to meet students' needs.
Seminole Middle utilizes a reading for all approach using three
different reading series. Monthly prompts are incorporated for extra
writing practice. The curriculum is connected to a sequenced learning
plan that is part of their vertical teaming approach.
Results: FCAT Writing Assessment 2002: School
average 3.9, compared to district 3.9, and state 3.8; Ninety-three
percent of students scored 3.0 or higher.
Practices that Promote High
Performance:
- Experiential integration of life skills and current events into
classroom curriculum
- Monthly writing prompts
- Flexible grouping and adjusted instruction reflecting student
need
- A sequenced learning plan and vertical teaming
Mentoring is done at all levels at Seminole Middle School.
The principal and assistant principals are assigned and involved
as mentors. New teachers are part of the NESS program - New Educator
School Support. This program is designed for teachers who are new
to the system and includes an on-site mentoring component. There
is a New Teacher Academy for those who are also new to the district.
Mentoring also takes place at the student level. In addition to
instruction and remediation provided by staff, students serve as
mentors, tutoring peers preparing for the FCAT. The principal refers
to the school community as the Seminole Middle School Family - a
feeling that is achieved through connecting human resources.
Results: Over a three year period
school grade improved from a C to an A and has been able to sustain
the A grade.
Practices that Promote High Performance:
- Mentoring programs connecting human resources at all levels
- On site new teacher programs
- Student mentoring/tutoring as additional support for FCAT preparation
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