Exemplary Middle Schools The New York State Essential Elements: Schools to Watch Program – Can It Work For Your School? Dr. David Payton Director, Schools to Watch, NYSMSA NYS Supervisor of Middle-Level Education, SED, retired Dr. Jeannette Stern President, New York State Middle School Association Principal, Wantagh Middle School

What is an Exemplary Middle School? National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform High-performing schools that serve students in the middle-grades are those that exhibit: High-performing schools that serve students in the middle-grades are those that exhibit: –Academic Excellence Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence –Developmental Responsiveness Developmental ResponsivenessDevelopmental Responsiveness –Social Equity Social EquitySocial Equity –Organizational Structures and Processes Organizational Structures and ProcessesOrganizational Structures and Processes

Academic Excellence All students are expected to meet high academic standards. Curriculum, instruction, and assessment are aligned with high standards. The curriculum emphasizes deep understanding of important concepts, development of essential skills, and the ability to apply what one has learned to real-world problems. Instructional strategies include a variety of challenging and engaging activities that are clearly related to the concepts and skills being taught. AND…

Academic Excellence Teachers use a variety of methods to assess student performance. The school provides students time to meet rigorous academic standards. Students have the supports they need to meet rigorous academic standards. The adults in the school have opportunities to plan, select, and engage in professional development aligned with nationally recognized standards.

Developmental Responsiveness The school creates a personalized environment that supports each student's intellectual, ethical, social, and physical development. The school provides access to comprehensive services to foster healthy physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Teachers use a wide variety of instructional strategies to foster curiosity, exploration, creativity, and the development of social skills. The curriculum is both socially significant and relevant to the personal interests of young adolescents. Teachers make connections across disciplines to help reinforce important concepts and address real-world problems.

Developmental Responsiveness The school provides multiple opportunities for students to explore a rich variety of topics and interests in order to develop their identity, discover and demonstrate their own competence, and plan for their future. Students have opportunities for voice—posing questions, reflecting on experiences, developing rubrics, and participating in decisions. The school develops alliances with families to enhance and support the well-being of their children. The school provides students with opportunities to develop citizenship skills, uses the community as a classroom, and engages the community in providing resources and support. The school provides age-appropriate co-curricular activities.

Social Equity Faculty and administrators expect high-quality work from all students and are committed to helping each student produce it. Students may use many and varied approaches to achieve and demonstrate competence and mastery of standards. The school continually adapts curriculum, instruction, assessment, and scheduling to meet its students' diverse and changing needs. All students have equal access to valued knowledge in all school classes and activities. Students have on-going opportunities to learn about and appreciate their own and others' cultures. AND…

Social Equity Each child's voice is heard, acknowledged, and respected. The school welcomes and encourages the active participation of all its families. The school's reward system demonstrates that it values diversity, civility, service, and democratic citizenship. The faculty is culturally and linguistically diverse. The school's suspension rate is low and in proportion to the student population.

Organizational Structures and Processes A shared vision of what a high-performing school is and does drives every facet of school change. Someone in the school has the responsibility and authority to hold the school-improvement enterprise together, including day-to-day know-how, coordination, strategic planning, and communication. The school is a community of practice in which learning, experimentation, and reflection are the norm. The school devotes resources to content-rich professional development, which is connected to reaching and sustaining the school vision. AND…

Organizational Structures and Processes The school is not an island unto itself. It draws upon others' experience, research, and wisdom; it enters into relationships such as networks and community partnerships that benefit students' and teachers' development and learning. The school holds itself accountable for its students' success rather than blaming others for its shortcomings. Key people possess and cultivate the collective will to persevere and overcome barriers, believing it is their business to produce increased achievement and enhanced development for all students. The school works with colleges and universities to recruit, prepare, and mentor novice and experienced teachers. The school includes families and community members in setting and supporting the school's trajectory toward high performance.

New York State Middle- Level Essential Elements A philosophy and mission that reflect the intellectual and developmental needs and characteristics of young adolescents (youth years of age). An educational program that is comprehensive, challenging, purposeful, integrated, relevant, and standards-based. An organization and structure that support both academic excellence and personal development. Classroom instruction appropriate to the needs and characteristics of young adolescents provided by skilled and knowledgeable teachers. Strong educational leadership and a building administration that encourage, facilitate, and sustain involvement, participation, and partnerships. A network of academic and personal support available for all students. Professional learning and staff development for all staff that are ongoing, planned, purposeful, and collaboratively developed.

Both agree on the need for… Academic program with high standards Academic program with high standards Personal development Personal development Classroom instructional strategies to ensure success for all Classroom instructional strategies to ensure success for all Knowledgeable building leadership who foster partnerships Knowledgeable building leadership who foster partnerships Academic and personal support available Academic and personal support available Ongoing professional development Ongoing professional development

How Can I Evaluate What Is In My District? By utilizing the resources that are part of the NYS Essential Elements: Schools to Watch Program, a school (and district) can evaluate where it is and find the direction in which to go.

What is the Essential Elements: Schools-to-Watch (EE: STW) recognition program? A program to identify and publicize effective middle schools that are committed to continuous improvement A campaign to educate professionals and the public about criteria and indicators for high-performing middle schools An opportunity for mentoring An opportunity for self-study An opportunity for networking about good practices

Who Is Behind This Program? Partnership Organizations include: State Education Department New York State Education Department New York State Middle School Association New York State Middle School Association New York State United Teachers New York State United Teachers New York State Association of Teacher Educators New York State Association of Teacher Educators New York Association of Colleges of Teacher Education New York Association of Colleges of Teacher Education New York City Forum to Accelerate Middle- Grades Reform New York City Forum to Accelerate Middle- Grades Reform in collaboration with in collaboration with The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform

Benefits to participating schools and districts that elect to complete and submit an application include… A thorough, research-based, review of the middle-level school and its programs consistent with the Regents Policy Statement on Middle-Level Education, the State Education Department’s Essential Elements of Standards- Focused Middle-Level Schools and Programs, and Commissioner’s Regulations related to the middle grades. Engagement of the educational community in a constructive school improvement activity. Identification of school/program strengths as well as areas in need of improvement. AND…

Benefits to participating schools and districts that elect to complete and submit an application include… Development of a research-based continuous improvement plan for the school. Collection of research-based, baseline data to substantiate requests to the State Education Department to implement innovative programs and practices (as per Commissioner’s Regulations). Complimentary registration for a site team at the New York State Middle School Association’s Annual Conference. Site visit by team of middle-level educators with follow-up provided when requested.

Additional Benefits National and state recognition for the district, school, and staff. National and state recognition for the district, school, and staff. Membership in a small, select pantheon of nationally recognized middle-level schools. Membership in a small, select pantheon of nationally recognized middle-level schools. Priority recipients of targeted grants for research and special projects. Priority recipients of targeted grants for research and special projects. Professional development opportunities and networking through complimentary Institutional Membership to the New York State Middle School Association. Professional development opportunities and networking through complimentary Institutional Membership to the New York State Middle School Association. Coaching towards continued success. Coaching towards continued success.

Minimum Eligibility Schools must have at least TWO of the following grades: grade six, grade seven, grade eight Schools must have at least TWO of the following grades: grade six, grade seven, grade eightAND Schools may satisfy the minimum student performance eligibility requirements in one of two ways: Schools may satisfy the minimum student performance eligibility requirements in one of two ways: –Possess a Performance Index of 155 or higher OR –With a Performance Index of less than 155, have met all Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) growth targets for both the and school years.

Application Information basic school information basic school information demographic information demographic information suspension information suspension information master schedule master schedule Academic Intervention Services Academic Intervention Services school awards, grants, projects school awards, grants, projects achievement data achievement data narrative narrative self-evaluation using EE: STW rubrics self-evaluation using EE: STW rubrics assurances and permission form assurances and permission form

It’s More Than the Data The Essential Elements: Schools-to-Watch Self-Study rating and the EE: STW application process should be a collaborative process involving the entire school community. Write a paragraph describing the process used at your school, noting specifically the level of involvement of teachers, counselors, administrators, the school shared decision-making committee and any others (if necessary, attach a separate sheet following page nine of this application). AND…

It’s More Than the Data For each of the four EE: STW Self-Study criteria (Academic Excellence; Developmental Responsiveness; Social Equity; and Organizational Structure and Processes), write a 1-to-2 page narrative substantiating your school’s ratings for the aspects of the self-rating scale. Give as much detail as possible within the space limitations. If the Regents Policy Statement on Middle- Level Education and/or the State Education Department’s Essential Elements of Standards-Focused Middle-Level Schools and Programs document have influenced or support the practices at your school, please reference what and how. Providing evidence is the key!!

It’s More Than the Data Write an additional 1-to-2 page narrative on the school’s plans for the future – specifically address any areas of weakness identified through doing the EE: STW Self-Study. How will your school become a high-quality, standards-based, state-of- the-art learning environment for young adolescents and the adults who educate them? Write an additional 1-to-2 page narrative on the school’s plans for the future – specifically address any areas of weakness identified through doing the EE: STW Self-Study. How will your school become a high-quality, standards-based, state-of- the-art learning environment for young adolescents and the adults who educate them?

The Self-Study For each of the four areas, there are questions to be rated: (4) Our school has a high level of implementation or implementation of high quality for the aspects described in the criteria. (3) Our school has a medium level of implementation or implementation of mixed quality for the aspects described in the criteria. (2) Our school has a low level of implementation or implementation of low quality for the aspects described in the criteria. (1) Our school has not implemented the aspects described in the criteria. And EVIDENCE needs to be provided for each answer

The Process Applications are due in mid-October. Applications are checked for completeness. Applications are read by trained middle-level experts around the state and evaluated against common criteria. Site visits are arranged for schools where the written applications warrant. Site visits are evaluated against written applications and common criteria. Feedback is provided for all schools.

Current NYS EE: Schools to Watch Barker Road Middle School, Pittsford Barker Road Middle School, Pittsford Calkins Road Middle School, Pittsford Calkins Road Middle School, Pittsford Oliver Winch Middle School, South Glens Falls Oliver Winch Middle School, South Glens Falls Sayville Middle School, Sayville Sayville Middle School, Sayville Twelve Corners Middle School, Brighton Twelve Corners Middle School, Brighton Victor Jr./Sr. High School, Victor Victor Jr./Sr. High School, Victor Moravia Middle School, Moravia Moravia Middle School, Moravia

How to Begin? Applications and self-study are available at Applications and self-study are available at

For Handouts and further information… Jeannette Jeannette

Questions?