Grade Levels: 6-8

Wilson Middle School Web Site

Site Review Visit

April 12, 2006

Partnership Functions and Goals:

Teacher Preparation

Rubric: (4)
Pre-service teachers are receiving quality instruction in best practices, abundant experiences in exercising these practices, and highly professional feedback on their performance.

Notes:
Of the 71 licensed faculty members at Wilson Middle School, over 40 have mentored pre-service teachers. Approximately 25 Ball State University (BSU) students participate in the EDSEC 380/385 course taught on-site each semester and several students are in SPCED 266/361. The PDS relationship, in existence since 1997, has resulted in an established process for providing a wide variety of experiences for teacher candidates beyond teaching in the classroom including team meetings, bus duty, hall duty, special education activities, field trips, and parent-teacher conferences. They become integrated into the school community. Pre-service teachers receive valuable feedback from their supervising teacher as well as other faculty, staff, administrators, and the liaison. The required Learning Assessment Model Project (LAMP) and the use of other assessment tools provide evidence of their effectiveness as teachers.  The students in EDSEC 380/385 and student teachers are receiving quality instruction and observing best practices. Student teachers recognize and appreciate their mentorship at Wilson and feel that they are becoming highly qualified teachers capable of teaching anywhere. 

Staff Development

Rubric: (4)
School staff is vigorously engaged in clearly focused, highly relevant professional development efforts that result in obvious professional growth.

Notes:
Wilson has developed a number of programs that have provided professional development for the faculty and staff and have created an impact on student learning.  All Wilson teachers have participated in professional development using ISTEP and assessment rubrics on writing application and language conventions.  Teachers have participated in a total of over 75 different out of school professional development conferences and workshops during the 2004/2005 school year and every teacher was involved in some type of professional development presentation at faculty, department or team meetings thus sharing the information.  These statistics speak highly of the faculty and administration as they seek to improve teaching and student learning.

Other staff development opportunities have been

• a yearlong staff development initiative focusing on improving student vocabulary and writing skills;
• "Get Connected" technique courses by Muncie Community Schools;
• BSU Teacher Quality Enhancement grant-sponsored action research event in 2001 which resulted in several action research projects;
• daily and weekly team meetings on research and development of student learning, as well as, monthly department and staff meetings;
• grants from BSU to develop literary skills programs in content area classes followed by mini-workshops;
• BSU's counseling department's "Avoiding Teacher Burnout" that was incorporated into the school improvement plan; and
• "The Gap: 50 Years Since Brown," a film that brought attention to the fact that the Brown v. Board of Education ruling has not narrowed the gap between white and black students, was purchased by Southside and shared with Wilson.

Research

Rubric: (3)
School staff, pre-service teachers, and University faculty are engaged in the examination of an important educational research question through study of research literature and classroom experimentation.   Results could lead to professional dissemination through publication or presentation.

Notes:
Interviews with a parent, faculty and staff members of various experience levels revealed a reliance on action research to guide student learning.  There is evidence of action research as a way of life at Wilson.  Veteran teachers are willingly challenged by BSU pre-service teachers to try new teaching methods in their classrooms.  The fear of change, which often paralyzes student achievement, has been replaced by excitement for the results to be found in new and innovative lessons and units for school improvement.  Interviewees discussed posting pre- and post-test results, reliance on ISTEP data, requests for parent input, a research-based school focus on vocabulary, a growing use of the Internet for best practices across the curriculum, and an acceptance that data is "seamlessly woven into the fabric of who we are and who we want to be."

Student Learning

Rubric: (3)
Students at the school site are demonstrating good improvement in achievement or related desired behaviors, and these improvements appear to be clearly linked to PDS project activities.

Notes:
Wilson is a data-driven school. Faculty analyze ISTEP scores and look at trends in student performance to determine school improvement goals. Math and English have been incorporated into all subjects. Ball State has supported a teaching literacy skills program for teachers in content area classes. BSU faculty have been involved in recommending resources to improve student learning, obtaining literacy materials, conducting workshops, and consulting with individual teachers. BSU students bring new materials and methods into the classrooms and provide additional support to many Wilson students through both academic and athletic activities. The BSU students demonstrate their impact on student learning through LAMP units, which include the required pre- and post-testing. BSU students learn from Wilson administrators and faculty through the multitude of experiences provided each semester.

NCATE STANDARDS

Standard I. Learning Communities
Standing: "At standard"
Conclusion:

Support multiple learners. The faculty and staff of Wilson Middle School, along with the BSU PDS liaison, Site Council members, and pre-service teachers show exuberance as they embrace a systemic use of data to address the needs of all of their students.  They have all joined hands to organize, what amounts to a safety net, to keep students from failing.  Teaching and learning teams are a part of the everyday design of the school.  The entire school benefits from administrative and BSU support of PDS by allowing daily office hours for the Wilson liaison.  This fosters continuity.  All stakeholders are encouraged to access the available resources of BSU and Wilson to attempt new teaching strategies for individual learners.

Work and practice are inquiry based and focused in learning. Again and again, interviewees representing a wide range of Wilson stakeholders openly discussed the use of data-driven decision making as a way of life.  One veteran teacher noted that a pre-service teacher had brought LAMP units to his classroom and made him a believer of pre- and post-testing.  There is a shared sense of mission that goes beyond a feckless mission statement.  Interviews and artifacts reveal a fearless reliance on research and data to drive student achievement.  One "off-team" member, however, did confess a feeling of isolation from the collaborative decisions about curriculum.  Wilson is challenged to reach out to those "off-team" faculty members.

Develop a common shared professional vision of teaching and learning grounded in research and practitioner knowledge. Wilson is a school on the move.  Interviews with a parent, a pre-service teacher, a new teacher, and a veteran teacher revealed a variety of research-based innovative teaching strategies designed for student achievement and school improvement.  This group of interviewees seemed eager to try new strategies without fear.  They were a group of professionals who understand their student population and through collaboration and courageous conversations have articulated a shared vision.  The challenge is to nurture that vision so that all stakeholders are willing and eager to join the cause.

Serve as an element of change. Interviews, artifacts, and conversations revealed a school moving in concert to change the tune.  There is a culture devoted to professional development, student achievement, and school improvement turning an unwieldy system away from the status quo toward change.  Every interviewee was willing, even excited, to access resources offered via the PDS partnership. University personnel have been seamlessly welcomed to the middle school and are a vital part of the operation.  The smoothness of this process is credited to a natural evolution rather than a forced infusion.

Extended learning community. Even though many of the stakeholders have attended professional conferences and accessed professional development opportunities, Wilson educators are encouraged to share their stories with other learning communities.  Many fledgling PDSs would benefit from knowing how Wilson has designed, nurtured, and evolved as a dynamic learning community.  Successes abound and challenges exist.

Standard II: Accountability and Quality Assurance
Standing: "At standard plus"
Conclusion:

Develop professional accountability.  All teachers' and BSU participants' lesson plans and projects are reviewed by a Wilson administrator, and are posted in most rooms, alongside the agenda for the day.  Some teachers are quite detailed, and use the exact standard, (e.g., 7.1.4) and others use the simple basic standard, (e.g.,  L.A. Standard 4). Teachers are given a folder at the beginning of the school year with the individual students' and schools' ISTEP scores and AYP information. This information and lesson plans must be available for any administrator who enters a classroom and asks for it.  Lessons and activities are expected to be based on the data after it is analyzed. 

Assure public accountability. The Wilson newsletter was cited several times as a way of dispersing information about scores, programs, and allowing parents to have information about research-based methods to improve their child's grades and standardized test scores. In the fall, school administrators meet with parents and review general ISTEP+ information and testing procedures. Once testing results have been received, administrators and teachers meet with individual students and parents to discuss ISTEP+ results and possible remediation strategies.   Midterm progress reports and report cards are mailed home. Parents know that information will be coming in this fashion, so they are more cognizant about receiving it.  Open House is held twice each year.  The first one is held in the fall, and the second is a May event, showcasing the school's achievements in and out of the classroom.  Informational booths are also available for the parents and students seeking community resources. The PL-221 school improvement committee consists of staff, parents, and community leaders to help affect change in the school.

Tutoring is available after school, through "Motivate Our Minds" at a local community center for a fee.  Scholarships are available to pay for the cost.  Students are also able to take advantage of an after-school program, AOK, in which they are able to have snacks, tutoring, and mentoring.  A grant pays for teachers to facilitate this program.

The activities to involve the public are numerous. A monthly "Dad's Night Out" is held, so that the students and the positive male role model in their lives are able to come hear speakers, participate in leisure activities, and gain information about community events and resources to increase parenting skills.  In addition, a reading day involving community leaders occurred during the 2004-2005 school year.  Individual teams have continued the initiative.

Set PDS participation criteria.  Wilson is accredited through the North Central Association.  All participants are licensed in their areas, although some 6^th grade teachers may need to obtain more coursework due to the No Child Left Behind "highly qualified teacher" mandates.

Develop assessments, collect information, and use results. Eighty percent of the school's faculty is using pre- and post-test data to evaluate student learning, and this information is used for further planning and assessment.  Analysis shows significant student growth in areas assessed.

Wilson has also used grant money to hire Kim Tyson, a reading specialist and independent consultant, to provide staff training on areas of need.  Mrs. Phelps oversees the grading of student writing assessments throughout the year.  Teachers give an ISTEP- style writing prompt in the classroom, and  teachers who received training through Ms. Tyson are then paid a stipend to grade these according to the ISTEP rubric for writing. The teachers (writing assessment team) also discuss overall results, make note of weaknesses and strengths and have shared this information with staff. These assessments aid in driving their writing progress.   In particular, analysis of data shows that the students who fail one or both portions of the ISTEP also perform poorly in language arts classes.  Therefore, the teachers are utilizing a team approach and emphasizing language arts skills across the curriculum.

Guidance counselors are using the discipline data to identify children in need of conflict resolution skills training.  They also have individual counseling sessions with these students, in addition to helping them with interpersonal skills.

Engage with the PDS context.  PDS participants are able to network with other schools at the PDS Institute meetings held each semester.  Wilson also meets with Southside High School's PDS to collaborate on the design of experiences from one school to the next.  In particular, the 2006 Southside juniors who were on individual teams at WMS will return to mentor 8^th grade team members attending Southside, and will then serve as informal mentors to those same 8^th grade students when they are freshmen next year, and the mentors are seniors at Southside. 

Additionally, two of the Wilson Site Council members are on the Minnetrista Site Council.  Misty Barton, one of the adjunct faculty members, is also involved in lobbying at the state level as a member of her teachers' union and is able to bring about discussion regarding the PDS in that manner.

Standard III. Collaboration
Standing: "At standard plus"
Conclusion:

Engage in joint work. Wilson and BSU have a history of collaboration in the preparation of future teachers, but the formal partnership has expanded the collaboration to include staff development, research, and a focus on learning at all levels. As one teacher said, "There is a Ball State feel in the building, a knowledge that the university is here." Wilson Site Council members have served as consultants to BSU as the university developed new professional education licensing programs. The university liaisons and BSU students have been involved in the Wilson professional development by organizing a forum for new teachers, recommending resources, making classroom presentations, and demonstrating new methodology. "Teachers of the Year Day" was organized by the BSU liaison and those teachers spent most of the day at Wilson. University math faculty have assisted with analyzing student assessments. The Site Council involves both Wilson and university representatives. Wilson Site Council and Southside Site Council have had joint meetings because they share the EDSEC 380/385 students and share the same student population.

Design roles and structures to enhance collaboration and develop parity.  Wilson dedicates one classroom to the university partnership work. Two Wilson teachers are awarded BSU adjunct faculty status as the primary teacher representatives in the partnership and they are given a daily duty period by Wilson to facilitate the partnership work. They collaborate with the BSU liaison to provide seminars for EDSEC 380/385 students, offer daily assistance to Wilson supervising teachers, and provide support for the student teachers. Lesley Schaeffer has been actively involved on the PDS Network Executive Committee and, along with Misty Barton, participates on the Minnetrista Site Council. Both adjunct faculty members and the principal are active participants in the PDS Network.

Systematically recognize and celebrate joint work and contributions to each other. Wilson faculty members regularly attend the showcase portfolio presentations of the student teachers each semester. The adjunct faculty have shared at PDS Network Advisory Council meetings. BSU provides Wilson with $1,000 yearly in appreciation of their participation.

Standard IV. Diversity and Equity
Standing: "At standard"
Conclusion:

Ensures equitable opportunities to learn. Wilson teachers and administrators gather data about the strengths and weaknesses of students through a variety of testing measures. Data from standardized tests and formative classroom assessments is analyzed to identify strengths and weaknesses. NCREL has provided training to assist administrators and teachers as they examine student data. Through this process staff have identified student learning according to race, gender, etc., and utilizes information to target students that need additional help.   Goal sheets are created, and faculty work to help those students. The goal worksheets establish plans for improvement, actions to take, timelines, and how what is working will be assessed.  Best practices are shared during faculty, team, and department meetings.

Evaluates policies and practices to support equitable learning outcomes.  There are several programs at Wilson that provide support for students of diversity. The ICAN Store was established in order to provide for the educational needs of Wilson students with moderate to severe disabilities. These students will have the same support at Southside. Practicum students from the BSU Department of Counseling and Guidance Services provide free after school counseling for students and parents. To prepare for ISTEP+, the "Rap, Rhythm and Rhyme" writing seminar was initiated by administrators and staff for 2006.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Indiana conducted a training session for more than 45 faculty members to participate in the PAWS mentoring program. This program for identified at-risk students assigns teacher mentors for the purpose of helping students cope with the everyday stresses and responsibilities of school and home life. The program is being monitored to determine if grades and attendance are improving and there is a reduction in referrals.

Honors placement exists for those students who qualify in English, math, science, and social studies.  The Twenty-first Century Scholars program is instituted by the Wilson guidance department early in the year and is established as a possibility for students who qualify and will continue to qualify throughout their high school career.

Recruit and support diverse participants. Wilson provides a diverse population for BSU students to learn from and teach before joining the professional workforce. This is a critical service for the BSU students, as their training in diversity and special needs is limited in the secondary education program. The BSU student group is not a diverse group nor is the teaching staff at Wilson. It would be an asset to have more of a diverse group of BSU students at Wilson.

Standard V. Structures, Resources and Roles
Standing: "Leading"
Conclusion:

Establish governance and support structures. The Wilson Site Council that includes the BSU liaison, Wilson administrators and teachers, and community representatives, meets regularly fall and spring semesters. The adjunct faculty members take leadership responsibilities for partnership activities on a daily basis. BSU assigns a faculty member as the liaison. The principal, adjunct faculty, and BSU liaison participate in PDS Network activities. 

Ensure progress towards goals. The Wilson Site Council establishes goals for the partnership. These goals are reviewed and revised yearly and a written report is submitted to the PDS Network director. BSU grants have provided Wilson teachers and administrators support to attend national conferences and resources to implement follow-up activities to improve instruction

Create PDS roles. Wilson faculty members supervise student teachers and work with the practicum students in EDSEC 380/385. Two Wilson teachers and the principal have BSU adjunct faculty status. A BSU faculty member is assigned as the liaison for partnership activities. 

Resources. BSU gives Wilson $1,000 annually to support the partnership. Individual teachers receive a stipend for each student teacher they supervise. The school corporation supports requests from administrators and teachers to participate in partnership activities. Teachers and administrators devote extra time to mentor BSU students and the school provides a classroom for BSU classes.

Use effective communication. The partnership is recognized throughout the school as well as in school brochures, newsletters, and the Wilson Web site. The Site Council submits required reports and the school representatives communicate partnership activities at the PDS Network meetings. 

Summary/Recommendations

The site review team enjoyed its visit to Wilson Middle School and sees evidence of a strong PDS partnership. 

Commendations:

• Wilson is commended for the way they have embraced their responsibility for teacher preparation. Dedicating a classroom to university use and providing Wilson teachers the time to work with PDS activities represents a strong commitment to the partnership.

• Wilson is not afraid of change. The instruction is becoming data-driven, and faculty members are willing to change their methods to meet the diverse learning needs of the students.

• The adjunct faculty, principal, and liaison are commended for providing the leadership that has resulted in continual improvement in partnership work.

Recommendations:

• Work with BSU to improve the background knowledge of all potential teachers who will be working with students with special needs.

• Work with BSU to attract a more diverse group of student teachers each semester.

• Work with BSU to assure continuity in the roles of university supervision and instruction of EDSEC 380/385 students.

• Work with BSU to reach the goal of hosting 10 student teachers per semester.