DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Introduction
In2011,attheannualconferencefortheAssociationforMiddleLevelEducation,SecretaryofEducationArnieDuncan
acknowledgedthatmiddlegradeshavenotreceivedtheattentionineducationthattheydeserveandindicatedthatthe
DepartmentofEducationintendstocorrectthathistoricoversight.SecretaryDuncanfurtherstatedthatthesubjectof
middlegradesreformisvitallyimportant,bothtoourchildrenandtothefuturesuccessofourcountry.Theneedfor
middleschoolimprovementisnodifferentinDuvalCountyPublicSchools(DCPS).
Itisclearthattraditionalmiddleschools,servingneighborhoodstudentsingrades68,arestrugglinginourdistrict.Thisis
clearlyevidencedbydeclinesinbothstudentenrollmentandachievement.Since20102011,enrollmentinmiddleschools
hasdroppedby7%from23,723to22,119.Duringthatsametimeperiod,readingproficiencyincreasedby1percentage
point,mathproficiencydecreasedby3percentagepoints,readinglearninggainsdecreasedby2percentagepointsand
mathlearninggainsincreasedby5percentagepoints(seeAppendixAforindividualschooldata).Parentsinthedistrictare
generallysatisfiedwithourelementaryandhighschoolprograms,buthavevoicedconcernswithourmiddleschools.Inan
efforttorespondtotherecentdeclinesinstudentachievementandenrollmentinourmiddleschools,thedistrictis
committedtomiddleschoolreform.
Thisreformeffortwillfocusonadditionalsupportforcollaborativeleadership,personalizedlearningenvironments,
marketing,teachersupportandprofessionaldevelopment,developmentalresponsiveness,andtheDevelopingtheWhole
Child.

COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP

Forthe20142015schoolyear,thedistricttwoprincipalsupervisorpositionstofocussupportandalignmentatthemiddleschool
level.ThesestructuresallowtheRegionSuperintendentsoverseeingmiddleschoolstofocusonuniquefacetsandchallengesof
middleschools.Inordertocreateprofessionallearningcommunitiesamongmiddleschoolleaders,thedistrictwillallow
opportunitiesformiddleschoolleaderstomeetonamonthlybasistodiscussbestpractices,participateinprofessionalrounding,
andstrategicallydiscussproactivemethodsonhowtodevelopmiddleschoolsbudgetstoalignwithcurriculumofferingsand
studentneeds.

Historically,thestrongestsecondaryinstructionalleadershavebeenplacedinhighschoolswhichcreatesagapintheinstructional
leadershipabilitybetweenmiddleandhighschools.Toreenergizetheexcitementaboutmiddleschoolandensurethatstudent
achievementincreases,17principalchanges(over60%ofmiddleschools)havebeenmadetoensurethateachschoolhasan
instructional,reformmindedleadertoignitethelearningprocessandrallythecommunityaroundeducation.Belowisachart
indicatingallmiddleschoolprincipalchangesthathavetakenplaceoverthepasttwoyears.

School
NewPrincipal
FormerPlacement
Notes
ArlingtonMiddle
YolandaSanders
APatArlingtonMiddle

EugeneButlerBoys
TruitMoreland
APatWestsideHigh

EugeneButlerGirls
TamaraWilliams
PrincipalatPineForestElem

FortCarlineMiddle
MayshaShelton
APatTerryParkerHigh

HighlandsMiddle
JackieSimmons
PrincipalatGrandPark

JEBStuartMiddle
SadieMilnerSmith
PrincipalMattieV Rutherford

JeanRibaultMiddle
AngelaMaxey
PrincipalatSallyeMathisElementary

JeffersonDavisMiddle
NidiaAshby
VPatMiamiNorthwesternHSinDade

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

LaVillaSchooloftheArts
JohnE.FordK8
JosephStilwellMiddle
KernanMiddle
LakeShoreMiddle
MatthewGilbert

LiannaKnight
PaulaRenfro
JasonBloom
JulieHemphill
ChrisBegley
JamelleGoodwin

APatDouglasAnderson
Ex.DirectorofElementary
APatArlingtonMiddle
APatStantonPrep
PrincipalatLorettoElementary
APatMatthewGilbertMiddle

OceanwayMiddle
SouthsideMiddle
WestsideK8

AlexMarx
ZeinaSpaulding
BeverleyWalker

APatBaldwinJr/SrHigh
APatEnglewoodHigh
Ex.DirectorofElementary

Priorprincipalpromotedto
JacksonHighSchool

Priorprincipalpromotedto
JacksonHighSchool

Thischangeinleadershipisduetotheneedtoselectprincipalswhounderstandteachingandlearning,usedatatomakeinformed
decisions,createandleadprofessionaldevelopment,provideongoingfeedbacktoteachersforpersonalandprofessionalgrowth,
andhastheabilitytoengagemiddleschoolparents.Thisincludedpromotingfivehighperformingelementaryprincipals/leaders
andtensecondaryassistantprincipals,aswellrecruitingprovenleadersfromotherdistrictstoworkinourmiddleschools.

Tofurtherdevelopallschoolleaders,thedistrictpartneredwithTheNewTeacherProject(TNTP)andLastingerCentertoprovide
ongoingprofessionaldevelopment.Thesetrainingsdividedprincipalsbyschoollevel(Elementary,middleandsenior)inorderto
gomoreindepthregardingtheuniqueaspectsofeachschooltype.Thisinitiativekickedoffwithaweeklongsummerprincipal
institutewhereprincipalsworkedtogethertoplanfortheupcomingyear.DuringtheSummerInstitute,middleschoolprincipals
wereexposedto,andwillcontinuouslybetrainedon,howtouseessentiallookforswhichwillcoverallcorecontentclassrooms:
ExcellenceinK12SocialStudies,Excellencein612ScienceandMathematics,andExcellencein612EnglishLanguageArts
(AppendixB).Thedocumentshavebeencreatedtoallowprincipalsandassistantprincipalstheopportunitytocalibratetheirlens
astheyseektodiagnosisclassroomsandprovideteacherswithexplicitfeedbacktoimprovetheirpractice.Thelookforsprovide
leaderswithinourmiddleschoolswiththeopportunitytoobtainabetterunderstandingofqualityinstructionandtobecome
morefamiliarwiththeessentialelementsofeffectiveteachingandlearning.Thisincludesextensiveanddeeptrainingonthenew
standardsaswellashowtodetermineifteachersareimplementingthosestandardsinaneffectivemanner.

TheTNTPpartnershiphasbeenestablishedtoassistschoolleaderswithidentifyingcurrentstatusoftheirclimateandculture,
provideongoingjobembeddedprofessionaldevelopmentforprincipalandRegionSuperintendents,andcreateacommon
understandingofexcellentinstruction.ThedistricthasalsoformedapartnershipwiththeUniversityofFloridaLastingerCenter
tobuildleadershipcapacitybyprovidingongoingprofessionaldevelopmentontheInstructionalCoachingProcess.Allprincipals
meetingtherequirementswillreceivecertificationinInstructionalCoaching.

Principalswillalsoattendmonthlymeetingstodiscussrelevantdatapoints,newFloridastandards,participateinschoolbased
rounding,andworkwithcolleaguestodiscussexperiencesandbestpractices.Inthecontentofthisplan,theintentofthe
trainingistobuildthecapacityofmiddleschoolprincipalstogrowasinstructionalleaderswheretheirschoolsreflectacultureof
collaborationamongteachers,whereteachersreceiveregular,fair,meaningful,andconsistentfeedbackontheirpractice,and
wherestudentperformancedataisusedcontinuouslytoproblemsolvewithteacherstoraisestudentachievement.

Personalized School Environments

Priorto20142015,therewerefewschoolchoiceoptionsformiddleschoolstudents.Thisoftenledmiddleschoolstudentswho
didnotwanttoattendtheirhomeschooltoselectamagnetprogramorleavethedistrictforacharterorprivateschool.
Therefore,forthe20142015schoolyear,DCPShascreatedanumberofopportunitiesforalllearnersasSchoolChoicehastruly
becomeareality.Inordertocreateanidentityandthematicapproach,eachmiddleschoolhasselectedaschoolchoicetheme
thatisdirectlyalignedwiththeirfeederpatternHighSchoolandElementarySchoolaswellasanacceleratedprogramtoenhance
academiccourseoptions.Toensurecontinuityandverticalalignment,feederpatternmeetingswilltakeplacetoaligncourse
offerings.Thechartbelowindicatesthechoicethemesaswellasacceleratedprogramsofferedateachschool.Descriptionsof
theacceleratedprogramsareindicatedbelowthechart:

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

School

AccelerationProgram
PreEarlyCollege

AlfredDuPont

Theme
ComputerApplicationsinBusiness,DualLanguage,&
InformationCommunicationTechnology

Arlington

InformationTechnology(EmbedDigitalTechnology)

PreEarlyCollege

BaldwinMiddle

Information&CommunicationTechnology

AdvancedPlacementCapstone

EugeneButler

SingleGenderLeadershipAcademy

AVID

Fletcher

InformationandCommunicationsTechnology

GiftedandTalented

FtCaroline

SeeAccelerationProgram

MiddleYearsIB

Highlands

Aviation/MilitaryScience

PreAdvancedPlacement

JeanRibault

InformationCommunicationTechnology

EarlyHighSchool/PreEarlyCollege/AVID

JEBStuart

Technology

EarlyHighSchool/PreEarlyCollege

JeffersonDavis

SeeAccelerationProgram

JohnE.Ford

MontessoriandSpanishMontessori

CambridgeSecondaryI/PreEarly
College/AVID
N/A

JosephStilwell

N/A

Kernan

Leadership&MilitaryAcademy
ComputerApplicationsinBusiness&ArtAcademy/
InformationandCommunicationsTechnology

LakeShore

Technology

MiddleYearsIB/PreEarlyCollege/ AVID

Landmark

InformationCommunicationTechnology

PreEarlyCollege/HonorsAcademy/ AVID

Mandarin

InformationCommunicationTechnology

AVID/HonorsAcademy

MatthewGilbert
Mayport

MiddleYearsExplorationwithTechnology
CoastalScience

PreEarlyCollege

Northwestern
Oceanway

SeeAccelerationProgram
AcademyofArts,AcademicAcceleration&
InformationCommunicationTechnology

Southside

TechnologyStudies

MiddleYearsIB/PreEarlyCollege

TwinLakes

Information&CommunicationTechnology

PreAPHonors/PreEarlyCollege

WestviewK8
LavillaSchoolofthe
Arts

EnvironmentalStudiesandCulinaryGardening

N/A

PreEarlyCollege

AVID
Cambridge/AVID
PreAdvancedPlacement

N/A
N/A

JuliaLandon

FineArtsDedicatedMagnet
CollegePreparatoryandLeadershipAcademy
DedicatedMagnet

JamesWeldonJohnson

GiftedandAcademicallyTalentedDedicatedMagnet

N/A

KirbySmith

STEMDedicatedMagnet

N/A

PreIB,Cambridge,andPreAP/CapstoneareacceleratedprogramsthatpreparemiddleschoolstudentsforIB,AICE,andAP
coursesatthehighschoollevel.Theseprogramsincludeadvancedandhonorscoursesthatcontainsimilarcurriculumand
standardsthatstudentswillfacewhenenrollingintheprogramsatthehighschoollevel.Successfulcompletionofthesecourses
willresultinthestudentsreceivinghighschoolcreditsandprogramcontinuity/priorityadmittancetothefeederhighschool
programsuponsuccessfulattainmentoftheprerequisiterequirements.

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

PreEarlyCollegeisanewprogramthatwillbeplacedatninemiddleschoolsforthe201516schoolyear.Thisprogramwilloffer
advancedstudentsanopportunitytoearnaminimumofthreehighschoolcreditsaswellasthreecollegecourseswhileinmiddle
school.Beginninginseventhgrade,studentswillparticipateinanadvancedreadingcoursethatwillpreparethemtotakethe
PostsecondaryEducationReadinessTest(PERT).UponpassingthePERTexam,studentswillbeenrolledinthecollegeStudent
LifeSkills(SLS)courseasaneighthgraderandwillearnthreecollegecredits.Thisprogramwillbeavailabletostudentswhohave
achieveda2.5GPAandapassing(Level3)scoreontheFCAT.

Throughtheseacceleratedprograms,thedistrictwillalsoexploretheopportunityandbenefitofprovidingPSATTestingtomiddle
schoolsstudentsinpreparationforcollegeentranceexams.Thiswillalsoallowschoolstobegintodevelopacollegegoingculture
inasimilarfashiontotheculturethathasbeenestablishedinourseniorhighschools.

TwosignificantexamplesofourmiddleschoolreformplanincludethetransitionofButlerMiddleSchooltotwoSingleGender
LeadershipAcademiesandStilwellMiddleSchooltoaMilitaryLeadershipAcademy.Thesetransitionsweremadeinresponseto
bothButlerandStilwelldemonstratingasignificantdeclineinacademicachievementandenrollmentoverthepastseveralyears
andthecommunityscallforachangeatbothschools.Thesenewacademiesarebuiltonthepremiseofdevelopingfuture
leadersandprovidingstudentswithauniqueeducationalopportunity.

Withthelaunchoftheidentifiedprograms,middleschoolswillhavetheabilitytomarketandusetheirschoolchoicethemeto
providepathwaystolearningwiththeobjectiveofincreasingstudentenrollmentandoverallperformance.Supportforall
programswillbeprovidedthroughtheSchoolChoiceOfficewhichwillprovideongoingprofessionaldevelopmentalongwith
academicwalkthroughstoensurethateachprogramisactivewithintheschool.

Anothernewapproachthisyearwasinresponsetoresearchfromotherdistricts,includingMiamiDadeCountyandLongBranch,
CA,indicatingthatstudentswhoparticipateinsixthgradeattheelementaryschool,asopposedtotransitioningtomiddleschool,
demonstratehighertestscoresandreduceddisciplinaryactions.Asaresult,thedistrictispilotingtwoK6schoolsforthe2014
2015schoolyearatRutledgePearsonandPickettElementarySchools.Thedatafromthispilotprogramwillbeutilizedto
determineifthisamodelthatshouldbeexpandedin201516

Inaddition,todeepenthecommitmenttonewprogrammingatourmiddleschools,thedistrictwasawardedagrantthroughthe
FloridaDepartmentofEducation.ThegrantwillestablishahandsonPitscoSTEMlabineachofthePriorityForTripleDFocus
middleschools.Thegrantwillprovidelabmaterials,equipment,andasciencecoachforeachschoolaswellasfundprofessional
developmentthroughPitscofortheteacher.Thisindividualwillteachthelabclassandserveasamasterteachertoassistother
scienceteachersinconductingclassroomlabs.TheschoolsincludedinthegrantarelistedbelowalongwithPitscoLabfocus.
Basedontheprogramfocus,studentswillselectcoursework(seeoptionsbelow)basedontheirindividualareaofinterest.Each
oftheschoolswillpromotetheirnewthemeaspartofSchoolChoiceExpoinanefforttorecaptureneighborhoodstudents.
School
Pitsco STEM Curriculum
Sample Program Coursework
Eugene Butler
Engineering & Structures
Engineering Bridges, Engineering Towers, Future Fuels, Green
Machines, Robots, Simple Machines, Alternative Energy,
Southside Middle
Engineering & Structures
Biotechnology, Forces, Material Science, Rocket Science
Ft. Caroline Middle
Sustainable Energies
Going Green, Eco-Architecture, Future Fuels, Rocks and Resources
Mission to Mars, Energy, Power and Mechanics, Sustainable
Agriculture
Highlands Middle
Aerospace, Rocketry, & Aeronautics
Jean Ribault Middle
Aerospace, Rocketry, & Aeronautics Carbon Footprint, Future Fuels, Mission to Mars, Robots, Rocketry
Jefferson Davis Middle
Aerospace, Rocketry, & Aeronautics and Space, Alternative Energy, Flight Technology, Forces, Rocket
Joseph Stilwell Middle
Aerospace, Rocketry, & Aeronautics Science, Simple Machines, Weather
Northwestern Middle
Aerospace, Rocketry, & Aeronautics
Matthew Gilbert Middle STEM Career Pathways
Electricity, Investigating Careers, Life Skills, Snack Nutrition,
Video Production, Aquaculture, Flight Technology, Intelligent
Homes, Mobile Apps, Money Management, Robots

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

MARKETING
Thedistrictwillbecreatinganumberofopportunitiestomarketacademicandnonacademicprograms.Todothis,theDiscover
Duvalinitiativewaslaunchedin201314allowingcommunitymembers,businesspartners,andotherstakeholdersthe
opportunitytovisitschoolsandobservethegreatthingsthataretakingplace,especiallyinthemiddleschoolconfiguration.The
scheduleforDiscoverDuvalvisitsfor201415isbelow.

DCPSwillcontinuetousetheSchoolChoiceExpoastheannualopportunityforourmiddleschoolstoshowcasetheirindividual
programsandprovideinsightonallofferingsthatwillsupportdevelopingthewholechildfromanemotional,social,academic,
andextracurricularstandpoint.Middleschoolswillalsomarkettheirschoolsandprogramsthroughschoolbasedtours.These
tourswillalloweverypotentialstudentandtheirparent/guardiantowalkclassroomsandtoobservestudentteacherinteraction,
currentcurriculumandinstructionalframework,meetwithadministration,anddiscussacademicofferings.

ThenewplanforMiddleSchoolReformhasalsobeenaddressedthroughpodcastsandlocalmediaaswellasthroughvarious
schoolbasedcommunitymeetings.Inordertomaximizestakeholderbuyin,multiplemeetingswereheldateachschool
undergoingatransitiontoensurethatcommunityvoiceswereheardandthatparents/guardiansandcommunitymembershad
theopportunitytoaskquestions.Thesemeetingswerealsoutilizedtomarketthenewprogramsinhopesofrecruitingstudents
backtotheirhomeschooland/orpreventingthemfromleavingthedistrict.

School
Date & Time

Westside Senior High School

October 9th @ 8:30am

Eugene Butler Leadership Academies (Lunch and Learn)

November 13th @ 11am

Wolfson High School

December 3rd @ 9am

Stilwell Middle School

December 15th @ 9am

North Shore Elementary

January 14th @ 8:30am

Mt. Herman

January 28th @

William M. Raines

February 4th @ 9am

Englewood High

February 11th @ 9am

R.V. Daniels Elementary

February 18th @ 9am

Fort Caroline Middle School

March 4th @ 8:30am

St. Clair Evans

March 27th @ 9am

A. Philip Randolph

April 1st @ 9am

Mayport Elementary School (Lunch and Learn)

April 15th @ 11am

Ortega Elementary

April 29th @ 9:00 am

Southside Middle School

May 13th @ 9am

Lake Shore Middle

May 20th @ 9am

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Duringthespringwhenparentsbegintomakedecisionsregardingtheirchildrensschool,thedistrictwillalsoinitiatecommunity
walkswithstakeholdersgoingdoortodoortorecruitstudentsanddiscussthebenefitsofpubliceducation.Thesewalkswill
targetparentswhohaveoptedoutoftheneighborhoodschoolsinthehopesofsharingthenewlydevelopedprogramsand
encouragingthemtoparticipateinschooltoursandpossiblyreenrolltheirchildreninadistrictschool.Aspartoftheoverall
Marketingcampaignfortheupcomingyear,thedistrictwillalsocelebrateNationalEducationWeekinanefforttosharepositive
outcomesandsuccessstoriesthroughoutourschools.

Tofurthermarketprogramcontinuityamongfeederpatterns,thedistrictwillbegintheprocessofaligningschoolmascotsand
colorsamongelementary,middle,andhighschools.Thiswillallowstudentstoviewthemselvesasapartofaparticularfeeder
patternthroughouttheireducationandlookforwardtotheirhighschoolyearsasapartofafamilyinwhichtheyhavebeen
raised.
Teacher Support and Professional Development

Forthe201415schoolyear,theFloridaDepartmentofEducation(FDOE)adoptedtheFloridaStandardsforEnglish/LanguageArts
andMathematics.Thisadoptionsignificantlyaffectsthecontentthatmustbetaughttostudents.Asaresult,thedistrictwill
provideimmediatesupporttoteachersastheybecomemorefamiliarwiththenewCurriculumGuidesthataredirectlylinkedto
thenewFloridaStandards.TheMiddleSchoolRegionwillhaveadesignatedDirectorforbothReading,Mathematics,andScience
andateamofcontentbasedspecialistswillbestrategicallyassignedtoschoolstoprovideteacherswithongoingsupport.All
middleschoolswillalsobeprovidedaReadingCoachandschoolswithalowmathproficiencywillreceiveamathcoach.Coaches
willfacilitateweeklycommonplanning,whichwasnegotiatedwiththeunion,toprovidejobembeddedprofessional
developmentandbuildcapacitythroughlessonstudy,peerobservation,anddataanalysis.

Reading:
ThedangerofunderperforminginreadingcanbefoundinwhattheCommonCoreresearchersidentified:beingabletoread
complextextindependentlyandproficientlyisessentialforhighachievementincollegeandtheworkplaceandimportantin
numerouslifetasks.Moreover,currenttrendssuggestthatifstudentscannotreadchallengingtextswithunderstandingifthey
havenotdevelopedtheskill,concentration,andstaminatoreadsuchtextstheywillreadlessingeneral.Inparticular,if
studentscannotreadcomplexexpositorytexttogaininformation,theywilllikelyturntotextfreeortextlightsources,suchas
video,podcasts,andtweets.Thesesources,whilenotwithoutvalue,cannotcapturethenuance,subtlety,depth,orbreadthof
ideasdevelopedthroughcomplextext.AsAdams(2009)oftenstates,Theremayonedaybemodesandmethodsofinformation
deliverythatareasefficientandpowerfulastext,butfornowthereisnocontest.

Thedevelopmentandimplementationofthenew,andmorealigned,CurriculumGuideAssessments(CGAs)ensuresthatcoaches
andteacherswillbeabletoutilizedatatodirectlyimpactchangestodailyinstruction.Arecentdistrictcomparisonshoweda
strongcorrelationbetweentheReading/ELACGAsingrades68and201314FCATresults.Throughcenterbasedrotationsand
exposuretocriticalreads(novelstudies),studentswereexposedtocriticalreadsandaffordedtheopportunitytoparticipatein
Socraticseminars.Thispracticewillcontinueforthe201415schoolyear,requiringstudentstocriticallylisten,think,speak,and
demonstrateunderstanding.

WiththeimpendingchangetotheLanguageArtsFloridaStandards(LAFS),teachersinmiddleschoolswillutilizenovelbased
instructionandshiftawayfromanthologybasedinstruction.Novelbasedinstructionwillallowteachersandstudentstowrestle
withmorecomplextextsandthemesthatweremorecloselyalignedtothenewLexilestretchbandsandtheknowledgedemands
ofthenewLAFS.Middleschoolreadersoftenlackbackgroundknowledgetoaccesstextsinothercontentareas.Therefore,the
novelsthatwereinfusedintothecurriculumincludedcrosscurriculartopicsandexpresseddiversitymoreindepththanthe
traditionalanthologybasedtextbooksthatwerenotcurrentlyalignedwiththenewLAFS.Byutilizingnovels,teacherswillbeable
toinfuseinformationaltextduringwholegroupandsmallgroupstationstoenhancestudentsconnectionsoftexttoself,textto
text,andtexttoworld.

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Smallgroupinstructionwillbedifferentiatedtomeettheindividualneedsofstudentsthroughateacherdirectedgroup,an
independentreadinggroup,andablendedlearninggroup.Ongoingteachertraininghastakenplace,andwillcontinuetotake
place,ontheeffectiveuseofdifferentiatedinstructioninallclassrooms.Theteacherdirectedgroupwillfocusonskilldeficitsas
identifiedthroughtheindividualadministrationoftheDiagnosticAssessmentofReading(DAR).Theteacherprovidesdatadriven
instructionbasedonDARAssessmentdatausingTrialTeachingStrategies(TTS)withthewholegroupanchortextorthestretch
articlefromAchieve3000.Theteachermodelsthereadingandthinkingprocessaloudandwalksstudentsthroughhowheorshe
processesthetext.Theteacherdrawsstudentsattentiontounfamiliarvocabularytermsandtheirmeaningsprovidingimmediate
andexplicitfeedback.Thisportionoftheinstructionalblocktoconductdatachatsand/orindependentreadingconferences.
Duringsmallgroupindependentreading,studentsreadandcompletethestrategymodeledduringwholegroupintheir
interactivejournal(everyfifthday,teacherwillconferencewithstudentsduringtheTeacherDirectedrotationtodetermineif
studentsarecomprehendingtheselfselectednovel).TeachersmayincorporateLiteratureCirclestopromotestudent
accountabilitytalkandreadingforinformationwhileactivelyengagingstudents.StudentswillbeassignedanactivityinAchieve
3000tocompleteatminimumthearticleandtheactivity(atleastoneperweek)duringtheblendedlearningsmallgroup.

SRACorrectiveisusedforstudentswhereafluencyprobedeterminestheneedforacorrectiveprogram.In201314,theprogram
wasutilizedinmiddleschoolswithlessthandesirableresults.Oneofthemajorconcernslastyearwastheeffective
implementationoftheSRAProgramwhichrequiresonefullperiodeveryday.Unfortunately,dailyfrequencydidnotoccurin
201314duetolimitationswhichpreventeddoubleblockscheduling(and/orcohortedscheduling)inthemiddleschools.Oneof
themostsubstantialreasonsfortheselimitationswasthelackofteacherswhowereeligibletoteachIntensiveReading,which
wasaddressedinthesummerof2014throughtheTeachersAcademyforReading.Themiddleschoolreadingschedulewas
modifiedfor201415toensurethatstudentsreceiveSRAinstructiononadailybasis.

DistrictspecialistswillsupportReadingandWritingtoensurethattheschoolbasedliteracycoachesanddistrictframeworksare
supported.Specialistswillcontinuetosupporttheshiftinwayofworkforthemiddleschoolliteracycoachesbyprovidingone
ononemodelingofcoachingcyclesduringthefirstnineweeksoftheschoolyear.Eachspecialistinmiddleschoolwillmodeland
coachtheschoolbasedcoachesonthenewwayofworkthroughobserving,debriefing,modeling,andplanningwithteachers
utilizingthedistrictprovidedFeedbackForm(seeAppendixC,FeedbackForms).

SchoolbasedliteracycoacheswillattendMonthlyCoachingMeetings(seeAppendixD,MonthlyScheduleofCoachMeetings)
wherespecialistswillworkcollectivelywithcoachesonthedifferentcomponentsofCognitiveCoaching,dataanalysis,and
InstructionalRoundingatthevarioushostsites.InstructionalRoundingwillbeledbyspecialistsandprovidetheschoolbased
literacycoacheswiththeopportunitytoobserveanddebriefwiththespecialistsinasmallgrouptoenhancetheuseofnon
evaluativelanguageandcoachingdialoguetoroleplaynextstepsinthecoachingcycle.Thisprocesswillidentifyobservational
patterns,andwhenaggregatedandcloselyanalyzed,shouldinformcommonplanningsessionsandprofessionaldevelopment
topicstospecificallyaddresstheneedsofclassroomteachers.(seeAppendixE:MCMEvaluationForms)

Realizingthatliteracyisthecoreofinstructionandacademicsuccess,middleschools,aswellasallschoolsthroughoutthedistrict,
willcontinuetoemphasizeandincorporateliteracyacrossthecurriculum.Thisisparticularlyimportantinthemiddleschools
wherestudentsareonlyexposedtoreadingand/orlanguageartsforoneperiodperdayunlesstheyarebelowgradeleveland
enrolledinanenrichmentcourse.Thiswilltakeplacethroughtheuseofliteracystrategiesinsocialstudies,science,andall

electivecourses.Readingcoacheswillsharereadingstrategiesincommonplanningacrossallsubjectareasaswellasduring
facultymeetingsandearlyreleasedays.Inaddition,Achieve3000passageswillbeemphasizedineachcontentareatosupport
literacyinallcourses.

Mathematics:
Inordertoaddressthedeclinesindicatedinthemiddleschoolmathdatabelow,thedistricthastakenseveralstepstorevise
mathcurriculuminmiddleschools.ThisincludedanewtextbookadoptionthroughPearsonDigitswhichincludedablended
learningcomponentforallstudents.Thistextbookisalignedtothenewstandardsandassessment.Inaddition,studentswhoare
significantlybelowgradelevelareplacedinaMathEnrichmentcourse,inadditiontotheirregularmathcourse.Thisclassutilizes

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

theCarnegiecurriculum,alsoinablendedlearningmodel.Schoolswithalowmathproficiencyhavebeenallocatedamathcoach
toworkwithteachersduringcommonplanningandbuildtheircapacitytoteachthenewstandardsandschoolsreceivesupport
fromdistrictspecialiststhroughouttheyear.AnotherfactorthataffectedthemathscoreswastheimproperplacementofLevel3
middleschoolstudentsinAlgebraI.Thesestudentswerenotpreparedfortherigorofahighschoolmathclassanddidnot
performwellontheAlgebraEOC.Inresponsetothatdata,thedistrictchangedthemasterscheduleguidelinesplacingonly
studentswhoscoredaLevel4or5onthe7thgradeFCATinAlgebraI.

Science:
Whenreviewingpriordatamiddleschoolsciencehassignificantlyincreasedasindicatedbythedatabelow.Factorscontributing
totheacademicsuccessinscienceincludedtheMiddleSchoolScienceDepartmentincorporatingstudentinteractivenotebooks
thatrequiredstudentstocaptureimportantfindingsandrecordtheirthoughtsfromthecurrentlessonandactivityinwhichthey
wereinvolvedaswellasthesurgeofinquirybasedlearningactivitiesembeddedintotheCurriculumGuides.Onaweeklybasis,
studentswereexposedtoalignedinvestigationsthatallowedthemtoconducthandsonlabstoincreasetheconceptual
understandingofthecontentbeingtaught.Tofurtheremphasizetheimportanceofscienceandprojectbasedlearning,the
districtwillworktoexpandsciencefairparticipationamongmiddleschoolstudents.

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

TheongoingsupportfromDistrictstaffissupplementedwiththeopportunityformiddleschoolcontentbasedinstructorsto
attendandparticipateincommonplanningsessions(seeAppendixF,CommonPlanningAgendas).Thesesessionswillallow
teacherstoworkcollectivelytonavigateandunwrapthenewFloridaStandards.Commonplanningwillalsoallowteachersto
participateincoachingcycles,lessonstudies,andprofessionalroundingtoidentifystrategiesonhowtodelivereffectivelessons
andimprovestudentachievement.Duringthistime,teacherswillbeabletodiscusstheimplementationandusageofthenew
blendedlearningplatformsthatwillallowthemtoacademicallytracktheskilllevelandgradelevelproficiencyofeverystudent.

BlendedLearningandTechnology:

Inordertosupplementcoreinstruction,middleschoolswillusethefollowingblendedlearningplatformsin201415:

ContentArea
BlendedLearningResource
Reading

Achieve3000(StandardsBased)

Writing

WritetoLearn(Levelset)

Math

DIGITS&Carnegie

Science

Gizmos

Inordertoensurethatmiddleschoolstudentshadaccesstothetechnologytoimplementtheseblendedlearningprogramsand
toprovideteacherswithallofthenecessarytoolsforteaching,thedistrictappliedfor,andwasawarded,a$50millionQualified
ZoneAcademyBond(QZAB).ThefocalpointoftheQZABIIbondismiddleschoolsandwillallowforallmiddleschoolstobefully
wirelessbytheendofthe201415schoolyear.Inaddition,allcoremiddleschoolteacherswillreceivealaptopcart(1:1or2:1
deviceratioinallmiddleschools),aninteractiveteacherbundleincludinganAVcart,interactivewhiteboard,documentcamera,
audiosystem,andstudentresponseclickers)byJune2015.Thesetoolswillexpandtheuseofblendedlearningandallowfora
moreengagingacademicexperienceinallclasses.

Teachershavebeen,andwillcontinuetobe,trainedintheuseoftheseblendedlearningprogramsaswellastheuseofthedata
derivedfromtheweeklymonitoringofstudentprogress.Fromthesereports,teacherswillbeabletodifferentiateinstructionin
boththetraditionalclassroomsettingaswellasthroughblendedlearningmodules.Ongoingprogressmonitoringassessments
throughtheseprogramsprovidesteacherswithadditionaldatatomakeinformedinstructionaldecisions.

DEVELOPMENTAL RESPONSIVENESS
Middlegradesareatimewherestudentsbegintoidentifywhotheyareacademicallyalongwithbehaviorally.Inthemiddle
schoolsettingwebegintoseeourstudentsemergeintoyoungadultsandatthesametime,seethemtrytomaneuverinavery
adultcentricworldwithoutthewisdomandcopingmechanismsthatcomewithageandexperience.Aseducators,oneofour
prioritiesmustbetoestablishasafeandhealthyenvironmentforthisexperiencetounfold.Ourcommitmenttodevelopingthe
wholechildismanifestedinpartthroughthewayinwhichwearereformingourapproachtosafetyanddiscipline.Throughthe
platformofpositivebehaviorsupportsandaprogressivedisciplineplan,weshiftthefocusfrompunishingthebehaviorto
meetingtheneedsofthechild.

ToassistwithreformingbehaviorseachmiddleschoolwasallocatedaDeanofDisciplinetoworkwithallstudentsandcreatea
culturewhererespectandacademicownershipbecomesthenorm.InSchoolSuspensionTeachersandSchoolResourcesOfficers
havealsobeenfundedateverymiddleschooltoprovideanadditionallayerofsupportandactasstudentadvocatesoncampus.

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

ThedistricthashiredanExecutiveDirectorofStudentDisciplineandSupportServicestoleadthedistrictbysupportingDeansand
ISSPInstructors,alongwiththeentirefaculty,increatingathrivingstudentculture.Thisindividualisalsoresponsiblefortraining
staffmemberstocreateaPositiveBehaviorSupportPlanforeachschool.

PositiveBehaviorSupports(PBS)inanacademicsettingprovideanewandmoreproactivewayforadultstoconsiderbehavior.By
usingevidencebasedpracticesthatfocusonincreasingsafetyandestablishingpositiveschoolcultures,PBScanincrease
academicandsocial/emotionaloutcomesforallstudents,andresultinlearningenvironmentsthatpromotecriticalthinkingand
engagedstudents.In20142015schoolyear,everyschoolwillcreateaPositiveBehaviorInterventionSupportsPlan(PBIS).The
overallemphasisofestablishingaPBISPlanistofocusonaninstructionalandinclusionaryapproachtodiscipline,asopposedto
reinforcingexclusionarydisciplinarypractices.Tothisend,everyschoolwillembracethefollowingkeyelements:

Establishapositivebehaviorsupportplanthatisalignedwithexpectedacademicandbehavioraloutcomes.
Recognizestudentsforexhibitingdesiredbehaviorsandforimprovementofdesiredoutcomes.
Establishclassroommanagementplansthatservetoaddresstheneedsofthewholechild.
Establishasystemwhereminimallyintrusiveeventsaremanagedattheclassroomlevelthroughcounselingwiththe
studentandparent.

OnetoolthatthedistrictwillutilizeinitsPBSeffortisrestorativejustice,focusingonskilldevelopment,emotionalawareness,and
relationshipbuildingtocombattheotherwisedisconnectednatureof21stCenturyhyperconnectedsociety.TheCodeof
StudentConduct(COC)hasbeenrevisedtoinstillapreventativeemphasissothatproblembehaviorsremainrelativelyminorand
arelesslikelytobecomesignificantlyproblematic.Theseminorinfractionsarehandledthroughparentandstudentconferencing,
counseling,andrestorativejusticeinordertominimizesuspensionsandprovideneededguidanceandsupporttostudents.
StudentswereactivelytrainedonthenewCOCinordertoensurethattheyunderstoodtheexpectationsof,aswellasthe
repercussionsfor,theirbehavior.

Byinstitutingamentalhealthfirstaidmodel,classroomteacherscanrecognizeearlywarningsignsofclinicalpathologyandget
studentsthehelptheyneedonsiteorasquicklyaspossiblefromcommunitypartners.Theseproactiveandstudentfocused
approacheschangeschoolclimatesandimprovethesafetyandoutcomesforeveryoneinvolvedespeciallythoseinmiddle
school.TeacherswillalsobeprovidedculturalsensitivitytrainingthroughRubyPaynesworkandthiswillbeincorporatedinthe
mentalhealthtraining.

ThisyearDCPSistherecipientofFloridaAWAREandDuvalAWAREwhichareFederalgrantswhichallowthedistricttobuild
awarenessofmentalhealthindicatorsandmakeconnectionsfortherapeuticinterventions.Thedistrictwillfocusonproviding
middleschoolstaffwithintentionaltrainingonrecognizingsignsofmentalhealth.Middleschoolisoftenaplacewherestudent
behaviorsarecharacterizedbydevelopmentimmaturityandnotoptionconnectedtomentalhealthneeds.Thesegrantswill
allowustotrainteachersinmentalhealthissuesinorderidentifystudentsinneedofreceivingservices.

Inaddition,STRIVE:SystemicTieredResponsiveInterventionsValidatedbyEvidence,willbeimplemented,whichisamultitiered
behavioralframeworktoimproveschoolclimatebyreinforcingmultitieredsystemsofsupportinour5highestneedmiddle
schoolsovera5yearperiod(EugeneButler,JohnE.Ford,MatthewGilbert,Northwestern,andRibaultMiddleSchool).
STRIVEprojectactivitieswillincludeprovidingmiddleschoolstaffwithprofessionaldevelopmentonclassroommanagement,
positivebehaviorsupport,andculturalcompetencytraining.Inaddition,thedistricthasanopportunitytoalignthisworkwith
theChartrandFoundationthroughitsSystemsofCareschoolbehavioralhealth,proofofconceptmodel.Thisprogramisdesigned
toincreasementalhealthserviceaccessforstudentsbyhavingprovidersbeschoolbased.TheSTRIVEandAWAREgrants,aswell
astheSystemsofCaremodel,willworktointegrateandenhanceclassroombehaviormanagementandappropriatemental
healthreferralsforstudentsinneed.Thedistrictwillbeabletoleverageexistingstaffcoupledwithnewlyhiredgrantstaffto
supportPBSstructuresdistrictwide.
Fromahistoricalperspective,in201213,70%ofstudentsreferredfordisciplinewithinourtargetschoolsreceivedanactionof
suspension,incomparisontotheaveragerateof54%atthedistrict'sotherschools.Datafromthesameperiodalsoindicates

10

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

thatdisproportionaldisciplinaryactionmayoccurwithinourtargetschools. Thefollowingtableshowsthepercentageofstudents
subjecttodisciplinaryactionwithincertainsubgroupswasincongruentwiththedemographiccompositionoftheDuval
TransformationRegion.

201213
Demographi
cs
Disciplinary
Involvemen
t

DisproportionalDisciplinaryInvolvementwithintheTransformationRegion
White Black Hispanic
Asian
Indian
Multi
SWD
ELL

FLR

10%

84%

3%

1%

<1%

2%

15%

1%

87%

8%

89%

<1%

<1%

0%

2%

20%

<1%

95%

ThetargetedoutcomesforImplementingtheSTRIVEinitiativewillbeasfollowed:
1.Increasethenumberofdesignated"modelPBS"schoolseachyear,reaching100%byyear5;
2.Reducethenumberofcodeofconductviolations;
3.Decreasethenumberofsuspensionsandexpulsions;
4.Decreasethenumberofclass3and4codeofconductviolations;
5.Increasesurveyoutcomeresultsaroundschoolsafetyforstudents,parents,andteachers.

DEVELOP THE WHOLE CHILD

Toensurethatmiddleschoolstudentsareexposedtoenrichmentopportunities,allmiddleschoolsarerequiredtoofferanarray
ofelectiveofferingsincludingmusic,art,foreignlanguage,aswellasoptionslinkedtotheirchoiceprogram.Theseclasseswill
exposestudentstolearningpatternsthatwillassistwiththecoreacademicclassesandallowstudentstoselfselectclassesthat
mergewiththeirindividualinterests.Thesecoursesareinadditiontochoicethemesandacceleratedprogramspreviously
discussed.Studentswilldeterminethebestelectivechoicesbasedontheirinterests.Programofferingsforeachmiddleschool
areindicatedinthechartbelow.
MiddleSchool
MusicProgram
ForeignLanguageProgram
Landon
Band
Spanish
Oceanway
Band
Spanish
Chorus
French
Fletcher
Band
Spanish
Chorus
DuPont
Chorus
French
LakeShore
Band
Spanish
DarnellCookman
Chorus
Spanish
Latin
MatthewGilbert
Chorus
Spanish
J.W.Johnson
Chorus
Spanish
French
Chinese
Northwestern
Band
Spanish
EugeneButler
Chorus
Spanish

J.E.B.Stuart
Band
Spanish
Chorus
Southside
Band
Spanish

11

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Ribault
Arlington
JeffDavis
Stilwell

FortCaroline
Highlands
TwinLakes
Mayport
Landmark
Mandarin
LaVillaSOTA

Kernan
WestviewK8

Band
Chorus
Chorus
Band
Chorus
Band

Chinese

Band
Band
Chorus
Band
Chorus
Band
Band
Chorus
Band
Chorus
Band
Chorus
Piano
Strings
Guitar
Band
Art
Music

Spanish
Spanish

Spanish
Spanish
Spanish

Spanish
Spanish
Spanish
Chinese
N/A

Spanish
Spanish

Middleschoolswillbeprovidedwithanadditionallayerofsupportthatpermitschoolstoidentifynurturinggroupswherestudent
advocatescanworkwithstudentsbasedonindividualneedsandrelevantdatasets.Earlywarningindicatorswillbeusedsothat
TeamUp,AchieversforLife,andCityYearpersonnelwillbeabletoidentifystudentswhohavesimilarconcernsfromabehavioral,
attendance,andacademicstandpointandthenprovidetheneededsupport.Theseoutsidepartnersprovidementoring
opportunitiesaswellasacademicinterventionstofullysupporttheneedsofthestudentstheyareworkingwith.Thedistrictwill
continuetoreviewopportunitiestoexpandthepoolofmentorstoserveourmiddleschoolstudents.Thedistrictwillalsoreview
theformatofProjectBreakthroughinAtlantatodetermineifasimilarprogramcanbeimplementedinJacksonville.Thisunique
programisgroundedinthephilosophyofstudentsteachingstudentsandhaswitnessedtremendoussuccessintermsof
graduationandcollegeacceptanceratesamongparticipants.Thedistricthasimplementedasimilarprogramthisyear,withTeen
Trendsetters,atselectelementaryandhighschools,andwilllooktoexpandtoasimilarmodelinmiddleschools.

AnotherresourceformiddleschoolstudentswillcomefromDistrictpersonnelservingasmentors.In201415,DistrictStaffwill
againparticipateintheJuniorAchievementprogramandalsohavetheopportunitytobecomestudentmentorstomiddleschool
students.Thisnewmentoringprogramwillrequiredistrictemployeestomeetwiththeirmenteesatleastonceamonthto
provideongoingacademicsupportandmentoring.Belowpleasefindachartindicatingafterschoolandmentoringprograms
offeredateachmiddleschool:

12

ALFREDI.DUPONTMIDDLE
ARLINGTONMIDDLE
SCHOOL

DARNELLCOOKMAN

DUNCANU.FLETCHER
MIDDLE
EUGENEJ.BUTLERMIDDLE
FORTCAROLINEMIDDLE
HIGHLANDSMIDDLE
SCHOOL
J.E.B.STUARTMIDDLE
JAMESW.JOHNSON
MIDDLE
JEANRIBAULTMIDDLE
JEFFERSONDAVISMIDDLE
JOHNE.FORDK8SCHOOL

JOSEPHSTILWELLMIDDLE

KERNANMIDDLESCHOOL
KIRBYSMITHMIDDLE
SCHOOL
LAKESHOREMIDDLE
SCHOOL
LANDMARKMIDDLE
SCHOOL
LANDONMIDDLESCHOOL
LAVILLAMIDDLESCHOOL
MANDARINMIDDLE
SCHOOL
MATTHEWGILBERTMIDDLE
MAYPORTMIDDLESCHOOL
NORTHWESTERNMIDDLE
OCEANWAYSCHOOL
SOUTHSIDEMIDDLE
SCHOOL
TWINLAKESMIDDLE
WESTVIEWK8

x
x

x
x

x
x

x
x

Girls on the
Run

River Region

Pearls of
Perfection

Navy South
Region
Command

Big Brothers&
Big Sisters

x
x

x
x

x
x
x

x
x
x

x
x

x
x

x
x

13

Full Service
Schools

Team Up 2-day

Team Up 5-day

Achievers For
Life

Name

City Year

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Thereisnodoubttheoneofthemostdifficulttransitionsastudentmakesisfromelementaryschooltomiddleschool.Inorder
toeasethattransition,allmiddleschoolsofferanorientationsessionpriortothefirstdayofschoolwherestudentscantourthe
building,receiveacopyoftheirschedule,meettheirteachers,learnaboutschoolpoliciesandprocedures,askquestions,and
familiarizethemselveswiththeirnewschool.Inaddition,forthepasttwoyears,DCPShasofferedaSOSTransitionCourseforall
incoming6thgradestudentsthatwasdesignedtocreateapositiveimpacttostudentlearningfromanemotional,social,and
academicperspective.TheSOSTransitioncurriculumisfoundedon,anddrivenby,sixcorevalues:commitmenttolearning,
positiveidentity,socialcompetence,positivevalues,empowerment,andsupport.TheTransitionbenchmarksarebroughttolife
throughtheuseofhighinteresttextsandnovelswithaccompanyinggroupdiscussionsandpersonalreflections.Inaddition,the
courseaddressescharactereducationthroughtheuseofmultimedia,criticalthinkingactivities,collaborativeprojects,aswellas
roleplaysandscenarioswhicharerelevanttomiddleschoolstudents.Throughthiscourse,studentsdeveloprefusalstrategies
andcopingmechanisms,establishpersonalboundaries,andlearntosetandmonitortheirprogresstowardsspecificacademic
andpersonalgoals.Thisclassfocusesoneffectivecommunicationstrategiesaswellasstrategiestoresolveconflictnonviolently,
andstudentshavetheopportunitytonotonlypractice,butalsoreceivefeedbackontheirimplementationofthesestrategies.
ThroughtheSOSTransitionclass,studentsgaininsightintothepowerofselfleadership,theimportanceofpersonal
responsibility,andthevalueofseekingtounderstandtheperspectivesandexperiencesofothers.Desiredoutcomesforthe
courseincludestudentsdevelopingabetterunderstandingofthemselves,theirgoals,theirrelationships,andtheirchoices,as
wellastheskillstheyneedtonavigatesuccessfullythroughchallengestheyfaceinschoolandbeyond.

Inordertominimizethenumberofstudentsthatareretainedatthemiddleschoollevel,thedistrictofferssummerschoolcourse
opportunitiesforeighthgradersneedingonlyoneortwocoursesforpromotiontohighschool.Studentsfailingoneortwo
coursesinsixthorseventhgradewillbeaffordedtheopportunitytoretakethecourse(s)duringtheregularschooldaythe
followingyearwhilealsotakingthecoursesneededforthenextgradelevel.Byaffordingstudentsthisopportunity,middleschool
retentionrateswilldeclineandfeweroveragestudentswillenterninthgrade.

AlthoughthetopicscoveredinSOSTransitiontranscendanyparticularsubsetofstudents,thecourseiscurrentlyofferedat11
TitleImiddleschoolsinDuvalCountyincludingthefollowing:

ArlingtonMiddleSchool
EugeneButlerAcademyforLeadership
DuPontMiddleSchool
Matthew GilbertMiddleSchool
HighlandsMiddleSchool
JeffersonDavisMiddleSchool
JohnE.FordK8
LakeShoreMiddleSchool
NorthwesternMiddleSchool
JeanRibaultMiddleSchool
JebStuartMiddleSchool

Duringthefirstyearofimplementation,studentsurveydataindicatedthatstudentswhoparticipatedinthecourse
experiencedapositiveeffectontheiracademicandsocialhealthascomparedtosurveydataforstudentswhodidnot
participateinthecourse.

Inresponsetoparentandstudentfeedback,themiddleschoolsportsprogramhasbeenexpandedtoallowsixthgradersto
participateinallathleticprogramsbeginninginthe201415schoolyear.Wewillreviewtheopportunitytoincreaseparticipation
inintramuralsportstoprovideadditionalathleticopportunitiestostudentswhomaychoosetoparticipateinathleticsinaless
competitivesetting.Theavailabilityofstudentinterestandleadershipclubswillalsobereviewedtoexpandtheseopportunities
tointerestedstudents.Activitybusseshavealsobeenprovidedtoallschoolsinordertoallowstudents,whootherwisewouldnot
havetransportationhome,toparticipateinafterschoolsactivities,club,and/ormentoringproblems.

14

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Targets
Duetothechangeinstandardsandassessments,traditionaltargetswillnotbesetforthe201415schoolyearinReadingor
Math.Rather,thisyearwillbeusedasabaselinetodeterminefuturetargets.Thedistrictwillreviewitsownperformance,
anditsperformanceinrelationtothelarge7districts,andsetfuturetargets.
StrategicPlantargetsfor201415inReadingwillbesetbyindicatingagrowthtargetontheiReady(gradesK3)andAchieve
3000(grades411)posttestascomparedtothebaselineandpre/posttestgrowthinmathematicsiniReady(finaltargets
pendingBoardapprovalforgradesK5).Asthereisnoexpectedchangeinthe8thgradeSciencetest,theStrategicPlantarget
forthisareawillbe50%,whichisa3percentagepointincreaseandwouldexceedthestateaveragein2014.
Additionally,enrollmentatthemiddleschoollevelwillremainconsistentorincrease,despitetheincreaseincharterschool
enrollment.Indoorandoutdoorsuspensionrateswilldecreaseby5%atthemiddleschoollevel,attendancewillincrease,and
Level3and4CodeofConductViolationswilldecreaseby5%.Teacherandstudentsurveydatawillindicateanincreased
satisfactionwiththeoverallschoolclimateascomparedtopreviousyears.

Description

Budget

City Year
Achievers for Life
Team Up
District Personnel
Blended Learning Programs

Cost
~$400,000
$500,000
$250,000
~ $500,000
~$2,000,000

15

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

AppendixA
Name

Survey2Enrollment

%ReadingProficient

%ReadingGains

%MathGains

%ScienceProficient

2012

2013

2014

2011

2012

2013

2014

2011

2012

2013

2014

2011

2012

2013

2014

2011

2012

2013

2014

2011

2012

2013

KIRBYSMITH

889

905

955

952

74

69

68

70

64

75

67

68

70

65

70

72

69

72

72

72

59

55

65

67

JULIALANDON

720

732

715

745

89

90

90

89

71

77

83

84

94

93

95

91

85

93

93

79

75

90

89

85

OCEANWAY
DUNCANU.
FLETCHER

1229

1267

1258

1224

71

57

53

55

60

68

59

64

60

48

52

46

63

62

66

57

56

47

47

44

1200

1149

1143

1136

79

67

69

70

65

62

69

67

76

59

71

69

65

57

76

64

65

66

71

71

2014

ALFREDI.DUPONT

888

846

811

816

64

43

46

47

63

63

68

65

55

47

47

47

68

70

69

65

43

43

37

42

LAKESHORE

1178

1262

1221

1238

48

43

42

44

57

60

57

55

46

40

45

40

61

60

60

53

31

33

39

42

EUGENEBUTLER
MATTHEWW.
GILBERT
JAMESWELDON
JOHNSON

729

693

736

580

25

25

23

55

55

50

24

24

30

55

47

62

24

12

19

539

530

538

472

32

25

30

29

53

58

61

52

47

36

36

36

74

64

58

63

14

17

15

26

1040

1088

1080

1085

90

89

90

86

72

80

80

72

90

88

90

82

78

83

84

67

77

80

82

86

NORTHWESTERN

425

546

503

447

30

21

27

25

53

53

66

48

42

28

39

34

63

60

66

58

23

14

15

18

J.E.B.STUART

802

877

843

850

53

39

38

32

60

61

61

50

47

31

39

35

60

55

65

55

23

33

28

26

SOUTHSIDE

966

919

907

716

46

35

36

35

53

57

58

58

43

32

30

27

56

51

52

51

37

30

28

28

JEANRIBAULT

572

614

661

636

36

31

31

31

57

56

54

56

41

32

32

30

62

55

51

53

15

21

24

28

ARLINGTON

847

829

792

734

56

39

42

41

60

59

60

60

52

42

49

46

67

62

75

64

33

19

29

44

JEFFERSONDAVIS

1256

1186

1157

1050

57

37

41

38

59

62

61

55

52

36

35

29

61

62

57

50

43

35

36

30

JOSEPHSTILWELL

1027

1151

998

862

52

37

43

40

57

59

63

56

48

35

35

38

60

51

54

59

42

34

32

37

FORTCAROLINE

829

757

748

668

50

41

41

39

59

61

63

55

51

37

41

33

65

55

62

57

33

25

26

19

HIGHLANDS
TWINLAKES
ACADEMY

901

868

898

916

44

35

31

31

53

62

54

51

41

39

32

29

58

68

54

51

24

17

21

28

1522

1483

1382

1287

71

59

60

58

61

63

69

64

66

58

61

55

65

66

69

63

54

52

48

52

MAYPORT

762

842

831

858

67

59

62

58

61

60

63

62

55

58

59

49

52

70

64

55

41

48

56

67

LANDMARK

1381

1369

1295

1179

67

56

56

57

62

65

63

67

60

55

57

58

64

67

70

68

51

49

53

55

MANDARIN
LAVILLAOFTHE
ARTS

1614

1508

1461

1339

81

66

66

67

65

66

65

68

77

67

69

66

67

67

71

66

67

68

65

64

1105

1103

1110

1119

80

70

80

75

63

68

78

68

75

68

74

71

73

73

74

70

66

60

76

72

KERNAN

1302

1297

1253

1210

70

57

61

62

62

63

67

66

71

59

59

57

64

65

66

60

47

51

51

55

988

993

971

922

51

51

52

52

61

61

61

59

47

48

50

44

65

62

63

59

42

44

45

47

16

%MathProficient

2011

AppendixB

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Excellenceof612Literacy
Studentsareworkingonappropriatelyrigorouscontentin612Literacywhentheyarereading,listening,writingandspeakingabout
worthwhiletexts.
Thelessonispacedsuchthatstudentsspendtheblockreading,speaking,and/orwritingabouthighquality,contentrichtext(s)thatisatorabovethecomplexitylevelexpected
forthegradeandtimeintheschoolyear,suchasthesetextexemplars.
Thetext(s)isworthreadingbecauseitexhibitsexceptionalcraftandthoughtand/orprovidesusefulinformation.Thetext(s)exposesstudentstomultiplelevelsofmeaning,
unconventionalstructures,multiplethemes,multipleperspectives,andacademicanddomainspecificterminology.
Activitiesarepurposefulandleavestudentswithusefulinformation.
Questionsandtasksrequirestudentstoattendtokeyideasanddetailsfromthetext,thecraftandstructureoftext,andtheintegrationofknowledgewithinatextorbetween
multipletexts.
Questionsandtasksrequirestudentstociteevidencefromthetexttosupportanalysis,inferenceandclaims.Thereisevidenceofextendedwriting
inresponsetoreading,inwhichstudentsciteevidenceandjustifyhowtheevidencecitedsupportstheirrationale.
Questionsandtasksattendtotheacademicvocabularyinthetext.Studentshavemultipleexposurestothisvocabularyandchancestolearnwordmeanings.
Studentsreadahighvolumeoftextsattheirindependentlevelacrossawidevarietyofgenresthatreflecttopicsstudiedinclassaswellasstudents
choice.Studentsworkwiththeteacherinsmallgroupstoreview,remediate,orenrichstudentskillsusingtextsattheirinstructionallevel.
Studentsareaskedtoproducearangeofwriting,includingformalandinformalpersuasive,informativeandnarrativepieces,acrossdisciplinesandthatincorporateresearch.
Studentsusetechnologyregularly,includingtheInternet,toconductresearchandproduceandpublishwriting.
Studentsreceiveappropriatescaffoldsandsupports,includingaccommodationsandmodificationswhereappropriate,toengagewithrigorouswork.
Studentsaretakingownershipfortheirlearningin612Literacywhentheypersistinhardwork,respondtoteacherpromptsthoughtfully
andbuildoneachothersobservationsorinsightswhendiscussingtextandduringcollaborativetasks.

Studentsaskandrespondtoquestionsaboutthetext,inordertobuilddeeperunderstandingofthecontent.
Studentsrespondtoandbuildononeanothersthinkingthroughoutthelessontodeepentheirunderstandingofthecontent.
Studentsworktowardindependentreadingandanalysisoftexts,askingquestionsofpeersandteacherswhenappropriatetobuildunderstanding.
Theteacherexpectsevidenceandprecisionfromstudentsandprobesstudentsanswersandprovidescorrectivefeedbackaccordingly.
Theteacherprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstoengageinpeereditingoftasksandexpectsstudentstoprovidecorrectivefeedbackaccordingly.
Theteachercreatestheconditionsforstudentconversationsandplanstaskswherestudentsareencouragedtotalkabouteachothersthinking,
includingwholegroup,center,circles,anddiscussions

Studentsaredemonstratingtheirunderstandingin612Literacywhentheirwrittenworkandcontributionstodiscussionshowprogress
towardgradelevelexpectationsand/orrigorousIEPgoals.

Studentswritinganddiscussionsdemonstratetheirunderstandingofthekeyideasanddetailsofthetext,thecraftandstructureofthetext,andtheintegrationofknowledge
withinatextorbetweenmultipletexts.
Studentsproduceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthedevelopment,organization,andstyleareappropriatetotask,purpose,andaudience.
Studentsstrengthentheirworkthroughplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproachandbuildaportfolioofwritingthatshowsimprovementovertime.
Studentsusegraphicsandotherstructuralelements(e.g.,data,documents,timelines,andotherelements)ofthetexttogaindeeperunderstanding.
Theteachermonitorsunderstandingtoaligntothecontentandrigorofthelessonandidentifiesstrategiesandmaterialstoaligntostudentlearningneeds.

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DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Excellenceof612Math
Studentsareworkingonappropriatelyrigorouscontentin612Mathematicswhentheyaredeeplyfocusedongradelevelcontentthatbalancestheproceduralskill,
conceptualunderstanding,andrealworldapplication

Thelessonfocusesongradelevelcluster(s),gradelevelcontentstandards(s)orpart(s)thereof.
Thelessonintentionallyrelatesnewconceptstostudentspriorknowledgeandskills.
Thelessonintentionallytargetstheaspect(s)ofrigor(conceptualunderstanding,proceduralskillandfluency,application)calledforbythestandard(s)beingaddressed.
Studentshavetimetoworkwithandpracticegradelevelproblems.
Theteacherusesexplanations,representations,and/orexamplesandmetacognitiontomakethemathematicsofthelessonexplicit.
Theteacherguidesstudentsthinkingtowardthefocusofthelessonthroughtheuseofhighqualityquestionsandproblems.
Teachersandstudentsusemanipulativestobuildconceptualunderstanding.
Teacherusesdatatodifferentiateinstructionandaddressindividualandwholeclassdeficiencies.
Studentsreceiveappropriatescaffoldsandsupports,includingaccommodationsandmodificationswhereappropriate,toengagewithrigorouswork.

Studentsaretakingownershipfortheirlearningin612Mathematicswhentheypersistinhardwork,respondtoteacherpromptsthoughtfully,andbuildoneachothers
observationsorinsightswhendiscussingexplanations,problems,representations,andsolutions.

Studentsperseverethroughchallengingproblems.
Studentssharetheirdevelopingunderstandingofthecontentbyexplainingtheirthinkingandtheirproblemsolvingprocesses..
Studentstalkaboutandaskquestionsabouteachothersthinkinginordertoclarifyorimprovetheirownmathematicalunderstanding.
Theteacherusescollaborativestrategiestohelpstudentsbuildknowledgefromoneanothersinsight,includingaccountabletalk,thinkpairshare,anddiscussion.
Teacherusesquestioningtechniquessuchasredirecting,waittime,andprompting.
Teacherintentionallyscaffoldsquestioningfromlowertohigherorderthinking.
Studentsaremakingsenseofproblemsandperseveringinsolvingthem.
Studentsengageinabstractandquantitativereasoning.
Studentsuseappropriatetoolsstrategically.
Studentslookforandmakeuseofstructure.
Studentsattendtoprecision.
Studentslookforandexpressregularityinrepeatedreasoning.

Studentsaredemonstratingtheirunderstandingin612Mathematicswhentheirrepresentations,solutions,andexplanationsshowprogresstowardsgradelevel
expectations/rigorousIEPgoals.

Studentsshareavarietyofsolutionmethodstodemonstrateanddeveloptheirunderstandingofthecontent,andpresenttheirworkinavarietyofformats,including
graphicorganizers,flipcharts,Venndiagrams,foldables,webs,andtchartsduringactivities.
Studentsuseprecisemathematicallanguagetoexplainandjustifytheirwork.
Studentsconstructviableargumentsandcritique,explain,andprovidefeedbackontheworkofothers.
Studentsmodelwithmathematics.

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DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

AppendixC

2:07-2:19
Independent Practice
Transition

Feedback Form
Teacher

McIntosh

Coach

Marion

Based on our collaboration, we will work together on __________________. The lesson that
will be modeled or observed will focus on
. You will
complete this form during a modeled lesson, and I will complete it during your lesson for
observation. We will use the form to guide our discussion during our debriefing. We will meet
for a debriefing on
.

What is the teacher doing?

What are the students doing?

Circulating and checking student work.

Revising DTW based on revised prewriting plan.

What questions do you have about the lesson or students?

What was planned for students who remained with you after transition?
What support techniques do students use on their own when writing
independently?
What writing deficits and strengths do students currently display?
How will you support student needs prior to testing?
Follow up:
Reading coach will debrief with teacher during next planning.

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DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

AppendixD
AppendixE

Month

Date

Location

Topic

Attendees

AM:WriteToLearn AssistantPrincipal
August

821

September

911

October

1009

RibaultMS
PM:Achieve3000

LiteracyCoach
AssistantPrincipal

LakeShoreMS

LiteracyCoach
AssistantPrincipal

LiteracyCoach
AssistantPrincipal

November

1106

LiteracyCoach
AssistantPrincipal

December

1211

LiteracyCoach
AssistantPrincipal

January

108

February

205

LiteracyCoach
AssistantPrincipal

LiteracyCoach
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DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

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DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

AppendixF

ArlingtonMiddleSchool
ELA/SocialStudiesCommonPlanningAgenda
2nd,3rd,and4thperiodduringplanningtime
AgendaItems

SchoolwidestrategyReview:
Review/Discuss4ColumnMethodpresentedlastweek
1. Questions?
2. Needclarification?
3. Shareoutsfromteacherswhohaveimplementedit
A. Whatwentwell?
B. Whatwouldyoudodifferently?
4. Followupwalkthroughslookingforevidenceof4ColumnMethodbeingusedinclasses

Time

SmallGroupProfessionalDevelopment:
CommunicateinformationfromDistrictCoachesMtg.
1. InstructionalFrameworkforELA(Includingwherefocuslessonswillfitin)
2. WaystoincorporatewritinginELAandReadingEnrichmentclasses
A. ModelWritingwarmupthatcanbeusedforallgradelevelELAclasses
B. Onlinestopwatch.comtoadheretotimeforwarmupsandturnandtalkactivities

3. InstructionalFrameworkforReadingEnrichment(includingwherefocuslessonswillfitin)
4. TipsforSRA
A. Keeppace,developautomaticity
B. UseSTARrules,snaps,spiritfingers,etcforpositives
C. Atfirstittakeslonger,stickwithit,butmakesureyouarefinishingeachlessoneachday.Time
tomastery/completionwillimprovewithpractice.
5. TipsforNovelStudy
A. NovelTitles,lexilelevels,andgradelevelsforeachUnitaresuggested
B. Forwarmupusequotefromthepreviousdaysreadingofthenovel(ex:Itseemedfunny
thatthesunsetshesawfromherpatioandtheoneIsawfromthebackstepswasthesame
one.Maybethetwoworldswelivedinwerentsodifferent.Wesawthesamesunset.)S.E.
Hinton,TheOutsiders
C. ItisOKnottofinishanovel
D. UseSTARrulesfornovelstudytoo(continuationfromSRA)
E. DifferentiatedGroupingsforReadingEnrichmentclasses:vocabularyrotation,ELAtaskfrom
previousday,IndependentReadingofnovel,Literaturecircleactivityas1rotation,Teacher
ledgroupfordifferentiatedinstruction(usingTTSworkforsmallgroupremediation)
F. LiteratureCircleNotesdocumentationtoolforReadingEnrichmentClasswork

Mon.11/18/13NextCommonPlanning(dataroom)

Teacher

SignatureforAttendance

Evans,C.
Thompson,C.
Wyly,S.

22

15min

50min

DCPS Annual Middle School Reform Plan

Johnson,V.
Blackwell,C.
Marshall,C.
Webb,K.

WorldHistoryPlanninginRoom247today
WorldHistoryPlanninginRoom247today
WorldHistoryPlanninginRoom247today

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