Amanda Pinto writes in the Hour a nice article about middle schools. The lead graf:
As the school year ends today and eighth-graders rush from their classrooms, some will be more prepared for high school than others.In a trend Irene Sikorski, English department chairman at Norwalk High School, said she has seen grow over the past few years, preparedness seems increasingly dependent on which middle schools students are promoted from.
Shocking isn’t it? In Sal Corda’s centralized so we don’t have to think administration there is a noticeable difference in performance. This must come as a shocker to Corda. Because the only conclusion that can be drawn is that some schools are run by better principals and better teachers than others.
Nathan Hale Middle School students exceeded the other district middle schools, with 75.5 percent achieving proficiency in math, 76.6 percent in reading, and 80 percent in writing, according to the results.
Other schools struggled, with Ponus Ridge Middle School students scoring the lowest in math, with 58.3 percent proficient, and reading, with 63.6 percent proficient, while West Rocks Middle School students — with 66.8 percent proficient — fared the worst in writing.Black and Hispanic students, sub-groups that are “broken out” in both CMT and No Child Left Behind statistics, scored the highest at Nathan Hale — with black students reaching the highest level of proficiency for math and reading at this school, and school Hispanic students topping other schools’ Hispanic populations in all three categories.
Each of the remaining schools earned the poorest proficiency for black or Hispanic students in at least one category, with black students at West Rocks faring the worst in writing and math, Hispanic students at Ponus and West Rocks earning the lowest percentage proficiency in math and writing, respectively, and Roton Middle School black and Hispanic students scoring the worst in reading.
With socio-economic demographics fairly equal, Sikorski said, Nathan Hale’s achievement is significant.
West Rocks Middle School is headed by principal Lynne Moore, who has had controversy trailing her in whatever school system she’s been in.
Nathan Hale Principal Robert McCain said recent programmatic changes have allowed the school to not only achieve the highest CMT marks of district middle schools, but to gain status as a “Top 10″ state middle school.
Nathan Hale programs include individual instruction for students found to be deficient in math or reading, and time budgeted out of the school day for academic assistance — eighth graders meet with teachers for extra help each day of the school week, McCain said.
“We radically changed how we develop instruction,” he said, adding the policies has helped reduce suspension and detention as well.
The other three schools also have in place programs to address the disciplines where they have shown to be lacking.
Joseph Vellucci, Roton principal, said he has implemented several programs to address the low reading achievements of the school’s black and Hispanic students in particular.
Over the past two years, the school has promoted Self-Sustained Silent Reading fifteen minutes each school day to get students “hooked on reading,” and intensified its English Language Learner programs.
Changes also include a recent switch to a double period Language Arts program.
However, West Rocks Principal Lynne Moore said middle schools are not solely responsibly for freshmen’s achievements — they may have poor grades as they begin in high school because teachers there are not doing enough to support students, Moore said.
The CMTs, although accurate, are also not the most comprehensive measure of a student’s proficiency, Ponus Ridge Principal Linda Sumpter said.
“Personally, I’d rather go by the day to day class activity,” she said.
Vellucci said he agreed.
Ah yes, dusting off the old CYA excuse, there principal Moore. Vellucci doesn’t fare much better.
source: The Hour, Educators: Freshman success may hinge on youths’ middle school, by AMANDA PINTO, June 19, 2007
