PART 3: FINDINGS - SUMMARY EXPLANATION OF RUBRIC RATINGS Focus Standard 1.1
Focus Standard Meaningful and Challenging Curriculum
Rubric Placement Developing
1.2
Safe and Nurturing Learning Experiences
Developing
1.4
Active & Different Types of Learning
Beginning
1.7
Students Know What They are Learning, Why, and How it can be Applied
Developing
1.8
Academic Intervention & Enrichment Support
Developing
Bret Harte Middle School School Quality Review 2012-2013
Summary Explanation of Ratings School is a Math cohort school and receives district support in the form of coaching staff (2) and a literacy coach. Although Math department is using common sentence starters to promote student discussion of math concepts, implementation/transition to common core varies across departments. Students have few opportunities to connect their learning to their interest, goals, experiences, and communities based on classroom observations. Classroom environment is safe in majority of classes. Social emotional skills are not addressed in the classroom to encourage more students to participate in class. Shadow students shared they like their teachers and they have at least one teacher they can go talk to because they care for their students. Interviews by DaTown Researchers found mixed feelings about safety at the school. SQR team observed inconsistent use of Kagan strategies. Although students sit in groups in majority of classrooms, few classrooms engage students in work that required them to use each other as thinking partners or to go deeper in their thinking. Library is not fully utilized by the staff as a support to reading, research, and different forms of media and technology. Most students interviewed had an answer to “What are you learning?” although their answers ranged from the activity they were doing to the learning objective of the day. Fewer students had an answer for why they were learning specific information or how this learning connected to long term outcomes. The school has developed an RTI tier process to address the reading needs of students. This model only addresses the needs of 6th graders as a pilot program of the district that ensures students have access to the enrichment program in 7th and 8th grades. The school had plans to support students in math, but had not determined how to support those students needing reading intervention in 7th and 8th grade.
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1.10
Equitable Access to Curriculum
Developing
1.11
College-going Culture & Resources
Developing
2.1
Safe & Healthy Center of Community
Developing
2.2
Coordinated & Integrated System of Academic Learning Support Services
Sustaining
2.5
Identifies At-Risk Students & Intervenes
Developing
2.6
Inclusive, Welcoming & Caring Community
Developing
3.1
Collaboration
Developing
Bret Harte Middle School School Quality Review 2012-2013
Students have access to core curriculum (English, Math, History, Science, PE, and Enrichment) regardless of academic status or English proficiency for two years or more. School offers a Geometry math class to advanced math students. Although Special Education students mainstream into the general education program, their experiences vary depending on how well the general education teacher can include them into their classroom. School holds an annual Career Day and provides speakers based on data they collect from students’ career preferences in Kuder Navigator. Counselor supports students and parents with career and transition plans. Majority of teachers do not make explicit to students that certain skills and dispositions learn in the classroom, prepares them to be successful in college and careers. School has good supervision systems to ensure a safe environment at the school. Although the school has a working PTSA, there does not seem to be a strong parent/family ownership of the school community. Functioning COST is in place with ongoing structured and informal opportunities for staff and support providers to discuss students’ needs and connect them to resources. School employs a nurse, an academic counselor and an all-around person to support students. Advisory is reflected in the master schedule once per week for 50 minutes. There are multiple partnerships with community agencies that support students (Fred Finch, Alameda County Office of Public Health) as well as conflict coordinator and a Restorative Justice coordinator two days per week. COST addresses academic and socio-emotional needs and makes decisions about services needed. Some teachers feel less responsible to provide socio-emotional supports to their students, especially when misbehaving and readily send them out of class. Safe and clear expectations are appropriate during passing in the halls, lunch, and after school program with several staff supervising between periods. School offers clear set of classroom management guidelines that allow for teacher personalization. As a result, classroom rules & rewards vary across the school. School data shows majority of suspended students being African American. Teachers, with the exception of electives and sometimes Special Ed., meet in PLCs. The math department has developed an ongoing structure that is accepted by all 16
3.2
Data Development & Analysis
Developing
3.4
Professional Learning Activities
Developing
4.2
Working Together in Partnership
Beginning
4.5
Student/Family Engagement on Student Progress
Beginning
4.6
Family Engagement on Academic Expectations and Opportunities
Beginning
4.7 5.2
Standards of Meaningful Engagement Partners with Students and Families in Decision Making
Bret Harte Middle School School Quality Review 2012-2013
Beginning
Beginning
members. Other subject matter departments meet, but their structure is less developed. Shared accountability of PLC is work in progress depending on the department. Data is used to place students in Reading Intervention program and to monitor their progress. Although, Math and English department have a culture of looking at data (formative and summative), this practice is inconsistent across staff, departments, and level of analysis. The culture and climate committee has made limited use of data (attendance, referrals, and suspensions) as an approach to change. The Professional Development calendar reflects a focus on Common Core. Professional learning activities in Special Education are not differentiated. Teachers and staff expressed mixed responses on the usefulness and relevance of district and site professional development opportunities. The school recently hired a Family Resource Specialist to increase parent engagement at the school. Although the school has an active PTSA, their membership does not represent the demographic population of the school. School has a particular challenge in needing to work to eliminate the barrier of not being a neighborhood school. School complies with progress reports and report card process. Although there is a practice of teacher-parent conferences to address failing grades after each grading period, parents don’t always participate at rate desired by school. Teachers currently use different online grade-book programs (Gradekeeper, Easy Grade Pro, ABI, etc.) making it hard for parents to access their students’ information. School uses their monthly newsletter, “From the HARTE” to inform parents of information, special event opportunities, and monthly calendar. School also provides parents the “Family Calendar and Handbook”. Could not determine the level of effectiveness of these techniques because the SQR team was not able to interview any parents during the visit. The school recently hired a bilingual Spanish Family Resource Specialist. Goals addressing meaningful engagement have not yet been developed. School involves parents in mandated decision making groups. With the exception of PTSA members, few parents are involved in decision making. Students in the after-school program shared that they provided feedback about the 17
5.4
Vision Driven
Beginning
5.5
Focused on Equity
Developing
5.6
Supports the Development of Quality Instruction
Developing
enrichment classes offered to them. Students in journalism have a student newspaper and they survey students on important issues to them, although they do not determine the topics to write about. School has not revisited their vision to determine what continues to be appropriate. ILT is addressing conversations that can easily be constructed as a vision for the school. The school has structures in place (ILT, Administrative Team, and Climate and Culture group) to ensure that the school addresses academic, culture, and operational issues. School uses the Focal 15 method to ensure that students receive the support they need. Teaching staff is not engaged in conversations around inequalities (lowest performing students, highest suspension groups, etc.) and how to address these students’ needs. Principal and Assistant Principal support the development of quality instruction through the teacher evaluation system. Math and ELA coaches provide support to teachers in these departments and engage them in looking at student work. Teachers who are not evaluated or in other departments do not get the same support to improve the quality of instruction they provide their students. Culture of mutual accountability is just beginning with the Math department heading this work.
5.9
Culture of Mutual Accountability
Beginning
5.10
Organizational Management
Sustaining
Bret Harte's use of unrestricted resources is slightly higher than district average. Bret Harte's use of restricted resources is very similar to district averages.
Bret Harte Middle School School Quality Review 2012-2013
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PART 4: FOCUS STANDARDS RATINGS CHART Quality Indicator 1 1
Focus Standard 1.1 1.2
1 1
1.4 1.7
1 1 1 2 2
1.8 1.10 1.11 2.1 2.2
2 2 3 3 3 4 4
2.5 2.6 3.1 3.2 3.4 4.2 4.5
4
4.6
4 5
4.7 5.2
5 5 5 5 5
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.10
Focus Standard Meaningful and Challenging Curriculum Safe and Nurturing Learning Experiences Active & Different Types of Learning Students Know What They are Learning, Why, and How it can be Applied Academic Intervention/ Enrichment Equitable Access to Curriculum College-going Culture & Resources Safe & Healthy Center of Community Coordinated & Integrated System of Academic Learning Support Services Identifies At-Risk Students & Intervenes Inclusive, Welcoming & Caring Community Collaboration Data Development & Analysis Professional Learning Activities Working Together in Partnership Student/Family Engagement on Student Progress Family Engagement on Academic Expectations and Opportunities Standards of Meaningful Engagement Partners with Students and Families in Decision Making Vision Driven Focused on Equity Supports the Development of Quality Instruction Culture of Mutual Accountability Organizational Management
Bret Harte Middle School School Quality Review 2012-2013
Rubric Rating Developing Developing Beginning Developing
Undeveloped
Beginning
Developing
Sustaining
X X X X
Developing Developing Developing Developing Sustaining
X X X X
Developing Developing Developing Developing Developing Beginning Beginning
X X X X X X X
Beginning
X
Beginning Beginning
X X
Beginning Developing Developing Beginning Sustaining
X
X
X X X X 19
Refining
