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Summer Transitions: Summer Strategies for Successful Transitions from Middle to High School

A Good School Becomes a Great School Through MMGW


South Carolina's White Knoll Middle School (WKMS), a suburban school, joined the network in 2005 and  has made substantial gains in student achievement over the past three years. On the 2008 Middle Grades Assessment (MGA), reading scores remained stable, but the percentages of students scoring at the Proficient and Advanced levels rose from 32 percent to 41 percent.

Greater gains were made in mathematics from 2006 to 2008. The average mathematics score jumped from 164 to 172, and the percentage of students taking Algebra I rose from 22 to 42 percent at the same time. Science scores also increased overall from 162 to 165.

The leadership at White Knoll supports the mission of getting all students ready for rigorous high school courses. School leaders have worked together to raise the level of rigor in assignments and assessments and also increase expectations of all students. WKMS was the first middle school in South Carolina to implement a "Failure is not an option" grading policy. They began with a small number of teachers who had attended a session at the HSTW Staff Development Conference, and after a full-day workshop the following year, they implemented the strategy  throughout the school. They continue to see benefits in having students redo work, retake tests and complete assignments to high levels.

WKMS staff members use a variety of data to analyze problems and improve instruction. They seek specific staff development opportunities that support the areas of need. Concentrating on a few important areas and working to get them right has moved a good school forward to becoming a great school in the MMGW network.

School Leaders Identify Major Areas for Improvement in the First Year in MMGW


Denton Middle School in Mobile, Alabama, lacked a winning formula when it joined the MMGW network in 2007-2008. All four administrators, the counselor and two-thirds of the faculty were new to the school.

Wisely, the leadership team decided to focus on three MMGW Key Practices — high expectations, rigorous academic studies and extra help — in the first year of implementation.

Denton leaders and teachers used a design process that started with defining the problem by using data at the beginning of the year to determine weaknesses of students, programs and policies. The next steps were to investigate the problem and develop solutions based on the research. By using this process, school leaders identified major areas of focus:
  • Involve all students in the Engaging Youth in  Engineering (EYE) program, which uses a hands-on approach to teach students a scientific method of solving authentic problems. EYE is a workforce and economic development initiative to bring relevance to mathematics and science and to prepare students to meet the growing demand for highly qualified, technology-savvy workers in the aerospace industry, shipbuilding and other enterprises in the Mobile area.
     
  • Plan rigorous, standards-based instruction that results in high levels of learning for all students; ensure that students are ready for college-preparatory courses in high school. Denton Middle School is able to offer Algebra I in the current school year as a result of enrolling high-achieving seventh-graders in pre-algebra last year.
     
  • Emphasize reading and writing to learn in all content areas. The school purchased libraries of books divided by reading levels for all teachers in the building. It also added a staff member to teach the writing process to students in the classroom and to model writing to learn instruction for the faculty.
     
  • Support student learning with extra help and study skills classes. In addition to providing extended-day tutoring services, the school enrolled students at risk of failing mathematics into a small-group support class.
     
  • Reward student effort and celebrate success. Students receive incentives to attend school and to perform well on state tests. The rewards include bicycles, t-shirts, MP-3 players and digital cameras.

Denton Middle School's MMGW participation and improved school and classroom practices are paying off: The school made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2007-2008 for the first time in five years. "We implemented the Power of I, and it is revolutionizing our classrooms," Principal Joe Toomey said. "Students no longer have the option to just take a zero. This strategy, combined with an advisement period and a block schedule, is preparing our students for high school like never before."

(Adapted from 08V26w, Middle Grades Schools Take Their Role Seriously in Preparing Students for Rigorous High School Studies)
 
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