Middle School Meetings

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Middle School Meetings
Ongoing Conversations to Improve Middle School
Education for Kids and Teachers
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How do we meet student needs given the current
set of issues?
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Middle School Summits 2005-2007

• An opportunity for grassroots participation of
  teachers, support personnel and administrators to
  voice their concerns about the educational
  challenges facing middle school
• To review and analyze middle school achievement
  data as a means for developing strategies on how
  to close the achievement gap
• Create a five-year vision of what middle schools
  in Pinellas County should look like

Led by PCTA President, Michelle Dennard
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• Summit Discussion Topics May 25, 2006
• Two planning periods, shorter classes, seven
  period day
• Middle school time change
• Teaming common kids with common teachers Looping
• 7/8 period day providing more electives (A day/B
  day)
• Student hours not based on bus needs
• Block Scheduling (longer class times)
• Vocational path/career choices
• More actual teaching time
• Student centered school schedule
• These measures will lead to high student
  achievement and productive and responsible
  citizens

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6-12 Redesign Committee

• Cross Representational Committee begins meeting
  in November, 2007
• the outcomes and vision of the middle school
  summits
• research on student scheduling to best meet
  middle school student needs
• middle school requirements/mandates career
  education, PE, remediation in reading and math
  for some students

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• The research evidence is clear that a flexible
  block schedule to support integrated team
  teaching is the most beneficial to high quality
  adolescent learning
• National Middle School Association Research
  Summary. (2000).

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• What do the best middle schools look and feel
  like?
• For kids
• For teachers
• For support and administrators
• For the community

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• Creating Opportunities for Students -
• Opportunities for Hands-On/Minds On Engagement
• Opportunities for Building Stronger Team-Based
  Student and Teacher Relationships
• Greater Focus Through Time on Task
• Uninterrupted Instructional Time
• Reduce lost time to transitions and passing time
• Sustained and Accelerated Instruction
• Enrichment Opportunities

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• Creating Opportunities for Teachers
• A real reduction in daily preparations
• Opportunities for sustained instruction
• Greater opportunities for within discipline and
  interdisciplinary instructional planning
• Flexibility to match instructional need and time
  allocated
• Opportunities for real grade level teaming
  focused on shared students

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• Underpinnings of The Redesign Effort
• Quality - adult learning must precede and lead to
  quality student learning
• Ownership -teachers must own the curriculum and
  their instruction and students own their
  learning

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• Continual learning and improvement are fostered
  through inquiry
• Change and improvement are not synonymous we
  want improvement
• Recognize, use and grow your assets
  collaboration
• Customization is the future and a global
  phenomenon we must embrace

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What are the possibilities?8 opportunities A/B
with 4 Skinny Courses
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What are the possibilities? 8
opportunities A/B with 4 skinny Courses
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What are the possibilities? Flexible
teaming block
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What are the possibilities?
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What are the possibilities? Example of A/B,
One Skinny Full Year, Two Skinny Eighteen Week
Courses
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Other Points to Consider

• Electives
• Arts and Music
• Technology
• Other Enrichment Experiences
• The Wheel (Remember when?)
• Savings

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PCS Teachers Day/Week