Reading School District

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Reading School District

• STEM Update

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STEM 2004-2005Starting Point

• ROV/open House
• Professional Development
• Embedded Computer Applications
• Connections

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Current Initiatives

• Instructional Initiative
• Teaching of American History Grant
• Curriculum Mapping
• Advanced Placement (AP) Vertical Teams
• Expanded Learning Grant
• Health and Wellness
• Reading Enrichment Academy
• Technology

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Expanding Learning Grant Time to Support
Student Success

• MA approves 500,000/Summer 2005
• Middle School extended day
• 21 districts apply
• 16 districts receive the grant
• Reading-25,000/planning phase

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Why did we apply?This grant gives the middle
school communities an opportunity for
collaboration

• Philosophy of Continuous Improvement
• Research and Development Grant
• Non-Binding Opportunity
• Identify Middle School Areas of Concerns
• Seek Best Practices
• Think Outside the Box Opportunity
• Identify Possible Solutions

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Whether we move forward or notIt is all about
continuous improvementto help our children

• "Even if you think you're on the right track,
  you'll get run over if you just sit there."
• Will Rogers

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Community Support

• Reading School Committee
• Reading Teachers Association
• Reading Recreation
• Reading-Wakefield YMCA
• Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce

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Planning and Research Grant 25,000

• Site visitations
• Exemplary middle schools
• Schools with expanded day learning programs
• Stipends for Planning and Research Team
• Postage and Mailing Costs
• Substitute Teacher Costs
• Consultants for Professional Development and Data
  Analysis

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What the grant is

• An opportunity to examine the Reading middle
  schools and research best practices
• A research and development grant that is not
  available in a normal operating budget
• A planning grant to create an implementation plan
  for longer school days or year
• A means to support a districts effort to
  redesigning schools to have longer school days
  and/or years
• A way to be innovative and discover ways to
  eliminate obstacles

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• Administrators
• Community Organizations
• Mass 20/20

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Planning Research Committees

• Administrators
• Community Organizations
• Parents
• Connections for ROV
• Teachers
• Mass 20/20

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Site Visits

• Several Boston Schools with extended day
• Connecticut exemplary schools
• Mass schools
• Wayland
• Winchester
• Lexington

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Background

• National Blue Ribbon School
• NELMS Spotlight School
• School building project completed 2002
• 900 plus kids Grades 5-8
• Current school day is 830-235
• TriSemester
• Only sub group SPED

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Three Houses/Three Choices

• Sound House, single year teams
• Bay House, Looping Grades 5/6,
• Grades 7/8
• Ocean House, 2 Multi-age Choices
• one house is multiage Grades 5/6 and Grades7/8
• one team does multiage Grades 5-8
• All Teams 2 interdisiplinary projects/yr

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KIVAS Team Facility

• Team comprised of LA, Math, Science, Soc
• SPED Teacher assigned to each team
• Each KIVA
• 2 single classrooms
• 2 classrooms connected with a moveable wall
• 2 small student support rooms
• Horseshoe of 20 wireless PCs per KIVA
• Amphitheatre with projector and screen in each
  kiva
• Lockers separate from main hallway in each KIVA
• Restrooms in each KIVA (53 in all!!)

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Student Lead Conferences

• November Professional Development Day
• Grades 5/6 students/parents/teachers
• Project based
• Each student has assigned table with project
  displayed
• Grades 7/8 teachers full day in-service
• May Professional Development Day
• Grades 7/8 student/parents/teachers
• Grades 5/6 teachers full day in-service

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Math

• Teacher created 5th grade program
• Cmp soon for 6-8
• Currently Prentice Hall
• Algebra 8th grade
• High School for Advanced Math Students
• Solution Offer Statistics

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Special Subjects/Electives

• Music
• Grade 5/6 band Grade 7/8 Band
• Orchestra Choir
• General Music Drama
• Life Skills
• Careers
• Drug Abuse Awareness (DARE)
• Independent Living Skills
• Foods and Nutrition
• Clothing and Textiles
• Visual Arts
• Drawing Painting Three Dimensional Art

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Specials/Electives

• World Language
• Spanish or French offered to all grades
• Technology Education
• Computer skills Construction Technology
• Desktop Publishing Video Production
• Desktop Publishing Mechanical Drawing/Drafting
• Manufacturing and Engineering
• Physical Education
•  

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Extended Day Proposal

• Thirty minute daily extension yr 2005/2006
• Transportation conflicts
• Community resistance
• Compromise
• Homework Club ( on team)
• team teachers recommend 8/10 students
• grant to pay paraprofessional with a snack
  included. If skipped make up is Friday!!

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Additional ProgramsTeacher organized/stipend
positions

• Clubs
• Lego club
• Math counts
• Scrapbook
• School Store
• Amistad Club
• EMC2 Club
• Video Club
• Webpage
• Wellness
• Yearbook
• Drama
• Jazzband
• Leaders

• Sports
• Soccer Boys
• Soccer Girls
• Basketball Boys
• Basketball Girls
• Basketball Intramural
• Cross Country
• Ski Club

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Current progress

• Summer institute
• Lego Grant
• Focus on Math and Science