Sterling Middle School
School Improvement Plan
2012 – 2013
MOTTOS:
“BREAKING BARRIERS”
“ENTER TO LEARN. . . LEAVE TO SERVE”
“A COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE”
Mission Statement:
Sterling Middle School seeks to be an exemplary learning community. The foundation of this
community is built upon respect, meaningful relationships, relevant and engaging learning, and
effective communication. Teachers will build this foundation through implementation of purposeful
professional learning communities, interdisciplinary teams, and creative instructional practices. It is our
responsibility to create a culture of inclusion, equity, and excellence that engages students in activities
that develop generosity of spirit and ignite student learning. Through this, we will create lifelong
learners and involved citizens with the tools necessary for success in a changing world.
Vision Statement:
We will create a Lighthouse school characterized by a culturally responsive learning community that
promotes academic excellence and service to others.
Focus areas for Sterling Middle School:
Focus Area #1: Quality Assessment & Grading
 To continue to establish common grading practices and ensure all students’ learning is assessed
using quality assessments.
Focus Area #2: Skill Building
 To ensure ALL students leave Sterling Middle School with the needed skills to ensure success in
high school. This skill building will be focused on reading and math skills for all identified students.
Including our ELL and Special Education populations.
Focus Area #3: Creating a College bound environment
 To provide opportunities and experiences for students to realize the college bound experience.
To incorporate the learned skills needed to become a successful college student.
Focus Area #4: Critical Thinking
 To focus on establishing high quality assessments that use critical thinking skills and establish rigor
for all students.
Focus Area #1: Quality Assessments & Grading
 To continue to establish common grading practices and ensure all students’ learning is assessed using quality assessments.
Research Based Interventions
Person(s)
responsible:
Strategy and/or action
steps
Data/Monitoring Progress
Evaluation
All PLCs have a minimum of one
formative assessment and two
summative assessments for each of
their assessment maps.
PLCs
Admin monitors

Assessment maps
reviewed by admin
quarterly

Collected assessment
maps
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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
All PLCs and departments will use
assessment maps when planning
their curriculum and determining
pacing of class.
PLCs
Departments
Admin monitors

Backward planning
design

Formative and summative
assessments
Pacing guide and
assessment map


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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
All PLCs and departments will use
CLARITY to track their students’
progress and will be consistent within
their PLCS with which assessments
are posted in their CLARITY grade
book. Gradebooks will follow LCPS
and Sterling Middle expectations.
Parent informational meetings and
parent education about CLARITY will
be provided so that ALL parents can
monitor their child’s progress
through CLARITY.
PLCs
Departments
Admin monitors

PLC review of CLARITY
gradebooks


PLC notes
Admin review of CLARITY
Gradebooks

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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
TRT
Admin

Evening and Saturday
meetings throughout
the year.
Open evening Lab time
for parents to access
CLARITY.

Number of parents
requesting CLARITY access

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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
All PLCs and/or departments will
have agreed upon common grading
practices including how their
assessments are graded.
PLCs
Departments
Admin monitors
PLC review of grading
practices
PLC review of data of
common assessments
PLC review of interim
and report cards grades.


Common grading practices
Data review of common
assessment
Interim and report card
data
PLC notes
CLARITY gradebook


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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
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Focus Area #2: Skill Building
 To ensure ALL students leave Sterling Middle School with the needed skills to ensure success in high school. This skill building
will be focused on reading and math skills for all identified students. Including our ELL and Special Education populations.
Research Based Interventions
Person(s)
Strategy and/or action steps Data/Monitoring Progress
responsible:
Tiered reading interventions for
students who are below grade
level by two or more years.
Reading
teachers
English PLCs
Counselors
Admin
Math PLCs
Counselors
Admin
Tiered math interventions for
students who are struggling in
Math.
Providing tools and professional
learning to staff on scaffolding
instruction to meet the needs for
student learning at all levels.
Admin
SALTs
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All Staff

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Focus on our Gap Group 1 & 3
students to increase the overall
pass rates for these students.
This includes ELL (English
Language Learners), Special
Education and Hispanic students.
Targeted reading
instruction (classes)



Daily Algebra classes
Math Resource classes – all
grades
Targeted Math classes for
ELL students (3rd grade and
below)

Literacy journeys
Interactive reading & AVID
Cornell note taking method
SIOP Content and Language
objectives in lesson plans,
posted and reviewed in class
Implementing reading
strategies across all
curriculums

Common SIOP adapted
lesson plan template
Gap group list of students
shared with PLCs
Interventions put in place
as needed for students
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Evaluation
Running records
Quarterly evaluation of
student enrollment
Benchmark scores

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

Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
Quarterly evaluation of
student enrollment
Benchmark scores
Interim and report card
grades
Common summative
assessments
Portfolio samples of
student work
Classroom observations
Evidence of strategies
being used in all content
classes
PLC minutes
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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
Lesson plans collected and
reviewed weekly by Admin.
Classroom observations
Review of Gap group
students formative and
summative data
Quarterly review of
homework club and
remediation attendance

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

Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
Focus Area #3: Creating a College Bound Environment
To provide opportunities and experiences for students to realize the college bound experience. To incorporate the learned skills
needed to become a successful college student.
Research Based Interventions
Person(s)
responsible:
Strategy and/or action
steps
Data/Monitoring Progress
Evaluation
To provide all 6th grade students a
visit to a college campus as part of
the college in six program. To
expand this program to 7th and 8th
grade.
Deans
Counselors

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

College visit survey
Pictures and feedback
from assemblies and
workshop

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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
To implement AVID strategies
school wide.
AVID trained
staff
All staff

College visit
College panel assembly
Financial aid workshop
for parents
College & Career
exploration through
research
WICR strategies
(Writing, Inquiry,
Reading, Collaboration)


Classroom observation
PLC & Team Minutes
To create a school environment
that fosters college expectations
and allows students to visual
themselves in college.
Deans
Counselors
All Staff

Pennants, posters, and
slogans posted
throughout the school
Instilling belief in staff
and students that
students are college
bound

Pictures and feedback of
school-wide displays
Re-survey the College in
Six for all grade levels
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Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
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
Focus Area #4: Critical Thinking
 To focus on establishing high quality assessments that use critical thinking skills and establish rigor for all students.
Research Based Interventions
Person(s)
responsible:
Strategy and/or action
steps
Data/Monitoring Progress
Evaluation
School wide focus (Teams, PLC and
departments) on making decisions
using data to address building
critical thinking skills for students.
All staff

Required assessment
maps
SIOP lesson plan with
critical thinking
questions listed

Classroom observations
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

Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
School wide focus (Teams, PLC and
departments) on making high
quality assessments and
differentiating of instruction based
on the student’s level of ability.
This will include adding rigor for all
students.
All staff
Professional learning on
differentiation and
creating high quality
assessments
Evidence of Bloom’s
taxonomy utilized in
assessments


Collection of assessments
Classroom observations




Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
School wide focus (Teams, PLC and
departments) on using formative
and summative assessments to
guide instruction.
All staff
Common assessment
maps
Staff professional
learning on formative
and summative
assessments
Evidence of “backward
design” in lesson plans
and assessment maps

Data analysis of formative
and summative
assessment scores
Evidence of student
intervention based on the
data




Full Implementation
Functional implementation
Limited implementation
No implementation
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