Dawson County Middle School
Dr. Mark Merges, Principal
School Profile
School and Community Demographic Data
In January of 2005, the Dawson County Board of Education made the
decision to move the entire Dawson County Middle School student
population and faculty/staff to the new Riverview Middle School
campus. With passing of the ELOST in the September vote, the current
Dawson County Middle School campus was demolished and a new
middle school facility erected on the same site. We opened August 2008,
at which time Riverview student population and faculty/staff was split.
Dawson County Middle School, located in downtown Dawsonville,
Georgia is comprised of grades six through eight. The school was built
using tax dollars generated from a Special Local Option Sales Tax, or
SPLOST. The school is surrounded by neighborhoods and businesses that
reflect a broad socio-economic range. Commercial businesses are located
near the school, with the economic revenue of the North Georgia
Premium Outlet Mall, as well as few industries and factories. The school
is located within walking distance of a primary feeder school, Robinson
Elementary School, as well as the county’s only high school, Dawson
County High School. Students from 3 elementary schools, Kilough
Elementary, Blacks Mill Elementary, Robinson Elementary, feed into
Dawson County Middle School. Residents here value education, respect
the schools, and take ownership in local concerns. I.
A. Student Population
The current student population of DCMS is 469 students. This number is
compromised of one hundred fifty five students in sixth grade, one
hundred fifty seven in seventh grade, and one hundred fifty seven in eight
grade. We serve Special Education and Gifted students with co-taught
and resource classes. The demographics of our population have remained
stable. Ninety five percent of our student population is white, two percent
Hispanic, one percent Multi-Racial, four-tenths percent Asian, four tenths
percent American Indian, and two-tenths percent Black. Fifty percent of
our students are economically disadvantaged, ten percent receive special
education services, and eleven percent receives gifted education services.
Our enrollment in each of these areas of diversity has remained constant,
in spite of a general increase in overall population.
B. Curriculum and Instruction
The School Improvement Plan (SIP) of DCMS is aligned with the
Dawson County School System Improvement Initiatives and is based on
current data. The SIP targets annual measurable goals and outlines
strategies and action steps leading to the attainment of these goals. The
SIP is carefully monitored by the School Leadership Team. The SIP is
seen as a living document; updates are shared with the entire faculty as
goals are met and progress is made. From the SIP, the
SLT sets annual
SMART goals. The instructional lessons are then focused to meet the
SMART goals. The Dawson County Middle School curriculum is the
Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). Through the school improvement
planning process, stakeholders identify research-based methods and
techniques that are utilized to improve the quality of instruction, and
thus, ultimately, raise student achievement. Strategies for implementation
of the standards include establishing a common framework for
instruction and adhering to the state curriculum map. Throughout our
school we emphasize math, reading and writing within the content areas.
Almost all of our classrooms are equipped with Smart Boards, allowing
the instructors to involve students in active learning. When focusing
on the GPS, teachers incorporate the standards and essential questions
into their instruction, utilizing and incorporating differentiated
instructional strategies. Teacher commentary is provided for student
work; examples and rubrics are posted as models of expectations. A coteaching model has been utilized in the fields of Special Education,
allowing teachers the opportunity to differentiate and provide on-grade
level instruction for students. Students above grade level are challenged
through gifted and advanced classes; the DCMS faculty has devoted
many hours of professional learning time to the study of standards based
classroom instruction. Our schedule was developed to allow instructors to
have common planning with their peers within each grade level. Grade
level meetings are held weekly, and department (content area) meetings
occur monthly. Professional learning opportunities abound, beginning
with Wednesday Workshops as well as occasional after school faculty
meetings and continuing professional development on early release days.
These planning sessions provide valuable time for teachers to work
collaboratively planning units, examining student work, discussing
progress, and sharing resources and ideas to aid in closing the
achievement gaps for students within our school. Standards, a weekly
agenda, and essential questions are posted in classrooms. Teachers set
high expectations and give specific feedback so that students can produce
quality work. Teachers are working together and through professional
development to produce rich, differentiated instruction for their students,
using the State Department of Education’s GPS Curricular Frameworks
as their guide. Behavior expectations are uniform school-wide
throughout DCMS and are based on the DCMS Discipline Plan –
Behavior Discipline Cards found in student agendas. The DCMS
Behavior Discipline Cards, in turn, are aligned with the Dawson County
Code of Conduct. Students are expected to show respect for themselves
and others and follow our guidelines for success. Students are taught
appropriate behavioral response from the daily instructors, as well as
through our counseling classroom guidance sessions. Classroom and
grade-level incentives are utilized to encourage positive behavior, good
attendance, and academic excellence. In addition, our school-wide
Students of The Student of the Month Program has been beneficial in
recognizing student progress. Disciplinary office referral procedures are
followed by all staff as a result of student behavior cards, this provides
consistency throughout DCMS. Parental support is vital to the success of
our behavior program. The DCMS staff plans collaboratively for a
portion of each school day. This allows instructors of a particular grade
level time to plan, analyze student work, participate in professional
learning, analyze formative and summative student data, and help meet
the needs of students through the Response To Intervention (RTI)
process. Through professional dialogue, instructors learn to differentiate
instruction, determine essential questions, monitor student progress,
provide meaningful feedback, and challenge students with rigorous
instruction. Thirty minutes of intervention time is blocked into every
class day. The students rotate by getting 30 minutes of extra time in each
core class. Tier II-IV students use the intervention time for more
inclusive support services.
C. Support Services
A variety of support services are in place to address the broad range of
students needs. Students needing support to master the GPS are identified
by teachers using multiple sources of data in order to have a true
representation. A variety of evaluative tools including formative and
summative assessments are used to determine specific skills lacked by
students. Common assessments between the two middle schools are used
for Quarter and Semester exams. This data allows teachers, students, and
parents to analyze what standards have been mastered thus far in the
school year. Content benchmark assessments are utilized over the school
year to track student improvement. Students take these benchmark
assessments on the OAS website four different times throughout the
school year. The DCMS School-wide Pyramid of Interventions is utilized
to help teachers identify students needing assistance. The majority of
students are in Tier 1. Those students who are identified as needing
interventions for success move to Tier 2. We, at DCMS believe in
flexible grouping techniques. Therefore, it is our hope that students in
Tier 2 will receive custom-made instruction that will assist them in
moving back to Tier 1. Only those students that this does not happen for
will move to Tier 3. In Tier 3, SST (Student Support Team) is employed.
If these strategies fail to meet the particular needs of a student, they move
to Tier 4 - Specialized instruction. A variety of comprehensive assistive
services are provided to students in classrooms and throughout schoolwide programs and interventions. These services include Gifted
Education, Special Education, Assistive Technology, Speech and
Language Instruction, Intervention Connections Classes, Saturday
School, Counseling Services, After-School Program, Credit Recovery
Program, SRA Reading, and Tutorial Programs such as Success Maker
used for student performance in Mathematics and Reading. Researchbased best practices are utilized throughout the building and reinforced
through an extensive professional learning plan. Teachers employ a
variety of intervention and assistive strategies, such as flexible grouping,
differentiated instruction, scaffolding, tiered performance tasks,
collaboration, and co-teaching with special education personnel. Our
teachers and support staff use manipulatives, descriptive feedback, active
learning, technology, student choice, and test-taking strategies to meet
student needs. For students demonstrating academic strength, classroom
strategies and structures provide an opportunity for instructors to
accelerate and maximize learning. Rubrics and student work samples
specify characteristics of work that exceed standards expectations. Gifted
and Advanced classes are offered in areas of Mathematics, Language
Arts and Reading within all grade levels. Our Exploratory teachers
support the instructional plans of DCMS and preview and reinforce
academic content and vocabulary. All staff members receive the same
level of professional learning. This provides consistency in the
implementation of the GPS. Our mentor program provides beginning
teachers the necessary support and encouragement to ensure a successful
first year, in the classroom. Each new teacher is assigned a mentor
teacher who serves as a resource, an encourager, and a leader. Content
areas constantly collaborate on GPS, lessons, and units. A member of the
administrative team or the instructional coach is assigned to help
facilitate this work. The graduation coach is available to offer additional
support, information, strategies, and professional learning.
D. Technology
At DCMS, students are exposed to technology through regular instruction
as well as connection classes specifically designed to teach 21st century
skills. We have two computer labs, a fully stocked computer site in our
media center, plus a mobile lab available to be checked out for classroom
use. All teachers have equal access to these computers and utilize them
on a regular basis. All classrooms have at least one student computer, one
teacher laptop, a television, and DVD/VCR, and almost all classrooms
are equipped with a Smart Board or screens for projections. Finally, staff
members can check out various technological tools including LCD carts,
camcorders, digital cameras, CD/DVD players, books on MP3, and
graphing calculators for instruction. DCMS classrooms are 21st century
classrooms complete with a Smart Board and LCD projector.
Teachers at DCMS often integrate technology into their instruction
through the use of research on the Internet, creation of information using
technology, and use of other interactive tools. In addition to the practices
of utilizing technology that are listed above, the teachers at DCMS also
take advantage of the following software programs to enhance
instruction:
• Online Assessment System (OAS)
• United Streaming
• Galileo
• Microsoft Office
E. Student Activities
Students at DCMS have multiple opportunities to become connected to the
school through student activities. We have a strong sports program with
many offerings throughout the school year. Our chorus and band have large
memberships as well.
Students participate in various community and state competitions and
events. We have had winners in poetry and writing contests, Oratorical
Contest, Geography Bee, Band and Chorus competitions, and the Dawson
County Spelling Bee. Students take ownership in many day-to-day
operations at the school from running the school store, to leading the
morning Tiger Talk Show (announcements). Students are involved in
activities before school starts, throughout the school day, and after school.
Some of the clubs that our students participate in are:
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4-H
Dawson Student Films
Beta Club
Student Council
Academic Bowl
Drama
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Yearbook
We feel that it is extremely important to recognize student achievement, so
this is done in many ways. Many of our students are involved in the National
Junior Beta Club. We recognize students with exemplary grades and
attendance regularly through ceremonies and celebrations throughout the
school year. Students are also honored through our Student of the Month
Program.
F. Parental Support and Participation
Dawson County Middle School has a tremendous amount of parental
support.
Communication between teachers and parents is crucial to student success.
Home and school communication is made a priority through the use of daily
agendas, newsletters, school signs, school notes website, the school website,
telephone calls, emails, and parent-teacher conferences. Student agendas and
email are used to facilitate two-way communication between the home and
school. Teachers use the agendas and school notes website to inform
families of homework assignments as well as school events.
Every class has a webpage on school notes that is utilized to uniform parents
of school wide news and events and to outline the curriculum. The assistant
principal emails parents a weekly update. Our school sign serves a means of
communication to the community. The automated phone and email system is
used frequently to announce special events, celebrations, and inclement
weather days.
Numerous sporting events, plays, and performances provide opportunities
for parents to connect with Dawson County Middle School. Band and chorus
events provide a connection as well. DCMS welcomes parent volunteers
throughout the school day and school year.
G. Community Involvement at Dawson County Middle School
Community involvement is an integral part of DCMS’s success. DCMS is
truly a community school. Local community members and businesses assist
the school through School Council, and DCMS Parent Teacher Student
Organization (PTSO), the Mentoring Program, our Student of the Month
Program, and Parent Council.
Our PTSO and School Council are actively involved in school improvement
initiatives and are well informed on the topics of school goals, test scores,
and the SIP. The PTSO Board meets monthly and conducts an annual
fundraiser. Funds from this are utilized for classroom needs based on
request. They help promote a positive climate at DCMS by serving teachers
throughout the school year.
II. School Personnel
A. Professional Staff
Dawson County Middle School is composed of 38 certified staff and 5
classified staff. Specifically, the staff members are arranged as follows: six
sixth grade teachers, six seventh grade teachers, six eighth grade teachers,
one gifted teacher, six special education teachers and nine connection
teachers. In order to utilize the expertise of the staff, most staff members are
assigned to one grade level and content area. In addition, special education
support staff is assigned to content areas across the grade levels. DCMS
embraces the co-teaching/inclusion model. As such, these support teachers
often teach with a content area teacher for a large portion of their day. The
connection teachers are an exception as they deliver instruction to students
in each grade level each day. B. Professional Learning for Staff
Dawson County Middle School is a professional learning community in
which the teachers and staff work collaboratively toward the improvement
of student learning. Professional learning is guided by the professional
learning plan, which is a part of the school improvement plan written by
teachers. This plan is based on student needs as identified by data, survey
results, teacher perception, and current research. Professional development is
embedded within the context of the school day and is often led by experts
from within the school faculty. Content teachers meet weekly to engage in
professional discourse regarding content, assessments, and student work.
Additionally, for the past two years, teachers have engaged in on-going
professional learning regarding standards-based practices. Finally, DCMS
staff members attend Wednesday Workshops in which they participate in
whole group learning concerning a timely topic. The following topics
have been a part of the ongoing professional learning at Dawson County
Middle School:
• GA Class Keys
• GA School Keys
• DOK
Assessments
• Standards Based Classrooms/Differentiation (3 years)
C. Summary Data
Dawson County Middle School is proud to provide an experienced, highly
trained staff to educate the students of our community. The collegial
environment of DCMS leads to high teacher satisfaction and morale. The
low attrition rate can be attributed, in part, to the positive climate. The
majority of teachers who leave do so to relocate geographically or as a result
of life changes.
II.
Stakeholder Perspectives
A. Leadership Structure
Dawson County Middle School embraces the philosophy of shared
governance. The
School Leadership Team, composed of two
representatives from each grade within the school in collaboration
with administration, governs the school. The SLT is charged with
both the writing and implementation of the School Improvement
Plan (SIP). The SIP drives the actions of the faculty at DCMS. The
SIP drives our SMART. At the close of each school year, the team
works to analyze both achievement and perception data. Each
initiative from the previous year is dissected to determine its
effectiveness. Based on this analysis, the new school improvement
plan is written. During the school year, the team meets monthly to
monitor the implementation of the initiatives. Because the team is
composed of a representative sample of the entire staff, open
communication is maintained and all teachers have the opportunity
for input. In addition to the SLT, the following committees serve
the needs of the school:
• Attendance Support Team
• Discipline Committee
• RTI Committee
• Graduation Team
B. Stakeholder Involvement in SIP
Although the School Improvement Plan (SIP) is written by the
School Leadership
Team (SLT), the entire school is aware of and
participates in the implementation of the plan. The SLT develops
forty-five day action plans outlining specific steps that are required
in order to successfully implement the SIP and the district’s
SMART goals. The members of the SIP communicate the action
steps to the colleagues in the grades/departments that they
represent. In effect, then, the entire school participates in the
implementation of the plan. Once the SIP is in final form, it is
presented to the school council, which is made up of parents,
teachers, principal, and community members for further feedback.
The school SMART goals are available on the school website for
all stakeholders to review.