Shift Happens
Howard Middle School
Then and Now
By
Daphne Smith
“We Made The News Again”
• Student assaults teacher, sends her to
the hospital
• Howard Middle was on lockdown todaystudent brings a gun to school
• Student sets off the sprinkler, floods
entire school building
“We can’t solve problems by
using the same kind of
thinking we used when we
created them.”
Albert
Einstein
Or……..
“If you always do
what you always did,
you’ll always get
what you always got.”
-Moms Mably
The Data
07 – 08 Student Discipline
Expulsion = 81
Remand EVS = 658
Suspension = 898
In Sch. Sus. = 1352
Actions by Grade Level
6th Grade = 486
7th Grade = 914
8th Grade = 473
9th Grade = 421
10th Grade = 363
11th Grade = 203
12th Grade = 129
The Way We Were
• A Failing School
• On the List to be taken over by the
state for excessive number of
suspensions (particularly for
special ed students)
• High Teacher Turnover Rate
• Low Teacher Morale
• Unmotivated Students
2007-2008 Policies
• No Assemblies allowed
• Morning announcements took place 15
minutes over the intercom during 1st
block
• No School Wide Behavior Plan, only
ISS, Suspension, Evening School, or
Washington Alternative Placement
• No After School Clubs/Organizations
• No In School Activities (Pep Rallies,
Dances, etc)
What needed to change
• Entire Discipline System
• Student Motivation
• Faculty/Staff Attitude
• Strict 07-08 policies regarding
assemblies, in and out of
school student activities
• Academic Curriculum
“The Times-They are a
Changing”- Bob Dylan
• By Summer of 2008, administrative
changes took place (new principal/new
assistant principal) who were very
much on board with revamping the
discipline system
• A group of Howard Middle staff
(myself, special ed/regular ed,
administration, school counselor, and
reading interventionist) met throughout
the summer to devise the needed
changes for the 2008-2009 school year
What we came up with
• RTI 3 Tiered Behavior Model
• Point system with levels of offense for
referring a student for disciplinary measures
• Creation of a discipline room and problem
solving document for the student to complete
upon referral to the discipline room
• Creation of Short Term ISS, Reward System
for students earning less than 5 discipline
points each
• Creation of M and M Groups, Literacy Block,
and 8th grade Math Remediation program
• Proposal of a summer camp for targeted 6th
and 7th grade students at risk for gang
affiliation
Out with the Old, In with the
New
• Old
• No effective discipline
system
• No assemblies
• No in school/after school
student activities
• Pause class (Teach/Reteach)
• 6 blocks (Language Arts,
Math, Science, Social
Studies, Pause, Related
Arts)
• New
• RTI Behavior Model
• Morning assemblies in
the auditorium
• In School Pep Rallies,
Talent Shows/Fashion
Shows, Faculty/Student
Games, Drama Club, Art
Club, Debate Team
• 5 Blocks (Language Arts,
**M and M/Literacy
Block, Remediation
Math**, Math, Science,
Social Studies, Related
Arts)
Summer Camp-2008
• 10 Upcoming 7th and 8th grade boys attended
a Weekend retreat aimed at teaching critical
thinking skills and leadership skills in order
to serve as mentors for fellow students during
the 08-09 school year.
• Activities included: ropes course, hiking,
archery, problem solving activities, and
journal reflections prior to the camp and after
the camp
• 3 Faculty chaperones attended as well as one
administrator
“Whole Lotta Shaking Going
On”-Jerry Lee Lewis
• Of, utmost importance was to train the
staff on new discipline system during
the professional development activities
prior to beginning the 08-09 school
year.
• Staff needed incentives to buy in to the
new plan and to change their mindset
in a positive direction.
• The Staff In-Service began with the
following Introduction:
CONGRATULATIONS HOWARD
MIDDLE FOR MAKING
AYP!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Addition, the following
announcements were made
• Howard Middle achieved AYP for the first time
in the school’s history
• All Staff with the exception of 2 new
administrators returned to Howard Middle for
the first time in the school’s history
• The Staff was served a Complimentary
Continental Breakfast from Panera Bread for
their efforts
• Staff was informed that at the end of each
month during the faculty meeting, there
would be an award for the Faculty member
who was voted Teacher of the Month (movie
tickets, gift certificates, teacher supplies,
etc)
What is PBS?
• Positive Behavior Support
(PBS) is based on a problem
solving model and aims to
prevent inappropriate behavior
through teaching and
reinforcing appropriate
behaviors.
School Wide PBS
Primary Prevention: Tier 1
(Universal)
• Involves system-wide efforts to prevent
new cases of a condition or disorder
• Works for over 80% of all students in a
given school
• It reduces the large numbers of office
discipline referrals for minor problems.
• Having a system for documenting the
occurrence of problem behaviors (e.g.,
office discipline referrals) provides a
way to determine which students need
more intensive intervention.
Tier 2: Targeted Group
• Interventions are administered to
small groups of students which
require limited time and staff
involvement.
• Interventions include social skills
groups, group counseling, and/or
mentoring programs.
Tier 3: Individual Student
• The PBS/RTI team needs to conduct a
more in-depth analysis of the student’s
data which at this point, would include
all of the information examined in Tier
1 as well as the student’s response to
and the fidelity of the Tier 2
interventions.
• In-depth analysis includes a Functional
Behavior Assessment (FBA), One on
one classroom teacher consultation,
Behavior/Mental Health Rating scale,
and Direct observation
M and M Groups
• Focus on Emotional Intelligence
• Daniel Goleman’s 5 part theory
which categorizes how student
and teacher perceptions,
attitudes, and behaviors interact
to promote or hinder appropriate
social interaction
Emotional Intelligence
•
•
•
•
•
Self Awareness
Self Control
Motivation
Empathy
Social Skills
The Stop Light
• Stop- State the problem and how
you feel
• Calm Down- Set a Positive Goal
• Think Before you Act-Think of lots of
solutions/consequences, go ahead and
try the best plan.
The Hassle Log
•
•
•
•
I am feeling _____________
Tell the Problem __________
What do I want to happen ____
What can I do to make it
happen_________________
400
350
300
250
200
2007
2008
150
100
50
0
ISS
SUS
EXP
DET
EVE
SCH
NTP
6-8 TCAP Results-Language
Arts
6-8 TCAP Results
Actual
Projected
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Advanced
2.1%
2.9%
8.1%
5.6%
17.9%
22.9%
Proficient
49.3%
54.5%
61.4% 68.6%
69.2%
77.1%
Prof/Adv
51.4%
57.4%
69.5% 74.2%
87.1%
100%
6-8 TCAP Results-Math
Actual
Projected
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Advanced
5.2%
8.4%
11.0%
10.0%
23.4%
28.4%
Proficient
53.5
%
58.6%
63.3%
62.8%
64.3%
71.6%
Prof/Adv
58.7
%
67.0%
74.3%
72.7%
87.7%
100%
Think-Link Predictive Results
(March test) vs. TCAP Results
Proficient/Advanced
TL TCAP
TL TCAP TL TCAP
2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2008
6th grade
58%
7th grade
58%
8th grade
45%
Total
53.7
%
60.0
%
53.6
%
58.8
%
67%
57.5
%
68.7
%
78%
61%
61.7
%
70.7
%
77.2
%
69.9
%
88%
78.8
%
65.8
%
77.5
%
77.8
%
68%
77.6
%
74%
Results for Summer Camp
Students
•
3 out of the 10 students were promoted to the 9th grade
Success Academy for exemplary behavior and grades.
• 1 student has received no zero tolerance incidents or in home
arrests as compared to being arrested out of school twice
last year and a zero tolerance offense at school.
• 1 student transferred to Orchard Knob Middle and became a
starter for the Football team, was constantly placed in
Washington Alternative last year.
• 1 student has only received 4 disciplinary referrals this entire
school year.
• 1 student has received 3 referrals this entire school year as
compared to last year when he was predominantly in evening
school and suspended.
• 1 student has only received 1 referral the entire school year.
• 1 student has received no discipline referrals this school year
and has maintained grades of B’s and C’s.
• 1 student has not been successful and continues to receive
discipline referrals, ISS, Suspension, and evening school
placement for disruptive and defiant behavior in the
classroom.
Behavior Referral
Comparison
• 2007-2008 school
year
• 6th grade-486
• 7th grade-914
• 8th grade-473
• Total
Referrals=1873
• 2008-2009 school
year to date
• 6th grade-688
• 7th grade-399
• 8th grade-428
• Total
Referrals=1515
Reading Levels for 6th and
7th grade
• 6th grade
• Average reading
grade level
• August 2008: 4.7
• December 2008: 5.4
• 7th grade
• Average reading
grade level
• August 2008: 4.8
• December 2008: 5.7
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Boys: August= 4.2
December= 5.0
Girls: August= 5.0
December= 5.5
Boys: August= 5.1
December= 5.6
Girls: August= 4.6
December= 5.8
America’s Choice-Math Mediation
program for 8th graders
• Implemented in January of
2009
• Students have shown an 18%
increase on the Percents Unit
• Students have shown a
13.75% increase on the
Fractions Unit
End of the Year Reward for students with
no discipline referrals
• There are 320 students currently
enrolled at Howard Middle.
• Of the 320 students, 11 (6th
graders) will receive a Free IPOD
on the last day of school
• 20 (7th graders) will receive a Free
IPOD on the last day of school
• 14 (8th graders) will receive a Free
IPOD on the last day of school
Closing Comments
• Did we completely resolve our
behavioral/discipline issues? NO
• Did our efforts reduce
behavioral/discipline issues? YES
• Over the past year,
• Strong Teacher/Student Bonds were
formed
• Academic Gains were made and
• Students’ lives were positively changed
Final Thoughts Regarding the
Closing of Howard Middle
• My Personal View V School Official
View
• 2 goals I hoped to accomplish today:
• Showing how a supportive
administrative team and devoted
faculty can turn a failing school around
• Alleviating some of the negative
connotations and reputation my school
has encountered
• Placement for next school year