Montgomery Lower Middle School

End of Year Report – 2011/12

Executive Summary

Background Statement on the School. 

·          Student body at LMS consisted of 807 students who achieved a 97% attendance rate.  Class size was 22 students in 5^th grade and 21 students in 6^th grade.  This level of student enrollment will stay stable into the next two school years.  Enrollment has remained steady for the last three years.  The challenge will be to maintain a consistent community of teachers as class size dwindles beyond a two year horizon.

·          Instructional Time at LMS is 6 hours: 18 minutes compared to State average of 5 hours: 42 minutes

·          Special Education cohort continues to remain steady from 8 percent to 12 percent of total enrollment.  The challenges will be to continually modify instruction while being mindful of IEP goals, identify diagnostic tools that will guide instruction, meeting students at their personal instructional level, and develop instructional methods that will address grade level skills in regard to state assessments.  Lower Middle School remains at Safe Harbor for both Language Arts and Math as it relates to NJASK results though both cohorts remain below grade level AYP benchmarks.

·          Our Asian community, as a percent of total enrollment reached an all time high at the Lower Middle School.  The African American and Hispanic community continues to grow as a percentage of the LMS community.  In the next two school years this cohort in the 5^th and 6^th grade will reach an all time high of 7% of the our student body. The opportunity going forward is to continue to foster an environment of high expectations in which all three groups will thrive and develop. All three of these cohorts will present additional opportunities when considering cultural awareness by staff and given consideration when planning for future hiring of new staff.

Reporting on the Strategic Plan, Goals, 1-4

Goal 1:    Student Achievement and Attainment

Fifth and sixth grades showed growth in both Language Arts (Reading) and Math as measured by MAP assessments.  These assessments are conducted twice a year in both fifth and sixth grade, MAP are the only true longitude assessments that are maintained beyond one school year.  It is imperative this assessment continues to be used 3^rd through 8^th grade.

MAP Assessment – Covering a three period:

·          Class of 2017 showed a 15 point increase in Math and a 12 point increase in LA. (reading comprehension skills only)

·          Class of 2018 showed a 23 point increase in Math and a 14 point increase in LA. (reading comprehension skills only)             

School Goal –

·          All students will increase their scores on the NJASK math test such that 83% in LA and 87% in Math for all students in each subgroup will either be proficient or advanced proficient.

·          82% of all fifth grade students achieved proficiency on the NJASK Language Art’s assessment.  AYP is 80%. Goal was 83%.

·          90% of all 6^th grade students achieved proficiency on the NJASK Language Arts assessment. AYP is 86%. Goal is 87%.

·          52% of fifth grade and 58% of sixth grade students in the Special Education cohort achieved proficiency on the NJ ASK Language Art assessment.  Both Cohorts were given Safe Harbor based on the 10% rule. 

Using NJASK Longitudinal View and Cluster Detail

Students who have remained in the Montgomery School District for a concurrent three year period, at the end of the 2010/2011 school year using NJASK data:

·          The class of 2017:

1.        Showed improvement every year in Language Art

2.        On average 96% of students were proficient in Math

3.        Only 65 % of the Special Education cohort consistently performed at proficient levels in Math.

4.        62 % of this Special Education cohort performed at the proficient level in 2011 for LA.  This was a marked improvement over the first two which were 45% and 38% respectively in Language Arts. 

·          Grade 5 students achieved the greatest number of correct points in the Number & Operations cluster and the Geometry cluster.  However, these two clusters have significantly more total points available than the Algebra and Data Analysis & Probability clusters. The Geometry cluster continues to be an area needing further growth for the students in the Math 5 as well as students in Special Education.  In this cluster, students are missing, on average of almost 4 raw score points.

The class of 2018

1.        Students showed improvement every year in math with a high of 99% proficiency in 2011.

2.        Students consistently achieved 87% proficient for all three years in Language Arts.

3.        Special Education cohort showed improvement in both Language Art and Math.  In Language Art only 24% were proficient in 2009; 44% of this same group achieved proficiency in 2011.  This group also made strides in math.  52% in 2009; 62% in 2010; 80% in 2011.

4.        Students achieve the greatest number of correct points in the Algebra cluster and the Number & Operation cluster.  The Geometry cluster continues to be an area needing further growth for the students in the Math 6 and Pre-Algebra 6 courses as well as students in Special Education.

Goal 2:    Staff Performance and Professional Learning. 

In the 2011-2012 school year, L.M.S continues to develop professional learning opportunities by reviewing and analyzing student data from classroom and standardized assessment measures, including NJ ASK and MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress, Reading) scores, and constructed responses.   In addition, L.M.S. will used the data from a beginning-of-year baseline Known, Valued, and Connected assessment as well as from a mid-year assessment.  SPDC created goals in collaboration with curriculum supervisors to develop goals and specific plans for achieving these goals.  The SPDC used various assessment tools for determining the effectiveness of professional learning to aid in future professional development planning.

Goal 3 – Known, Valued, and Connected

LMS conducted a student survey during the school year to measure our student’s sense of feeling welcomed as an integral part of our LMS school community:

·          Results confirmed that our students feel very connected in the homeroom setting.

·          Two concerns from the report:  8% of the students had a difficult time finding students to partner with in class; 23% of our students tell no one at school if they are having a bad day.

·          Morning Meeting continues to be the most significant program we have here at LMS to ensure all students are noticed everyday as demonstrated by response to question #2 – 71% in homeroom -“reveals where students most often make a connection with someone they did not know before.”

·          Responsive classroom attitudes are practiced by all staff; this increases the likelihood that all students feel welcome and respected.

·          Scheduling – every 5^th grade is individually scheduled by Admin staff from Village School. Placement is based on several parameters with social/emotional consideration given first priority.

Goal 4:    Relationship of School to the Community at Large

LMS continues to strive to create a welcoming environment for all stakeholders.

·          Three orientation meetings for incoming 5^th grade – parents and students – April, August and September.

·          Moving-Up extravaganza for incoming 5^th graders.

·          Inaugural open-house for parents in 5^th and 6^th grade during a school day.  Parents are welcome to observe a class in session during 1^st period.

·          Open door policy to all parents to visit common areas at any time during the school day.

·          Parent volunteers sought for assistance in hallways, library and cafeteria.

·           Auto Alert – LMS continues to use this communication tool to its fullest capacity.  On average, LMS sends out eight messages a month via phone and e-mail.

·          Newsletters

Next Steps for Success

·          LMS goals will maintain the same goals for the 11/12 school as last year.  These center around achievement of student literacy goals using NJ ASK as one of many barometers of achievement.  RRSC will continue to be a focus in all classrooms and in all content areas for writing instruction and teacher expectation.

·          Social and emotional goals will also be measured via student and teacher surveys created by SPDC.

·          Implementation of PLCs

·          Creation, implementation, and analysis of common assessments to guide instruction

·          Common assessments will be included in the grades to assist in the alignment of classroom grades and standardized test performance

·          Revision of curriculum for language arts focusing on common core standards

·          Professional opportunities to discuss and examine literacy practices for struggling readers (Book Clubs and In an Hour Workshops)

To accomplish these goals LMS will:

§   Increase staff’s knowledge of Performance Matters and increase number of data inputs as it relates to Common Assessment creation and utilization.

§   Using comparative data from NJ ASK results (with attention paid to cluster detail) to guide literacy instruction. In 5^th grade this comparison shows that the reading Constructed Response continues to be an area of difficulty as well as the Expository Writing task.  For two concurrent years these strands continue to be our student’s biggest challenge.  In 6^th grade, the comparison shows that we showed consistent improvement in the Constructed Response area but still need improvement.   Future opportunities will be given to students to improve abilities in Analyzing Text.

Academic Support – 

§   This program has shown some success over the last three years.  Programs have now been in place for the last two school years in both LA and Math support.  Continued attention will be paid to LA support to determine the program’s success.

§   In 5^th grade, at the end of 2011/12 school year, 50% of the support students remained partially proficient after three years of Academic Support.  (Most students in the program did show improvement (in raw scores).

§   In 6^th grade, at the end of 2011/12 school year, 20% remained partially proficient after receiving four years of Academic Support.

      Special Education -

§   Focus will remain on the instruction our Special Education students receive, specifically for math and literacy instruction.  Emphasis will be placed on increased common instruction and assessment.

§   Diagnostics are an important tool that will help instructional staff identify specific skill sets that need attention for those included in this cohort.  Professional development and Articulation opportunities will address and investigate the most effective diagnostics presently used at LMS.

§   The formation of a committee involving special education and general education teachers to examine the literacy instruction practices in ICS and Replacement classes.