1. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Middle School Reform in Montgomery County Public Schools Linda Ferrell Director Director Middle School Instruction and Achievement

2. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Presentation Outcomes By the end of the presentation, participants will have: Gained an understanding of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Middle School Reform planning and implementation processes Heard about the essential components of the Middle School Reform comprehensive plan Received information on the progress of the plan

3. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland MCPS-at-a Glance MCPS MCPS 200 Schools 130 elementary 38 middle 25 high 7 special/alternative education 137,667 students 22.9% African Am..3% Am. Indian 15.2% Asian 21.5% Hispanic 40.1% White Spec. Ed: 11.3% ESOL: 11.7% FARMS: 25.8% Ever FARMS: 38.4% Mobility: 15.7% MCPS Middle Schools 38 schools 30,760 students 22.7% African Am..3% Am. Indian 15.1% Asian 21.3% Hispanic 40.6% White Spec. Ed: 12.2% ESOL: 5.9% FARMS: 25.9% Ever FARMS: 38.4% Mobility: 13.4%

4. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland What are the activities that middle school students engage in during the hours of 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.? Think about what our adolescent learners are doing between 4:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m. List the activities on your handout. Now share them with someone sitting next to you.

5. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland What skills do middle school students need to prepare for the 21 st century?

6. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland

7. MCPS believes our middle schools must… Be prepared to use the same 21 st century tools in the classrooms that students use daily Look beyond state expectations and standards Prepare students to compete and succeed in a global economy Bring w ww what we teach and h hh how we teach into the 21 st century!

8. MCPS Middle School Reform Process 1999MCPSReform HighSchoolInitiatives 2004MiddleSchoolReformElementaryReform

9. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Challenges faced by MCPS Middle Schools Significant achievement gap Inconsistent implementation of curriculum and formative assessments Elective course offerings differed from school to school Lack of rigorous instruction Concerns with writing instruction

10. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Challenges faced by MCPS Middle Schools After school/summer programs lacked quality and varied in offerings Grouping practices varied Certification concerns with middle school staff Parent involvement decreased

11. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland The Middle School Program Review (AKA: THE 2004 AUDIT) External examination of all middle schools 14 commendations and 32 recommendations categorized into 4 categories Standardize processes for curriculum and program implementation Focus supports and services to ensure students meet standards and proficiency Focus supports and services to ensure effective teaching and learning Examine schedules, course offerings and program/course access

12. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Middle School Reform Steering Committee  Revise Policy IEB, Middle School Education  Develop a comprehensive plan that: Is rigorous and challenging Improves teaching and learning Promotes continuous school improvement Ensures preparation for rigorous high school standards Focuses on eliminating the achievement gap

13. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland MCPS Middle School Planning ProcessPre-ReformResources In Place 2005RevisedPolicy2005-2006Steering Committee & 7 Project Teams 2006-2007Developed Middle School Reform Plan

14. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Implementation Plan Began in 2007-2008 Original Plan Phase 1: 5 schools Phase 2: 10 schools Phase 3: 23 schools Current Plan Phase 1: 5 schools Phase 2: 10 schools 6 full implementation 4 partial implementation Phase 3: 10 schools Phase 4: TBD pending budget

15. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland GOALS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL REFORM Goal I: leadership Goal I: Ensure effective leadership that promotes shared ownership for student and staff success and establishes a culture of high expectations. Goal 2: instruction curriculum assessments Goal 2: Engage all students in effective and differentiated instructional practices using a rigorous, standards based curriculum and challenging assessments. Goal 3: extended learning opportunities Goal 3: Provide extended learning opportunities that engage and motivate students to achieve at higher levels.

16. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland GOALS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL REFORM Goal 4: organizational structures Goal 4: Implement organizational structures that maximize time for teaching and learning, cultivate positive relationships, and promote increased student achievement. Goal 5: middle school staff Goal 5: Ensure that middle school staff has the knowledge, skill, and content expertise to meet the learning and developmental needs of middle school students. Goal 6: parents and the community Goal 6: Engage parents and the community as partners to promote school and student success.

17. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal & Selected Recommended Actions Goal 1: Leadership & Professional Development Build shared leadership Professional Learning Communities Institute School Leadership Team Institute Summer Training Adolescent learner Rigorous instruction Collaboration Middle principal internship

18. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal 1: Leadership & Professional Development Build content expertise to increase student achievement Accelerated Enriched Instruction (AEI) Literacy Coach Accelerated Enriched Instruction (AEI) Mathematics Coach Restructured positions of team leaders and department resource teachers

19. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal 2: Curriculum Instruction & Assessment Engage all students in effective and differentiated instructional practices Formative and benchmark assessments Technology tool to monitor student and school data Innovative classroom technology Rigorous core and elective courses Summer Training topics Adolescent learner Rigorous instruction

20. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal 3: Extended Learning Opportunities Engage students in innovative extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Redesigned after school and summer courses to be authentic, product-based, engaging and collaborative opportunities Lights, Camera Literacy! courses ELO coordinator Enhance monitoring tools and processes

21. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal 4: Organizational Structures Implement structures to support increased student achievement Collaborative planning process Cohort collaborative work time Guidelines for developing master schedules Additional counselors Hours-based staffing to support inclusion Additional hours for instructional data assistants

22. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal 5: High-quality staff Recruit, hire, and train staff highly skilled in meeting the unique needs of middle school students Middle School classroom teacher job description drafted Research-based professional development for human resource staff focused on adolescent learner Recruitment focused on teachers with specialized backgrounds in middle school

23. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Goal 6: Parent & Community Engagement & Communication Engage parents/community to support students’ academic success Parent Academy Sessions Study Circles School and parent multi-lingual resources Effective cross-cultural communication training for staff

24. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland How do you measure success? Year 1 (FY 2008): Implementation study Mid-year evaluation – implemented with a high degree of fidelity Final Evaluation – determines initial impact Data points (targets) to measure impact Baseline data Year 2 (FY 2009): Continue implementation with 10 additional schools Analyze performance data and targets

25. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland It’s the right model, and it’s worth it! Oscar – Grade 6; first year in USA; presenting to the Board of Education Summer program teacher – reflecting on the progress of a students with special needs 38 year veteran teacher – I have never been so excited about teaching in all of my years! Phase I Principal – The changes in my staff and the results of our scores are because of our middle school reform initiative!

26. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Questions & Evaluation

27. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Contact Information Linda Ferrell 301-517-5007 Linda_Ferrell@mcpsmd.org