A School Transforming To Excellence JS Russell Middle School

The oldest school in the county, built in the 1950’s as James Solomon Russell High School –it was the county’s black high school. After integration it became the junior high school servicing grades 7-9. This status remained until 2006 when the additional wing was finished at the high school. That year the high school was given grades 9-12 and Sturgeon Elementary was closed and turned into the administration building and 6 th grade was moved from the elementary schools to the middle school. After that point RMS held grades 6-8. History

475-School Membership Title I School-wide Program Title I Targeted Assistance School % Minority Students % Limited English Proficient Students 67-14% Students with Disabilities % Students Identified as Disadvantaged Demographics

Data

Year6 th 7 th 8th %6%7% %2.7%4.9% Percentage of students with 5 or more absences 1 st quarter Teacher attendance data for 1 st quarter (days missed) Year6 th 7 th 8th

Data

Test English Math Adjusted SOL Data

Strengths  A division and community committed to improvement  A staff willing to work hard and change practices  An external partner that shares the vision of excellence  Sustainable programs and processes

 Facilities  Recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff  Persisting and persevering but discontinuing failing strategies  Implementing a communication plan for building stakeholder support Opportunities

 Programs Successmaker$63,000* Plugged Into Reading$40,000* Istation$12,500  Classroom supplies Library collection update$43000* Promethean boards$42000* Mimio Teach boards$15000*  Personnel Special education coach $60,000 Math coach$50,000 Financial

Progress

Barriers Shifting requirements Lack of infrastructure at the building level to support some initiatives Communication amongst all members of the team

Goals Increased student performance o Raise expectations of classroom rigor o Develop data driven culture at the school o Increased communication between all stakeholders and at all levels

Planning Developing leadership capacity amongst the staff Sustainable programs and materials Creating an embedded culture of excellence

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present; and you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” C. S. Lewis C. S. Lewis