Shift Happens - PowerPoint

							  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
  today-student 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
                           Actions by Grade Level
In Sch. Sus. = 1352        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                         • New
• No effective discipline     • RTI Behavior Model
  system                      • Morning assemblies in
• No assemblies                 the auditorium
• No in school/after school   • In School Pep Rallies,
  student activities            Talent Shows/Fashion
• Pause class (Teach/Re-        Shows, Faculty/Student
  teach)                        Games, Drama Club, Art
• 6 blocks (Language Arts,      Club, Debate Team
  Math, Science, Social       • 5 Blocks (Language Arts,
  Studies, Pause, Related       **M and M/Literacy
  Arts)                         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   NTP
                              SCH
   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%
             53.5
Proficient    %     58.6%   63.3%   62.8%   64.3%   71.6%
             58.7
Prof/Adv      %     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%    60.0   67%    61.7   88%    77.8
                      %             %             %
7th grade    58%    53.6   78%    70.7   78.8   68%
                      %             %      %
8th grade    45%    58.8   61%    77.2   65.8   77.6
                      %             %      %      %
    Total    53.7   57.5   68.7   69.9   77.5   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   • 2008-2009 school
  year                 year to date
• 6th grade-486      • 6th grade-688
• 7th grade-914      • 7th grade-399
• 8th grade-473      • 8th grade-428
• Total              • Total
  Referrals=1873       Referrals=1515
    Reading Levels for 6th and
            7th grade
• 6th grade              • 7th grade
• Average reading        • Average reading
  grade level              grade level
• August 2008: 4.7       • August 2008: 4.8
• December 2008: 5.4     • December 2008: 5.7

•   Boys: August= 4.2    •   Boys: August= 5.1
•   December= 5.0        •   December= 5.6
•   Girls: August= 5.0   •   Girls: August= 4.6
•   December= 5.5        •   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