Rock Solid Work
Greenbrier Middle School Improvement Plan
Data Sets
- High-Reliability Survey results provided teacher, student, and parent input on Greenbrier Middle School's curriculum, instructional goals, and data analysis.
- ACT Aspire Summative Scores
- NWEA MAP Achievement
- Certified and Classified Staff Surveys
- Family Engagement Surveys and Virtual Meetings
Data Strengths
ACT Aspire Summative Scores:
- 2023 Aspire Summative assessments indicated strengths in all subject areas (English, Reading, Math, and Science as compared to the State average). 7th grade English indicated 88% of students on grade level and 6th grade English had 84%, both of which were over 10% above state average.
6th grade Reading was at 56% (+17) as compared to the state and 7th grade Reading was 50% (+16%) as compared to state. Both 6th and 7th grade Math (6th: 63% +16, 7th 54: (+15%) and Science (6th: 66% +26, 7th: 61% +23) scores showed significant achievement as compared to State scores.
NWEA MAP Growth:
- 2023 End of Year MAP assessments indicated growth as follows: 6th grade Reading +5% (61%), 7th grade Math +7% (62%), and 7th grade Reading +7% (62%).
Areas for Growth
High-Reliability Survey Results:
- This year we will work to ensure that we are communicating clear, measurable, and individualized learning goals to students, families, and staff.
ACT Aspire Summative Scores:
- While the comparison data is exciting, more work must be done and our areas of growth have been identified to include 6th and 7th grade Reading with 56% of 6th graders and 50% of 7th graders reading on grade level. Additional growth areas are 6th grade Math at 63% and 7th grade Math with 54% of students performing on grade level.
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- ACT Aspire and MAP data indicate a need to focus on Reading in the following areas:
- Informational texts
- Key ideas & Details
- Integration of knowledge and ideas.
- End of Year MAP Reading data indicated a need to focus on vocabulary
Goals
By May of 2024, we will increase the percentage of students reading on grade level to 70%, as measured by MAP/ATLAS, through implementation of evidence based instruction strategies/Model of Instruction. (5 percent increase)
By May of 2024, we will increase the percentage of students meeting growth goals to 72%, as measured by MAP/ATLAS, through implementation of evidence based differentiation strategies. (10 percent increase)
What our Community Values?
Community input through advisory boards and community partners indicate a need to develop students' social/soft skills to ensure future success.
Parent surveys indicated that parents and volunteers feel valued by our staff and that GMS supports students’ success. Areas for improvement include increased communication from classroom to home on instruction and athletics.
GMS Redesignates as Arkansas Diamond Schools to Watch in Spring 2023
Greenbrier Middle School Receives Highly Effective Schools Accreditation
Fast Focus at GMS
Open Vs Closed Sessions
Open means a student can self enroll based on interest and/or skill needs
Types of Sessions
CFA-Groups are fluid and change based on common formative assessment data
Structures-Identified Dyslexia Interventions
Enrichment-Extension activities for Reading, Math, Science and Clubs on Fridays
Sample of Intervention vs Extensions
Allows us to differentiate based on student individual needs and data
Our "Game Plan" to Keys for Success
- Use an evidence-based and rigorous curriculum. 6th and 7th Grade Literacy, Math, Science and Social Studies teams are given protected time and resources to build curriculum units that focus on essential standards, proficiency scales, specific learning targets, assessments, interventions and enrichment, tiered vocabulary, and challenging daily activities.
- Continue to utilize a standards-based learning, grading, and reporting system to communciate student's progress towards mastery of grade level standards. Last year Literacy, Math, and Science content areas implemented the standards based grading system. This year we have added both 6th and 7th grade content areas, as well as 7th grade Art, Keycode, Band and Health courses. This system drives the work in our PLCs around standards, scales, and reporting tools that allow all teachers to provide guaranteed and viable curriculums, meaningful activities and assessments, and common language and ownership of understanding by students, families, and teachers. The work also focuses weekly on the 4 essential PLC questions, the CFA progress monitoring cycle, and evidence of student learning and mastery.
- Implement systems to improve student engagement and attendance. GMS is enforcing the district attendance policy and balancing rewards and consequences to ensure students and families are reminded of the value of school attendance and engagement. Students, teachers, and families are also utilizing the ICU database to communicate missing assignments and proactively keep students accountable for the work by reaching out to families and providing additional time and support. We saw an increase in our Student Engagement Score in our ESSA data by +2.74 from the previous year's data.
- GMS Administration and the Guiding Coalition are leading the work to ensure Greenbrier Middle School utillizes the Model of Instruction in all classrooms. Weekly sweeps occur in all classrooms to target the use of effective instructional strategies and data is shared with teachers for transparency and to drive converstations for targeted areas for improvement.
- Focus on Positive Behavior Interventions and our HEART matrix to communicate student behavior expectations. These expectations revolve around students being Honest, Engaged, Accountable, Respectful, and Tenacious. Teachers, administrators, and staff are daily using tools to positively impact and restore student behavior in order to motivate students to make wise choices. Students work for incentives and face consequences when behavior expectations are not met.
- GMS has moved to the Inclusive Practice model for providing students with access to the general education curriculum. An Inclusive Practice Task Force has been created and teachers have attended training over the summer to develop an action plan for implementation. Currently, GMS has 81% of our students with IEP's in an inclusion setting. We are continuing to focus on providing support to our teachers in the co-teaching models and differentiation strategies for instruction.
- Student Assessment Wall has moved to include ALL students and is labeled according to the growth quadrant model. Teachers are having on-going converstations about students to monitor their progress using CFA data and utlizing the wall to determine which students need additional support during our Fast Focus intervention time.
Teach Like a Pirate Instructional Hooks for Increased Student Engagement
Science of Reading
Tier 1
Literacy, Math, and Science Units developed by our District Curriculum Teams include:
Written Curriculum Maps that align with the Science of Reading
Word Study that focuses on morphology
Comprehension Unit-Based
Writing that integrates extended text, Writing Revolution, and Empowering Writer strategies (Literacy)
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) writing that integrates labs and articles (Science)
Number talks, Fluency, Application, and Concept Development that balances and progresses students through lower to higher level cognitive tasks (Math)
Integrated literacy skills in science, math, and social studies through activities that involve reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and speaking and listening
Grade level texts, novels, and passages w/ domain-specific vocabulary
Root Walls/Vocabulary Walls in all classrooms and content areas
ALL 6th-grade students have a 100-minute block of LIteracy/ Reading instruction!
Tier 2
FAST Focus time is integrated into each day to provide additional intervention support for students struggling to master essential standards. Interventions are created by Literacy, Math, and Science teachers based on students' needs and assessment data. Open extension sessions are provided to students around Literacy, Math and Science standards for those students who are working at grade level expectations.
Tier 3
Learning Strategies courses for 6th and 7th-grade students who are struggling based upon multiple data points
Evidence-based interventions (and approved DESE Science of Reading supports) are used and assigned through our Student Intervention Teams (SIT) based on the RTI system
95% Phonological Awareness program
Structures program
95% Comprehension program
Take Flight- provided by a Certified Academic Language Therapist
Students are progress monitored on a monthly schedule through SIT. The team monitors interventions and progress for any changes that are needed.
At GMS, administrators evaluate and teachers self-evaluate using the TESS/ Science of Reading Look fors document that includes the following components; Background Knowledge, Vocabulary, Language Structures, Verbal Reasoning, Literacy Knowledge, Fluency, Phonological Awareness, and Decoding/ Encoding. K-6 and all SpEd teachers have demonstrated proficiency in the Science of Reading.
Creating a Positive School Culture Through Celebrations
PBIS Behavior Expectations
Social & Emotional Learning
GMS is committed to facilitating the CharacterStrong curriculum with fidelity. In order to do so, we have implemented the following:
- Mental Health Mondays in Fast Focus each week featuring CharacterStrong slideshows, discussions, and activities
- Embedded CharacterStrong lessons throughout each week
- GMS SEL team created and maintains our CharacterStrong calendar and pacing guide
- Utliziation of a mood meter to prompt student discussions about their emotions and feelings.
GMS Club"nections" on Fridays
Middle school students LOVE their Friday club time this year. Each club is based on both teacher and student interests and is required to be tied to a career field. Many clubs have had guest speakers and are working on projects and activities that help build student's skills and interests. Some examples of clubs include Graphic Design, Legos, Creative Writing, Leadership, Lifetime Fitness, Crafy Corner and many more!