Core Practices in Math & Science: An Investigation of Consistently Higher Performing Schools in Five States - Adams Middle School, Wayne-Westland Community Schools (Michigan)45f
PERFORMANCE AND PRACTICE ©2008 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. Core Practices in Math & Science: An Investigation of Consistently Higher Performing Schools in Five States Adams Middle School Wayne-Westland Community Schools (Michigan) Introduction Since 1999, the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) and its affiliated research teams have studied over 500 public schools across the country in an effort to identify and disseminate effective practices embraced by higher performing schools that distinguish their campuses from their average-performing peers. Building on the foundation established by this previous research, NCEA sought in the current study to focus specifically on educational practices in the areas of mathematics and science in five states: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Texas. Criteria used in school selection in the current study included three years of state assessment data in mathematics and science (2004, 2005, and 2006), campus demographic make-up, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, school size, and geographic location. In addition, all of the schools selected for participation met the state and federal requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2006. Schools categorized as higher performing based on the selection criteria were those “beating the odds” with consistently better student achievement over three years, when compared to peer campuses with a similar student population. Therefore, a list of the state’s highest performing schools may contain schools different from those selected for this study.1 In order to illuminate the roles of different members in a school community, for each selected school, NCEA researchers interviewed district-level administrators, school administrators, and classroom teachers. To supplement the interview data, researchers collected pertinent documents, observed secondary level algebra classes, and invited participants to take part in the NCEA Self-Assessment online. 1 For more detailed information about the school identification process and the list of higher performing schools included in the study, please see the full cross-case report at http://www.nc4ea.org. 2 District and School Profile With an enrollment of approximately 13,600 students, the Wayne-Westland Community Schools serve students from the cities of Wayne, Westland, Canton, Dearborn Heights, Inkster, and Romulus in the state of Michigan. The school district operates 17 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 2 traditional high schools. Many campuses in the district have received the Golden Apple Award for their improvement on the state assessments. One of the four middle schools in the Wayne-Westland Community Schools, Adams Middle School enrolls 720 students, 60% of whom receive free and reduced-price meals. The majority of the student population on campus is White (67%), followed by 26% African-American students and 4% Hispanic students. Adams Middle School has received multiple awards for its excellent student achievement. These include the Golden Apple Award and the Michigan Middle Cities Muth Award. The school was also a finalist for the National School Change Award and the NASSP Breakthrough Schools award in 2008. As a strong proponent of higher standards, NCEA recognizes school efforts to move more students to the state’s higher standard of achievement by accounting for those students in the analysis of consistent higher performance. Tables 1 and 2 summarize performance at both the state’s proficient and advanced standards attained by the students at Adams Middle School for the years of 2004, 2005, and 2006. The state averages included in the tables represent student performance among schools with a student population similar to Adams, particularly based on the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Figure 1: Student Demographics Adams Middle School26%67%1%4%2%% AfricanAmerican% Asian% Hispanic% NativeAmerican% White 3 The district’s curriculum is based on the state standards and the Grade Level Content Expectations. District curriculum committees and classroom teachers ensure that the district’s written curriculum aligns with the state standards. Department chairs from each school and additional interested teachers form district-wide curriculum committees for each academic content area. These committees review the state curriculum and the Grade Level Content Expectations to make sure the district curriculum is aligned accordingly. Inter-district communication provides an avenue for teacher input and buy-in. At Adams, department chairs meet with teachers to discuss curriculum development (e.g., pacing guides, textbook adoption). Department chairs take teachers’ concerns to the curriculum committees, but individual teachers may Theme 1 Student Learning: Expectations & Goals 2004 2005 2006 Grade 6 7
