152-51 STRATEGIC SCHOOL PROFILE 2010-11 Middle and Junior High School Edition Clark Lane Middle School Waterford School District MICHAEL LOVETERE, Principal LYNN M. LYNCH, Asst. Principal Telephone: (860) 443-2837 Website: www.waterfordschools.org/cl/index.htm Location: 105 Clark Lane Waterford, Connecticut This profile was produced by the Connecticut Department of Education in accordance with CT General Statutes 10-220(c) using data and narratives provided by the school district or testing services. Profiles and additional education data, including longitudinal data, are available on the internet at www.sde.ct.gov. TYPE OF SCHOOL School Type: Traditional/Regular Education School Grade Range: 6-8 STUDENT ENROLLMENT Enrollment on October 1, 2010: 688 5-Year Enrollment Change: -14.1% Need Indicator INDICATORS OF EDUCATIONAL NEED Number in School Percent in School Middle/Jr. High % in District % in Students Eligible for Free/Reduced-Price Meals 88 12.8 12.8 29.2 Students Who Are Not Fluent in English 7 1.0 1.0 3.5 Students with Disabilities 85 12.4 12.4 11.7 Students Identified as Gifted and/or Talented 48 7.0 7.0 7.5 Students in Grades Above School s Entry Grade Who Attended Same School the Previous Year 426 93.8 93.8 93.5 PROGRAM AND INSTRUCTION Instructional Time School Middle/Jr. High Total Days per Year 182 181 Total Hours per Year 1,046 1,017 law requires that at least 180 days of school be offered to students in kindergarten through Grade 12, 900 hours of instruction to Grades 1-12 and full-day kindergarten, and 450 hours to half-day kindergarten students.
152-51 Page 2 Average Class Size School District Grade 5 N/A N/A N/A Grade 7 21.5 21.5 20.6 Enrollment in Selected High School Level Courses Percent of Grade 8 Students Taking School District Mathematics 30.7 30.7 34.4 World Language 0.0 0.0 48.4 Required Hours of Instruction Per Year in Selected Subject Areas Grade 8 School Art 28 36 Computer Education 0 20 English Language Arts 176 242 Family and Consumer Science 28 10 Health 28 23 Library Media Skills 0 14 Mathematics 176 158 Music * 0 32 Physical Education 86 55 Science 176 145 Social Studies 176 143 Technology Education 0 24 World Languages 86 83 World Language Formal instruction (at least 1 hour per week) in French and Spanish starts in Grade 6 in this school. wide, 13.6% of elementary and middle schools that serve Grade 6 start world language instruction by this grade. Lunch An average of 30 minutes is provided for lunch during full school days. * Elective hours also offered Special Programs School Middle/Jr. High % of K-12 Students in Bilingual Education Program or Receiving English as a Second Language Services % of Identified Gifted and/or Talented Students Who Received Services % of Special Education Students Attending This School Who Spent Over 79% of Their Time with Their Non-Disabled Peers District 1.0 1.0 3.4 100.0 100.0 67.4 87.1 87.1 77.7 LIBRARY AND COMPUTERS Free on-line access to periodicals, newspapers, and other resources is available to all schools through the Connecticut Digital Library at www.iconn.org. Instructional Computers and Library Materials School Middle/Jr. High District # of Students Per Computer 1.8 1.8 2.4 % of Computers with Internet Access 100.0 100.0 98.9 % of Computers that are High or Moderate Power 100.0 100.0 96.6 # of Print Volumes Per Student* 24.0 24.0 21.3 # of Print Periodical Subscriptions 42 42 21 *Because a certain number of volumes are needed for a library of adequate breadth and depth, a small school may need a higher number of volumes per student.
152-51 Page 3 SCHOOL STAFF Full-Time Equivalent Count of School Staff General Education: Teachers and Instructors 45.20 Paraprofessional Instructional Assistants 1.00 Special Education: Teachers and Instructors 5.60 Paraprofessional Instructional Assistants 13.00 Library/Media Specialists and/or Assistants 2.00 Administrators, Coordinators, and Department Chairs 2.50 Instructional Specialists Who Support Teachers (e.g., subject area specialists) 1.25 Counselors, Social Workers, and School Psychologists 4.00 School Nurses 1.00 Other Staff Providing Non-Instructional Services and Support 20.27 In the full-time equivalent count, staff members working part-time in the school are counted as a fraction of full-time. For example, a teacher who works half-time in a school contributes 0.50 to the school s staff count. Teachers and Instructors School Middle/Jr. High District Average Number of Years of Experience in Education 16.4 16.0 14.2 % with Master s Degree or Above 78.6 78.6 79.1 Classroom Teacher Attendance, 2009-10: Average # of Days Absent Due to Illness or Personal Time 10.9 10.9 10.1 % Assigned to Same School the Previous Year 83.9 83.9 87.7 Teacher E-Mail Addresses: Online Homework Information: HOME AND SCHOOL COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT All teachers at this school have been issued e-mail addresses. A portion of the school's website is devoted to homework pages. The following narrative about how this school promotes and supports parental involvement was submitted by this school. Clark Lane Middle School encourages parent communication. Life at home for our students is a critical link to their success in school. To that end, teachers make every effort to ease the transition to middle school by keeping open lines of communication. Families can access the school website for summer reading suggestions that also highlights authors pages. A summer letter welcomes all families, as the school year approaches, with information about classroom routines, goals, and expectations. The monthly newsletter, Cougar Tales, is accessible online and includes the principal s letter that alerts parents to pertinent information, current school events, and updates from each grade level team and special area teachers. All facets of the school community contribute to the newsletter. Back to School nights in the fall offer another welcoming opportunity for parents to meet teachers and familiarize themselves with classroom expectations. Technology allows easy access for parents, students, and teachers to school life. The school website is a resource for parents and students to view class assignments, test schedules, web pages and to contact teachers through email. Using the PowerSchool website, all upcoming assignments and grades are available online to parents 24 hours a day throughout the year. When confusions or concerns arise pertaining to a student s academic progress, parents and teachers will email or conference, via phone or in person. Official conference times are now formally scheduled on the school calendar twice a year over six days. Teachers arrange meeting times throughout the day and after school to facilitate a working parent s schedule. An active PTO is a visible contributor to school life. This group of enthusiastic parents plan activities that can raise money to enhance the school curriculum such as Basket Bonanza or just join the school community together for an evening of fun, like Trivia Night that also raised $1200 for the American Cancer Society. Two school counselors comprise the guidance department. They service families with ongoing communication throughout the year. The school counselors organize student discussion groups, schedule parent and teacher conferences that address academic concerns and successes, host a Grade 6 orientation day for new students in the fall and spring, and a Career Day in the spring. Parents participate in Career Day along with community speakers. Each morning, students are the anchors for the daily news show that broadcasts via video screens in every classroom and announces events, spotlights student achievements or interviews a teacher. Creating a successful school community begins with fostering effective communication that manifests itself every day at Clark Lane.
152-51 Page 4 SCHOOL DIVERSITY Student Race/Ethnicity Race/Ethnicity Number Percent American Indian 10 1.5 Asian American 41 6.0 Black 37 5.4 Hispanic 48 7.0 Pacific Islander 0 0.0 White 551 80.1 Two or more races 1 0.1 Total Minority 137 19.9 Percent of Minority Professional Staff: Non-English Home Language: 3.0% 4.5% of this school's students (excluding prekindergarten students) come from homes where English is not the primary language.the number of non-english home languages is 14. EFFORTS TO REDUCE RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND ECONOMIC ISOLATION Below is the description submitted by this school of how it provides educational opportunities for its students to interact with students and teachers from diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. When a responsive and empathic spirit combines with teamwork, positive actions result. Clark Lane Middle School provides moments for students to work together and to respond to the diverse make up of our school and the diverse needs of our world. For the last three years, the band instructor from Clark Lane Middle School has organized a band comprised of our students and students from the Dual Language Academy in New London. The students practice and rehearse together and then perform for the school in a musical celebration that highlights other cultures. These musicians, from various ethnic and economic backgrounds, work as a team for a common goal, learning life lessons in the process.in classrooms, students experience multicultural readings that address economic, social, and racial issues. This is often followed by group social action projects in both history and language arts classes. Science teachers address social concerns from a scientific approach and students focus on the human conditions for inquiry type research projects. Mouse Calls is a program developed with a grant designed to reduce racial prejudices. Through this grant, computer classes connect students with other schools through letter writing opportunities. It is also through discussions, movies and readings that students are made aware of international injustices. A very involved Student Council has raised money, along with student awareness, for the people of Haiti, those affected by the tragic aftermath of the tsunami and for Habitat for Humanity. Closer to home, In November, the Student Council organized a canned food drive for the area soup kitchen and, in December, a gift drive for needy families. The whole school came together to support one of our own when the child of two of our Waterford teachers was stricken with leukemia. Money and volunteers helped to organize a carnival night and the proceeds went to the family s medical needs. It is the school s purposeful actions that solidify a community which supports all members. Physical Fitness: % Reaching Health Standard on All Four Tests* STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOR School District % of in with Equal or Lower Percent Reaching Standard Grade 4 N/A N/A N/A N/A Grade 6 48.1 48.1 51.2 43.2 Grade 8 55.8 55.8 50.8 61.9 *Includes tests for flexibility, abdominal strength and endurance, upper-body strength and aerobic endurance. Connecticut Mastery Test, Fourth Generation, % Goal. The Goal level is more demanding than the Proficient level, but not as high as the Advanced level, reported in the No Child Left Behind Report Cards.
152-51 Page 5 Grade and CMT Subject Area School District % of in with Equal or Lower Percent Meeting Goal Grade 4 Reading N/A N/A N/A N/A Writing N/A N/A N/A N/A Mathematics N/A N/A N/A N/A Grade 5 Reading N/A N/A N/A N/A Writing N/A N/A N/A N/A Mathematics N/A N/A N/A N/A Science N/A N/A N/A N/A Grade 6 Reading 86.8 85.7 76.0 73.9 Writing 82.1 81.7 65.2 82.7 Mathematics 80.8 79.7 71.3 67.8 Grade 7 Reading 86.7 86.3 77.8 67.7 Writing 73.7 73.4 58.9 74.8 Mathematics 82.5 82.1 68.4 75.2 Grade 8 Reading 88.5 87.7 74.7 79.4 Writing 81.6 80.9 64.8 77.2 Mathematics 73.7 73.1 66.6 60.7 Science 83.3 83.1 63.1 80.2 These results reflect the performance of students with scoreable tests who were enrolled in the district at the time of testing, regardless of the length of time they were enrolled in the district. Results for fewer than 20 students are not presented. For more detailed CMT results, go to www.ctreports. To see the NCLB Report Card for this school, go to www.sde.ct.gov and click on No Child Left Behind. Student Attendance School District Middle/Jr. High Middle/Jr. High % Present on October 1 97.2 97.2 95.6 Disciplinary Offenses Number of Incidents by Disciplinary Offense Category, 2009-10 Disciplinary offenses committed by Offense Category Location of Incident students include all serious offenses, offenses involving drugs, School Other Location alcohol, or tobacco, and all Violent Crimes Against Persons 0 0 incidents resulting in suspension or Sexually Related Behavior 1 0 expulsion. In the 2009-10 school year, 83 students were responsible Personally Threatening Behavior 16 1 for these incidents. These students Theft 4 0 represent 12% of the estimated Physical/Verbal Confrontation 20 3 number of students who attended this school at some point during the Fighting/Battery 7 8 2009-10 school year. Property Damage 4 2 Truancy During the 2009-10 school year, No students qualified as truant under state statute. As these counts rely on school-level policies regarding unexcused adsences, they are not comparable between schools. Weapons 0 0 Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco 4 0 School Policy Violations 52 1 Total 108 15
152-51 Page 6 The following narrative was submitted by this school. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND ACTIVITIES Clark Lane Middle School sets high expectations for student learning. The whole staff reviews state testing results at the beginning of the year to assess academic progress. For the last four years, small group meetings have acquainted all staff with the format and skills demonstrated on the state exam so that their instruction effectively integrates critical literacy skills. A software program allows the school to manage and modify every student s academic plan. Data Teams (PLC grade level teachers) meet regularly to create or refine CFAs, share and reflect on student learning, and implement successful teaching strategies. The SRBI and STAT Referral team, composed of classroom teachers, administrators and specialists, offers additional support and professional insight for advancing student learning. Our current objective, as a professional learning community, is to increase the collaboration between content area teachers, with shared goals for setting consistently high literacy expectations, supporting readers and strengthening every reader s abilities and curiosity. We discuss the need to move from lessons that demand memorization to comprehension, from teacher centered explaining to student centered problem solving. Our learning atmosphere guides students to develop a sense of inquiry. All science, social studies and language art teachers are reading Comprehension and Collaboration by Harvey Daniels. This initiative has resulted in increased meeting times by content area teachers to promote understandings, strategies and discussions of 21st Century skills. Curriculum leaders set a plan for assessing and refining benchmarks and informal assessments that take student and teacher to the next level of instruction. Realizing the importance of addressing various learning styles, Clark Lane continues to provide academic support programs for tier 2 and 3 intervention in math and literacy skills. Additional academic support exists in software programs like Study Island, Read Naturally, and Words Their Way. SUPPLEMENTAL SCHOOL INFORMATION The space below was optionally used by this school to describe aspects of the school not presented elsewhere in the profile. Clark Lane is proud of continued efforts to highlight and support the academic, physical and artistic talents of our students. The most current state mastery tests indicate solid school performance in academics. In all content areas and all grade levels, CLMS excelled. Over 91 percent of students performed at the proficiency standard or above on 2011 achievement tests. The school extends into the community. The Chorus group visited senior centers and nursing homes several times during the year to share their musical talents. After the school day ends, dedicated teachers and students continue to challenge themselves and engage in rewarding activities. The afterschool book buddies club visited the regional magnet school, The Friendship School, during the spring to read and share their love of books with pre-schoolers. A volleyball club emphasized fitness and fun, while the middle school swim club brought students to the high school pool to participate in swimming races led by the high school swim coach. A newly formed Waterford Justice League is a partnership of Waterford Youth Service Bureau, the middle school, and the town police department. This collaboration educates seventh and eighth graders about Connecticut laws and brought guest speaker Beth Holloway to the area this past year.