Oxford Middle School 1750 Hwy 78 West Oxford, AL 36203 By Kyle McCartney, Principal Fast Facts: 658 Students 39% Minority 8% Students with disabilities 7% ELL 60% Free/reduced lunch 99% Attendance rate 92% of students meeting or exceeding standards on state test A Model of: Technology Integration Differentiated Instruction Collaborative Leadership Differentiated Professional Development Inclusion Quality Questioning Active Engagement Executive Summary Located in Oxford, Alabama, the Oxford City Schools System is comprised of six school sites: students in kindergarten through fourth grade are served at one of three elementary schools, all fifth and sixth grade students attend C.E. Hanna Elementary School, all seventh and eighth grade students attend Oxford Middle School, and students in grades nine through twelve are served at Oxford High School. Approximately 4,040 students are served by 525 employees in a school system where tradition is important. Oxford Middle School is the focal point of a growing, diverse community and serves approximately 658 students in 7 th and 8 th grades. Out of those 658 students, 60% are on free/reduced lunch, 39% are minorities, 8% are students with disabilities, and 7% receive ELL services. Our mission is to establish a strong foundation for lifelong learning and responsible citizenship for our young adolescents by providing a nurturing and challenging educational environment. Our school utilizes a modified block schedule, which allows the flexibility needed to support a student-centered system of differentiated instruction. Math and English Language Arts classes are ninety minutes in length, while science, social studies, and electives are divided into forty-five minute periods. In an effort to ensure the academic success of all students, the Oxford City Schools System has implemented a one-to-one Mac book technology initiative in grades 7-12 during the 2013-2014 school year. As a result of this new availability of technology, Oxford Middle School has been able to add several new programs, as well as enhance those currently in use. In an endeavor to increase our math scores, we have added a thirty-minute Power Math period to our schedule. All available data was utilized to place students in either a math enrichment or a math remediation class for this time period. For thirty minutes a day ALL teachers and students are actively engaged in Power Math. It has been exciting to see how this has inspired our students growth, curiosity, and success in the area of math.
Oxford Middle School has a strong, united leadership both within the educational framework and from the community. This team puts the highest priority on the education of the youth of the community and provides resources to support the instructional process. OMS firmly believes that each child has a gift and, afforded the opportunity is capable of success. We have found that higher expectations yield higher results, and we are committed to encouraging family participation to enable each student to reach his or her potential, developing a strong moral character, and fostering a desire to become a positive member of society. Foundation Learning At Oxford Middle School 96.4% of our 8 th graders scored at/above state proficiency levels in Reading, and 59.2% scored at/above state proficiency levels in Math. Of our 7 th graders, 89.2% scored at/above state proficiency levels in Reading, and 56.3% in Math. As for state mastery levels, 49.8% of 8 th graders scored above state mastery levels in Reading and 22.2% in Math; 49% of our 7 th graders scored above state mastery in Reading and 35.5% in Math. There are no subgroups that are exempt from reporting at Oxford Middle School. Additional measures of core academic learning include formative assessments, Aims Web benchmarks, Think Link benchmarks, and common assessments in all core classes. Data from these sources is then analyzed in monthly data meetings to determine individual student needs and progress. Our school has made numerous changes in its instructional practices throughout recent years, and will continue to improve operational infrastructure to advance the mission and objectives of OMS. Oxford Middle School has become more prescriptive in its instruction through enrichment and intervention classes. After all available test data is analyzed, students are placed in levelized reading enrichment classes. These enrichment classes are 45 minutes in length, and allow those students who need additional reading intervention and practice an opportunity to receive supplementary help. Lower-level enrichment classes are scripted programs, but higher-level enrichment classes center on a variety of language arts topics with a focus on informational text and technology. Students not needing any additional practice have the opportunity to take an extra elective during this time frame to further enhance their educational experience. Ensuring active student engagement has always been a focus at Oxford Middle School, and, though we have seen vast gains in recent years, it will continue to be a focus in the future because we are constantly looking for new methods to keep our students actively engaged in instruction so that they may continue to grow and to develop their learning skills. Blended learning, gradual release, and quality questioning are practiced on a daily basis. Other areas that will continue to be areas of focus for continuous improvement are improving reading, math, and science application, improving stakeholder involvement, fostering 21 st century skills, incorporating more blended learning, and attempting to close the special education gap. Learner Engagement As a result of our newly implemented 1:1 Mac book initiative, Oxford Middle School has been able to better personalize its education programs in a concerted effort to improve student achievement. This new access to technology has allowed students to more actively engage in their courses by practicing and perfecting their 21 st century learning skills. Students can more
easily collaborate with classmates using Google tools, Mac book applications, and our newly acquired Blackboard Learning Management System. Teachers regularly conference with students on his/her progress and devise action plans when necessary in an effort to ensure that each student is successful. Small group instruction is then used to further target those who need individualized help and, sometimes, to provide direct instruction in a smaller setting; often this small group instruction is done in one station of a station rotation model, where it can be used as a type of formative assessment. Teachers and administrators regularly participate in instructional rounds to look for evidence of blended learning, active engagement, quality questioning, and gradual release. To encourage our students to be both curious and creative, OMS offers robotics, math enrichment, broadcasting, and numerous other electives as part of the school day. In addition to these electives, there are a myriad of after-school clubs such as the builder s club, robotics club, math team, debate club, scholar s bowl, and student council just to mention a few. Also, our teen discoveries elective and our career prep elective focus on helping our students understand realworld predictable/unpredictable situations. Cross-curricular project-based learning units have also been implemented in an ongoing effort to both foster real-world connections and to encourage our students to use higher order critical thinking skills. Striving to personalize our education programs and improve student achievement, OMS offers several reading and math enrichment classes. Data is reviewed regularly in monthly data meetings with both teachers and administrators, and students are moved according to the newest available data. Teachers also use the data from these monthly data meetings to establish flexible small groups within their classrooms. We put a great deal of time and effort into ensuring that each student is receiving the instruction and support that he/she needs to be successful. Students at OMS know that our staff cares about their success both inside and outside the walls of Oxford Middle School. On the 2013-2014 ACT Engage, 98% of students responded that they feel that their teachers care about them beyond the school environment. Stretch Learning Oxford Middle School is committed to providing a curriculum that is challenging, integrative, and exploratory. To promote rigor and relevance, we offer a wide variety of pre-ap courses that challenge students critical thinking and problem solving abilities. These classes utilize Pre-AP materials from Laying the Foundation. Pre-AP teachers collaborate vertically with high school AP teachers to ensure that students are well prepared and ready to tackle the rigorous AP classes. In addition to our core classes, we offer enrichment opportunities in the field of robotics, creative writing, and television broadcasting, as well as the opportunity to participate in JUNA (Junior United Nations Assembly) and Scholar s Bowl, where students are regularly challenged to grapple with complex ideas in diverse academic settings. Our robotics teams compete in VEX, LEGO, and BEST robotics competitions. Moreover, in addition to the practical skills learned in multiple elective courses, clubs, and organizations, students work regularly to improve upon their 21 st century learning skills, utilizing programs such as 21things4students.net and various others. Our school is determined to meet learners where they are, and then push them to move forward. Student data is analyzed as it becomes available, and in order to enhance and remediate, we employ programs such as IXL, Classworks, Journeys, and V-Math in an effort to provide
additional support to classroom instruction; teachers even go so far as to provide one-on-one tutoring during the school day for those students who consistently struggle. Personal Skill Development Teachers utilize a blended learning instructional approach on a daily basis in order to integrate 21 st century skills, and both administration and teachers regularly communicate with students through our system-wide Google site. As a direct result of our new 1:1 implementation, teachers have been able to use a project-based learning approach more easily and effectively with students as well. In order to encourage positive behaviors and attitudes, our counselors meet with P.E. classes each month to conduct large group counseling lessons. Our guidance counselors also have implemented programs such as Student of the Week and Caught Being Good. Teachers from each team collectively nominate a boy and a girl for Student of the Week, and these students are taken off-campus for lunch at a local restaurant once a month. As part of the Caught Being Good program, all school staff watches for students who do good things. These students have their pictures posted on a bulletin board in the school lobby and receive gift cards to a local yogurt establishment. The Student Council Association plays a large role in encouraging positive behavior at OMS. Last year they hosted a May Day celebration designed to inspire students to perform well on upcoming standardized testing. They also plan an annual spring dance, which allows them to practice their entrepreneurial skills. During the 2013-2014 school year, Oxford Middle School created an online student newspaper where students can hone their 21 st century skills and take ownership of their publications. It is linked to the school website so that parents may also view and keep abreast of current events. OMS participates in JUNA (Junior United Nations Assembly), which is an excellent opportunity for students to develop personal/interpersonal leadership skills and global awareness. Also, our teen discoveries elective requires entrepreneurial skills and self-directed learning. Teaching Oxford Middle School utilizes flexible scheduling and a team concept. We have five teams made up of six teachers on each team: two English Language Arts teachers, two math teachers, one science teacher, and one social studies teacher. This team concept allows teachers to tailor their instruction to make it rigorous and relevant based on how students learn. These teacher teams have a common team planning time in addition to their personal planning time. This allows teachers to collaborate and discuss individual students and how these students learn best in each class. It allows time to share instructional practices and data to determine next steps for each individual student. The team concept is one of our greatest strengths because it allows us to work together to personalize instruction.
Teachers are given numerous opportunities to deepen their content knowledge and make it relevant to students. Pre-AP teachers attend Laying the Foundation Training (also known as National Math + Science Initiative) to learn new instructional practices that will allow them to better prepare their students for the rigorous Advanced Placement classes that they will take in the near future. Many of our teachers attend and even present at CORE Academy, a summer professional development course offered at nearby Jacksonville State University. Last summer we sent teams of lead teachers to both the ISTE and Model Schools summer conferences. OMS gives teachers every possible opportunity to stretch their content knowledge and learn new instructional practices to make that content relevant to students. A myriad of formative assessments, in addition to benchmark tests, are used to guide and differentiate instruction. Think Link and Aims Web benchmark tests are given throughout the school year, and the data is analyzed in monthly team data meetings. Individual student action plans are made and updated as new data becomes available. Common assessments are given each nine weeks in all core classes, and that data is also utilized to update student action plans and to establish flexible small groups within classrooms. The Oxford City Schools System recently purchased Blackboard Learning Management system, which has given our teachers yet another avenue for instructional technology use; teachers are actively creating courses and utilizing the grade center for online assessments. As teachers learn the system and gain confidence, they are branching out and using flipped learning as another resource for using instructional technology to develop 21 st century skills. Organizational Leadership The staff at Oxford Middle School is devoted to a quest for excellence. We work hard to develop a positive relationship with each student that enters ours facilities. Countless hours are spent on individualized professional development that ranges from focusing on quality questioning to successfully implementing Blackboard. Two days a week our teachers spend forty-five minutes of planning time meeting with our school-level technology coordinator in a concentrated effort to ascertain whether our programs are being implemented to efficacy. During these work sessions, teachers work with our technology coordinator on increasing and learning new ways to use Blackboard and Mac book applications in order to promote individualized student learning. Discussions in monthly data meetings help determine student placement and student needs. After much time is spent carefully analyzing all available date, teachers have a voice in deciding whether a student is placed correctly, or whether a schedule change might give that student more opportunities to become successful. Use of data analysis in program decision-making has improved school results and addressed student needs across all learning levels. Both teachers and administration alike participate in instructional rounds with the goal of learning from each other. These instructional rounds are not evaluative in any way; evidence of blended learning, active engagement, and quality questioning that are found in these rounds help establish new goals for continuous improvement. The Oxford City Schools System believes that the most effective learning is student-centered, and we at Oxford Middle School have taken this truth to heart. We strive to provide numerous programs that give students the greatest opportunities for success by creating environments that suit them, and therefore, promote effective learning. Our faculty is committed to working
diligently each day to better understand the relationship between experience and interest. Our desire truly is To establish a strong foundation for lifelong learning and responsible citizenship for our young adolescents by providing a nurturing and challenging educational environment. This is not just our mission statement; it is the driving force behind everything we do at Oxford Middle School. Instructional Leadership At Oxford Middle School, needs are first identified through observations and data digging, then administration meets with teams of lead teachers to brainstorm possible solutions. Focused professional development sessions are then held where all teachers are made aware of these needs and given examples of best practices to try to meet these needs. After teachers have been allowed ample time to practice new instructional techniques, observations take place, individual conferences are held, and, finally, formal evaluations are done by administration. Each summer, vertical teams of lead teachers meet at the board office for three consecutive days to align our curriculums to our standards. Teams begin by first evaluating our power standards to see if any changes need to be made. Teachers from grades 5-12 meet together for this so that we can be certain that we are vertically aligning and preparing our students for not just the next grade level, but also for college and career readiness. Once power standards have been evaluated, grade level pacing guides are perused to ascertain that we are indeed covering those power standards to efficacy. Cross-curricular planning meetings also take place during the summer at our board office. English Language Arts teacher collaborate with Social Studies teachers, and Math teachers collaborate with Science teachers to design project based learning units for the upcoming school year. These units are then implemented during designated nine weeks time frames. This allows an opportunity to more easily integrate literacy and math across all content areas; it also helps our students make connections across subject areas, thus making content more relevant to them. Last year, Oxford Middle School served as a model of differentiated professional development; administrators met to determine individual teachers professional development needs, and two tracts were created. Those teachers with the most experience were placed in a quality questioning professional development group where they could work on deepening their questioning ability with the goal of eliciting higher order critical thinking responses from students; teachers who were new to the profession, new to our system, or felt they needed extra practice were placed in a better learning professional development group with the goal of refining the process of gradual release. Representatives from schools all across the state of Alabama, as well as author Jackie Walsh (Thinking Through Quality Questioning: Deeping Student Engagemement), visited our school to observe the affects this differentiated professional development had on our classroom instructional practices.
Parent/Community Partnership Stakeholder involvement has always been a priority at Oxford Middle School. Recently OMS has increased its use of social media as a way of parent communication; updates and announcements are posted regularly to both Facebook and Twitter. The school website is updated daily, and it provides links to weekly newsletters from each team of teachers. We host two parent nights per year, the first of which is used to train parents on the use of Blackboard and other computer-based programs currently being used. The second parent night serves as a transition meeting for the next grade level; in addition to this, 8 th grade parents also schedule appointments to meet individually for advisement with both an 8 th grade teacher and a high school teacher to create a class schedule for the upcoming year. Oxford Middle School also partners with local businesses on a regular basis. Alabama Power helped to mentor our robotics team this year, as well as an engineer from NABI (a local industry). Each year local businesses are invited to participate in our career fair, and this year 25 businesses set up booths to allow our 8 th graders an opportunity to investigate a variety of career options. Effective and Efficient Best Practice Oxford Middle School s most recent innovation is our newly implemented Power Math period. After carefully analyzing test data it came to our attention that reading initiatives over recent years led to an increase in reading scores, and that, while math scores were adequate, they lagged behind reading scores. To boost student performance, our administration came up with the idea to create a computer-based mathematics enrichment course that would be structured similarly to our reading enrichment classes. Administrators reworked our flexible schedule to include a 30-minute power math period. From 7:25-7:55 each morning, EVERY teacher and EVERY student is focused on math. These classes are divided into three levels: intervention, practice, and acceleration. The intervention level classes provide remediation for students who are performing one or more grade levels behind; the practice level classes provide practice in the application of math skills for students performing at or on grade level in math but who still need continued practice and support in order to refine proficiency. The acceleration level classes provide advanced placement for students performing above grade level in order to continue to push them forward. 7 th grade students who are in these accelerated power math classes, and who complete the Algebra 1 course by the end of the year, will be on track to take geometry in the 8 th grade, thus allowing them to move forward into the higher level Advanced Placement math classes during their high school careers. Math scores have been tracked using Aims Web benchmarking as a tool, and thus far, students scoring in the 90-99% have gone from 18% to 35% for 7 th grade, and from 11% to 22% for 8 th grade; students scoring in the 0-10% range have gone from 11% to 1% in the 7 th grade, and from 18% to 8% in the 8 th grade.
Tier Transition Report Oxford City Schools - OCS-Oxford Middle School Mathematics Concepts and Applications Grade 7: 2013-2014 School Year Tier Transition Report Oxford City Schools - OCS-Oxford Middle School Mathematics Concepts and Applications Grade 8: 2013-2014 School Year