Niskayuna CSDMiddle School Review

Vicki Wyld-Iroquois MS

Luke Rakoczy-Van Antwerp

MS

MS Review-Goals• Year 1

– Collecting and analyzing data on our middle schools.

– Building a rapport between faculty and consultants.

– Helping to facilitate/plan visits from Annette Fante and Jack Berckemeyer.

MS Review Goals: Year 2

• Continue review process with volunteers from our summer work group.

• Build faculty vision around the emerging topics for improvement.

• Creating a 90 day action plan to begin to meet our vision of an effective middle school.

Year 1: Information Gathering• Survey/perception data• Classroom observation• Conversations with principals and district office• Reviewing scores, schedules, program, etc. • Conversations with focus groups

– Extended Learning Time– Challenging, Engaging and Relevant Learning Opportunities– Teaming– Teaching Assistants– Student– Parent– District Administration

Collaboration • A Iroquois/VA Shared Decision Making Team

(SDM) acted us to plan the consult and acted as a faculty liaison group.

-Helped to recruit for focus groups - Helped to word the surveys and analyze results.- Communicated questions and concerns

- Shared information at faculty and PTO meetings.

Where are we now?• We met from July 25-27 with Annette Fante

and a combination of 26 teachers and administrators.

- Interpreted student, parent and faculty survey trends.

- Discussed common values related to middle level education and change theory.

- Identified emerging topics for improvement based upon data from year 1.

#16 Letter Outlining Outcomes From the July 2011 Visit

#17 Consultant Progress Report

What are we most excited about as school leaders?

• The opportunity to “dream big” and look at all aspects of our program.

• The opportunity for dialogue and PD specifically geared towards the middle level.

• The opportunity to work with nationally recognized middle level experts.

• Working towards a shared vision with our faculty and staff. Building something that improves learning, opportunities and support for students.

MS Review Timeline2010-2011

January 2010Start of MS

Review

September 13 &15, 2010

Consultant Interviews

January 17, 2011Consultant Visit #3

October 25, 2010SDM Meeting

November 15, 2010Consultant Visit #1

January 4, 2011Skype with Annette

Fante.

December 6-8, 2010Consultant Visit #2

January 25, 2011Marzano Survey

Distributed

Continue

MS Review Timeline2010-2011

January 26, 2011

SDM Meeting

February 7, 2011Consultant Visit #4

June 23, 2011Discussion with Dr.

Shea

April 4, 2011Consultant Visit #5

April 27, 2011SDM Meeting

June 8, 2011SDM with Dr. Shea.

May 11,2011Building SDM Meetings

July 25, 2011Consultant Visit #6

MS Review BeginsJanuary 22, 2010

• First discussions regarding middle school review and working with consultants.

InterviewsSeptember 13 & 15, 2010

• Skype interviews with those submitting proposals.

• Committee of Dr. Shea, principals and teachers from both buildings.

• Annette Fante emerged as the committee’s unanimous top candidate.

Back to Timeline

#1 and #2- RFP and Proposal from Jack and Annette.

September 20, 2011SDM Meeting

• Updated the SDM on the interviews with RFP responders.

• Discussed the basic timeline for preliminary work with consultants.

• Discussed SDM’s role in working through the middle school review process.

• Planned an update to be given at the next faculty meeting.

October 20, 2011Skype w/Annette Fante

• Set dates for visits through 2010-11 school year.• Agreed upon walk through tool for classroom

observations.• Agreed upon team planning observation/data

gathering rubric.• Planned for introduction of Annette and Jack to

MS faculty/staff .

October 21 & 22, 2011NYSMSA Conference

• Vicki and Luke attended with 5 teachers and introduced themselves to Jack Berckemeyer.

• Jack Berckemeyer ran a session on teaming attended by Niskayuna teachers/principals.

• Jack Berckemeyer does an evening keynote attended by Niskayuna teachers/principals.

Back to Timeline

NYSMSA Conference Details

October 25, 2011SDM Meeting

• Reviewed a calendar for consultant visits.• Further discussed the process and the role of

SDM in the middle level review.• Discussed classroom observations, their

intent and answered teacher questions.

#4 Memo to faculty regarding classroom observation & #4.5 Walkthrough Tool

Back to timeline

November 15, 2011Consultant Visit #1

• Jack Berckemeyer and Annette Fante visited.• Introduction/Reception held for faculty and

staff in each building.• Consultants met with district office and

middle level principals.• Consultants observed classroom instruction.

Back to Timeline

#5 Agenda for November Visit

December 2010 Consultant Visit

• Annette Fante visited and completed…– Observations of classroom instruction– Interviews with district curriculum leaders– Interviews with MS principals

• Annette and principals reviewed and discussed current master schedule.

Back to timeline

#6 Agenda for December Visit

January 4, 2011Skype w/Annette Fante

• Discussed the ongoing development of survey tools for student and parent perception data with SDM

• Developed the staff survey based on student/parent surveys

• Planned for Annette and Jack’s work with focus groups

Back to Timeline

January 17, 2011Consultant Visit #3

• Jack Berckemeyer visited– Completed observations and conversations with

middle school teams.

Back to Timeline

January 25, 2011Robert Marzano Survey Distributed

• Marzano survey distributed to faculty and staff

• Survey aimed at getting perceptions of curriculum and instruction at the middle level.

Back to Timeline

#7 Marzano Survey

January 26, 2011SDM Meeting

Back to Timeline

#8 Parent Survey and #9 Student Survey

•Finalized wording of student/parent surveys before they open

February 7, 2011Consultant Visit #4

• Annette Fante visited• Faculty and staff took part in a “fishbowl”

discussion based on previous readings.• Annette completed additional classroom

observations.

Back to Timeline

#10 Articles used as the basis for fishbowl conversation

February 23, 2011Skype w/Annette Fante

Back to Timeline

#11 Focus Group Process

•Followed up on the February visit.

•Discussed ongoing communication with staff.

•Planned for focus group topics and process.

March 2011Student and Parent Surveys

• Parent surveys opened and posted on each school’s website.

• Student surveys administered to all students during the school day.

• Sent a letter regarding the parent survey to all middle school families.

Back to Timeline

#8 Parent Survey and #9 Student Survey

March 7, 2011SDM Meeting

• Gave SMD an update on parent and student survey participation.

• Planned for consultant’s work with focus groups.

Back to Timeline

April 2011Faculty/Staff Survey

• Faculty and staff survey opened.• Questions designed to provide similar

information to that of the parent and student surveys.

• Survey posted in each school’s staff area.

Back to Timeline

#9.5 Staff Survey

April 5-7, 2011Consultant Visit #5

• Jack Berckemeyer and Annette Fante visited.• Attended a BOE dinner.• Consultants completed…

– Meetings with focus groups– Observations of before school music rehearsals– Final team observations– Strategic planning with principals and Dr. Shea.

Back to Timeline

#12 Faculty Letter and #13 Agenda for April Visit

April 27, 2011SDM Meeting

Back to Timeline

• Began reviewing response data from student and parent perception surveys

May 11, 2011SDM Meeting

• Meetings held at VA and Iroquois to review building-specific survey data.

Back to Timeline

June 8, 2011SDM Meeting

• Dr. Shea attended SDM meeting. • Discussed the MS review in regards to…

– Transition to a new Superintendent– Budget– Possibility of summer work.

Back to Timeline

June 23, 2011Discussion of MS Review

• We were informed that the study will continue for 2011-12– This included the opportunity to get together this

summer to discuss program and scheduling.

Back to Timeline

July 25-27, 2011Consultant Visit #6

• Annette Fante met with a group of teacher, principal and director volunteers.

• Discussed middle level philosophy and values.• Discussed change theory.• Reviewed sample schedules.• Worked in smaller focus groups to articulate

basic values/commitments for future use.

Back to Timeline

#14 Agenda for July 2011 Consultant Visit, #15 Powerpoint & #16 Letter Outlining Outcomes From the July 2011 Visit.

Resources

Niskayuna Middle School Review

The link above includes documents from the 2010-2011 middle school review process.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to middle level information, regulations, research and professional organizations, etc.