School Wide Excursion Model SEM Jessie Mitchell 5/15/13

School Wide Excursion Model

SEMJessie Mitchell

5/15/13

School Wide Enrichment Model

• Deer Park Middle School in Round Rock, TX• Based their concept on Joe Renzulli’s Book:

School Wide Enrichment Model (1997)• Program was used on early release days; they

had 6 a year– We will have 3

• Oct 3 – Parent Conferences• Dec 20, June 6 – End of Semesters• Are there other days that we can use to implement this to

break up the year?


• The program had two parts– Excursions which were enrichments or

interventions– Only the teachers knew the difference

• Students were allowed to sign up for three the day before using a special scheduling program– Teachers were allowed to assign some students to

a certain course– Tier 1 students were allowed one choice


• The SEM provides enriched learning experiences and higher learning standards for all children through three goals– Developing talents for all children– Providing a broad range of advanced level enrichment

experiences for all students– Providing learning opportunities for young people based on their

strengths and weaknesses• The SEM focuses on enrichment for all students through

the use of high levels of engagement and the use of enjoyable and challenging learning experiences that are constructed around student’s interests.


• Students were allowed input into class ideas– Some were even turned into intervention– i.e. a dancing class became a graphing line dancing

class• Most classes that were requested were

outside and food based


• Can make Excursions cross-curricular• Some of the classes are so popular that they

were repeated– On most program days, these were the

intervention courses (but the students did not know it)

• Some of the classes can be repeated so that the planning is reduced.


• Setup– 3 – 90 minute sessions– 24-25 students per group

• Financing:– PTA – Parents– Grants– PIE Partners



• Most popular class was the Deep Park CSI investigation of the murder in the library

• One teacher took the students on the investigation for 45 minutes and the other helped the students with inferences for 45 minutes

• It was an intervention course but all the students wanted to do it. None of the students knew that is was a intervention course and the teachers never told.


• Other examples for popular interventions:– Stepping stone making – proportions– Cupcake making – mitosis (cell division)– Line dancing – graph coordinates and origins– Poetry Slam– Electives are included too:

• Art – Imitate you favorite artist – Art History• Athletics – Flag football – Rules of the game• Photography – Extra practice• Glee – Vocals, band, orchestra, and dancing


• We can make this our own.• One day a semester?• What classes would we offer?

We can put the FUN back into school for the students

and US with this.

Parent Volunteering

Jessie Mitchell5/15/13

Parent Volunteering

• I honestly do not remember the school that created this program but it’s demographics where similar to ours

• The PTA has dissolved and was no longer active in the school

• The counselor did a survey of parents to determine what happened.

Parent Volunteering

• Results:– Time needed was during working hours– Officers of PTA in elementary made it a click and

only asked certain parents for help• Ostracized parents that were not included in click

– The officers found parents that would help and depended on them for everything, burning them out

– Could not get there to help

Parent Volunteering

• Counselor had read a study called:Parental Involvement in Middle School:

A Meta-Analytic Assessment of the Strategies That Promote Achievement

By: Nancy Hill and Diana TysonDuke University

Website: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/dev4

53740.pdf

Parent Involvement

• Study stated that students with parent involvement are less likely to have discipline issues and are more likely to be successful in school.

• Something that we all know• The counselor started a program to replace

the PTA that meet the parents needs

Parent Involvement: HOW

• Started with parents signing a contract– Confidentially agreement, promise to attend, support of

all students• Parents attended a training session at the beginning

of year– Video for parents that come in later– The session showed stats of student success with parent

involvement from the study• She had the program long enough that she was able to use her

own numbers (made a huge impact since it was now personal)


• Place away from student so that they will not disrupt learning

• Know of all parent needs for proper placement– Trouble reading: should not be grading papers– Cannot stand for long periods: probably not good for

decorating gym but may be able to make decorations– Work Schedule – Have hours available to all parents

• Parents that work nights can monitor doors in the morning• Stay at home parents can help from home (due to usually

having little kids still at home)• Days off, lunch breaks, etc.


• Provide support to get parents there:– Bus Passes for parents that cannot afford to

cannot get there– Parents with small kids all come at the same time

and one parent watches kids in empty room– Have teachers that work late or get here early be

available to monitor parents for check in and out– Place parents in places of interest at first until they

get used to helping


• Have teachers provide a list of what they need from bulletin board setup to helping watch students before and after school to organizing dances and pep rallies.

• About the second semester you can start adding things like washing uniforms and organizing books in the library– They have gotten used to helping


• Parents get on website and select which task they would like to help with

• Some are time specific, some are date specific, and some are when they get done

• Need to provide directions and checklist for job but once it is done the list can be recycled at a later time

Parent Involvement: ID

• Make a group name to represent the parents that represents the school but is not the mascot– That way we know that it is not just a parent wearing an old t-

shirt and they have been through the training program– I.E. The Wranglers or The Rustlers

• Make the t-shirts nice so that the parents want the shirt• Give the parents a t-shirt, have parents that can afford it

buy one for themselves but have some money to scholarship that parents that cannot afford it.– Counselor had ID’d these parents from her info and

approached them after meetings

Parent Involvement: CELEBRATE

• CELEBRATE the parents• Recognize them during the year for the job that did– Their name on a bulletin board that they did– Big Thank You signs around the school

• Banquet at the end of the year – Has to be nice and elaborate

• Make the parents feel appreciated, not we had to do this and threw it together at the last minute

– Only teachers and students plan and run this banquet, it is to celebrate the parents so they should not help with it so we can show our appreciation.

Documents

School Wide Excursion Model SEM Jessie Mitchell 5/15/13