CASE STUDY:

URBAN MIDDLE

SCHOOL

Dr. Lisa R. Peck

Presentation order

1. Goals and challenges

2. About the project

3. Emerging change variables at Urban Middle

School

4. Conclusions, implications,

recommendations

1. Goals and Challenges

The research study:

develop a school profile

The primary goal of the research project was to identify and examine emerging variables likely to influence current and future conditions at Urban Middle School. The school is an educational organization operated by Southwest School District, and is located in Southwestern Urban City.

Methods of data collection:*Interviews with teachers and students

*Surveys of teachers and students

*Interviews with parents

*Examination of school-collected records

*Classroom observations

Hard copies of collected data can be obtained from the researcher at:

lisa.peck@cox.net

Research challenges

The researcher was not an Urban Middle

School employee Teacher cooperation was required to collect evidence

for the study.

Relationships had to be built from beginning.

Teacher skepticism about researcher’s education

credentials.

Stereotyping [Contact the researcher for more information about her

experiences with employees of Urban Middle School: lisa.peck@cox.net].

Limited access to Southwest School District

resources: visitor status.

2. About the research project

Project details

Urban

Middle

School

Research goal: Develop a school profile

Organization characteristics - Influential emerging variables

Student diversity

AIMS scores

School climate

Student behavior

Teacher attitudes

Urban Middle School: A school in

transition

The case study theme:

Dynamics of change

Family mobility – Southwestern Urban City is a desirable community

Recession - Southwestern Urban City is more affordable now

Southwest School District - a positive reputation

Empty nests – resident population of children in Southwest

Urban City is declining

Southwest School District has an open enrollment policy – 3000 out-of-

district students

Reduction in state funding for education

Emerging influential variables

Student diversity

Test scores

School climate

Effects of change dynamics

Emerging variable 1: student diversity

8th graders taking AIMS math -

2007

Urban Middle School

All students 366

Black 10%

Hispanic 17%

White 67%

Econ

Disadvantage

18%

Economic

Advantage

82%

8th graders taking AIMS math -

2012

Urban Middle School

All students 380

Black 17%

Hispanic 25%

White 48%

Economic

Disadvantage

48%

Economic

Advantaged

51%

2007 School Diversity 2012 School Diversity

Emerging variable 2: AIMS Reading Scores

FFB App Meets Exceeds

All

students

7 16 71 12

Economic

Disadvntg

7 24 69 N/A

Economic

Advantge

3 12 72 14

FFB App Meets Exceeds

All

students

5 16 73 6

Economi

c

Disadvnt

g

7 21 68 4

Economi

c

Advanta

g

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Urban Middle School

AIMS Reading 2007

Urban Middle School

AIMS Reading 2012

Emerging variable 2 cont.: AIMS Math 2012

FFB App Meets Exceeds

All

students

10 12 54 24

Economi

c

Disadvnt

g

28 16 52 10

Economi

c

Advntg

8 11 54 27

FFB App Meets Exceeds

All

students

26 14 34 26

Economi

c

Disadvnt

g

39 17 32 13

Economi

c

Advntg

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Urban Middle School

AIMS math - 2007

Urban Middle School

AIMS math - 2012

Emerging variable 3: School climate -

students

Student Behavior

Student compliance with standards and effective

management of student behavior

Peer relations

Student

compliance

with

standards

&

Effective

managemen

t of student

behavior

125 student visits to ISI in one week Classroom disturbance, defiance, non-compliance

85% of ISI visitors were boys

85% of ISI visitors were 7th and 8th graders

59 (47%) of ISI visits from Black students 17% of Urban Middle School student population is Black

Typical ISI student: Black, male, 7th or 8th grade

Peer

relations

Most students and teachers show

respect for diversity

Some teachers may be unaware of the

extent to which they link beliefs about

student ethnicity and student behavior Stereotyping

Poor peer relations – ethnic disrespect is a

‘tool’ Students: teachers need to take more action for disrespect

Girls most often say teachers don’t’ take action

Female aggression

Emerging variable 3: school climate -

teachers

Teacher Attitudes

Student behavior and school safety

Teacher evaluation

Staff turnover

School

safety

Teachers say they do not feel safe at

school.

Site access from the surrounding

neighborhood.

Student behavior

Large groups of congregating students – same

ethnicities

Student verbal disrespect

Between-group tensions

Teacher

performance

evaluation

Teachers experience tension over:

Standards for performance evaluation

• Student behavior

• Student academic performance – Math!!

• Evaluator skill

• Reasonableness of expectations

• Perceived lack of District support

Staff

turnover

Staff departures – voluntary and involuntary Principal

Media Center Specialist

Facilities Manager

Cafeteria Manager

3.5 science teachers

2 math teachers

2 Special education teachers

Instructional assistant

Media center specialist

3.5 Language Arts teachers

1 Social Studies teacher

4. Conclusions and

recommendations

Conclusion – school profile

Urban

Middle

School

A school in transition

New principal

New staff

Changing student demographics

Changing test scores

Changing school climate

Need for new district programs

Implications of the profile

Threat to Southwest School District’s

competitive advantage

Parents of talented students may choose other

schools

Charter School 1

Charter School 2

Southwest District School #2 [boundary exceptions]

Southwest School District High School feeder schools

Talented teachers may leave/apply elsewhere

Reduction in neighborhood appeal/quality

It will be more difficult for students to learn

Recommendations

What a

principal can

do

Target peer-relations skills – teach friendship,

acceptance

Hire more diverse staff – mission is low achieving

students

Provide more diversity training

Provide more student management training

Target math skills – be a math-centric school

Mobilize /beef up the math department – less pod

emphasis

Al l pod teachers are math teachers – integrate into all

subjects

Seek grant money for resources, extra staff, training

Ask math teachers to work together on school-wide remediation

program

Develop a comprehensive math curriculum/program –integration

training

What

Southwest

School

District can

do

Admit reality:

Demands of teaching disadvantaged students are

different than high SES students

Taking open enrollment students is an obligation to meet

their needs.

Need for greater school management/classroom support:

Instructional resources

Behavior management and intervention – current program is not

adequate

More relevant/applied curriculum

Involvement of diverse parents

Remove stigma for teaching disadvantaged students