Developmentally Appropriate Practices to Support the Young Adolescent
How do you foster academic growth for students in the middle? Developmentally appropriate practices are critical at all levels for student learning and engagement. Refocusing on the middle school model aligns instructional practices with the unique developmental needs of students ages 11 through 15. Teaming, Advisory, and Content Integration enable teachers to leverage the talents of adolescents. This collaboration strengthens teacher leadership, builds student-teacher relationships, and fosters critical conversations around teaching and learning.
Presenters: Patterson Denise & Stephanie Dischiavi - Northview Middle School - Hickory, NC
Influencing policy (training slides from Fast Track Impact)
Developmentally Appropriate Practices to Support the Young Adolescent
1. Refocusing on the Middle School
Model
Developmentally Appropriate
Practices to Support the
Young Adolescent
2. What do people say when they find
out you work “in the middle?”
“Thank you for this! When I tell people I teach middle
school, I often get the response, "Oh, I'm sorry," as if I was
forced to be where I am. A note on the goals of teachers;
many teacher-training programs in colleges don't even have
a middle school major. Pretty much all middle school
teachers came from elementary or secondary backgrounds,
which creates a very interesting group of teachers with all
sorts of different philosophies.”
-Comment post from the article.
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
3. Adolescent Development
Goal of this project was to ensure alignment of
our structures and practices with the
developmental needs of young adolescents.
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
4. Our Need and Rationale for Refocusing
on the Middle
Staff and
Administrative
Changes
New
Standards and
Assessments
Focus
School/Title I
Middle School
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
5. We recognized that it was time to
revisit the middle school model.
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
6. District Action Steps
1. Analyze student data to present need for additional
support for adolescents
2. Investigate middle school model elements
3. Visit a middle school in another district
4. Attend Middle School Conference
5. Define Middle School Concept
6. Plan the Transition
7. Provide Professional Development Middle School Week
8. Include elements in New Teacher
Orientation
9. Continue throughout school year
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
7. What the Data Showed
Significant
Achievement Gaps
Drop in
Proficiency from
5th grade to 8th
grade
Inconsistencies in
Programming
Fragmented
Collaboration
Lack of Vision
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
8. What Makes a Middle School?
Distinguishing
Characteristics
of Effective
Middle
Schools
Finding our
Focus for
Middle Level
Education
Research and
Trends
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
10. Middle School Week
• Three Days in the Summer
• Voluntary Attendance
• Continuing Education Units
• Interactive Wiki
• Advisory Planning Time
• Part of New Teacher Orientation
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
11. Define Middle School
• Created HPS
Definition of
Middle School
• Leveraged Rich
Sources of
Information
• Articulated Vision
in Writing and
Shared
Based on
Investigation
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
12. Highlights of the Middle School Model
• Focus on Adolescent
• Teaming
• Advisory
• Content Integration
• Relationships
• Dually Certified Teachers
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
13. Plan for the Transition
• Present Middle School Document to School
Improvement Team
• Provide Information at Staff Meetings
• Collaborate with Human Resources on Teacher
Licensure
• Request Teacher Input for Teams
• Hire Middle School Teachers
• Revise Master Schedule
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
14. Challenges Along the Way
• Finding Middle School Certified Teachers with
dual licensure
• Planning ‘balanced’ teams
• Making meetings meaningful
• Fostering teaming
• Creating one voice in a team
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
16. School Level Administrative Actions
Required to…
• Meet a minimum number of times each week
• Share minutes
• Create weekly or monthly parent newsletters
Encouraged to…
• Utilize flexible schedule
• Support cross-curricular planning
• Consider Schools To Watch criteria
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
17. Northview Middle School
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Individual
Planning
Individual
Planning
Individual
Planning
Individual
Planning
Individual
Planning
Team Meeting Content
Meeting
Team Meeting Team Meeting Content
Meeting
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
18. Team Meeting vs. Content Meeting
Student Focus
Performance Data
Interventions
Conferencing
Curriculum &
Alignment
Instructional
Strategies
Common Assessments
Differentiation
Enhance Teacher
Leadership
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
21. Buy In and Commitment
• Are we all on board?
– Looking at the whole child
– Many hands make light work
• Setting team standards
– Sharing Perspectives
– Rules and Roles
– Shared Understanding
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
22. Organization
• Start with a plan
– When , where, and how often do we meet?
– Who does what? Who is there?
• Aligning decisions
– HPS Pacing Guide
– Principal follow-up
– Department level standards
– Student centered
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
24. Cooperation and Fairness
• Division of Tasks
– Develops synergy
– Builds team morale
– Reduces stress level
– Establishes shared understanding
• Collaboration
– Support staff
– PEPs
– Teacher Conferences
– Discipline
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
25. Tools and Resources
Seamless Communication for all stakeholders
– Google Drive
– Outlook Calendar
– Remind101.com
– Website
– Team Newsletter
– Shared drive
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
26. Outcomes
• Established a Vision
• Built community for students
• Engaged with student-driven conversations
• Restructured schedule
• Decreased number of discipline referrals
• Increased teacher accountability
• Fostered a unified staff
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
27. District Perspective
• Collaborative vision for middle schools
• Structure builds in time to discuss new
standards and instructional practices
• Consideration of data and the developmental
needs of students
• Continued Focus
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
28. Next Steps
• Next level teaming
• Integration of non-core staff
• Middle Week to focus on content integration
and vertical alignment of writing
• Cross-school visits
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
29. Questions or Feedback?
• Chief Academic Officer
• pattersonde@hickoryschools.net
Dr. Patterson
• Principal, Northview Middle School
• dischiavist@hickoryschools.net
Stephanie Dischiavi
• Curriculum Specialist
• griffinje@hickoryschools.net
Jennifer Griffin
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014
30. References
Caskey, M. M., & Anfara, V. A., Jr. (2007). Research
summary: Young adolescents' developmental
characteristics. Retrieved [13 March 2014], from
http://www.amle.org/TabId/207/ArtMID/8
41/ArticleID/300/Research-Summary-
Developmental-Characteristics.aspx
NCMLE Annual Conference -- March 2014