Middle schools: linking Minnesota learners to future success

By Sally Wherry, September guest blogger

We’ve fortunately come a long way since I was a middle school-aged student. My school-directed experience with high school and postsecondary planning was limited to taking the Kuder Vocational Preferences Test. Upon reviewing my results, a well-intended counselor sternly announced, “Well, Sara…it looks as if you have no interests at all.” Although this was not exactly the guidance I needed to encourage me to enroll in rigorous high school courses or to inform college and career planning, I was lucky to have a family that did! For some educators, middle schools have long been considered as merely a bridge between the elementary and high school years, serving to link one educational institution with another. Focusing on the two sides of this educational bridge has diminished the importance of the link, often leaving middle school students and parents inadequately informed about how to prepare for the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead, and sidelining middle school educators from critical alignment efforts.

My years teaching middle school students served to underscore for me the complex needs of this age group. I learned not only how important it was to engage them in their learning, but also that if engagement was the sole outcome of a lesson, it was comparable to having them jump up and down in place…active, but going nowhere. I also learned the importance of collaborating with fellow educators, but my network, although extremely valuable, was small and narrowly focused. Middle school connections to elementary curriculum and awareness of the strengths and skill gaps of individual students, as well as opportunities to collaborate with high school staff, were limited by the length of the school day, differing schedules, contractual issues, the lack of time dedicated to professional development, and the challenges of data sharing and technology. Like most Minnesota districts, our student body was also rapidly changing; many of our kids no longer fell into the white/middle class/English-speaking home demographic. How could we build a strong connection that supported the growth of all students if our one-size-fits-all structure had limited knowledge of where our kids came from or where they wanted or needed to go?

Whether you love it or hate it, the accountability requirements of NCLB have laid bare Minnesota’s dreadful Achievement Gap between white students and students of color. Commissioner Brenda Cassellius and Governor Dayton’s seven-point plan has targeted “Raising the Bar — Closing the Gap.” In order to reach this critical goal, it is imperative for us to build a stronger bridge...or middle school...that supports all of our students. It has baffled me when high school principals have confessed to limited initiatives, programs and information sharing with their feeder middle schools. We need to start amplifying our efforts to promote and support policies, such as individual learning plans (Governor’s Workforce Development Council — “All Hands on Deck”) for all students. We must partner and collaborate with other educational and community organizations to develop comprehensive strategies (P-20 — “The Road Map to College and Career Readiness”) and share resources that redesign or develop stronger middle schools…schools that provide a firm foundation that enhances individual student growth and informs decisions leading to postsecondary opportunities and success.

What strategies or efforts have you tried or observed that strengthen our middle schools?

Comments

[Dave Bakke]

What are effective middle schools doing that works for increasing student achievement? I recently facilitated a conversation with middle school practioners across Minnesota. Our topic was focused on middle school models for at-risk learners. Ideas included the school-within-a-school (SWAS) model. The one size fits all approach does not work. Individualized plans allow for students to participate in SWAS for part of the day and yet learn in regular classrooms as well. Therefore, based on the continual learning plan (CLP), a customized approach based on student academic and social/emotional needs is designed. This planning is about student choice. The student and parents participate in the developing the plan. Many schools are implementing Response to Intervention (RtI) that uses a tiered approach to providing support for student learning. Rather than having one or two teachers responsible for the at-risk student, all staff in the middle school are trained in strategies for supporting all students. Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) are also being used to encourage student success. Targeted services provides additional support for student learning. This would include after school and summer programs that can extend learning. We know that more of the same does not work. Therefore, creative teachers are finding ways to engage students through service-learning, project-based learning and community-based programming. When parents, community and school collaborate in supporting student growth, the community is richer through investing in its youth. Is there a simple solution that will work for every student and for every school? We know the teacher makes a difference. We are fortunate in Minnesota to have dedicated and caring teachers who choose to teach in the middle school. As a middle school teacher for 27 years, I know it requires a passion for learning and a willingness to reach out and support kids who may, at times, make it a difficult task. If there is a solution, it is in the dedication and effort the school staff, community and parents have for high expectations and support for learning for all students. A resource for creating this collaboration can be found in Youth Community Connections. As we move through the 21st Century, we need to extend time and partnerships. It takes a village…

[Sally Wherry]

You've underscored the value of individual (and continual!) learning plans as well as the importance of parent, community and school partnerships. Thanks for weighing in!