|
Comprehensive
School Reform Models
Different
Ways of Knowing •
Making
Middle Grades Work
Making Schools Work • Middle
Start
Success
for All Middle School Program
Talent
Development Middle School Model
•
Turning Points
| AIM
AT MIDDLE-GRADES RESULTS |
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| |
Model
Design
Key
Features
- Rigorous
and developmentally responsive curriculum, instruction,
and assessment
AIM is standards-based and focused on results. Teachers
work collaboratively to link their curriculum, instruction
and assessment to state and local standards. The
focus is on teaching for understanding, rather than
developing rote skills or memorizing isolated facts.
AIM teachers use prototype curriculum units that
foster deep understanding within and across content
areas. In addition, teachers design, test, and critique
their own units in collaboration with others. A
critical feature of the design is backwards planning,
beginning with measurable outcomes, so that curriculum
and instruction are aligned with high expectations
for student learning.
- Safe
and healthy climate
Learning
takes place when students feel safe, both physically
and emotionally. In a healthy climate, individual
students and teachers are "known" and
respected. A safe and healthy school climate is
one of decency and respect. This climate can be
developed through programs or curricula that assist
in developing skills needed for communication,
empathy, and respect for different perspectives.
Each
participating school creates an exploration team
composed of school administrators, teachers, parents
and central office staff. They collect and analyze
data to design a school improvement program that
builds on strengths and addresses critical challenges.
AIM does not mandate a specific approach to building
a safe and healthy climate, but AIM schools create
learning communities consisting of small groups
of teachers who share a common group of students.
These groups utilize the correlates of safe and
healthy schools to address concerns at the school.
A
key tenet of AIM is that middle grades schools
should be inclusive of all students. Schools take
a hard look at their inclusion practices and
the supports they provide students with special
learning needs, including students with disabilities
and English Language Learners. AIM professional
development and technical assistance focus on
differentiated instruction to meet the needs of
all students.
A
key tenet of AIM is that middle grades schools
should be inclusive of all students. Schools take
a hard look at their inclusion practices. AIM
professional development and technical assistance
activities focus on differentiated instruction
to meet the needs of all students.
- Strong
links between family, school, and community
Parents and other community members are included
on the school leadership team. This team looks at
existing parent/community engagement and identifies
ways to strengthen involvement. AIM schools engage
parents in a variety of ways—e.g., as teachers,
learners, volunteers, decision-makers, and advocates.
In addition, schools identify and take advantage
of all assets in the community, including colleges
and universities, informal education institutions,
youth-serving agencies, local business and industry,
and other services. AIM schools promote service-learning
as a way of encouraging social responsibility and
applying classroom-based learning to real-world
problems. They also take advantage of local resources
to extend learning beyond the school walls.
- Collaborative
leadership
AIM schools establish a collaborative leadership
team that enables the development of a learning
community. This team works to create supportive
structures and policies focused on improved student
learning. Team members assess the professional development
needs of the entire faculty, examine barriers to
school improvement, and strategically plan to overcome
any barriers to achieving their vision. They examine
student achievement and other school data in order
to make decisions about curriculum, instruction,
and other aspects of the school’s organization,
and they regularly monitor the school’s progress
to make sure that it meets established benchmarks.
- Ongoing
professional development
Professional
development is the key to school improvement and
student results, and it is both formal and job embedded.
In AIM schools, all teachers are both learners and
leaders. To that end, each school receives on-site
training in building Faculty Inquiry Teams, small
groups that meet regularly to examine teacher practice
and student work. Through on-going dialogue, teachers
identify ways to improve curriculum and instruction,
pilot new approaches, and reflect on outcomes.
The
entire faculty attends Teaching for Understanding
institutes that are held annually to extend teachers’
skills in developing curriculum, instructional
strategies, and assessments that advance learning.
To further build capacity within the school, teacher-leaders
are trained as certified Critical Friends Coaches
by attending a rigorous five-day training program
conducted by the National School Reform Faculty.
These coaches support the work of the Faculty
Inquiry Teams and they also facilitate voluntary
critical friends groups that address key dilemmas
and challenges that emerge during the process
of school improvement.
- Innovative
use and integration of technology
AIM schools use technology as a tool for teaching,
learning, and assessment. Technology is integrated
into curriculum and instruction to accelerate learning
for all students. Students use technology to gather
and organize information, support independent inquiry,
and communicate with peers and experts to represent
their understanding.
AIM
schools use the principles of universal access
to ensure that all students have access to the
regular curriculum. They also employ technology
to support the on-going professional development
of staff using a variety of resources, including
on-line discussions and workshops, as well as
video-conferences.
Organizational
Supports
AIM’s
approach to change is based on capacity-building.
On-site facilitation is critical to building the school’s
capacity to support the improvement of teacher practices
and student learning. AIM provides on-site support
and facilitation in the following ways:
- The
AIM site developer supports the improvement of teacher
practices and student learning by providing workshops,
assisting with curriculum design, observing classrooms
and providing feedback, participating in Faculty
Inquiry Team meetings, and brokering additional
professional development resources. They challenge
assumptions and ingrained behaviors to keep the
school focused on improved student outcomes. Site
developers work collaboratively with the school
leadership team to collect and analyze data in order
to monitor progress and meet implementation benchmarks.
- AIM
facilitates the establishment of the school leadership
team, parents and community members. The leadership
team is responsible for assessing the current status
of teaching and learning in the school, building
a shared vision, and creating the conditions under
which school improvement can occur. In addition
to receiving on-site coaching and support from the
Site Developer, the leadership team attends an annual
leadership symposium that provides them with the
knowledge and skills needed to facilitate change.
- AIM
establishes Faculty Inquiry Teams to identify student
learning goals, reflect on and analyze teaching
practice, examine student work, and collaborate
to determine progress and identify areas for improvement.
- AIM
provides training to develop Critical Friends Coaches
who can facilitate the work of the Faculty Inquiry
Teams and support other groups who want to address
challenges at the school, classroom, or individual
level. For example, Critical Friends Groups provide
a safe and supportive environment in which individuals
can present issues, receive feedback from various
perspectives, and identify potential strategies
for addressing the problem or concern.
The
goal of AIM is to promote the school’s independence
and capacity to continue the improvement process after
external funding and staff support end. AIM establishes
a strong working relationship with schools that is
built on mutual respect and recognizes that continual
growth and improvement requires ownership and capacity
within the school.
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other Comprehensive School Reform Models
Different
Ways of Knowing •
Making
Middle Grades Work
Making Schools Work • Middle
Start
Success
for All Middle School Program
Talent
Development Middle School Model
•
Turning Points
|
