Hoover Middle School

 

School Information

School Name: Herbert C. Hoover Middle School
School District: Brevard Public Schools
School Address: 200 Hawk Haven Drive, Indialantic, FL 32937
School Phone: 321.727.1611
School Fax: 321.725.0076
Principal: Dr. Colleen H. Skinner
Principal email: skinner.colleen@brevardschools.org
Web Address: http://www.edline.net/pages/HooverMS

 

Demographics

Number of Students: 520
Number Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 17.3%
Percent of Limited English Proficient: 0.6%
Percent of Special Education: 12.2%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

• White: 90.4%
• Black: 2.1%
• Hispanic: 3.2%
• Asian/Pacific Island: 1.4%
• Other: 3.0%

Florida FCAT Scores - Percentage of students at proficiency

Grade 7	Math	Reading
2004-05	84/53	80/53
2005-06	87/55	87/61
2006-07	84/59	83/63
2007-08	85/61	85/65
2008-09	88/60	89/67
2009-10	84/61	84/68

Grade 8	Math	Reading	Writing	Science
2004-05	80/59	70/44	87/76	N/A
2005-06	83/60	73/46	83/83	65/32
2006-07	83/63	77/49	89/86	68/38
2007-08	91/67	79/53	92/88	69/40
2008-09	88/66	72/54	96/90	69/41
2009-10	90/68	83/55	99/96	71/43

Please comment on any aspect of the data that you feel is particularly significant.

Herbert C. Hoover Middle School consistently scores above State averages in reading, math, science and writing. Student achievement in writing soared from 83% scoring at 3.5 or above in 2006 to 99% at 3.5 or above in 2010.  Science also moved from 65% at Level 3 or above in 2006 to 71% in at Level 3 or above in 2010.

Hoover Middle School is only one of two middle schools in Brevard County to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2010 and the school has accomplished this for all five years (2005-2010).  This is due to the high levels of achievement that has been accomplished in all areas.

Based on the 2010 FCAT, Hoover Middle School has achieved the following rankings out of 880 schools:

• 89th Seventh Grade Reading
• 58th Seventh Grade Mathematics
• 31st Eighth Grade Reading
• 44th Eighth Grade Mathematics
• 46th Eighth Grade Science

Hoover Middle School was the 31st highest performing middle school in Florida for all academics based on the 2010 FCAT.

Please present additional information that indicates your efforts to build a professional learning community have had a positive impact on students and/or teachers.

- Herbert C. Hoover has engaged the instructional staff and administrators in a professional learning community for the past four years.  Teachers have worked together in focused groups to increase learning for all students-providing a challenging environment for accelerated students, support for struggling students, and improving academics for students in the basic curriculum.

-The professional learning community at Herbert C. Hoover is a systemic process, which supports teachers to determine results-based goals, implement strategies and interventions, and identify the academic progress made within the school. The Professional Learning Communities have enabled teachers to support one another, closely exam the strengths and areas of weakness in the curriculum and teaching strategies, and fostered a sense of collaboration. Each group develops specific SMART goals and has a definitive function within the professional learning community at Hoover Middle School.

- Teacher leaders facilitate Professional Learning Communities which are scheduled two times per month to share best practices and instructional strategies.

- Department teams use common assessments and create common SMART goals for which all members are held accountable. The Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) is created by each teacher based on the team SMART goals. Teachers are held individually accountable for the IPDP, but work together in their teams to support professional growth.

- Teacher leaders provide model classrooms for their peers, and Department Chairs provide leadership to each team.

Please elaborate upon strategies you have found to be effective in any of the following areas:

1. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support for learning.

Student progress is monitored throughout the year using a variety of formative and summative assessments. Students are administered inventory assessments for reading and math upon entering the school or at the beginning of the school year. They also complete an online test to determine their reading level. The results of the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR), administered three times during the school year, are used by teachers to discuss student progress.

Teachers who instruct similar subjects work together to develop common formative assessments.  These instruments provide data for teachers to use to determine specific areas of strengths and needs. Teachers use the data to guide instruction for classes, groups of students, or individual needs. Meetings are held with parents to communicate their progress throughout the year.

 

2. Building the capacity of teachers to work as members of high performing collaborative teams who focus the efforts of their team on improved learning for students.

Reading Interventions
Students who score at Level 1 or 2 on the FCAT are referred to the Intensive Reading class.  They receive an additional 50 minutes of instruction on a daily basis.  Teachers also make adjustments to the curriculum based on the assessment data.  The media center provides electronic books with high-interest material to encourage reading, and the media specialist collaborates with the teachers to assist with reading instruction.

Math Interventions
The Math Department provides individual tutoring to students before school.  This occurs four days a week.  Students who struggle to complete work are also assisted during lunch with a study hall supervised by teachers.  This intensive work time was designed to motivate students to complete class work as well as homework, and assistance is given to students as needed.

Inclusion
Instruction by exceptional education teachers is provided in basic classrooms as appropriate. Students receive the interventions by both the classroom and support staff. Students with disabilities are usually mainstreamed or fully included in basic programs, based on individual needs.

3. Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams that focus efforst on improved learning for all students.

Professional Learning Community:
All instructional teachers are members of a Professional Learning Community team. The PLC teams are led by teacher leaders. The PLC teams are comprised of departments.  This composition of PLC teams facilitates communication on instructional strategies, and strengthens the staff by learning from peers and working together in a collegial atmosphere. SMART goals are developed by each PLC team, and the progress of the goals is monitored throughout the year. The PLC teams also provide a vehicle for professional development. Instructional strategies are shared, as well as successful implementation within the classroom of discussed interventions. Non-negotiables and essential learning elements are identified.

Departments meet to address student needs and instructional strategies. Specific dates are outlined on the school calendar each semester to ensure the time is set aside for PLCs. Teachers address common formative assessments, essential learning, and collectively monitor the student achievement of all students within the department. Teacher-created common formative assessments are used by each department to determine strengths and needs of students. Common summative instruments also provide critical information on students and their academic skills.

Each department:
Develops and implements common formative assessments
Develops action research projects tied to their Individual Professional Development Plan
Establishes core learning and essential learning for their grade level
Identifies common academic vocabulary essential to each core subject
Examines the evidence of student achievement as it relates to the team SMART goals

Schoolwide Professional Development:
Teachers are also encouraged to present best practices in faculty meetings and other staff development settings. An emphasis is placed on implementation of best practices in the classroom.

All teachers are attending the Thinking Maps training throughout the year.  Monthly sessions allow teachers to implement the specific graphic organizer and then share it with their colleagues. 

Rewards and Recognition

Student Achievement:
Herbert C. Hoover has been an "A" school based on Florida School Recognition Program for the past eleven years.
The school received the Florida Music Educators Association Recognition for exemplary participation in 2010 (56% of students are enrolled in music classes).
The ATTAIN recognition for outstanding technology integration was awarded in 2009-2010.

Parent Volunteers:
The school documented 8,800 volunteer hours for the 2009-2010 school year, and has received the Golden School Award outstanding parental involvement. Hoover Middle School has also received the Five Star Award each year for business partnerships, parent volunteers, and communication.

Staff:
The cafeteria continues to receive the Five Star Cafeteria recognition for proper management of food service.
The school has four National Board Certified Teachers on staff.
The principal, Dr. Colleen Skinner, received the Florida State Assistant Principal of the Year Award in 2003 and the Hidden Potentials Administrator of the Year Award in 2005.