Thoreau Middle School

School Information

School Name:  Thoreau Middle School
School Address:  2505 Cedar Lane, Vienna, VA, 22180
School Phone:  703.846.8000
School Fax:  703.846.8097
Principal:  Mark Greenfelder
Principal E-Mail:  mark.greenfelder@fcps.edu
Web Address: http://www.fcps.edu/ThoreauMS/

Demographics

Number of Students: 780
Number eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 7.7%
Percent of Limited English Proficient: 5.7%
Percent of Special Education: 12.7%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

• White: 72.4%

• Black: 5%
• Hispanic: 7%
• Asian/Pacific Island:  11%
• Other: 5%

Present Student Achievement Data in at least three points to demonstrate trends –

8th	Math	Reading	Writing
Year	our school/state	our school/state	our school/state
2004	97.1/80	91.4/72	91.5/77
2005	95.8/81	93.8/76	92.6/74
2006	95.2/76	96.6/78	98.9/87
2007	95/77	97/79	99/86
2008	98/83	99/83	97/87
2009	99/85	99/87	99/89
2010	99/87	100/90	100/91

 

7th	Math	Reading	Writing
Year	our school/state	our school/state	our school/state
2005	N/A	N/A	99/84
2006	81/44	95/81	98/85
2007	89/56	97/82	97/87
2008	96/65	98/86	NA
2009	96/71	98/88	NA
2010	99/75	100/89	NA

 

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

As a school that was already performing at a high-academic level, Collaborative Learning Teams, formative assessments, and successful, research-based instructional practices have allowed us to narrow, and in some classes eliminate, the achievement gap.

There has been increased student achievement for all, including our targeted groups. In 2010-2011, all students enrolled in eighth-grade English who took the English 8 Writing test successfully passed it.  Furthermore, 90% of Thoreau’s eighth graders are enrolled in Algebra I, 5% are enrolled in Geometry, and 5% are enrolled in Math 8.  Last year, the pass rate on Math SOL tests combined was 99%.  Increased student achievement rates are consistent across the content areas with science jumping from a 57.4% pass-advanced rate (2009 Science SOL) to a 72% pass-advanced rate (2010 Science 8 SOL).

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

Through the development of our successful Collaborative Learning Teams within Thoreau’s Professional Learning Community, we have developed common pacing guides, curriculum maps, assessments, and grading policies. This ensures that all students have a shared learning experience and are held to the same high expectations as their peers, regardless of classroom assignment.

Collaborative Learning Teams also participate in book talks.  Each Team selects four books per year that explicate and illustrate Best Practices in Teaching and Learning.  Since the Teams select their books based on the needs of their content area and students, subject matter varies, but the primary focus is always on student learning. 

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

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Thoreau provides formative assessment every four weeks through Horizon online.  Students have the opportunity for immediate remediation.  Teachers work in a collaborative environment focusing on short term goals related directly to the Horizon results.   These goals are also related to the Fairfax County Program of Studies in each content area.

We use both formative and summative assessments to monitor student learning in a timely basis. An important component of our Collaborative Learning Team (CLT) meetings is the analysis of data from our common assessments.  These common assessments, both online and paper/ pencil are developed collaboratively during CLT time.  Assessment results and data are quickly processed through our online testing program, Horizon.  This allows for immediate student feedback as well as timely-teacher CLT discussions regarding student achievement and student remediation strategies.  Thoreau’s teachers focus their CLT time around powerful conversations for improving individual student improvement. 

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

All of our initiatives relate to our Pyramid of Interventions developed by our staff members. Below is a list of intervention strategies we use at Thoreau Middle School:

• Thoreau has an intervention period known as Time to Soar (TTS) built into our daily schedule.  Students are assigned a TTS teacher based on an area in which they have traditionally been “at risk”; in addition, students may visit other teachers if they need further instruction.  Students with a "C" or better are given two days a week in which they may "Soar."  This provides a built-in reward system for our students while maintaining the emphasis on academic excellence at Thoreau.
• Thoreau’s At Risk Notebook provides a candid, overall picture of interventions that have been utilized, and their effect on individual students.   With the click of a button, teachers, counselors and administrators can view individual or groups of students and monitor successes and concerns based on assigned intervention and remediation; moreover, teachers, counselors and administrators can assess the overall impact of targeted school remediation on SOL and Horizon scores.  In addition to the academic remediation/intervention and in an effort to understand the impact of all of Thoreau’s programs on each student, social/emotional interventions such as our Navy Federal Mentoring Program and our Excellence in Action summer camp are also noted. 
• With the increased academic support gained from TTS, teacher leaders worked collaboratively to tackle an old dilemma in a new way: Separate those who CAN’T from those who WON’T.  Many of these students were filling TTS remediation periods when all they really needed was a regulated period to complete assignments; thus, Thoreau's Academic Student Assistance Period (ASAP) was created.  Under the advice of teacher leaders and modeled after Madison High School’s intervention model, two IAs were assigned to an intervention period (lunch) and Time to Soar.  Teachers used the shared file to assign students to ASAP.   The net effect has proven beneficial.   TTS has become even more focused as students who need minimal academic intervention but maximum supervision are no longer seeking support during precious remediation/intervention time.
• Teacher leadership at Thoreau also noted that certain basic reading and writing comprehension strategies and techniques need a more refined and definitive focus with some of our students.  For four to six weeks, a select group of students who have been targeted based on reading and writing Aspire (Horizon) test scores, SOL data, and teacher observation are assigned to a Reading/Writing Workshop.  English teachers designed the daily lessons and standards to be taught in the program as basics such as context clues, mood, tone, and imagery are broken into Kagan-like strategies.  All this is done in a small-group setting. 
• Thoreau's Instructional Support Intervention Program (ISIP) was created by teacher leaders as a method of meeting the needs of the students who need intensive instructional support of key concepts taught in all classes.  Students are assigned ISIP in place of an elective for as long as the intervention is needed.  Here daily standards are consistently reinforced in a small-group setting. 
• Screaming Eagles, an intensive after school remediation program that targets at-risk students in content-specific areas
• Small group remediation provided by the teacher that is directly targeted toward learning standards as indicated by Horizon results or other forms of formative assessment
• After school remediation based on Horizon scores and district push-out test failures
• Peer tutoring is offered by partnering students with differing ability levels to assist others with mastering content
• Cross curricular connections that involve teachers of different content areas pairing with one another to implement learning strategies and reinforce concepts
• Planning within Collaborative Learning Teams to develop strategies to help students’ access background knowledge to become more successful within the classroom
• Horizon assessment system used in many formative and summative assessments.  This interactive, online assessment program aids teachers in targeting and identifying students’ areas of weakness. 
• Utilizing best practice research to identify and adapt new teaching and learning strategies to ensure learning for all students. 
• Excellence in Action is a program that ensures Thoreau’s at-risk populations feel adjusted to our school’s expectations.  It is provided to students during a weeklong interactive session with Thoreau teachers.  During this week, relationships are built in a constructive manner that last throughout the school year.  Students then enter the beginning of the school year with a positive attitude, an adult advocate, and a belief that they will succeed
• The school mentoring program ensures that at-risk students have an advocate within the school to build a positive academic relationship.

3. 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.

The Thoreau staff was awarded a Teacher Leadership Development Grant to develop and refine programs during the summer months.  Core teachers have been given the opportunity to attend the national Professional Learning Community conferences.  In addition, subject-level teachers have common planning time each day. During this period, common assessment results are reviewed, best practices are discussed, and pacing guides and curriculum maps are refined.

During the summer months, the leadership team read and discussed three of the latest books on current trends in education.  As a follow up, each CLT is reading, discussing and implementing these practices.

During common planning time, CLTs work in a non-threatening environment that encourages and supports the exchange of ideas, materials, and teaching strategies.

During common planning time, teachers are able to create common assessments, align lab materials, create individual plans where needed, and create pacing guides. 

Through the creation and implementation of common formative assessments teachers identify both deficiencies and strengths in individual instruction and student learning.  Teachers then collaborate on best teaching practices based on formative assessment results.  Teachers then use the disaggregated data to reinforce concepts with individual students, small groups, and the class in entirety.   Individual student review of formative assessment results occur during the class period in which the assessment was completed, after school, and during TTS resulting in a true “assessment for learning” model.  The students can then be placed in small groups based on deficiencies identified by the common assessment.  The teacher can review a single concept with the small group during after school hours or TTS.  Team members also review contextual results question by question with the entire class. 

The advantages of a TTS class period in the students’ schedule are numerous.  Teams are able to differentiate instruction by classroom.  Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to seek different levels of assistance on a variety of concepts in each teacher’s classroom.

List any Awards and Recognition Garnered by Your School

• Governor’s Award for Academic Excellence (four consecutive years) 2007-2010; Thoreau anticipates the award for 2011. 
• Teacher Leadership Development Grant – 15 teachers selected to review best practices in instruction, assessment, and staff development for a three year period
• Model/Lead School for Fairfax County for implementing best practices in assessment and learning
• The Washington Post recognized Thoreau as one of the top middle schools as written by Jay Matthews