Phase+III

=Phase III: Holistic Needs Assessment.=

After completing the components of Phases I and II of the entry profile, conduct a co mprehensive review of your school's educational program that uses both qualitative and quantitative data regarding student performance trends and other performance indicators. Include information from NCDPI, School Report Card, Progress Reports, School Improvement Plans, self -assessment documents, action research, surveys, interviews, teacher or school-based assessments.


 * 1. What are the most pressing challenges or needs of this school (Academic and other needs)? How do you know? **

There is an evident problem of closing the achievement gap at Riverside Middle School. There is a notable difference in performance of African-American students on the ABCs End-of-Grade Tests. Data collected from the 2011-2012 NC Report Card for Williamston Middle School (currently Riverside Middle School) revealed the following. White students (85.6%) did better than the State performance (79.3%). Hispanic students (63.6%) rose above the State performance (55.1%). Asian students (>95%) out performed the State performance of 79.1%. African-American students (43.0%) fell below the State performance (49.9%). As a result of each student group combined, the overall performance of the school (63.2%) fell below the State performance (67.5%).

African-American students are also markedly not achieving in Science. While White (<5%) and Hispanic (<5%) students represented a very small percentage of students at Level I on the 8th grade Science EOG, African-American students (17.5%) were higher than the State percentage (15.6%). Although Whites (13.8%), Hispanics (40.0%) and African-Americans (42.9%) were all higher than the percentage of students at Level II in each group category at the State Level, African-Americans represented the largest group at Level II. 86.2% White students performed at a Level III or IV in comparison to the State performance of 87.1%. 60.0% of Hispanic students performed at a Level III or IV in comparison to the State performance of Hispanic students at 67%. African-American students fell to a larger gap, with 39.7% performance at Level III or IV in comparison to the State performance of African-American students at 59.3%.



Student performance trends reveal that there are real and evident problems in closing the achievement gap. Black students are falling behind other student groups, significantly. Data collected during my school internship reveals that Black students make up significantly higher group of students involved with Out-of-School Suspensions. The average short-term suspensions per 100 students at Williamston Middle School (now Riverside Middle School) according to the NC Report Card for 2011-2012 are 87.66 as opposed to 55.91 for the District.
 * 2. What student performance trends can you identify? **[[image:OSS.jpg height="183"]]

Is there a connection between the variables? Suspensions disproportionately affect Blacks, males and students with disabilities. The majority of Riverside Middle School suspensions are Black students, who are male and fall within an Exceptional Children’s category. Exclusionary discipline does not contribute to the overall academic achievement of a school. In a state-by-state analysis Skiba et al. (2003) found a negative correlation between a state’s suspension rate and their resulting scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) achievement rank in math, writing, and reading.

Skiba, R.J., Simmons, A.B, Staudinger, L.P., Rausch, M.K., Dow, G. & Feggins, L.R. (2003). //Consistent removal: Contributions of school discipline to the school-prison pipeline//. Paper presented at the Harvard Civil Rights Conference School-to-Prison Pipeline, Cambridge, MA.

Riverside Middle School appears to join others in the state and national problem of closing the achievement gap. The following graph shows the North Carolina trend in short-term suspensions. This graph is part of a NC Department of Public Instruction consolidated report including the Annual Report on School Crime and Violence, the Annual Study of Suspensions and Expulsions (including Alternative Learning Program Enrollments), new required reporting on the uses of corporal punishment, and the Annual Report on Dropout Events and Rate. This report plus additional data tables may be found online at [] and []
 * 3. What teacher working conditions trends can you identify? **




 * Only 75% of the Williamston Middle School Staff responded to the survey. This was down from 90.19% for the previous year’s survey. **


 * Overall, my school is a good place to work was reported as 84.8% agreement in 2012 and dropped to 75.0% agreement in 2012. **


 * According to the trends seen from the 2010 survey to the 2012 survey, more teachers are seeing a need for more meaningful, data-driven, professional development. Only 57.9% agreed that professional development is data driven, down from 84.0% in 2010. Only 45.5% of Williamston Middle (Riverside Middle) agreed that professional development is differentiated to meet the individual needs of the teacher, down from 73.3% in 2010. **
 * Only 40.9% agreed that professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers, down from 76.7% in 2012. Only 65.2% teachers agreed that professional development provides ongoing opportunities for teachers to work with colleagues to refine teaching practices, this was down from 71.0% in 2010. **


 * 4. Based on what you answered in Phases I -III data collection and analysis, identify potential barriers for innovation and improvement in the school. How do you know? Provide specific data sources to support your claims. (Include achievement and culture data). **

Riverside Middle School is a new $15 million facility in Martin County. The new school, formerly Williamston Middle School, is in a position to establish a new school identity, culture and climate. A new facility, new name, new mascot, and new location allows for a chance to build on the positives of the past, learn lessons from mistakes and move forward with an improved identity. The Phase II research revealed that RMS has a mission statement, but does not have a vision statement or belief statements. Students, staff, faculty, parents and stakeholders are currently in the process of establishing a vision statement and belief statements. Eventually we want the mission statement, vision statement and belief statements to be highly visible in the school and evident in our daily practices.

 In Senge’s Fifth Discipline we learned that organizations are dependent on how well its participants can maintain ongoing, essential growth and a commitment to learning not only for the students but also the professionals. Everday is important in making sure that process is carried out with fidelity. Understanding root causes are very important in systems thinking. The Riverside Middle School staff must have a renewed commitment to uncovering the root causes of (1) what are the key factors, in our building, that prevent us from closing the achievement gap and (2) why do teachers feel that we have the absence of meaningful professional development?

The following data is a result of a survey taken with the RMS staff in regards to critical elements of Professional Learning Communities. Currently, PLCs are not practiced at RMS. (24 out of 32 staff members responded to the survey)

Potential barriers to uncovering the root causes are (1) time, and (2) commitment to the process. Currently, teachers are not fond of having meetings and there are no PLCs or PLTs. Problems cannot be addressed for the growth of the school, if time is not set aside for dialogue to take place, which can lead to action.