Turning Points - Transforming Middle Schools

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This letter appeared in Fall River's Herald News on 9/18/2003.

It’s always easy to criticize the shortcomings of public schools from afar. However, to fully understand the root problems of an under-funded educational system requires a little more investigation into what is really happening in schools.

Unfortunately for the citizens of Fall River, negative headlines and political bluster have branded the school system as failing. I say it is not so. But don’t take my word as fact. Read about a positive example. An analysis of Henry Lord Middle School’s improvement since last December shows that the staff and students are committed to success.

A "Fact Finding Review" by the Massachusetts Department of Education reported that Henry Lord Middle School was adrift because "visionary leadership at the school was severely lacking." The report also criticized curriculum implementation and delivery, the lack of program assessment, shallow use of MCAS and other data to identify the root causes of poor student performance, student discipline, ineffective school practices, and an unacceptably wide range of instructional practices. This harsh report persuaded the principal to resign and started the ambitious task of revitalizing a middle school.

The first step in responding to the report was transferring Kurt Peterson from the Kuss Middle School to Henry Lord to serve as acting principal. Mr. Peterson brought with him the experience of helping Kuss teachers overcome a similar situation. He brought a clear vision of the potential that lay inside students and staff of Henry Lord staff and students embraced his leadership style and the rebuilding began.

A newly formed School Leadership Team undertook the task of writing a Plan to Improve Student Achievement. This plan addressed every criticism leveled in the "Fact Finding Review." A comprehensive strategy to improve student performance and change the school’s culture is now in practice. Teachers and the administration working together as a site-based team developed this plan. A successful Leadership Team, working in harmony, can respond to changes in school climate and analyze the effectiveness of newly implemented strategies.

The staff chose to use a $50,000 Department of Education grant to help pay for the Turning Points middle school model. This nationally recognized model specializes in improving under-performing middle schools. Consultants from Turning Points are assigned to work with staff to improve the quality of instruction and change the educational climate of the school. An innovative seven-day rotating schedule was developed to optimize instruction and reduce class size.

The Henry Lord Performance Improvement Mapping Team was established to break down information from MCAS test results. This information targets student strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can then concentrate instruction in the areas most critical to student improvement. Curriculum implementation and teaching strategies and methods can be tailored to individual students’ needs.

Through a $25,000 DOE summer grant, a record number of teachers from Henry Lord worked throughout the summer on professional development and team-building. This training provided diversified instruction for a broader range of student abilities. The team-building provided strategies to improve the culture of the school. For the first time, teachers and administrators interviewed and hired new teachers.

The newly hired teachers were trained by Turning Points and participated in team-building training during the summer. Many of the staff received training in differentiated instruction -- that is, on developing strategies for teaching children who have different learning styles and levels of ability. Henry Lord will be the first school outside of Boston to implement the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum. This innovative program encourages students to become more responsible citizens.

An Administrative Cabinet, comprised of all the administrators and the School Improvement Plan facilitator, will issue weekly strategies to address problems as they arise. Computer upgrades will provide better communication with instant messaging capability between the administration, Leadership Team, Administrative Cabinet and all staff members.

Parental involvement has increased since last December. Dedicated volunteers like Mrs. Shirley Destremps, a parent, leads the PEP team. Through their efforts, students were fed breakfast on MCAS test days. Students were encouraged to take the testing more seriously. Teachers recognized student achievement by rewarding good efforts with certificates and prizes.

All the work that was started last year has made a significant impact on the climate of the school this year. A successful opening two weeks ago has teachers excited that the preparation during the summer is paying dividends. MCAS scores for 2003 show that Henry Lord has attained Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Instead of labeling Henry Lord Middle School as failing, political hopefuls should be learning a lesson from the hard work and team-building that has gone on since the "Fact Finding Review" was released. Instead of rhetoric, politicians should be exploring ways to restore the $6 million that was cut from the School Department during the last three years.

If the students of Fall River are to be as proficient as those in Newton, they deserve the same resources. Labeling students and staff as failures without investigating the facts is reprehensible. A little research will show that the Fall River Public School system has more success stories like Henry Lord Middle School. It’s what makes me proud to represent the teachers of Fall River.

William F. Kaylor
President, Fall River Educators' Association