Student Achievement is More than a Test Score!

This spring our students will complete the first ever administration of the K-PREP test. So much about this will be new for students, and it will take us all awhile to understand the new system and what it means.   What is not new is that students will take tests in reading, math, science, social studies, and writing.   But, many other parts are new.   This is the first year of our new math and language arts curriculum -- the KY Core Academic Standards.   These standards were developed to be national standards for what our students should know and be able to do by the end of each grade. They are much more rigorous and demanding than the previous curricula but important because the goal is to get our students college and career ready by the time they graduate from high school.   Our teachers and students have worked hard this year to master these standards.

 

Another new development is that the state tests were developed by a new company, so they will look different from what students have seen in the past.   There will be multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and extended response questions.   This has several implications.   One is that the test will be different for the students from previous years' state tests.   Further, the test developer has developed a different way to determine proficiency -- the cut-off scores for a student to be considered proficient instead of apprentice will be much higher.   A possible result is that students who have scored proficient and distinguished in years past will find it much more difficult to attain those same scores this year.

 

An additional new piece is how school accountability will be determined when test scores come out next fall.   For the past few years in Kentucky, schools were ranked and judged by math and reading scores alone.   Further, the federal No Child Left Behind law held schools accountable for improving math and reading scores for sub-populations, such as African American students, free and reduced lunch students, and special education students.   The Kentucky Department of Education applied for and was granted a waiver from NCLB requirements so that KY schools are held accountable for one system -- the new Unbridled Learning system established by Senate Bill 1.

School scores will be determined by student performance on all content tests and the ACT Explore as well as by performance on tests by sub-populations and the amount of expected growth in math and reading achieved by all students.   It is a more complicated way to measure a school's performance because more information is included in the final score.   Also, schools across the state will be ranked and assigned a percentile score.   With a percentile, regardless of the original score, someone has to be at the bottom, regardless of how much they may have improved.   A percentile is not a measure of growth or even of achievement -- it is strictly a measure of rank.

 

In summary, as we prepare for state testing the week of May 14, we are encouraged by the growth our students have shown this year on MAP and district proficiency assessments as well as in class. But we want students and parents to know that a lot has changed this year, and we are unsure what the results will tell us when they come back in the fall.   It is a very real possibility that fewer students will score proficient than in years past.   Despite that discouraging fact, we are very encouraged by the ever-increasing effort and gains our students are making; they continue to impress us and give us hope, no matter what the scores might show in the fall.

Five Star!

This year at Westport we have tried to live up to an ideal we call "five star!"  To our staff, "five star" reflects the high expectations we hold for ourselves and our students.  In order to have choices about where they go to high school, our students need to start thinking about how they will make their middle school years a "five star" experience from the first moment they walk down the halls in the 6th grade. 

Being "five star" involves our students trying hard in all of their classes so that they learn at high levels and earn good grades.  It requires exercising self-control and being cooperative and friendly with teachers and peers.  It includes getting involved in extracurricular clubs, activities, or sports to develop talents, teamwork, and leadership.  Students who work hard and display a good attitude will get "five star" recommendations from their teachers and will be desirable to high schools.

But "five star" is not just about our students.  It is what we expect of ourselves and each other.  Teachers spend a lot of time planning together in order to deliver "five star" lessons.  They are committed to developing a classroom climate that is safe, nurturing, and academic so that their students can learn at high levels.  Other staff members are expected to support the work of teachers and students in the classrooms by providing resources, minimizing disruptions, and helping students find success.

Finally, we strive to present and maintain a "five star" image in the community.  We enjoy sharing our facilities and inviting the community into our school.  We try to host events that are organized and enjoyable.  We want to be "five star" citizens when we take field trips or participate in events outside of our school.  We are proud of our students and the work they are doing and want others to recognize that Westport Middle is a "five star" school!

2012 - The Year of the Warhawk !

As we look ahead to the new year, I am filled with optimism about what 2012 holds for us at Westport Middle School.  We ended last year by receiving the results of our leadership audit, which affirmed the work we have been doing.  By recommending that the principal and SBDM Council remain intact -- the first time this has happened in JCPS since the state began identifying Persistently Low Achieving schools -- we can move forward with confidence that the worst is behind us, and we will use the information in the report to give us direction to keep improving.

There is much to celebrate and anticipate.  Our Fall recruitment efforts, such as the Showcase of Schools, 5th Grade Open House, and parent tours, revealed that the community is noticing the hard work and positive experience we provide for students and families.  We expect our Montessori magnet program and overall enrollment to increase even more.  Our 8th graders have applied to various high schools around the district and eagerly await their placements.  We were recently awarded a grant to begin a Lacrosse program this Spring.  As our students focus on mastery of standards in math classes, we are seeing increases in their performance on proficiency assessments.

So, as we begin a new semester and a new year, we can reflect on the progress we have made, the adversity we have overcome, and the good things coming our way in 2012.  It's a good year to be a Warhawk!

The Results Are In...

The 2011 Kentucky Core Content Test results are in, and we have a lot to celebrate at Westport!  In April, our students took tests in math, reading, science, social studies, and on-demand writing.  After a school year characterized by a lot of changes -- 28 new teachers to the school (and 15 of those in their first year of teaching), a new demographic of students, and new leadership -- we were cautiously optimistic about what the results would show.  When a school undergoes that much change in one year there is the potential for a dip in performance during the transition.  However, we are proud to report gains in 4 out of 5 of the tested areas.

In reading, 46.67% of our students scored proficient or distinguished, up 2.39% from last year.  In on-demand writing, we are up 3.84% in proficient and distinguished.  In social studies, 1.89% more students scored proficient and distinguished.  In science, we had a jump of 6.26% more students scoring proficient and distinguished.  We are proud of our students and teachers for their hard work last year. 

The only area in which we did not have gains was math.  Our math teachers are implementing the new KY Core Academic Standards in math this year, and we are fortunate to have such a talented, professional, dedicated group working with our students. They are collaborating to design lessons that are rigorous and engaging and assessments that pinpoint where breakdowns in learning occur.  We provide interventions for students below grade level and enrichment for students ready to be pushed further.  In fact, our math department is so impressive that our 8th grade math teachers were selected to be featured in a national professional development program as they implement the new standards this year.  We are confident that all of this will show improved results on the new math assessment students will take in May 2012.  It takes more than one year to turn around any organization, and with all of the changes and improvements we made last year, we are optimistic that we are headed in the right direction. 

You will see it reported that we did not meet all of our No Child Left Behind (NCLB) goals, which include proficiency goals for students with disabilities, African American students, and students on free or reduced lunch.  There has been a lot of conversation at the state and federal levels about changes to NCLB, and Kentucky is applying to the Department of Education for a waiver from NCLB.  However, in the meantime, you will receive a letter from JCPS stating that because our school did not meet our NCLB goals, you can apply for a transfer to one of two district school choices.  The district is required by law to send that letter, and a transfer is an option, but we hope that you will determine that there are so many good things happening at Westport that you will want to stay.

In addition to improved test scores, we have many other things to cheer.  Our Montessori magnet program has been a wonderful addition to the school, and the students and teachers are thriving in the Montessori environment.  We look forward to expanding that program by bringing in an even larger group of 6th graders next year.  The athletic and extracurricular opportunities for students have just exploded.  Students are playing more sports and participating in more clubs than ever before.  Our volleyball and football teams are having very successful seasons this year, and chess, quick recall, and basketball are beginning.  We have added support staff to provide counseling, mentoring, and security for students.  We have more related arts courses, such as Japanese, drama, and robotics, to allow students opportunities to discover and develop their talents and passions.

There are a lot of positive things happening at Westport, and the test results affirm that we are headed in the right direction.

Get Involved!

As the school year begins, I am thrilled to see all of the activity in the building after 2:30! There are practices and games for our Fall sports -- football, volleyball, field hockey, cross country, and cheerleading. Dance team tryouts are coming up, and soon there will be open field play for soccer and open gym for basketball. Also, the STLP group has already begun staying after school to work on technology projects, and the Art Club is off to a strong start. Chess and quick recall are right around the corner. We truly have something available for every interest. There is a strong correlation between success in school and involvement in extracurriculars. Involved students learn to manage their time and feel a strong positive connection to their school. We want our Warhawks to be successful in the classroom, and we want to help them discover their talents and passions too. That is why we encourage all of our students to explore their talent, explore their potential, and explore their possibility. We want them to feel engaged and self-actualized as they go through school and life. So, listen for the announcements telling you when the literary magazine meets or when baseball tryouts start or when the pep band is rehearsing. Find your passion, make a connection, and get involved!