Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

We have utilized the Gradual Release of Responsibility model and paired it with Building Thinking Classrooms to enable our students to access to challenging curriculum that fosters active and purposeful learning. The evolution of assessment has enabled our teachers vary the types of assessments and how we measure learning.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #2 - The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all.

Dorseyville Middle School (DMS) exemplifies a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming environment for all. The school staff take pride in greeting students daily, fostering a warm atmosphere that makes students feel valued and cared for. This culture of respect extends beyond student-teacher interactions to encompass student-to-student relationships as well. DMS goes above and beyond to ensure inclusivity, providing resources like the "Caring Closet" with new clothing items, demonstrating sensitivity to students' needs and comfort. The school's commitment to inclusivity is further evident in its provision of translators and support services to accommodate diverse student populations. DMS balances academics with social-emotional needs through initiatives like the homebase program, which offers opportunities for small group discussions on common issues. The school environment reflects and celebrates the variety of student cultures and identities, creating a space where every student feels represented and affirmed. This comprehensive approach to creating a welcoming environment extends to families as well, with DMS actively engaging parents and guardians as valued partners.

Characteristic #5 - Comprehensive counseling and support services meet the needs of young adolescents.

Dorseyville Middle School offers comprehensive counseling and support services tailored to meet the diverse needs of young adolescents. The school's commitment to student well-being is evident in its multifaceted approach to support. DMS employs three dedicated counselors who loop with their respective grade levels, ensuring continuity and personalized attention throughout a student's middle school journey. These counselors are actively involved in various aspects of student life, including homebase lessons, team meetings, and crucial support programs like the Student Assistance Program (SAP) and Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII).

The SAP program at DMS is particularly noteworthy, offering voluntary and confidential assistance to students and families facing challenges such as substance abuse, mental health issues, or behavioral concerns. This cost-free program facilitates referrals to community-based services, effectively removing barriers to learning. The RtII program further exemplifies DMS's commitment to individualized support, featuring a dedicated staff member in the resource room who collaborates with classroom teachers to provide personalized assistance across various academic pursuits.

DMS also recognizes the importance of mental health support, providing access to mental health services and offering resources to help families find additional support both within and outside the school. The school's holistic approach extends to addressing the needs of students who have experienced trauma, demonstrating a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing young adolescents. Moreover, DMS has implemented seamless transition practices for students entering and exiting middle school, with counselors playing a key role in these processes.

Characteristic #8 - Educators are specifically prepared to teach young adolescents and possess a depth of understanding in the content areas they teach.

Dorseyville Middle School exemplifies a commitment to having educators who are specifically prepared to teach young adolescents and possess a deep understanding of their content areas. The school's teachers are regarded as content area experts with a depth of knowledge in young adolescent development and specific preparation for working with this age group. This specialization ensures that educators at DMS are uniquely equipped to address the complex needs and interests of middle school students.

The staff at DMS demonstrate a strong foundation in both their subject matter expertise and their understanding of adolescent development. This dual expertise allows them to create learning experiences that are not only academically rigorous but also developmentally appropriate.

DMS educators consistently examine curricular and instructional materials to identify what may be missing or misrepresented, demonstrating a commitment to providing a comprehensive and balanced education. They skillfully address the personal and cultural experiences of students in developing learning activities, making the curriculum relevant and engaging for young adolescents.

This specialized preparation enables DMS teachers to develop learning tasks that are perceived as achievable yet challenging, reflecting high expectations for each student. Their deep understanding of both content and adolescent development allows them to create interdisciplinary units, support students' understanding of civic responsibilities, and provide opportunities for active citizenship within the school and broader community.

Characteristic #11 - Instruction fosters learning that is active, purposeful, and democratic.

Dorseyville Middle School excels in fostering instruction that is active, purposeful, and democratic. Teachers skillfully integrate digital tools and diverse instructional materials to enhance learning experiences. Classrooms are organized to facilitate active learning, featuring spaces for small group work and student displays.

Instruction is highly purposeful, with teachers consistently engaging each student in meaningful activities. The school promotes democratic learning through various strategies, including heterogeneous grouping and involving students as partners in their own learning. The curriculum incorporates both teacher goals and student questions, fostering ownership in learning.

Characteristic #15 - Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about young adolescents, equitable practices, and educational research.

DMS emphasizes real-world connections through service learning and project-based activities. Teachers maintain engagement by frequently changing activities and encouraging peer-to-peer learning. This dynamic approach creates an engaging learning environment that prepares students for active participation in an increasingly complex world.

Dorseyville Middle School's leadership team demonstrates strong commitment to and knowledge of young adolescents, equitable practices, and educational research. Leaders are deeply committed to fostering the growth and development of young adolescents, with a profound understanding of their unique needs. They consistently apply their expertise in adolescent development to inform school policies and practices.

The leadership team actively uses current middle level education research and best practices as the foundation for all decision-making. This research-informed approach ensures continuous improvement of educational programs. Additionally, DMS leaders are dedicated to equity and inclusion, using data to critically reflect on and refine policies. Their leadership style, grounded in adolescent development knowledge and research-based practices, creates an environment that effectively supports the academic, social, and emotional growth of middle school students.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #3: Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate

Daily Advisory
For the first 16 minutes of each school day, advisory classes take place. This time allows for the promotion of an inclusive environment throughout Douglas Middle School (DMS). Through the school’s MTSS model, students who need a tier 2 support for certain lagging skills attend advocacy during this time where they focus on individual skill building with their adult advisor until their advocacy goal(s) are reached and they move back to advisory.

When DMS first adopted the advisory/advocacy model, staff were trained by attending T.A.G. (Teacher Advisory Groups) which allowed them to experience and learn the structure they are charged with implementing through advisory. Now, professional development in the advisory model is ongoing for all educators. DMS also uses advisory classes inside a school-wide house system with students in an advisory all belonging to the same house. This allows house meetings, house events, and school-wide celebrations to all be ran through advisory groups.

Characteristic #18: Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.

Block Scheduling
The school’s schedule supplies large blocks of class time (80 minutes) where valuable learning experiences can take place. High leverage practices built around John Hattie’s effect sizes and the use of active learning, student voice and choice, and exploratory activities take place in all core and essential classrooms.

Teaming and PLCs
Block scheduling also allows for ample time for collaboration amongst teachers. Teachers meet both horizontally (daily for 80- minutes) and vertically (every other week for 50 minutes). This time allows PLC processes and vertical alignment to take place. Teachers collaborate district-wide (K-12) to define the CCSD1 guaranteed and viable curriculum and in teams at DMS to define the level of proficiency. Proficiency scales have been created by teams in all content areas which are used with students to provide clarity. DMS has adopted a standards-based grading system and uses a PLC collaboration model to track performance data through varied and on-going assessments aligned to scales to provide powerful instructional responses. Outside of tier 1 instructional responses, DMS also has dedicated time within the schedule for tier 2 acceleration and enrichment courses taught by content area teachers, and a twice a week teacher placed W.I.N. (What I Need block for re-do, re-take, and additional learning opportunities).

Characteristic #8: Educators are specifically prepared to teach young adolescents and possess a depth of understanding in the content areas they teach; and Characteristic #17: Professional learning for all staff is relevant, long term, and job embedded.

Job-Embedded Professional Development
Over half of the educators at DMS have advanced degrees. Job embedded professional learning for both classified and certified staff allows for continued growth around high leverage instructional practices as well as middle school best practices to ensure teachers and staff are both competent and sensitive to the needs of young adolescents. The school has a guiding coalition which allows for shared leadership and helps the school align to the shared vision by planning, implementing, and tracking continuous improvement efforts.

Characteristic #9: Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse.

Robust Exploratory Opportunities
In addition to core content courses, essential course offerings at DMS allow for students to take part in eight exploratory courses a year in the following areas of fine arts, performing arts, STEM, wood shop, metal shop, and physical education. Students have opportunities to take photography, piano, theatre, jazz band, welding, project design, coding, canoeing, and many other courses that have career value and can lead to healthy recreational pursuits that can carry over into adulthood. Twice a year, students also take part in mini course week which allows teachers to conduct passion projects and students to have additional opportunities. Mini course offerings in the past have included choices such as Dungeons and Dragons/strategy games, environmental improvement and upcycling found items, nature walks, fishing at the river, nature drawing, archery, and virtual reality field trips.

Characteristic #5: Comprehensive counseling and support services meet the needs of young adolescents.

Counseling
Counseling services at DMS focus on academic, emotional, and social needs of students. All students have access to two building counselors to talk individually at times of critical need. Counselors are part of the building wide RTI team that includes administrators, the school nurse, the district psychologist, and the special education case manager. This team works with each of the four building teams to support students in a multi-tiered system of supports which is available to all students as needed.

Family Engagement
In the 22-23 school year, the DMS counseling team is rolling out a family informational series of evening classes that will run opposite the DMS family engagement series of events. The family information series will us the AMLE publication Middle School Matters by Phyllis Fagell to provide DMS families with tools to navigate and make the most of the middle school years.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate.

Our KORT program (Knights of the Round Table) advisory is a cornerstone of our commitment to student well-being and connection. This multi-grade structure fosters a powerful sense of community, allowing older students to mentor and guide younger ones, while younger students benefit from the wisdom and experience of their peers. KORT sessions are carefully structured to provide a safe space for open dialogue, personal growth, and the development of essential social-emotional skills. It's where students learn to support each other, build resilience, and truly feel like they belong to something bigger than just their individual grade.

Recognizing the profound impact of positive adult relationships, our teacher-student mentoring program is a vital component of our school. This program intentionally pairs students with dedicated teachers who serve as mentors, offering guidance, encouragement, and a consistent source of support. These mentors provide academic assistance, connection and serve as role models, helping students navigate the complexities of adolescence. This personalized attention fosters stronger connections between students and staff, boosting student confidence, engagement, and overall academic success.

Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.

At Elwood Middle School, we operate with a highly effective teaming model that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration among teachers and creates a cohesive learning environment for students. Each team of teachers shares a common group of students, enabling them to collectively monitor academic progress, address behavioral concerns, and develop integrated lessons. This collaborative approach ensures that every student benefits from a unified instructional vision and consistent support across all subjects. The teaming model also facilitates seamless communication between teachers, parents, and students, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of each child's needs and strengths.

School safety is addressed proactively, justly, and thoughtfully.

Restorative Practices: We are profoundly committed to fostering a school culture rooted in restorative practices. Instead of solely focusing on punishment, our approach emphasizes repairing harm, rebuilding relationships, and teaching students to take responsibility for their actions. Through restorative circles, mediation, and thoughtful dialogue, students learn conflict resolution skills, empathy, and how their behavior impacts others. This commitment to restorative practices not only reduces disciplinary incidents but also cultivates a more peaceful, respectful, and inclusive school community where students feel heard and understood.

Health, wellness, and social-emotional competence are supported in curricula, school-wide programs, and related policies.

Equity is deeply embedded in Elwood’s fabric, ensuring that all students have opportunities to thrive. The school offers a diverse range of clubs, sports, and activities that cater to the varied interests of its students. This commitment to inclusivity encourages broad participation, allowing students to explore their passions, develop new skills, and cultivate a sense of belonging, irrespective of their background or prior experiences.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Responsiveness, Equitable, Leadership and Organization, Culture and Community, Engaging

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #4: School safety is addressed proactively, justly, and thoughtfully.

Farmwell Station Middle School has two specific programs in place to encourage and support students and to develop a safe and inclusive learning community. The first is PBIS, which has 4 basic tenets (Strive to be and do their best; Own their own behavior, mistakes, and successes; Achieve to the best of their own ability; and Respect themselves and others) with the acronym SOAR. These tenets are taught directly to students, and they are provided with examples of what it looks like to SOAR. SOS (Sources of Strength) is a youth suicide prevention project that utilizes the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. There is an SOS staff leadership team that provides training for teachers and coordinates activities and advisory lessons.

Characteristic #7: The school collaborates with community and business partners.

Farmwell Station Middle School has several initiatives that enable them to contribute and collaborate with community. Lead4Change allows Family and Consumer Science students to participate in a nationwide competition that encourages students to find ways to make positive contributions to their community. As a result, students create leadership projects to support a specified need in the community. The school was recognized for providing necessities to Afghan refugees in the county. Another example is a paper product drive for a local homeless shelter.

The Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day saw a team of female professionals from Microsoft do a presentation for female students about engineering career paths and experiences, as well as leading hands-on activities related to STEM fields. The school collaborated with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) to organize a live contact with an astronaut of the ISS. The Loudon Amateur Radio Group supplied HAM radio equipment and experts to teach students about sound transmission and the technology needed to make a live audio contact to the ISS. Aerospace Corporation came to the school to teach students about aeronautics and space concepts.

Characteristic #9: Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse.

Farmwell Station Middle School offers Honors level courses, high school mathematics and world language courses, and provides rigorous learning experiences across all classes and content. Staff have been provided with professional development around what rigorous instruction looks like in classrooms and how to deepen content understanding and increased student outcomes as a result. To this end they utilize flexible grouping, student voice and choice, open-ended driving questions, performance assessments, use of technology, multi-leveled engaging text and media, extension and enrichment activities, and curriculum compacting. Every student has access to multiple resources to deepen their learning experiences. The media center has a wide variety of printed and digital research tools, as well as areas where students can come together and collaborate. The media specialists collaborate to design, facilitate, and co-teach lessons with the English content learning teams to provide enriched learning experiences.

They also have participated in professional development around personalized learning as well as project-based learning and utilize those strategies to enrich learning activities. Student reflection and goal setting are a normal course of instructional practice.

Characteristic #11: Instruction fosters learning that is active, purposeful, and democratic.

At Farmwell Station Middle School the faculty engages students in making connections between content and the world around them. Through personalized learning practices such as reflection and goal setting, students develop the skills of inquiry in learning. Teachers learn about their students’ interests, strengths, and goals and use that information in designing lessons that allow student voice and options. Students participate in authentic learning experiences that are designed to be engaging, promote higher-level thinking skills, and foster a sense of ownership over their learning. The lessons reflect critical life skill development as well as content knowledge and understanding. They focus on tasks and activities that build students’ capacity to think critically, be creative, collaborate and communicate with staff as well as peers, and make contributions to the world around them. Computational thinking strategies are reinforced across subject areas, and a combination of self-directed and collaborative opportunities ranging from small group discussions to programming robots that support learning objectives further engage students in active ways in their learning.

Characteristic # 12: Varied and ongoing assessments advance learning as well as measure it.

Farmwell Station Middle School follows an assessment cycle that includes formatively assessing students during the learning process. Teachers then adjust instruction to address identified learning needs prior to summative assessments. Students meet with content-area teachers during resource time for reteaching opportunities to ensure students have mastered the material prior to retakes. A variety of assessment tools are used to monitor student growth. Math and English teachers administer the MAPS assessment three times a year and use the data to measure student growth to see if they are meeting projected learning targets. Science and social studies teachers use common assessments in Performance Matters to measure growth three times a year. In the classroom teachers use frequent check-ins and formative assessments during learning and prior to all summative assessments. In addition to traditional tests and quizzes students are given opportunities to choose how to demonstrate their learning in various ways. A resource block of time allows students to get extra help to master content, receive instruction, retake assessments after reteaching, and receive needed remediation. It also provides opportunities for gifted students to take a course that provides for higher level thinking skills, problem solving, and decision making.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Essential Attribute of an Education for Young Adolescents: Responsive

Gemini Middle School’s vision of equitable education and mission to empower students are deeply rooted in responsiveness. The school demonstrates this commitment by supporting the whole child through comprehensive, tailored practices. Curricula reflect student identities, and self-reflection is seamlessly integrated into the learning process. Reading and math specialists provide targeted interventions, while purposeful scheduling supports multilingual learners and students with special needs.

Additionally, Gemini’s Alternative Learning Opportunities Program (ALOP) advocates connect with students facing attendance challenges, offering personalized support. Daily Advisory includes social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons that promote well-being, digital citizenship, and collaboration. Strong teacher-student relationships are fostered through engaging activities, lessons, and the daily Advisory program. Diverse literature, small-group instruction, instructional continuum practices, and connections with supportive adults further exemplify Gemini’s responsive approach to nurturing the whole child.

Essential Attribute of an Education for Young Adolescents: Equitable

Gemini Middle School is dedicated to educational equity by systematically removing barriers to learning and extracurricular opportunities for all students. Every student receives a Chromebook for use at school and home, ensuring access to digital resources. There are no fees for participating in instrumental music (with school-provided instruments at no cost), inclusive extracurricular activities, field trips, or athletics.

The school also offers advanced math coursework with flexible placement and specialized support programs in literacy and math. The district ensures that every student—regardless of economic background, learning ability, or personal identity—has meaningful access to high-quality educational experiences.

Essential Attribute of an Education for Young Adolescents: Empowering

Gemini Middle School empowers students by creating dynamic learning environments that prioritize student agency, critical thinking, and personal growth. Through inquiry-based learning, student-led projects, diverse elective opportunities, and leadership programs such as Student Council and Gem Guide Mentoring, students transition from passive learners to active architects of their academic and personal development. Student voices are valued and shape the school community through contributions like providing input on the school charter alongside staff, suggesting library books, and designing school flyers. Gemini champions inclusivity by providing necessary accommodations and modifications, ensuring all students can fully engage in the learning process.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #2: The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all.

Gilbert Middle School utilizes various strategies and programs to ensure that all students feel welcomed and valued in the school. Advisors spend the first few weeks of school interviewing each of their students individually to learn more about them as students and as young adolescents. School leadership eats lunch in the cafeteria with students once a week to engage with them and learn what is and is not working in the school. A “virtual” suggestion box, accessed by students through a QR code, provides anonymity for students as they express concerns and provide suggestions for ways in which they feel their school can be improved. Recess is unique to Gilbert Middle and provides opportunities for students to relax and interact in unstructured ways with their peers. All students are encouraged to become part of clubs and other activities designed to enable them to become a more active participant in the life of the school.

Characteristic #10: Health, wellness, and social-emotional competence are supported in curricula, school-wide programs, and related policies.

Gilbert Middle School has made health and wellness a priority for their school. Each grade level has core instruction around emotional literacy, mindfulness, and mental health topics, including coping skills. Recess occurs at all three grade levels to honor the need for unstructured social time, fresh air, and social-emotional health. There are monthly wellness challenges to encourage and support stronger mental, physical, and social health. In addition to school-sponsored sports, students can compete in grade level or building-wide competitions in flag football, dodgeball, badminton, pickleball, or 3-on-3 basketball.

Characteristic #12: Varied and ongoing assessments advance learning as well as measure it.

Gilbert Middle School teachers meet as vertical 6-8 teams to discuss and align standards and assessments. They also work collaboratively to examine various proficiency scales based on student work. In addition, they meet as grade-level teams to look at achievement data and achievement-related data such as attendance and office referrals. This helps teachers understand the individual needs of their students so they can address them. The school has been labeled by the state of Iowa as high performing in their proficiency ratings in both reading and math as well as social and emotional factors. Their multi-tiered system of supports to help students in foundational skills around vocabulary, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and mathematics provides students identified through formative and summative assessments with opportunities to receive directed instruction.

Characteristic #15: Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about young adolescents.

Gilbert Middle School has always been centered on principles of effective middle schools. It now is one of the top-rated middle schools in Iowa. School leaders have provided multiple opportunities for their staff to attend conferences and workshops dedicated to the middle grades. AMLE was the first connection to a national association dedicated to the middle grades, and since that time the school has been actively involved in the programs provided by the association. Prior to the publication of The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, the school did a book study of This We Believe in Action, which served as a model when developing and creating the structures and systems for the school. The relationship they have developed with AMLE has continued to ground all staff in best practices for the middle grades. In addition, the school is now in its second year of a three-year focus on brain-based instructional strategies supported by cognitive science. This three-year initiative is centered around appropriate instructional strategies appropriate for middle schoolers. The collaborative culture of school leadership encourages teachers, staff, and the larger school community to provide input into all aspects of the school.

Characteristic #17: Professional learning for all staff is relevant, long term, and job-embedded.

Gilbert Middle School engages in Professional Development that is initiated by the district but expands to include school specific objectives every year. Currently the focus at the school level is the science of learning. Last year teachers spent time investigating and exploring effective instructional strategies as identified through cognitive science research. This included strategies such as retrieval practice, dual-coding, spaced practice, elaboration, and metacognition. This year they are involved in a book study of Learning That Sticks: A Brain-Based Model for K-12 Instructional Design and Delivery. The book identifies teaching strategies based on cognitive science research and brings them together into a framework for classroom instruction. Teacher discussions and reflection are enabling them to identify strategies they already use and how they might incorporate new ones into instruction. The next year of this three-year initiative will allow staff to work in content-alike teams to design units that embed the strategies they are learning now within their curriculum in age-appropriate ways. Additional professional development initiatives involve work on aligning standards, rubrics, and proficiency scales as 6-8 vertical teams, as well as PLCs dedicated to analyzing student achievement and achievement-related data to better inform practice.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Culture & Community:

Extensive programming is available to help each girl differentiate herself from others as she finds her own individual niche. Cocurricular programming, including clubs and activities are readily available for girls to explore options to enhance their GPS experience and often nourish future aspirations. As part of our commitment to developing the whole girl and deepening our community connections, all students participate in after-school activities. Our faculty and staff have developed a range of varied and interesting enrichment opportunities to allow all students to follow their curiosities and passions. After-school activities are offered by trimester to align with athletic seasons. Some will continue throughout all three trimesters, but most allow students to try different activities each season as they explore and experiment.

Our robust athletics program allows girls to experience a variety of sports and activities outside of the classroom, are are non-cut in the middle school. Our all-girls environment emboldens student-athletes to explore any sport that may interest them, and they have a wide array of options.The GPS middle school curriculum in the Fine and Performing Arts is also unique. Each girl is given many opportunities to experience all genres of art if she so chooses, from fine art to dance to music to theater. This breadth of programming allows her to make informed decisions as she enters the upper school. Because of her middle school experiences, she can decide which disciplines she wants to investigate further.

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

Keeping the mission and vision of the school at the forefront, GPS seeks to create a learner-centered approach, one which views learners as active agents. This current approach, which empowers each student in her educational journey, differs significantly from a traditional instructor-centered approach. In a learner-centered environment, students bring their own knowledge, past experiences, education, and ideas to the table, which impacts how they process new information and learn from each other. In a learner-centered environment, students are able to be flexible thinkers, intellectually curious learners, resilient risk-takers, empathic global citizens, self-aware human beings, effective communicators, and active listeners. The framework for this learner-centered culture centers on creating learning experiences that are authentic, personalized, competency-based, and equitable + inclusive.

GPS uses a number of methods to assess student progress, both formative and summative, in and out of the classroom. Over the course of the past five years, the middle and upper schools have worked closely together to develop a grading philosophy that guides our practices and processes in assessing student progress. These practices, along with shifts in our grading of behaviors such as late work and participation, have allowed us to more accurately assess and communicate student progress. In addition to the adoption of an open grade book, each year students receive formal progress reports, including individualized comments from their teachers, which share their current progress, strengths, and areas for growth.

The GPS Student Support faculty and staff monitor student progress both academically and socially. Weekly team meetings allow teachers and student support staff to work closely together to support students using a holistic approach. Discipline and course-specific conferences in the fall, as well as student-led conferences in the spring, allow parents, teachers, advisors, and students to assess where each girl stands as a student and what supports she might need in order to be as successful as possible at GPS.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #11: Instruction Fosters a Learning Atmosphere That Is Active, Purposeful, and Democratic

At Greenbrier Middle School, teachers prioritize engagement as a cornerstone of classroom instruction through a thoughtful unit planning process. Recognizing the developmental needs of middle school adolescents for movement, collaboration, and discussion, teachers design engaging unit "hooks" such as virtual reality headsets, guest speakers, and game-like simulation activities to captivate students. Teachers collaborate weekly during Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings to plan rigorous and engaging instruction. The “Greenbrier Games” initiative embeds competition and game-based learning, assigning every student to an Olympic color team each spring. Teams earn points for positive behaviors and classroom participation, fostering enthusiasm for learning and preparing students for final exams.

Characteristic #4: School Safety Is Addressed Proactively, Justly, and Thoughtfully

At GMS, we establish clear behavioral expectations by introducing the HEART matrix during the first week of school and modeling it for students. We believe that fostering respect and value for all enhances students’ sense of belonging. Students who uphold the HEART matrix are celebrated monthly with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) rewards. Counselors, teachers, and administrators work with students in small groups on restorative and reflection practices when expectations are not met. GMS teachers serve as positive role models, demonstrating respect, empathy, kindness, and communication skills in interactions with students and colleagues. Student success and growth are celebrated through classroom incentives and schoolwide goals, ensuring students feel valued for their individual achievements. Students who model the HEART matrix receive HEART tickets, reinforcing positive expectations and earning recognition as “Students of the Week” in front of the school community.

Characteristic #14: Policies and Practices Are Student-Centered, Unbiased, and Fairly Implemented

The Fast Focus daily intervention/enrichment period is designed to respond to students’ needs. Each week, students are placed in either open (extension) or closed (intervention) sessions based on differentiated needs in English Language Arts, Math, and Science. Extension sessions challenge students with above-grade-level standards through project-based learning and book clubs, while interventions provide targeted support. During weekly PLC and common planning time, teachers reflect on assessment data to address student needs within the classroom. The ICU system supports students by tracking missing essential assignments and facilitating communication between teachers and parents. Students attend working lunches for additional support, with the clear expectation that all assignments must be completed. Additionally, students meet weekly with an advisory teacher for social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons developed by our SEL Committee using Character Strong resources. Students also join clubs of their choice, engaging in activities focused on essential standards, life skills, and future careers.

Characteristic #12: Varied and Ongoing Assessments Advance Learning as Well as Measure It

Standards-based grading at GMS enables precise assessment of students’ understanding and mastery of each skill, encouraging growth toward the highest level of proficiency, whether at or above grade level. Success criteria and proficiency scales clarify what students need to learn to succeed, shifting their mindset from “how many points do I need” to “what do I need to learn to be successful.” Our leadership and teachers are committed to fostering a growth-oriented mindset, challenging students to understand and achieve their potential through ongoing and varied assessments.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Culture and Community Characteristics

The Equity Lead at Gum Spring Middle School provides strategies and professional development to foster inclusion. Staff learn and correctly use student names, co-create classroom norms to build community, and emphasize open-mindedness and critical thinking. The C.L.E.A.R. framework (Capacity, Listening, Empathy, Authenticity, Respect) guides school culture. Student Equity Ambassadors lead peer discussions and initiatives, focusing on identity, empathy, and social justice to create a welcoming environment.

Equity Ambassadors and student leaders collaborate with staff to shape school culture. "Together Thursdays" foster cultural awareness and student-led dialogue, empowering students to influence inclusion efforts.

Every student is paired with a trusted adult advocate who supports academic goal-setting and social-emotional learning (SEL) development. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)-based mentoring provides additional targeted support. The Unified Mental Health Team, comprising counselors, a psychologist, a social worker, and Student Assistance Services (SAS), offers direct support and collaborates with families to promote student well-being and resilience. The Unified Mental Health Team hosts events and counselor workshops to engage families. The Case Manager Meet and Greet builds relationships, while the Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) supports English Learner families.

The ONE Community Event integrates STEAM and multicultural celebrations, engaging local businesses and families in hands-on learning to strengthen community ties.

Curriculum & Instruction Characteristics

At Gum Spring Middle School, professional learning is tailored to the developmental needs of middle school learners. Teachers participate in learning walks and collaborative planning to refine instruction, using content-specific, developmentally appropriate strategies that prioritize student voice and ownership. The curriculum, grounded in backward design and aligned with standards, promotes critical thinking. Content Learning Teams (CLTs) plan differentiated, interdisciplinary, and culturally responsive lessons, using data to guide remediation and enrichment. Daily PEAK advisory sessions and the Second Step SEL curriculum support student wellness, with teachers receiving ongoing training in classroom culture, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) strategies, and inclusive practices to foster social-emotional growth. Instruction is active, purposeful, and student-centered, leveraging technology, inquiry, and real-world connections to empower students through choice and collaboration. Assessments are varied and ongoing, incorporating formative checks, reflections, and project-based tasks. CLTs regularly analyze data to inform instruction, while rubrics and self-assessments enhance transparency and student agency.

Leadership & Organization Characteristics

Our Vision’s Core Principles:

One Voice (UNITY): As Mountain Lions, we ROAR together, fostering a strong sense of belonging and community.

One Purpose (AUTHENTICITY): We are dedicated to ASCENSION through deeper learning, personal growth, and self-discovery.

One Vision (INTENTIONALITY): We empower learners to leave their PAW print on the world through meaningful, authentic experiences.

Shared Beliefs:

Student growth thrives in thoughtfully designed instructional experiences that promote exploration, relevance, inquiry, and deeper learning.

Equity is central to our mission, strengthened by recognizing similarities, valuing differences, and celebrating diversity.

Character and integrity foster a strong work ethic and responsible citizenship.

Ownership of learning and commitment to service build a positive school culture and self-worth.

A safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment creates a foundation for belonging and mutual respect.

Communication, collaboration, and critical thinking are essential for success beyond middle school.

Authentic assessment and mastery-based learning ensure meaningful progress for all students.

Together, we cultivate an inclusive, engaging, and transformative learning environment where every student is valued, challenged, and empowered to succeed.

Content-Level Teams (CLTs):
Organized by grade level and subject area, CLTs are a cornerstone of professional collaboration at Gum Spring. They:

• Align instruction with curriculum guides, pacing frameworks, and county/state standards.
• Develop and analyze common assessments.
• Ensure consistency in instructional delivery.
• Meet weekly to reflect on practice and quarterly to analyze student data.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate: Advisory groups have been in place at HVMS since the 2018-2019 school year. This allows students to have voice and build relationships with trusted adults during their middle school years while learning about mindsets, emotional regulation, conflict resolution and work toward independent academic goals. Students participate in an advisory program facilitated by the same teacher for all three years at HVMS that includes opportunities for PBIS lessons, social emotional lessons, sessions to develop Opportunity Ready portfolios, and general team-bonding activities.

The school is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all: We want all students to be able to explore their academic and extracurricular interests. Diverse electives are offered for students to allow them to explore their interests and continue the development of opportunity ready skills and teachers encourage student agency in project or assignment selection. Additionally, all students at HVMS participate in clubs that meet monthly during the normal school day allowing students to cultivate peer relationships. 21 clubs were offered during the 2023-2024 academic year. Clubs are facilitated for one hour on the first Friday of the month. This ensures that students can be involved in clubs regardless of transportation access. Students can try out for sports teams including football, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, and track. Administration coordinates with PTSO to facilitate student socials each semester. Pep rallies and spirt weeks are held each athletic season. These events include class competitions, teacher-student competitions, and athletic team competitions. Unified Sports club partners with students in our FAACTs class to participate in the games. Regular school events that positively contribute to our school culture include quarterly PBIS “big reward” celebrations, band and choir concerts, end of year awards, field days, and spirit weeks.

Policies and practices are student-centered, unbiased, and fairly implemented: Our PBIS program and expectations for students are centered around the idea that students SOAR (are safe, organized, accountable and respectful) at HVMS. These expectations are found in every classroom/open learning space. We emphasize student reflections for behavior and help students identify how they can change their behavior to better align with SOAR expectations with every discipline event. A classroom and office managed system of discipline is implemented. Tiered systems of consequences exist to prevent unequitable/arbitrary assignment of consequences.

Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships: Administrators conduct an average of one daily walkthrough using a digital tool that highlights our performance as a school with elements of deeper learning and our strategic plan. To monitor our progress toward the goals set out in our strategic plan, the administrative team developed a walkthrough tool that we have been using since the start of the 2021-2022 school year. This walkthrough tool helps us collect daily data on our fidelity with our strategic plan. Upon completion of each walkthrough, a copy of a PDF summary is immediately emailed to the teacher whose classroom was visited. The administration shares a summary of weekly data in our “Friday Focus” memo that is distributed to HVMS faculty and staff.

A shared vision developed by all stakeholders guides every decision: Our leadership team (made up of one teacher from each grade-level, our counseling coordinator, a department chair from each content area, our instructional coach, our special education coordinator, our media specialist, the assistant principals, and principal) meets monthly to discuss our alignment with our strategic plan and instructional goals we have as a school. This instructional body in the building is used as the starting point for new initiatives so our teacher-leaders in the building have input before we implement changes in our school. Administration and the testing coordinator hold regular data meetings with teachers following growth assessments, formative assessments, and other major division-wide testing to assess areas needing intervention and identify students needing more support, resources, and possible tutoring opportunities.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be responsive.

"When you enter this building, YOU ARE…scientists, authors, leaders, explorers, readers, creators, thinkers, important, loved, friends... THE REASON WE ARE HERE." This powerful message greets students daily at Hudson Middle School, serving as a constant reminder of our commitment to an inclusive, inspiring, and supportive learning environment. We continually focus on being responsive to the unique developmental needs of young adolescents, crafting learning experiences that are specifically tailored to their social, emotional, and cognitive growth.

Our teachers and staff actively listen to students, weaving relevance and real-world application into learning experiences. They foster strong, positive relationships through collaboration and connection. This includes our Advisory Program, which builds meaningful connections and social skills. To meet individual needs, we provide differentiated instruction, comprehensive MTSS interventions, and a dedicated FOCUS period for personalized support.

Beyond our walls, Hudson Middle School thrives on strong community partnerships with organizations like the PTO, Kiwanis Club, and Hudson Community First. These collaborations offer invaluable mentorship and engaging opportunities for students to make a positive difference, ensuring every student feels valued, develops meaningful relationships, and contributes to the broader world.

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be empowering.

At Hudson Middle School, we empower students to own their learning and become leaders through hands-on learning and real-world experiences. Imagine designing 3D-printed STEM race cars, mapping latitude and longitude on the football field, or collaborating on art installations focused on belonging—these are just a few examples of how our students engage.

Our Service Learning & Careers course further inspires them to make a tangible difference, from building 3D-printed prosthetic hands for global recipients to designing their own impactful service projects. These efforts are beautifully complemented by character initiatives like our "Take a Second, Make a Difference" Kindness Cards, Portrait of an Explorer competencies, our One Book One School project, and our Advisory Program, all designed to build relationships and promote kindness.

Beyond the classroom, we're incredibly fortunate to have strong Family and Community Engagement. Students benefit from initiatives like AI Exploration Day with community mentors, a sixth-grade STEM Career Showcase, and partnerships with the City of Hudson. We also create meaningful experiences through collaborations where our students teach younger ones, engage with Fulbright Scholars, and even partner with students globally. This dedication to student leadership is reinforced by practices like our Principal Advisory Committee, where students help shape the school environment, and monthly "Students Making a Difference" celebrations. It's all designed to foster a deep sense of belonging and recognize the positive impact our students have every single day.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

RESPONSIVE

In an effort to ensure that all students are connected to at least one staff member, all students at J. L. Simpson Middle School participate in an advisory program. These small groups of 10-12 students meet regularly at scheduled times during the school day to focus on PBIS, community building, student engagement in academics and extracurriculars, social-emotional learning, and executive functioning skills.

Our School Leadership Team and Unified Mental Health Team (UMHT) meets as a collective Student Support Team monthly to discuss the diverse needs of our students and to develop and implement interventions based on individual student needs. This team consists of counselors, administrators, our school social worker, student assistance specialist, SPED / English Learner SALTs, cluster attendance officer, and school psychologist. Our family liaison also plays an important role in connecting staff, students, and families. Our Student Support Advisors develop Comprehensive Student Support Plans with representative members from the Student Support Team, appropriate additional staff based on student need, families, and students themselves to develop and engage structured interventions focused on promoting positive behavior and safety for the self and others.

As part of our Student Behavior and Accountability Committee, we have focused more on the use of restorative practices to promote a safe and inclusive environment for our students and help them understand how their behavior affects and impacts others while discouraging harmful actions. We also employ restorative / instructional circles to create a culture of belonging and help build community and connection. Tier 3 responses to student behaviors and safety concerns among students may also include restorative conferencing to provide an opportunity and process for students and families to resolve conflict and repair harm that has occurred. 

CHALLENGING

At JL Simpson Middle School, all students are enrolled in Honors level courses in English, Social Sciences, Science, and Mathematics to ensure that we are challenging each student to achieve at high levels.

Since 2019, our students have participated in our annual school-wide STEAM Day. This is an opportunity for students to participate in hands-on science, engineering, art, and math activities all day. Students engage in eight different stations throughout the day, including coding, robotics, engineering tasks and hearing from guest speakers from a variety of fields. For the past three years, we have partnered with our in-house Amazon Think BIG Space on this event.

We are also committed to fostering the professional growth of our teachers. To achieve this goal, we have implemented various opportunities throughout the school day for teachers to add to their toolboxes. These include, conducting peer walkthroughs and participating in EdCamp events. During the first semester, our focus areas were Student Engagement, Targeted Instruction using Small Groups, and Utilizing Rigor and Questioning Strategies. Teachers wrapped up the semester by conducting peer walkthrough observations based on their chosen focus areas.

ENGAGING

Our Mustang Professional Staff, Students, and Community are aligned to specific JLS Commitments and Core Values:

• Communication and Relationships
• Individual and Collective Accountability
• High Expectations with Heart and Open Doors to Opportunities for All
• Organization and Structure with Flexibility
• Visibility and Presence
• Welcoming, Affirming and Safe Environment for All

We employ the Fundamental 5 by Sean Cain and Mike Laird (Framing The Lesson, The Power Zone, Frequent Small Group Purposeful Talks, Recognize and Reinforce, Critical Writing) as the basis for a platform of instructional guidelines that are integrated into our administrative and peer walkthroughs, as well as our formal and informal teacher evaluation program.

The JLS Student Advisory Planning Team (SAPT) is a student-led committee which seeks to create personalized lessons based on extensive feedback provided by students. The committee meets twice a year as a day-long planning event. Originally a high school program, this team serves as a middle school pilot. The JLS SAPT consists of students who represent our diverse population in the following ways: race/ethnicity, gender, and enrollment in specialized programs, such as special education, English Learners, and Gifted and Talented. Our former students at the high school level took the lead in creating activity slides, moderating discussion, and facilitating team planning for advisory lessons. Through their collaborative efforts, Simpson students created a more personalized, engaging set of advisory lessons to share with the school.

We also work to intentionally engage students and their families throughout the year through student recognition efforts. Students are recognized in quarterly honor roll celebrations and families are invited to these events to celebrate. These celebrations occur during the school day to ensure that all students are able to participate. Each quarter, we also select and recognize students who exemplify HERD (Honorable, Engaged, Respectful, Determined) qualities. These students are recognized in front of their peers and receive HERD signs that are dropped off by staff members to display in their yards.

EMPOWERING

The Empowered Girls Program is dedicated to providing holistic support to Black and Hispanic female students. This affinity group aims to engage students in academic success, positive behavior, leadership opportunities, tools for college and career readiness, networking opportunities with other women and people of color, and a sense of belonging with a group of like-minded individuals.

Since the start of the program, members of Empowered Girls have attained success in several areas. Students have made personal improvements in grades through weekly homework support and by following academic contracts. Some students decreased reported behavioral infractions with sponsor intervention meetings and behavior contracts. Many practiced more self-reflection techniques after lessons from our Unified Mental Health Team. All thrived with leadership opportunities, such as cooking dinner for the community during our Parents as Educational Partners (PEP) nights, welcoming central office staff, parents, and Rising 6th graders at school-based events, and hosting International Night. The students learned more about potential career paths by attending events such as Amazon Girls Tech Day at George Mason University. Overall, our members built a kinship with similar girls who want to improve themselves and the community around them. The 2024-2025 season will bring Empowered Boys to the forefront, with a similar mission and vision in mind as our Empowered Girls team.

Our JLS Principal Student Advisory Committee (PSAC) meets twice quarterly to provide our school leadership team / Instructional Council feedback on our continuous school improvement initiatives from a student perspective. The committee consists of an intentionally diverse array of students in order to ensure that we are obtaining an appropriate variety of feedback concepts from our Mustangs in addition to surveys that are implemented during our advisory time. Our JLS PSAC recently re-aligned a new mission and vision/core values statement set in alignment with our division's OneLCPS initiative.

Grade 7 and 8 students work with our school leadership team and Mustang Professional Staff to create an engaging Stampede Into Simpson event for our Rising 6th graders where they participate in team-building exercises, STEM activities, and focus on developing positive communication and relationships with students and staff in support of a comfortable transition to middle school learning.

Our Grade 7 and 8 National Junior Honor Society members, as well as our high school feeder schools’ Grade 11 and 12 National Honor Society team, maintain a heavily structured, individually focused peer tutoring program in all subject areas as part of the VDOE’s All In Virginia Tutoring initiative. Students are able to receive academic peer support before school, during their resource/study hall time, as well as after school throughout the course of the school year.

EQUITABLE

While we celebrate the incredible diversity of our student and staff population, we are also a very economically diverse school community.  Nearly a third of our students are identified as economically disadvantaged.  For the last six years, we have held a back-to-school event in the community that demonstrates the greatest need for our resources.  During our annual Stampede Into the Community event, our staff and their families prepare and serve hundreds of meals to students and their families and distribute free school supplies.  During this event, we also connect with families to ensure access to their parent and student online accounts. For a second straight year in 2023-2024, we partnered with our feeder elementary school and our high school to increase the amount of support we are able to provide to families in need.

Our JLS Equity Team comprised of Student Equity Ambassadors and two lead teachers collaborate with our Student Council Association, Sources of Strength, Good morning, Mustangs! Morning Announcments crew, and other student groups in the development of monthly celebrations focused on celebrating our Welcoming, Affirming, Inclusive, and Safe Environment for each and every student, staff, and community member associated with Simpson. JL Simpson Middle School also recently earned a No Place for Hate School designation for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.

Our students are able to participate in a plethora of clubs and organizations that are available to students at no cost both during the day and after school. After-school buses run on club days to ensure that all of our students have transportation to and from these opportunities.

Propel Level Up is a program at Simpson which addresses equity through enrichment for high-achieving students underrepresented in STEM. This program runs for nine weeks during the fall and spring semesters and meets once a week after school. Throughout the program, students are engaged in a curriculum that promotes critical thinking and collaboration.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

An education for young adolescents should be Responsive, Challenging, Empowering, Equitable, and Engaging.

Kaimukī Middle School, a place with heart that challenges and strengthens the mind, body, and spirit, provides a positive learning environment that meets the unique needs of adolescents and their supporters. We believe that when students are challenged, engaged, and empowered, they thrive!

An effective middle school provides a culture that not only challenges students to meet high expectations but also encourages academic, social, and emotional growth. Kaimukī Middle School offers a rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and opportunities for accelerated programs to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and positive character development. Through purposeful teaming, collaborative data teams and a structured student concern process, we support continuous growth in all areas for both teachers and students. This strong foundation empowers teachers and students to work together toward excellence both in and out of the classroom.

At the heart of student engagement is effective classroom instruction. Our teachers use a variety of strategies that challenge and inspire learners, making lessons both rigorous and relevant. Through weekly advisory lessons and our unique STAR schedule (Study Hall, Tutoring, Advisory, and RTI), students receive support tailored to their individual needs. Students are given numerous opportunities to have a voice in their learning through discussions, collaborative projects, and exploring their strengths. This active participation not only deepens understanding but also develops confidence and agency. When high expectations and the support to reach them are paired with engaging, relevant learning opportunities, students at Kaimukī Middle School become empowered to take ownership of their education and contribute meaningfully to their community.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #2: The School Environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all.

Kamehameha Schools have a unique mission that utilizes Hawaiian culture as a cornerstone of all they do. The overarching essence of Kamehameha Schools is to develop a sense of pride and knowledge in their Hawaiian culture. The Hawaiian language is used throughout the schools and much of their instruction is provided with culture in mind. Students, staff, families, and the community are an integral part of teaching this culture and instilling a sense of pride in students based on who they are and their ancestral heritage. While most other schools have diverse cultures represented within the school rather than the singular culture of the Kamehameha Schools, there is much to learn and model from them. Their approach to self-esteem and pride in heritage can be replicated in any school, no matter the diversity of the setting. The basic tenets of cultural pride can be duplicated on teams or in the school as a whole community that is, in fact, unique from other schools. Indeed, Successful Middle Schools: This We Believe promotes this concept as a cornerstone of best practice. We would encourage schools to learn about Kamehameha Schools as they strive to develop their own unique school and/or team cultures.

Characteristic #3: Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate.

The Kamehameha Schools have a daily advisory program where students connect with their adult advisor in learning situations. These include SEL topics, Hawaiian culture, and current events. The advisors work closely with various community organizations in developing field trips pertinent to the organizations. SEL initiatives are a large part of this effort and initiatives include work with students who have experienced trauma, building positive relationships among students as well as students and adults, mentoring for students and adults, and school safety.

Characteristic #6: The school engages families as valued partners.

Kamehameha Schools embrace families in many aspects of the school experience. They reach out to all family members, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings to help support the schools through volunteer efforts. These include chaperoning dances and field trips, judging the school science fair, serving as speakers for interdisciplinary teams or for the total population, providing feedback on school initiatives, coffee hour get-togethers, and a Back to School Day where parents shadow their child for an entire day. In addition, they serve an important role in helping students understand and embrace their Hawaiian culture and legacy.

Characteristic #9: Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse.

Kamehameha Schools center their curriculum around the concept of interdisciplinary instruction to simulate real world learning. All students are members of interdisciplinary teams; four at each grade level, and each team consists of an English, science, social studies, and Hawaiian language teacher. The teachers have designed IDU’s that integrate content standards and deliver instruction based on a thematic approach rather than single subjects. This encourages students to explore multiple topics and develop diverse viewpoints. SEL competencies are embedded within these thematic units.

Characteristic # 17: Professional learning for all staff is relevant, long term, and job embedded.

The Leadership Team at the Kamehameha Schools is tasked with providing professional development opportunities that are relevant and responsive to the needs of students and faculty. Topics have included Adaptive Schools, PLC’s, Learning Forward, and Hawaiian culture experiences. The PLC’s have been designed to specifically focus on advancing the progress and growth of the schools, with topics including performance and evaluation, instruction and assessment, college and career readiness, and SEL. In addition, faculty has been provided multiple opportunities to attend conferences and workshops to enhance their professional knowledge of middle grades best practices.

Characteristic # 18: Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.

Kamehameha Schools have a particularly robust system of teams. In addition to a strong administrative team, they incorporate a teacher leadership team (content leads centered around the work of the PLC as well as operations), interdisciplinary teams (design integrated units of study, coordinate student workload, cultivate a sense of belonging among students, and monitor student well-being), and grade level support teams (meet weekly to discuss and respond to academic, behavioral, and social-emotional concerns). All staff members are involved in at least two of these teams, and the administrative team provides a framework for collaboration among all of the teams.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #2: The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all

The climate and culture of Laveen Elementary is grounded in positive relationships and serves as the foundation for academic growth, increased student attendance rates, consistent parent involvement, research-based instructional practices, innovative behavioral intervention programs, the initiation of school-wide social-emotional learning programs and the highest staff attendance and retention rate in the district. As a Title 1 school, it is essential to meet the needs of every member of our school family. This perspective has evolved into the understanding that we are an “ohana,” where “no family member is left behind or forgotten.”

Characteristic #3: Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate

Laveen is committed to the personal and academic wellness of each of its students. Each day 5th-8th grade students start the day in smaller advisory groups. Our advisory program is designed to create a strong support system that students need to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. By leveraging a robust 5th - 8th grade advisory program within a student-centered master schedule, students are more engaged, supported, and have every opportunity to thrive on campus.

Characteristic #5: Comprehensive counseling and support services meet the needs of young adolescents

The Student Success Team (SST) monitors the climate and culture of the school. This group consists of the assistant principal, both school counselors, the mindfulness coordinator and the behavior monitor. The SST meets weekly to discuss the social and emotional needs of individual students. Each team member provides updates on observations and student progress, supporting a restorative justice model. The SST works collaboratively with the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) grade-level team leaders to provide comprehensive support to all students.

Characteristic #9: Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse.

The middle school elective teachers design courses to meet the needs and interests of early adolescents based on student forecasting. Courses change each year, based on exploratory interests. In addition, Laveen provides opportunities for middle level students to sharpen talents or learn new skills by providing responsive curriculum and robust after school programming options.

Characteristic #10: Health, wellness, and social-emotional competencies are supported in curricula, school-wide programs, and related policies.

Having middle school students understand that they hold the key to being the “best version of themselves” is vital for their personal and academic success and for the cultivation of a positive school climate and culture. These goals are achieved through the school’s signature mindfulness program, which includes:

• Two full-time school counselors trained in mindfulness and yoga
• One full-time mindful school coordinator trained in trained in mindfulness and yoga
• 100+ teachers and staff trained in the foundations of mindfulness through mindfulschools.org
• “Second Step” social-emotional learning curriculum taught in grades PreK-8
• Student leadership opportunities (e.g., mindful mentors)
• Before school and after school yoga and breathing classes offered for all students and families
• Daily classroom breathing exercises to help students focus and excel
• A dedicated “healing room” to allow students to reset and refocus

Characteristic #18: Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.

Grade levels meet on a weekly basis and collaborate with the mindset of “planning and teaching with intention” to consistently foster a middle school learning environment that is relevant, challenging, participatory and motivating for all learners.

Teachers develop plans of action by creating and executing lessons in intervention and academic blocks. The middle school schedule has been created to provide individualized structured intervention and enrichment blocks for math and reading. For example, daily pre-algebra and algebra courses are offered, while other students work on acceleration goals to meet grade-level standards.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be Responsive

At Learning Community Charter School, middle school programming is intentionally designed to reflect and respond to student interests and needs. Weekly elective courses are offered to provide engaging learning opportunities beyond the core academic subjects, and a wide range of extracurricular clubs—such as chess, Dungeons & Dragons, cosmetology, personal finance, and podcasting—are created based on student input.

Students also participate in two “What I Need” (WIN) periods each week, allowing for personalized support through intervention, enrichment, or extended time with teachers. Social-emotional well-being is a school-wide priority, supported not only by three beloved therapy dogs who are present during arrival, dismissal, and throughout the day, but also through regular feedback opportunities. Quarterly student focus groups, led by the school counselor, shape academic offerings, school practices, and inform how faculty can better support students.

The school also fosters strong relationships through regular, affirming communication: faculty send personalized postcards to students following professional learning community sessions, and every middle school student receives a handwritten message over the summer from both the Head of School and the school counselor.

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be Challenging

The middle school academic program at LCCS is designed to challenge students while fostering critical thinking, cultural awareness, and collaboration. All 8th-grade students take Algebra I, with the opportunity to earn high school credit upon successful completion. Across all grade levels, curricular materials are selected with an emphasis on cultural responsiveness to ensure engagement and relevance for every student. 6th graders research a personal hero and produce a research paper and their own version of a TED talk about that personal hero at our school’s hero museum. In 7th grade, all students participate in the National History Day program, where they develop secondary-level research and presentation skills through in-depth exploration of historical topics.

An essential component of the middle school experience is the weekly Touchstones Discussion Project. In this program, students read texts from the global canon and engage in inclusive, student-led discussions that prioritize listening, questioning, and respectful dialogue. Rather than focusing on content mastery, Touchstones emphasizes engagement with complex ideas and collaborative thinking. Students sit in a circle, speak without raising hands, and reflect together on the quality of their conversations, setting goals to improve their discussions each week. This process strengthens students’ abilities in active listening, speaking, analytical reasoning, and teamwork—skills that are essential for academic and life success.

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be Empowering

Student leadership and mentorship are central to the middle school experience at LCCS. Through the Learning Community House System, students have the opportunity to serve as House Leaders, meeting weekly with a staff mentor to engage in leadership development and reflect on their roles within the school community. Peer leadership extends into the classroom as well, where a peer tutoring model allows students to support one another academically under the guidance of their teachers.

Middle school students are also deeply involved in mentoring younger peers. They volunteer in lower school chess clubs, teach environmental lessons through the Green Team (student environmental club), and lead civil rights lessons, serving as role models both academically and socially. In addition, students offer social-emotional mentorship to younger students through structured classroom partnerships.

Middle schoolers also play an important role in the life of the school community by acting as student guides during prospective parent visits and participating in the selection process for the faculty CIRCLE awards as members of the student council. Our student council officers interview all potential new employees at Learning Community. Our national junior honor society members act as school tour guides and regularly present to community members about opportunities at the middle school. These varied opportunities empower students to lead with empathy, initiative, and purpose.

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be Equitable

Learning Community Charter School is committed to providing comprehensive academic and personal support to middle school students as they prepare for high school and beyond. Faculty offer free after-school tutoring four days a week, while peer tutoring is available during lunch periods to ensure that students receive timely help and reinforcement in their studies. The high school application process is thoughtfully guided, with individualized support for every 8th-grade student. This includes help identifying schools of interest, completing applications and portfolios, preparing for placement tests, and access to free tutoring for academic entrance exams.

As part of their academic and civic learning, all 8th-grade students participate in a powerful trip to Georgia and Alabama to study the civil rights movement. They visit historic sites such as Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Equal Justice Initiative's Lynching Memorial and Museum, and the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and engage with civil rights activists to reflect on the movement’s legacy and their own roles in promoting justice. Additionally, LCCS’s mentor program pairs middle school students with adult mentors to provide consistent social-emotional support. Now expanding, the program is working toward its original vision of empowering mentees to grow into peer mentors themselves, fostering a culture of support, leadership, and connection across the middle school.

Essential Attribute: An education for young adolescents should be Engaging

At LCCS, student learning is made visible through Capstone Learning Experiences at each grade level, allowing students to share their knowledge and growth with the broader community. In 6th grade, students present projects on personal heroes as a culminating activity of their Holocaust unit. In 7th grade, students develop and present original research projects as part of National History Day, and in 8th grade, students synthesize their learning from the civil rights trip by designing and delivering lessons for younger students in the lower school.

Parents are regularly invited into the school to give presentations, strengthening the connection between home and school and enriching the learning environment. The school community comes together quarterly to celebrate student achievement in both attendance and academics, recognizing and reinforcing student success. The arts are a vibrant part of the curriculum, with courses taught by professional performing artists. Students choose from a range of offerings—including guitar, Afro-Caribbean drumming, playwriting, photography, art, acting, and hip hop dance—and work in small groups over two semesters, deepening their creative skills and self-expression through authentic instruction from working artists.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #2: The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all.

School Environment

Lee County Middle School East creates a culture and climate where all are welcome, and personalized environments foster the development and individuality of each student. The teaming approach allows for heterogeneously grouped small learning communities and provides a wide range of support for students’ physical, emotional, and intellectual development. Cooperative learning is an essential element of all classrooms at LCMSE, which builds a foundation of trust and teamwork within the learning environment. LCMSE encourages students to have input in the school’s operations. Surveys are used to elicit student ideas and interests and provide feedback. An advisory time is built in weekly to support social and emotional learning.

Characteristic #4: School safety is addressed proactively, justly, and thoughtfully.

School Safety

Lee County Middle School East fully implements Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to foster a safe and positive learning environment that promotes and rewards positive behavior. Procedures and protocols are in place to allow students the opportunity to correct behavior through a progressive discipline model. A badge system is used to support the PBIS and progressive discipline model. Students are required to wear their badges daily. In addition, LCMSE has a full-time school resource officer and WatchDOGS (DADS OF GREAT STUDENTS) program that allows male role models to volunteer within the school. The school also partners annually with the local sheriff's department to teach students about internet safety.

Characteristic #6: The school engages families as valued partners.

Family Engagement

Lee County Middle School East embraces the effect size research of John Hattie and recognizes the impact of parent involvement on student achievement. Therefore, Lee County Middle School East strives to continually partner with and educate parents with opportunities such as quarterly Parent Universities, Title Nights, STEM Days, Student Led Conferences, PTO, and WatchDOGS. In addition, LCMSE provides opportunities for parents to be involved in the school’s decision-making processes through surveys, PTO, and the school council.

Characteristic #8: Educators are specifically prepared to teach young adolescents and possess a depth of understanding in the content areas they teach.

Teacher Readiness

At LCMSE, teachers participate in content-specific professional learning throughout the year to enhance their professional practices, including instructional strategies that are varied, challenging, and engaging for students at all levels. Teachers in the same content areas also participate in data team meetings during common planning to discuss student growth and plan differentiation based on individual needs. In addition, teams work collaboratively to integrate curriculum in all content areas into Problem-Based Learning (PBLs) and Interdisciplinary Units (IDUs). These student-centered approaches to learning allow teams the flexibility to implement block scheduling which fosters in-depth inquiry, extended projects with hands-on experiences, and problem-based learning.

High Academic Expectations

At Lee County Middle School East, high academic expectations are met with rigorous academic standards while maintaining an acute awareness of students’ needs and interests. Teachers participate in content-specific professional learning throughout the year to enhance their professional practices, including instructional strategies that are varied, challenging, and engaging for students at all levels. Various assessment methods, coupled with consistent data teaming, allow for monitoring student progress and drive instruction. In addition, data teaming allows teachers to develop Extended Learning Time (ELT) groups, small groups in class, and differentiated lessons to fit the needs of students. Students with special needs are included in the general education setting and have the same learning opportunities, goals, and high expectations as those in general education. Because of this daily practice, LCMSE sees growth in Beacon, GMAS, and Universal Screener data.

Characteristics #12: Varied and ongoing assessments advance learning as well as measure it.

Assessments

Formative assessments are integrated daily into the learning process using a variety of approaches such as questioning strategies, observations, and tickets out the door at the most basic level. Collaborative planning allows teachers to plan for common formative assessments. Formative and summative assessments are analyzed to drive instruction based on student needs. Teachers consistently monitor data gathered through these assessments (CFAs) by subject and grade level to ensure the uniformity and equity of learning opportunities across teams.

Characteristic #18: Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.

Intentional organization

Effective leadership is critical to a school’s success. The administration is involved in the day-to-day operations of the school and is responsible for ensuring that existing policies and practices make the school an equitable, just, and welcoming place, ensuring that school improvement happens through every possible means.

Stakeholders are integral to the decision-making process and include faculty, staff, parents, and business partners. Teacher leadership is cultivated by designating lead teachers to serve on the school leadership team and in other capacities. The school leadership team meets monthly to review the School Improvement Plan, student discipline, achievement data, attendance data, technology data, and intervention data.

The school also has an active Student Government Association (SGA) and a PBIS Student Advisory Committee, which provide opportunities for student leadership.

Hybrid Schedule

Lee County Middle School East implements a hybrid schedule. The schedule allows general education teachers and special education teachers to plan so they can discuss students’ achievement levels collaboratively. The schedule also allows an extra thirty minutes on block days for study hall so teachers can remediate and help students with missing work. Finally, the hybrid schedule allows a co-led teaching approach where connection teachers support students in the classroom.

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Characteristic #2: The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all.

A collaborative culture

Lee County Middle School West prides itself on being an establishment that believes a student learns and thrives in a school that is a family. One of our best attributes is our school climate. At West, our faculty and staff love coming to work, love each other, and love building a stable and nurturing community that best serves our students. Together, we really are a famiLEE. We fully embrace the middle school concept and care deeply about the students as well as the school as a whole. We believe in creating a strong collaborative culture that embodies trust and mutual respect. We believe that every choice made should be what is in the best interest of our students.

Characteristic #9: Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse

WIN – What I Need program

One way LCMSW strives to meet the needs of students is through our WIN program. WIN stands for What I Need and is a daily school-wide extended learning time. WIN was created to provide students more time to explore their interests, enrich their learning, and/or allow for remediation with identified deficit areas. WIN classes are based on student interests and teacher recommendations. WIN is not only student-centered, but also fluid; as the needs of LCMSW students change, so do WIN classes.

Our WIN classes include Student News Programming, novel studies, 3-D design, Coding for Girls, STEM, Robotics, Forensics, Personal Finance, and Trojan Scholars, which is a multi-age peer tutoring program that hosts approximately 100 students every day and requires students to set weekly goals, collaborate with their partners, and develop personal and peer accountability. Having a designated time each day for WIN gives competition teams, such as Model UN, Bridge Building, and Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) the opportunity during the school day to work on projects, enabling students to participate in extracurricular activities during school hours. WIN classes also give teachers an opportunity to interact with students outside of their grade level and team and give students an opportunity to develop relationships with teachers they wouldn’t normally see.

Characteristic #1: Educators respect and value young adolescents

Student committees

LCMSW also gives students a voice through student committees. At West, we know that students are the ones with their fingers on the pulse of our culture and climate. Our school’s culture ultimately falls in the hands of our students, so we want to hear from them! We have a student PBIS team, Trojan Leaders, that meets during WIN and analyzes PBIS data, confers over underlying causes of leading behavior trends, and creates surveys, lesson plans, and video content for the school news.

We also have a student advisory committee that meets with the principal to talk about student perspectives and school needs as well as a Student Government Association that meets monthly to discuss needs and community service ideas and projects. These committees consist of a diverse group of students and inform school leaders and teachers about the needs and wants of our student body.

Characteristic #6: The school engages families as valued partners

Student-led conferences

As a school community, LCMSW strives to build family connections and facilitate students in practicing communication skills, as well as accountability, through student-led conferencing (SLC). Student-led conferences are exactly what they seem - a parent conference led by the student. In these conferences, students demonstrate their skills and knowledge to their parents through work samples, reflections, and goals. Parents and students have the opportunity to create goals together, including family goals, and both parents and students are able to provide feedback for teams to improve the practice every year. For students who cannot have a parent or guardian attend, other teachers in the building volunteer to meet with those students during planning. SLC is a practice that is rewarding for students, parents, and teachers.

Lee County Middle School West believes that students learn where they are loved. We believe the most successful students are those who are given a voice, opportunity, and a safe place to make mistakes as well as accomplish greatness, and we strive to provide that for each and every student in our building.