AMLE2012: School Visits

• See exemplary middle school practices in action.
• Talk with teachers, administrators, and students.
• Hear firsthand the challenges and rewards of implementing what you learn at the conference.
• Ask about lessons learned and improvements made.

Register early—school visits sell out quickly!
School visit participants must have a ticket to attend. Tickets must be purchased with conference registration.

All School Visits will take place on Thursday, November 8, 2012

SV01 ($40)
Meadow Park Middle School
A Diverse School with Diverse Programs: Nurturing Internationally-minded Individuals
Visit objectives: MYP/Summa/Two-Way Immersion
School demographics: American Indian 1%, Asian/Pacific Islander 18%, Black 4%, Hispanic 26%, White 44%, Other 7%

Meadow Park is known for its diverse student population and programs tailored to individual needs. Our Summa Program serves profoundly gifted students testing in the 97-99% percentile in cognitive ability, math, and reading. We have a Two-Way Immersion Program currently for sixth and seventh graders in which part of the core classes are taught in Spanish. In Fall 2012, we will implement the Middle Years Program to receive authorization as an International Baccalaureate World School.

SV02 ($40)
Clear Creek Middle School
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)— The Road to College
Visit objectives: Participants will see how AVID has provided a road to greater rigor and college readiness
School demographics: 66% FRL, 21% Hispanic, 7% Black, 10% Multi-racial, 12% LEP

Clear Creek Middle School became the first AVID National Demonstration School in Oregon, February, 2011. We reached this goal by embracing AVID's mission to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. Our AVID journey has helped all students in our school do rigorous work to meet or exceed high standards in each content area. Our students are learning content-specific strategies for reading, writing, thinking, and talking.

SV03 ($40)
Happy Valley Middle School
This We Believe: Empowering Student Voice
Visit objectives: Personalizing school through active leadership and student writing.
School demographics: Happy Valley Middle School is suburban school that serves grades 6, 7, and 8, and has a current enrollment of 965 students.

Happy Valley Middle School (HVMS) empowers student voice and personalizes the educational experience through a required student leadership program and a multiyear writing project that culminates in a published book. Students write and share stories rooted in the common values that unite the school community. With a deeper understanding of the school's core values, and by sharing stories, HVMS fosters a strong sense of community, celebrates the art of writing, and empowers student leaders.

SV04 ($40)
Irvington School
From Beliefs to Actions—A Framework for Culturally Relevant Teaching
Visit objective: During the school visit, participants will gain an understanding of how middle level teachers implemented Collaborative Action Research for Equity (CARE) to create equitable academic outcomes for all students, and how implementing culturally relevant practices deepened engagement for students of color.
School demographics: Irvington is a historic K-8 school in northeast Portland. Irvington is also one of 10 Beacon schools in PPS leading the way in creating equitable outcomes for all students. School enrollment is about 500 students, including 115 middle grades students. Racial/ethnic background includes 21.9% African American, 2.1% Asian, 12.2% Hispanic, 0.8% Native American, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 52.8% White, and 9.7% Multi-racial. Free and reduced lunch student population is 41%.

Background information: Last year, six teachers and one instructional specialist joined together as a CARE (Collaborative Action Research for Equity) team. The teachers identified a focus group of 2-6 students of color and developed culturally responsive lessons based on peer observation and coaching.

CARE (Collaborative Action Research for Equity) teachers started with the belief that students can succeed if schools recognize students' cultures as vehicles for learning. Participants will hear stories and see data illustrating the successes—and challenges—of implementing CARE. It's a chance to hear about the impact of students' self-assessment of learning by examining race as a factor in the achievement gap. See teachers in action as they integrate culturally relevant teaching.

SV05 ($40)
International School of Beaverton
Empowering Students as Learners in a Global Community
Visit objectives:

• Infusing globalism into all content areas
• Criterion-based assessment
• Engaging students in developmentally responsive and rigorous curriculum

School demographics: The International School of Beaverton (ISB) is an Option School within the Beaverton School District serving 820 sixth through twelfth grade students. Students apply for admission and are selected through a lottery. As an authorized IB World School, sixth through tenth graders participate in the Middle Years Program while every eleventh and twelfth grader prepares to earn an IB Diploma in the Diploma Program. Although we view our programs as grades 6-10 and 11-12, we are required to report our demographics separately for grades 6-8 and 9-12:

• Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12
• Native American 0% 1%
• Asian/Pacific Islander 28% 20%
• Black 1% 2%
• Hispanic 13% 20%
• White 48% 46%
• Multiple 9% 9%
• ESL 1% 1%
• Sp Ed 1% 2%
• TAG 39% 29%

The International School of Beaverton's mission is to create thoughtful, compassionate world citizens by embracing intellectual rigor, intercultural respect, and service to our local and world communities. You'll see how ISB engages students in a learning community while challenging them through the rigorous Middle Years Program. As an "IB for All" school we strive to prepare all students for success in the IB Program and college.

SV06 ($40)
Valor Middle School
Closing the Achievement Gap through Collaborative Planning and Learning: One School's Journey
Visit objectives: Visitors will be able to understand the successful organization of Valor Middle School.
School demographics: 70% Latino, 18% Russian, and 12% Anglo. 37% of ELL(English Language Learners) students. 88% of students in free or reduced lunch.

Valor Middle School (VMS) has been involved in bilingual education for 11 years as one of the only secondary schools in the Northwest to offer content classes in Russian, Spanish, and English. Its history includes being one of the most ineffective schools in the state of Oregon, to becoming one of Oregon's top 10 schools and receiving the Oregon Department of Education Closing the Achievement Gap award in 2010 and the Continuing Success Award in 2011. The structure of VMS supports the diverse learning needs of its students and prepares them to achieve challenging goals and aspirations. This school visit will show participants the complex leadership and organization of a multilingual-multicultural school.