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Middle school shows large writing gains; Leader in Me survey shows progress, principals tell board
Summary
Middle school leaders reported big year-over-year gains in English language arts writing proficiency, mixed results in math, and a Leader in Me (MRA) survey score of 73 with higher participation than targeted.
West York Area School District middle school leaders presented spring academic and climate results to the board, reporting substantial year-long gains in writing proficiency, uneven math results by unit, and Leader in Me (MRA) survey results the administration described as “sufficient” but still short of the effective range.
Melissa Hedgecock, president of student council, opened with a student report on activities and senior celebrations and noted that "The Foundation awarded over $70,000 in scholarships to our seniors." She also described the May events and upcoming graduation activities.
Matt Manasi, acting middle school principal, and teachers summarized English language arts (ELA) work that focused teachers on three rubric elements—focus, organization and content—and used a common-assessment approach and item analysis to drive instruction. Mr. Long, who presented the ELA data, reported that sixth grade moved from about 40% proficiency at the start of the year to 94% by the end; seventh grade improved from approximately 11% to 68%; and eighth grade rose from roughly 24% to the high 70s. Long said teacher-developed common assessments and attention to scoring reliability drove much of the gain: "We went from 40 at the start of the year to a 68 midyear in January, now a 94." (presentation excerpt)
Math teachers reported overall department proficiency of about 68% for the year, with unit-level variation that prompted follow-up questions about how units were taught and where reteaching is needed. The math presentation emphasized the need to use item analysis to create targeted interventions and enrichment.
On the Leader in Me MRA survey, the district reported higher-than-target participation: a student target of 500 produced 588 responses; staff participation hit 62 (target 65) and family responses increased to 102 from 64 last year. The overall MRA score of 73 placed the school in the sufficient range, and administrators reported a 41% reduction in disciplinary incidents over four years that they attributed in part to the consistent Leader in Me practices.
The board asked clarifying questions about assessment formats, scoring reliability and how student input will be used by the Lighthouse team to guide next year’s goals. Administrators said they would return with professional-development plans and a narrower set of WIGs (wildly important goals) for next year.
