School Improvement Plan 2007–2008
School name: Holland Middle School
Brian O. McDonald, Principal
Administrative District: East Administrative District
The mission of William S. Holland Middle School is to encourage life-long learners by building self esteem, establishing a safe environment, and incorporating technology within an innovative, diverse, and rigorous curriculum. Our vision is to ensure that all members of the learning environment are rigorously instructed in order to receive the education for a college bound culture.
William S. Holland Middle School is located in Pleasantville which is an east Houston community that is in the highly industrialized Houston Ship Channel area. The community is a well established neighborhood where most of the residents are senior citizens. The neighborhood organization is the Pleasantville Civic Association. More than ninety percent of our students do not reside in the community and must travel to school utilizing the district’s transportation. The students live in various apartment complexes near two major freeways which are interstate ten and the east loop. A high number of families are of low socioeconomic status.
The current enrollment at Holland for the Fall of 2007 is seven hundred seventy students. The ethnic distribution includes 60% Hispanic, 36% African American, 3% White, and 1% other.
Holland serves students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Programs offered are Regular Education, Advanced Academics, Advancement Via Individual Determination, Special Education, Title One, Vocational Education, English as a Second Language, and Fine Arts.
Holland has many extracurricular activities that assist in making students well-rounded individuals. In addition to football, basketball, track, volleyball, and golf, established clubs and activities include the National Honor Society, the Red Cross Club, Yearbook staff, Young Ladies of Elegance, Young Brothers, Cheerleading, Guitar Club, Student Council, Broadcast Journalism Class, Drama Club, and Science Club.
Analysis
Analysis of the 2007 TAKS tests results reveals that the achievement levels improved in Reading, Mathematics, Writing, and Social Studies when compared to the 2006 TAKS tests. Sixth grade Reading increased from 70% to 83%. Seventh grade Reading increased from 57% to 71%. Eighth grade Reading increased from 72% to 78%. Sixth grade Math increased from 37% to 59%. Seventh grade Math increased from 41% to 48%. Eighth grade Math increased from 47% to 51%. Seventh grade writing increased from 74% to 87%. Eighth grade Social Studies increased from 67% to 79%. Eighth grade Science decreased from 39% to 37%.
William S. Holland Middle School’s SMART Goals are that all students taking the 2008 Reading TAKS will meet or exceed a score of 90%, all 8th grade students taking the 2008 Science TAKS will meet or exceed a score of 70%, and all students taking the 2008 Mathematics TAKS will meet or exceed a score of 50%.
Quality Planning
William S. Holland Middle School will continue to provide common planning time for teachers. Teachers will continue to work collaboratively to plan lessons, create and use common assessments and benchmarks, and analyze data to improve instruction and identify students needing interventions. Interventions will include in-school tutorials, student projects and homework, teacher – student simple exchange, increased parent participation in reporting student progress.
Professional development will continue to focus on curriculum alignment, team collaboration, data analysis, interventions, and teaching and learning strategies that will assist students in retaining concepts.
Continuous Improvement and Evaluation
Holland Middle School will partner with Just for Kids to focus on student performance, character education, the five E model, and improved discipline.
There will be continuous daily collaboration with strategic planning and adjustments among subject and grade level teachers. The planning will include the instructional approach for the required objectives and TEKS, classroom activities, resources, technology assessments, specific interventions, co-teaching, content mastery, ESL strategies, and constant monitoring of student success. The 2008 TAKS results and the End-of-Course exams will be used as a summative evaluation of student achievement.