John F. Kennedy Middle
School has
been selected to participate in study
of turnaround middle schools across
the country.......
Utica, NY - March 11, 2002 -- John
F. Kennedy Middle school has been selected as one of nine high-
performing middle schools from across the nation to participate in an evaluative
study sponsored by the US
Department of Education and conducted by the Charles A. Dana Center at The University
of Texas at Austin.
This project seeks to understand
the characteristics of turnaround middle schools as well as how these
schools improved performance. In order to be selected, each school had to meet
the following criteria:
*score at or above the state average
in both reading/language arts and mathematics on state specified tests;
*show strong growth rates in both
reading/language arts and mathematics for a multi-year period; and
*be recommended by experts in middle grade education as a school that is a good place for students.
Three project members will conduct
a four-day site visit to the school between November 2001 - March
2002. During the site visit, the team will interview principals, teachers, district
administrators, and
community members to capture (a) the essential features of turnaround middle
schools, and (b) the
essential features of the change process that facilitates the evolution of improved
schools.
The Dana Center will use this information
to produce an in-depth case study of the school, as well as
contribute to a cross-case analysis that emphasizes the nine schools' common
practices and policies. This
report, which will be released in December 2002, by the US Department of Education,
will inform schools
attempting similar reform efforts as well as policy makers and interest parties
about the practices and
procedural knowledge are necessary for school change to be successful. It will
provide information and
recommendations that can be used in understanding and improving education services
for students in
middle schools.
The three project members from the
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas in
Austin vistied JFK the week of March 11th. Above are picture of the project
members with
Mr. Karam, Principal.