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MAKING MEANING in MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC: CREATING A CLIMATE FOR ENHANCED ACHIEVEMENT

Presented at

Annual Conference of

New York State Staff Development Council (NYSSDC)Syracuse, NY

Co-Presenters:Joan Mallory, Dion Harrigan & Stuart Knapp

Nyack College, Nyack, NY 10960Phone: 845. 675.4547

Fax: 845.358.0874joan.mallory@nyack.edudion.harrigan@nyack.edustuart.knapp@nyack.edu

May 7, 2009

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Presentation OutlineSECTION PRESENTER TIME (min.)

Introduction Stuart 5 Fiddler Joan 30 MS Advisor/Advisee & Dion 20

Service Learning Learning Climate Stuart 10 Music & Math Joan 50 MS ITO & Coop. Groups Dion 10 Music & Science` Joan 40 Summary Stuart 5 Q & A Joan, Dion, Stuart 10

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Presentation Goals

• To share the Top Ten components of Exemplary Middle Schools

• To provide ideas on how to integrate music into service-learning projects

• To help participants develop Advisor-Advisee & Service-Learning ideas

• To gain insights and ideas from each other

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Advocacy & Alliances Through Advisories

Definition: ADVISORY Organized group w/1 adult & approx. 12 studentsMeets at least 1x daily1st 20 min. of day collaborate on projects at school or outings

away from schoolevery student & staff in school is an advisory memberpowerful outward & visible sign of school’s

commitment to caring about & being responsive to its students

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Goals of an Advisory• Advocacy• Academic guidance & support• No child slips through the cracks• Belonging• Be there for your students• Communication • students & adults at school connect w/adults in home• Activities• Administration• Ownership• Most students just want someone to ask them about

themselves• Recognition• Make recognition & celebration come to every student

frequently• Citizenship• Students need & value opportunities to do things that

are worthwhile in the sight of others

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How to keep a daily assignment notebook & monthly calendarReview schedules for tests, due dates, & help sessionsHow to take notesProofreading & peer editorsStudying for testsMnemonic devicesStudying & doing homework togetherGeneral study skillsRecognizing differences in standards of schoolworkPersonal health & wellnessDecision-making

Important advisory topics

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• Classr’m & hallway bulletin boards/display cases• Writing for school newspaper• Big/little buddy• Performing play/skit• Hosting visitors• Advisory team sponsors: poetry contest, dress-up day, • talent show, hat day, pep rally, holiday celebration• Recognition event• Sponsoring a spirit award for the Advisory-of-the-Month

Advisory Projects

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Top Middle School Components1. A staff which is knowledgeable and committed to

the early adolescent.2. Interdisciplinary team organization.3. An advisor/advisee program.4. An Exploratory program.5. A curriculum based on the needs and

characteristics of early adolescents.6. A wide variety of instructional strategies.7. A flexible master block schedule.8. An emphasis on heterogeneous groupings with

opportunities to group and and re-group students within the block.

9. The inclusion and collaborative model of special education.

10. A principal who is knowledgeable about and committed to middle school philosophy, programs, practices, and kids! (This We Believe, 1995; Turning Points, 1989)

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Service Learning Defined

• A method by which young people learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences.

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Rationale• Connection to the

community • Career opportunities• Integration of

curriculum• Success for at-risk

students• Meaningful, real world

experiences

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Service Themes

Music

Child Care The EnvironmentSocial Services

Elderly

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Figure 1. 9 Context-Setting Characteristics (after Purkey & Smith, 1985)

CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION

1A. School-site Mgt. autonomy from central office

1B. Democratic

decision-

making

invited participation of parents & staff

2. Leadership behavior resulting in the facilitation of change

3. Staff stabilityinfrequent transfer of staff; high level of employee consistency

4. Curric. articulation and organization

coordinated planned curriculum which increases % of students’ engaged learning time

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9. District

supportdistrict office recognizes efforts of school staff and provides needed resources

8. Maximized

learning

time

more of school day & class periods are disruption & interruption-free

7. School-wide

recognition of

academic

success

publicly honoring student academic effort, improvement and achievement in moving toward standard of excellence encourages students to adopt similar values

6. Parent

involvement

and support

welcoming parent input & support for homework, Attendance & discipline impacts positively on student motivation & performance

5. Staff Development ongoing; links staff concerns to schools’ needs

CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION

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FIGURE 1.2 CLIMATE AND CULTURE-SETTING CHARACTERISTICS

10. Collaborative planning

& collegial

relationships,

11. Sense of community,

CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION

working together; dissolving

barriers separating staff, administration & departments blending ideas, feelings & beliefs; seeking common agreements which coalesce into consensus;

feelings of collective solidarity & bonding;

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rules are mutually agreed,

fairly& consistently enforced.13. Order and discipline,

energy of staff & students is channeled toward mutually shared purposes

12. Clear goals & high expectations commonly shared,

FIGURE 1.2 CLIMATE AND CULTURE-SETTING CHARACTERISTICS (Cont.)

CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION

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• Climate• The way people

behave, respond, react, given a goal target or direction.

• The surface level of a culture (Sun, 2007).

Culture1. What people believe,

their values, attitudes, and convictions.

The deeper level e.g. values that are reflected in goals, laws, curriculum delivery. (Sun, 2007).

Defining (Distinguishing) Climate & Culture

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OUT-OF SCHOOL

CONDITIONS

          Federal

          State

          Local

  Community

TRANSFORMATIONALLEADERSHIP·   Vision-building·   Providing individual support·   Providing Intellectual support·   High Performance·   Contingent reward

IN-SCHOOL CONDITIONS·     School goals·     Culture·     Programs & Instruction·     Policies & Organization·     Resources

Teachers’

Commitment to

Change          Personal goals

          Context beliefs

          Capacity beliefs

FIGURE 3. A Model to Explain Teacher Commitmentto Change

Source: Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D., & Fernandez, A. 1994, p. 80. (In Murphy & Louis, Eds.)

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Interdisciplinary & Inter-thematic Curricular Designs

• Interdisciplinary Instruction defined:

More than 1 teacher working cooperatively to develop & create educational opportunities

• Interdisciplinary Curriculum defined:

more than 1 discipline examining a central theme, issue, topic or

problem

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Characteristics of Core Curriculum Model

•Investigating issues more important than right answers•Students become problem-solvers (groups)•Students’ needs & interests are core curriculum•Students turn-

from issues of latest fads & fashions

to deeper concerns/issues of substance

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Student-centered Themes

• Self-identity

• Human relationships

• Environment

• Wealth/poverty

• War/peace

• Cultural diversity

• Racism

• Freedom/independence

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Summary & Conclusions

• This presentation has attempted to share several key factors which recent research has shown to directly influence student performance for Middle Schoolers.

• It would seem that these factors also might benefit students at other age/grade/achievement levels.

• On behalf of your presenters-

Joan Mallory, Dion Harrigan & Stuart Knapp • Thank you for entering the discussion today!

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REFERENCES

Baines, E., Blatchford, P., & Kutnick, P. (2003). Changes in grouping practices over primary and secondary school. International Journal of Educational Research, 39(1/2), 9-34.

Barker, B. (2007). The leadership paradox: Can school leaders transform student outcomes? School Effectiveness and School Improvement. 18 (1), 21-43.

Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development. (1989). Turning points: Preparing American youth for the 21st century. Washington, DC.

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Creemers, B. P. M. (2002). From school effectiveness and school improvement to effective school improvement: background theoretical analysis and outline of the empirical study. Educational Research and Evaluation, 8 (4), 343-362.

Fruen, L. (2001), Enriching the curriculum. Science Teacher.68(1), 8.

Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D., & Fernandez, A. (19994). Transformational leadership and teachers’ commitment to change. In Murphy, J. & Louis, K. (Eds.), Reshaping the principalship: Insights from transformational reform efforts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Hoy, W. & Miskel, C. (1991). Educational administration: Theory, research and practice, 4e. Educational Administration Quarterly, 22.

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Nat. Middle School Assn. (1995). This we believe: Developmentally responsive middle level schools. Columbus, OHPapanastasiou, C. (2008). A residual analysis of effective

schools and effective teaching in mathematics. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 34(1), 24-30.

Purkey, S. & Smith, M. (1985). School reform: The district policy implications of the effective schools literature. The Elementary School Journal, 85(3), 353-389.

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Scheffel, D., Shaw, J. & Shaw, R. (2008). The efficacy of a supplemental multisensory reading program for first- grade students. Reading Improvement. 45(3), 139-152.Sun, H., Creemers, B., deJong, R. (2007). Contextual factors

and effective school improvement. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 18(1), 93-122.

Wikely, F., Stoll, L., Murillo, J., & deJong, R. (2005). Evaluating effective school improvement: Case studies of programmes in eight European countries and their contribution to the effective school improvement model. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 16, 387-405.