Campus Improvement Plan

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Demographics

Demographics Summary

In preparation for the 2021-2022 school year, Northbrook Middle School's Guiding Coalition developed a new mission, vision, and values that will guide our work moving forward. At NMS, we exist to ensure Every Child learns and makes impactful choices that igKNIGHT a purposeful future. This mission statement was created with our campus demographics in mind.

At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, there were 530 students enrolled on the campus. Of the 530 students, approximately 94% were Hispanic, 3% were White, 3% were African American, and 1% was Asian. With respect to special programming, about 70% of our students were English Learners (ELs) with a high number of long-term ELs, 15% were students who receive special education, and approximately 3% were Newcomers. We proudly served a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, approximately 97%, receive free or reduced lunch.

NMS ended the school year with an overall attendance at 93% which was a drastic improvement from the beginning of the year when the attendance hovered around 78%.

Demographics Strengths

Northbrook Middle School celebrates the following strengths: 

• Newly created and adopted mission, vision, values, and goals
• The student enrollment remains consistent, if not increases each year.
• Staff adapts to the needs of the school.
• Master schedule created to meet the needs of the students.
• Increase of .02% in overall student attendance.

Problem Statements Identifying Demographics Needs

Problem Statement 1: Many of our students lack the needed language proficiency to exit the ESL program. Root Cause: Intentional practices are not implemented to support language proficiency in all 4 language domains in all classes.

Problem Statement 2: Many students come to us with limited experiences, background knowledge, and language. Root Cause: Lack of access, opportunities and, in some cases, formal education.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Student Learning

Student Learning Summary

Northbrook Middle School started intensive PLC work with Solution Tree and Brig Leane during the 2020-2021 school year. Through the training, we discovered there were gaps in our PLC implementation across departments and grade levels. As a result, we started the work to tighten our PLC structures to aid in increases in student achievement.

Below are the 2020-2021 STAAR data:

Reading:
6th Grade: Approaches 32% (-12%); Meets 9% (-5%); Masters 2% (-1%)
7th Grade: Approaches 35% (-21%); Meets 16% (-13%); Masters 7% (-6%)
8th Grade: Approaches 51% (-13%); Meets 22% (-6%); Masters 7% (N/C)

Math:
6th Grade: Approaches 47% (-17%); Meets 20% (-3%); Masters 6% (N/C)
7th Grade: Approaches 37% (-20%); Meets 14% (-14%); Masters 5% (-8%)
8th Grade: Approaches 50% (-33%); Meets 24% (-15%); Masters 3% (+2%)
Algebra I: Approaches 96% (-4%); Meets 86% (-5%); Masters 36% (-28%)

Writing:
7th Grade: Approaches 26% (-9%); Meets 8% (-4%); Masters 0% (-2%)

Science:
8th Grade: Approaches 46% (-9%); Meets 23% (+2%); Masters 10% (+2%)

Social Studies:
8th Grade: Approaches 35% (N/C); Meets 10% (+1%); Masters 1% (-2%)

Student Learning Strengths

Northbrook Middle School has a population of committed teachers who want the best for our students.

Specifically, we are elated with the following strengths:

• The increase in Meets and Masters level performance in Science.
• The increase in Meets level performance in Social Studies.

Problem Statements Identifying Student Learning Needs

Problem Statement 1: Our student achievement data declined in every content and grade level based on the 2020-2021 STAAR data. Root Cause: Collaborative teams failed to consistently implement the PLC process and failed to prepare students for online testing.
Problem Statement 2: Our student achievement data indicates a gap in performance for our special populations when compared to their peers. Root Cause: Teachers are not differentiating and scaffolding at the appropriate level to meet students' needs.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

School Processes & Programs

School Processes & Programs Summary

Personnel: As an Instructional Leadership Team, we drafted interview questions that aligned to our new campus mission, vision, and campus needs. With this, we collaboratively interviewed and selected potential applicants who fit our campus profile. Our new teachers will participate in the SBISD New Teacher Academy, based on years of experience, and/or campus-based new teacher activities to support retention. In addition, we will prioritize staff retention through intentional professional development, daily collaborative team meetings, instructional leadership support, and clear systems and structures. Furthermore, we will intentionally celebrate staff for progressing towards, meeting, or exceeding campus goals and expectations.

Professional Practice: Professional development is based on the needs of the campus as assessed through various metrics, including student achievement data and surveys from stakeholders. The district has a clear vision and goal of T-2-4, as well as, strong core values to guide our work. This goal of post-secondary readiness guides our campus-based goal setting and our values guide how we do business. As a campus instructional leadership team, in collaboration with our staff, we assess our current state and set our goals based on this district vision. We then identify gaps and work toward continuous improvement through an effective PLC culture.

Programs and Opportunities: Through careful analysis of various data sources, the campus leadership team has identified two foci for the campus - School Culture and Data-Driven Instruction. With these foci as the driver, the campus will implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), provide more opportunities for student voice and celebrations, and a stronger social-emotional program. In addition, our student achievement data supported a redistribution of staffing units to create courses that support Newcomers and long-term English Learners (ELs) as ELs make up over 70% of our campus population. In addition, staffing units were redistributed to provide more opportunities and choice for our students in the areas of CTE and Theatre Arts.

Procedures: Based on our formative and summative student achievement data, it is evident that more students need more time on task. Given this, our master schedule was built for ELAR and Math to be blocked every day for 90 minutes. In addition, our master schedule allows for two days of alternating block which enables the other content areas to have more instructional time. With the additional instructional time, small group instruction will be a focus to meet the individual needs of the students. To provide more instructional support, acceleration/enrichment igKNIGHTed Hour, after-school tutorials and Saturday School will be offered to targeted students throughout the school year. To meet the needs of the whole child, all new students shadow an ambassador (current student) to learn the building and establish a relationship, our Knights Support Center, led by our counselors, provides a safe space for students to receive social-emotional supports, and our advisory period allows for building school connectedness, trust, and safety. We also have QR codes posted throughout the building for students to request help from the school counselors or other staff members as a means of promoting self-advocacy.

School Processes & Programs Strengths

Northbrook Middle School has identified the following strengths:

• Our teams will engage in the PLC Process with a priority on continuous growth in student achievement.
• Our teachers will be supported by 2 Multi-Classroom Leaders (Math and ELAR), 2 Instructional Specialists (EL and Science/Social Studies), 1 Lead Instructional Specialist, and a Campus Assessment Instructional Specialist.
• With a focus on School Culture, systems will be created to continue culture improvements; such as, Knights Support Center, PBIS, and student clubs.

Problem Statements Identifying School Processes & Programs Needs

Problem Statement 1: All core content areas teachers are not meeting the unique needs of our students. Root Cause: Teachers are not trained and supported with implementing the PLC process.

Problem Statement 2: The number of student referrals have increased resulting in students missing instruction. Root Cause: There is no system to promote and reward positive behavior.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Perceptions

Perceptions Summary

At Northbrook Middle School, the guiding coalition has been intentional about redesigning our school to ensure our students' needs are the priority. As we move forward, our mission to ensure EVERY CHILD learns and makes impactful choices that igKNIGHT a purposeful future will guide our work. As we reflect on the 2020-2021 school year, our attendance rate hovered around 93% which is good given it was a COVID year. We will continue to focus on attendance by communicating our daily attendance by grade level, rewarding good to perfect attendance, and creating intervention plans for students with poor attendance. Our discipline data show an uptick in behavior infractions. We need to support our teachers with being owners of their classrooms and following the RtI process for students who fail to meet Tier 1 expectations. With the PBIS implementation, there should be a decrease in referrals and an increase in positive behaviors.

Based on our Panorama survey data, there was a significant decrease in year-over-year percent of favorable responses in School Belonging and School Engagement. We commit to building initiatives around these areas to ensure our students have a sense of belonging and engagement. Although the students' actions and conversations support a sense of belonging, the survey data show that more intentional practices are needed.

For the 2021-2022 school year, NMS will have several new teachers to the campus. With new leadership and changes to the campus mission and vision, we are excited about the possibilities next year brings. All teachers with 0-3 years of experience will be encouraged to participate in the district's New Teacher Academy to build their toolboxes. We will also provide campus-based training and support to all teachers on campus. With a professional development plan, we expect to have a higher retention percentage for the 2022-2023 school year.

Our family engagement is an area of focus. Our families do not tend to participate in the engagement activities offered. To support this area, a Family Engagement Committee will be created to garner input on how we can better support our families. Although our families do not engage in campus activities, they are responsive when contacted. We will continue to send our Knights' Weekly News newsletter to keep the families informed of campus activities and upcoming events.

Perceptions Strengths

Northbrook Middle School celebrates the following strengths:

• The Guiding Coalition's work with creating a new mission and vision. T
• he overall attendance during the COVID year.
• The support of our families.

Problem Statements Identifying Perceptions Needs

Problem Statement 1: Only 30% of our students responded favorably to "How much do you matter to others at school?" and only35% feel connected to an adult. Root Cause: There is no campus-wide system for celebrating students for their academic, behavior, and extracurricular accomplishments.