Issaquah Middle School 2018-19 Annual School Performance Report

Annual School Performance Report Issaquah Middle School

2019-20

425-837-6800 • www.issaquah.wednet.edu/issaquahms 600 2nd Ave. SE, Issaquah, WA 98027

Principal

Carrie Reckling

Welcome Students, staff, parents and the community work together every day to enrich our school, making it a premier middle level learning experience. Thank you for making a difference!

We would like to applaud everyone in our school community for their amazing job during the unprecedented school closure. Our teachers and staff have proven relentless in their desire to serve others.

From feeding those in need, providing online learning opportunities, and quickly responding to the need for first responder childcare. I know the list goes on and on – Thank you!

Mission Issaquah Middle School is an interdependent community that creates an environment empowering all students to be responsible, respectful, thinking citizens.

District Report

To review the Issaquah School District 2019-2020 budget details and more, please visit www.issaquah. wednet.edu/district/annual-community-report/.

The Issaquah School District believes in seeking continual feedback from a broad and diverse range of constituents regarding their experiences with the District and their neighborhood schools. See the Community Polling Study site at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/district/polling for more information and survey results.

Data from the Office of the Superintendent of Instruction (OSPI) State testing is required by Washington State (RCW 28A.230.095) and federal law. The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), enacted in 1965, is the nation’s national education law and shows a longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. On December 10, 2015 President Obama reauthorized ESEA as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These state and federal laws result in elementary students being regularly tested by the State to assess their progress as they move through school. State tests at the elementary level which fulfill the federal Every Student Succeeds Act include the following:

• Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA): English Language Arts (ELA) and Math tests (3-5) • Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS): Science test (5)

Demographic Data

Grades: 6-8

•

Enrollment: 979

100

92.5%

80 60

48.8%

40 24.7%

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16.9%

13.8% 3.0%

0.4%

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Teacher Experience Data Teacher’s with National Board Certification

12.8

6

Average Years Teaching Experience

Teacher with Master’s/Ph.D

62.5%

COVID-19 Pandemic In an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Jay Inslee ordered all schools in Washington closed as of March 17, 2020. While the initial order mandated school closures only through April 24, 2020, the order was extended to the end of the 2019-2020 school year due to increasing COVID-19 infection numbers across the state.

The Issaquah School District submitted its plan for remote learning at the end of March 2020, and remote learning began for all students on Monday, April 20. Students and staff moved to an online classroom setting, using various platforms such as SeeSaw, Classlink, and Office 365. District laptops and internet hotspots were distributed to families in need, and free meals were still provided for families qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch program at designated pick up spots around the district daily.

Highlights IMS is proud of our efforts to be a green school. We continue to achieve our status as a Level Four Sustaining School in King County Green Schools Program the highest level in the program.

IMS is currently in our fifth year of PBSES (Positive Behavior and Social Emotional Support) a pro-active approach to increasing positive student behavior through direct instruction. This program establishes ongoing behavior support that can be used by all students, staff and community members to improve school climate helping students feel safe, have better academic performance and make positive behavior choices. Our community follows the “IMS Way” – Be Respectful and Kind, Be Responsible, Be Safe. We are proud of the positive effect this continues to have on our learning environment.

Language Arts and Social Studies: The IMS Language Arts program includes reading with an exploration of fiction, nonfiction, drama and poetry. Students also work on vocabulary development and grammar. Students write personal narrative/ memoirs, explanatory essays, argumentative essays, poetry and short stories, anecdotal essays, and literary analysis papers.

Advanced Language Arts is offered. Students and families have the opportunity to choose Advanced Language Arts if they feel the extra work and effort is appropriate. Social Studies classes during middle school study Ancient Civilizations, World History, Washington State History, U.S. History and Civics. Many of the units are hands-on simulations.

Math: Students choose their Math pacing for middle school allowing for some students to complete Algebra 1 or Geometry by the end of 8th grade.

Science: Our program includes Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science and Biology. Lab-based science curriculum is

taught in all grades. Students choose their Science path upon entering middle school. Choosing Path II means skipping Life Science and taking Biology in 8th grade. Biology is a high school credit class.

Fine Arts: We offer a strong Fine Arts program which includes Visual Arts, Orchestra, Band, and Chorus with optional after school clubs. An energetic group of theater students had hoped to present the musical “The Little Mermaid Jr.” this year, however, the production was not able to happen due to the school closure A spring musical is planned for next year with the help of teacher advisors, professional technicians and choreographers with extensive support from parents.

Electives: Spanish, American Sign Language, Backyard Forests, Leadership, DMQ Design and Production, Science Fiction, Digital Photography, Studio Art, 3-D Art and our STEM classes Automation & Robotics and Design & Modeling are some of

the electives offered at IMS. Spanish and American Sign Language are high school credit classes.

Technology: IMS has two complete computer labs and twelve mobile notebook labs. All classrooms are equipped with

large presentation screens, some of which are interactive touch screens, used to maximize student learning. Each morning, ASB students produce and direct televised daily announcements using ongoing technological advancements. We also offer two STEM focused classes - Automation & Robotics and Design & Modeling.

Student Government: ASB sponsors a variety of school activities and clubs throughout the year including Where Everybody Belongs (WEB). In its 14th year at IMS, WEB is a student-led program offering mentorship and connection activities for 6th graders and new students in order to support a smooth transition to middle school.

Homeroom: ASB activities as well as a new Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum which promotes the personal, social and academic development of our students is offered every day in this 25-minute period at the beginning of the day.

There is also time for students to work on homework, read and receive additional academic support from teachers.

Communication: All teachers have a website for class assignments, homework, general communications and important information. The IMS E-News and the IMS website are the primary ways we communicate with our community.

Improving Student Achievement

During school, math, writing and reading support classes are offered at all grades levels and after school math, language arts/social studies and science help with content-area teachers is sponsored by the Issaquah Schools Foundation (ISF). After School Homework Help is available four days a week. Our Library is also open after school four days a week for students to work independently. VOICE mentor program places community member volunteer mentors with students on a weekly basis also supported by ISF.

Special Programs

IMS offers a full range of special services, including a highly successful inclusion approach for LRC I students in math, science, social studies and language arts with the support of para-professionals and some classes are co-taught with a general education teacher. We also offer a self-contained LRC II program for students with more severe learning disabilities.

ELL is offered for our English language learners.

IMS has three full-time Counselors and a half-time PBSES Student Support Coach who provide students with academic, social and emotional support.

Again this year we are partnering with Swedish Hospital to provide a full-time Teen Health Specialist to support our Counseling Department.

Extra-Curricular Activities

IMS offers four seasons of boys’ and girls’ athletics, including softball, cross country, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, soccer and track. We have a vast selection of activities for students to get involved in outside the classroom. Some of the clubs offered this year were Cartooning Club, Culture Club, Dungeons and Dragons, Enbrighten Club, Fall Play Club, Green Team, GSA (Gay and Straight Alliance), Latinos United, Math Club, National Junior Honor Society, Geography Bee, Ping Pong Club, Robotics and Unified Club.

Parent and Community Involvement

Our supportive PTSA has provided numerous hours of volunteer service in supporting programs like WalkAbout, Most Valuable Panther sundaes, Binder Boot Camp, Popcorn and Cookie Dough Fundraiser, Career Fair, Vision and Hearing Screening, chaperones for ASB parties and activities and the 8th grade Celebration Event just to name a few. They are also ready, willing and able to assist financially with teachers’ classroom grants, providing Angel Program gift cards, supporting special academic opportunities like Binder Boot Camp, club grants, student financial

State Testing Two tests given to middle school students—The Smarter Balanced Assessment and the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science help indicate how well Issaquah students are learning.

COVID-19 Disclaimer

Due to early facility closure and suspension of end of year testing, 2019-2020 assessment data is not available. The data below relfects the school’s scores for the 2018-2019 school year.

Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA)

The SBA consists of two parts: a computer adaptive test and a performance task. Writing is included at every grade level and students are asked to solve multi-step, real-world problems in math. Performance tasks ask students to determine an array of research, writing, and problem solving skills. The SBA results describe student achievement (how much students know at the end of the year).

The Grade Level Total ELA and Grade Level Total Math charts on the right-hand side of the page indicate the percent of students in sixth, seventh, and eigth grade who met or exceeded standard in ELA and Math on the SBA compared to the percent of students who met or exceeded standard in ELA and Math district-wide.

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Gr ad

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8 e Gr ad

Di st r ic

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Di st r ic

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7

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20 6

20

68.2%

73.8%

72.7%

76.6%

72.0%

Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS)

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78.0%

Di

8 e

0

76.2%

Gr ad

The WCAS fulfills the federal requirement that students100 be tested in Science once at the elementary level.

The WCAS measures the level of proficiency students 80 have achieved (what students know and can do) based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The WCAS assesses all three dimensions of the 60 learning standards (Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts).

The numbers on the chart represent the percentage of 40 students in grade 8 who met or exceeded standard on the NGSS compared to the percentage of students in 20 grade 8 who met or exceeded standard district-wide.

75.5%

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40

Di st r ic

79.2%

8

75.4%

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79.1%

Gr ad

80.2%

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79.0%

7

74.3%

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60

Gr ad

60

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80

Di st r ic

100

80

40

Math

Di st r ic

English Language Arts (ELA)

6

100