Calcutt+MS


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 Dr. Earl F. Calcutt Middle School Central Falls District Grades 6-8

 ** Mission Statement: ** Calcutt Middle School is a standards-driven teaching and learning community that promotes literacy, effective communication, problem solving, critical thinking, civic responsibility and the skills necessary for living and working in a culturally diverse society. [1]

__Introduction__ Dr. Earl F. Calcutt Middle School, often abbreviated to “Calcutt Middle School,” is the only middle school in the Central Falls district, educating grades 6-8. Central Falls is the smallest and most densely populated city in America. This region has a large immigrant population and its inhabitants are extremely diverse. The school systems have a notoriously deplorable reputation, recently being spotlighted in the news. A variety of factors besides the school administrations and students may account for the lower test scores produced in CF. The following context report will examine the five elements of the Basic Education Program of Rhode Island in Calcutt Middle School as compared to state data.

__School Demographics __ Calcutt Middle School teaches over 570 students with 76 teachers, providing a teacher-student ratio of 1:8. In a statewide survey presented to students called SurveyWorks!, the subjects were asked various questions about aspects of RI's education standards. The results are used as a tool for identifying the strengths and weakness of the schools for improvement.

A section of this survey included the school demographics including the grade, gender, race and ethnicities of the students. Of the Calcutt Middle School students who participated in this survey, 52.9% were male and 44.7% were female, with another 2.3% who chose not to specify their gender. These results are similar to the state average in a fairly equally-divided amount of boy and girl learners in RI public school systems (State averages: Male -- 49.1%, Female -- 47.8%, Not specified -- 3.0%).[2]

The race and ethnicity portion of the survey also reveals the diversity of the area in the higher percentages of minority students. As seen by the charts below, the statistical averages of Calcutt contrast with the data collected from the state. The most statistically significant difference in this data is in the amount of white and other race students in this school versus Rhode Island as a whole. Where as Rhode Island's largest percentage is white students at 67.1%, Central Falls only has 10.3% of white students attending their middle school. Calcutt's largest percentage of students falls under the category of "other" at 67.4%, a 47.7% difference from the state's 17.7% of other race students.

Central Falls has an extremely large Hispanic population, affording for the cultural atmosphere of the city and the amount of Spanish-speaking inhabitants. 76.7% of the students who completed this survey were of Hispanic/Latino dissent. This is a large difference as compared to the state average of 20.1%. This information displays that Central Falls is a cultural hub for a diverse population of people, but is mostly comprised of Hispanics.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em;">Geographical Location __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">__Central Falls, RI, 02863__ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Central Falls is the smallest most densely populated city in the country at 1.5 square mies with 18,000 residents. The tiny city is surrounded by Pawtucket, Lincoln and Cumberland in the northern part of the state. Calcutt Middle School is located in Central Falls on 112 Washington Street. The building is a beautiful structure made of red brick and arched windows. The school appears to be located in a fairly residential area, near a park and playground. The small size of this city means that everything is in close proximity; in fact, 84.9% of the students from Calcutt Middle School walk to school.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em; text-align: left;">__ Student Achievement __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Student Achievement in schools is measured through a variety of test scores from the in the classroom and as dictated by the state. Rhode Island standardized tests are called the NECAP exams. NECAP stands for the “New England Common Assessment Program” and is implemented in both elementary and secondary education. The NECAP originated in response to the federal “No Child Left Behind Act.” Rhode Island along with Vermont and New Hampshire administer these tests in the fall and spring of each academic school year, in October and May respectively. These states have also developed GLE’s or “Grade Level Expectations” to design and grade these exams.

The results of the NECAP exams from Calcutt Middle School show significantly lower levels of proficiency than those of the state in each grade and subject testing. The percentages of the state and Calcutt show about a 30% difference for each grade and subject. The highest percentage difference is that of 7th grade math but the most striking statistic is that of the 8th grade science results. Calcutt only had 3% proficiency in this portion of the exam where as the state had 25%. [3] These exams are intended to demonstrate the compentency of the school administration through student comprehension but this data is not conclusive or reflective of the school's teaching standards or student learning. There are a variety of factors which can influence the results of the test which can be found in the Family and Community section. Schools are evaluated which year to meet AYP or "Adequate Yearly Progress." AYP is also a part of the NCLBA in which the U.S. Department of Education determines the academic performance and accountability of public schools and districts based the results of the standardized tests. 4 out of the 6 of the schools in the Central Falls District did not make AYP status in 2010-2011, falling short of the minimum amount of targets met in an evaluation process. Calcutt Middle School is one of these schools, having met 19 of the 25 targets evaluated. This means that Calcutt is under the category of "insufficient progress" and may face certain consequences by the state if they do not improve their failed qualifications. However, this does not necessarily mean that Calcutt Middle School is an inept institution as it missed only four targets and the maximum number to miss is three. This school met the requirements in the areas of attendance and English Language Arts, but failed to meet those of the mathematics index proficiency scores. The label of "insufficient progress" may deter some parents examining the school but this title is simply something to be aware of and investigate if the school does not succeed in improving their standards in the few years.

The survey student response information conducted in Calcutt Middle School and compared to the state results reveal the personal experiences students feel they have in their classrooms. Generally, the information showed that the students feel motivated by most of their teachers and counselors; 80.7% of the students answering that they either agreed or strongly agreed that their guidance counselors were giving them support and encouraging them to attend college or think about their future career choice. Of 580 students at Calcutt, 95.9% of them thought they would graduate from high school in the following years. [4] The question centered toward career options after high school showed results that did not vary much from the state's. The highest percentage of students at 56.3% revealed that they would like to attend a four-year college after the completion of high school, followed by 31.8% who want to work a part time job.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.4em; text-align: left;">__ Teaching __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Quality teachers are an integral component of a school system. Teachers provide the basis for learning and the different methods they utilize to educate their pupils may either further or detriment the comprehension of a student. It is crucial to employ teachers who are willing to cater to the specific needs of their class and can recognize the individual personalities and abilities of their students. They must treat the members of their classroom as both students and human beings, acutely aware of their strengths and weaknesses as young people. These professional educators must also be competent in their subject matter and be passionate about teaching it to an array of diverse learners. The great teachers that students remember are inspiring and go the extra mile to ensure the successes of their students.

A "Highly Qualified Teacher" is defined as a person who has "a Bachelor’s Degree, holds full state certification and demonstrates subject matter competency in the core academic subject(s) by having a major or its equivalent or by passing a rigorous content knowledge test." Any educator who does not meet these qualifications is deemed as "Not Highly Qualified." Of the 76 teachers in Calcutt Middle School, 6% of them are "Not Highly Qualified, a 3% increase as compared to the state average. The percentage of teachers with emergency certification is also 2% higher than the state average at 3%. [5] This school system does appear to have a good student to teacher ratio though, lower than the state average. There is one teacher provided for approximately eight students. This allows teachers to focus on the individual needs of students more efficiently and also establishes a better sense of control among the student body.

There is a great deal of fluctuation in the opinionated responses collected from the students about their teachers' practice, strategies, and student engagement. There doesn't appear to be much conclusive evidence about the quality of the teachers from this survey, but there are definitely values in this research method in observing how the students feel about their school and what they believe should change as they are the ones being educated. However, one piece of information is note-worthy in the Student Engagement section was the high percentages of students who admitted that they did not feel challenged in school. Over half of the students (70.3%) in Calcutt and Rhode Island (68.2%) answered that none or only some of their teachers gave them tough problems to solve.

Although the student-provided information does not paint the clearest picture of the type of teachers employed in Calcutt Middle School, the data appears to be in the same ranges as the state of Rhode Island as a whole. Despite Central Falls' poor reputation, especially in the school systems, 91% of the teachers are deemed "Highly Qualified" by state standards which could influence academic improvement in CF schools in the future.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em; text-align: left;">__ Family, Community, and Home Life __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> A student's home life and the support they receive from their families can be a major influence in their educational pursuits. Typically if the student, their family, and the school are all involved and supportive of the individual's scholastic career, the student's education will be more productive, fostering a desire to succeed in their academic endeavors.

Central Falls houses mostly low-income families that cannot afford many luxuries, as reflected by the high percentage of students who receive subsidized lunch at Calcutt (85%). The population of Central Falls is extremely ethnically diverse, as previously discussed in the School Demographics section. Many of the inhabitants of Central Falls are immigrants who may only live in the area for a limited time. Some families may only live in the area for six months then move, taking their children out of school. Other families move to the area at random points during the year, enrolling their children into an already involved academic school year. This constant changing of the students in the classrooms is unfair to the teachers as they have to catch up new students on the prior material they have already covered; this nearly impossible task may be a factor in the lower test scores Central Falls schools produce.

Many of the immigrants that move into Central Falls from other countries do not speak English well. Central Falls schools have to make allowances for these residents and accommodate their needs. This presents the need for English as a Second Language classes and for teachers to adjust their methods according to cultural and linguistic differences. At Calcutt Middle School approximately 10% of the 570 students need ESL/Bilingual Language Services. Teachers in America who instruct students that speak little or broken English have to work extra hard to cater to their needs. Modifying lessons and learning techniques to these students with a language obstacle is critical to their learning as they have a major disability that deserves to be acknowledged as much as cognitive impairments. This language barrier may account for the increase in students receiving special education services (22%) as compared to that of the state average (16%). [6]

The data collected from the students on the parental support they receive at home revealed that most of their guardians encourage their children to succeed in school and are genuinely interested in their educational careers. 86.7% of students said their parents were interested in their school lives and 95.9% said their parents care about their academic standing. This information may be indicative that these families who are on a low-income budget want their children to have more than they did in life and might elevate to a higher financial status by succeeding academically. An interesting piece of information however is that the percentages are decreased for the number of parents who think Calcutt Middle School is a "good school" though. These parents are aware that Central Falls does not have the best schools in the state but this may be the only school they can afford to send their children to.

Also Central Falls has a less than flattering reputation that is often associated with gang violence and a dangerous urban environment, there is a great sense of community in CF. Their heritage is an important aspect of the region which characterizes the area with rich multiculturalism. The infusion of different cultures and the embracement of diversity can be seen all over the city from the local shops to the inclusion of different languages on sign. Even Calcutt's mission statement acknowledges the cultural diversity of their students, an aspect both the administration and student body has immense pride in.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em; text-align: left;">__ Safe and Supportive Schools __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> Although the city of Central Falls has a notorious reputation for being a rough area filled with gang activity, these associations are not reflected in the statistical information collected from Calcutt. Most of CF's reputation is derived from instances that occur at the local high school. Every school has difficulties with children experimenting with unfavorable aspects of youth including drugs, drinking, bullying, fighting, defiance of rules, and attitude problems. It is important for the school to try to implement different programs, a code of conduct, and hire respectful and understanding teachers to try to control this behavior, protect the student body, and foster a safe learning environment.

While Calcutt does have an above average attendance rate of 94%, 22% of the students have chronic absenteeism. It is important to understand the lives of the students as children in this urban area, many of whom have to go home everyday and watch their siblings, or might not even show up to school because they have a younger brother or sister to attend to while their parents go to work. The dangerous conditions might also influence a student's decision to attend school perhaps out of fear or anxiety. 38.2% of the students in this middle school confessed to being robbed while in school, 15.1% higher than the state average. There is also a high percentage of students who admitted to being in both physical (25.7%) and verbal (40.1%) fights on campus that have had to be broken up. [7] The percentage of Calcutt middle schoolers that do not feel safe walking outside of their school is almost double the state average. Most Calcutt students revealed that they feel comfortable talking to their teachers about school related issues, but not about issues in their home life or this urban setting. It is essential that a school provide a safe and comfortable learning zone to ensure the maximum academic potential of the students. The information gathered about Calcutt Middle School displays that the school should keep trying to refine the safety standards of their pupils as there is obviously room for improvement.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em; text-align: left;">__ Funding and Resources __

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Central Falls houses low-income families and is generally financially unstable as a community. CF is Rhode Island's smallest and poorest city, with one-quater of the families living in poverty. The school systems do not receive much funding as a result of the poor test scores produced by the students. Funding is a crucial element in education as supplies are expensive and educators need to be paid a decent salary. Central Falls schools often do not have enough books for each student in a classroom which may decrease the learning potential in the elimination of this educational tool. Unfortunately, due to the high levels of poverty, Central Falls has filed for bankruptcy. [8]The city's debt has resulted in the closing of the local library, community center, and resulted in two firings of all the teachers from CF High School who were eventually rehired. The median family income is only $26,844, the typical salary of one-provider in the family. This may be reflexive of the amount of single-parents that reside in Central Falls. The two charts of the Central Falls district and the more affluent district of Barrington demonstrate the financial differences between the schools. Due to the wealthier tax and spending amounts of Barrington, they are able to have more resources to benefits their students. Although the statistics presented do not show Calcutt in a terrible light, this school still isn't receiving the proper funding that would increase its potential and benefit both the teachers and students.

__Central Falls__ __Barrington__



<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 19px;">Conclusion __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Calcutt Middle School is a school striving to overcome its shortcomings in an area that is poverty-stricken and has a constantly fluctuating immigrant population. This school tries to provide for its students by accommodating for language barriers, hosting after school programs, employing “highly qualified” teachers, and emphasizing pride in cultural diversity. Although this school would greatly benefit from funding and needs to improve their test scores and safety levels, there is a beautiful sense of community and support of the students in the Central Falls area.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 26px; text-align: left;">References __
>> //Central Falls School District. (2011).// Calcutt middle school//. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from [|__http://www.cfschools.net/schools/calcutt-middle-school/__] // >> //Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2010). Calcutt Middle School.// Infoworks live!//. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from [] .// >> //Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2010). Calcutt Middle School.// Infoworks live!//. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from [] .// * ^ Rhode Island Department of Education. (2009). SurveyWorks! Retrieved November 1, 2011, from [|__http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/files/surveyworks/2009-2010/students/surveyworks-2009-2010-calcutt-middle-school-students-ms.pdf__] <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> >> //Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2010). Calcutt Middle School.// Infoworks live!//. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from [] .// >> //Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2010). Calcutt Middle School.// Infoworks live!//. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from [] .// >> //Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2010). Calcutt Middle School.// Infoworks live!//. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from [] .// >> //Niedowski, E. (2011).// Central falls, r.i., files for bankruptcy; layoffs loom//. Retrieved November 1, 2011 from [] || ||   ||
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