Portsmouth+MS

Emily Markey EDC 102 H Dr. Fogleman

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= = =Portsmouth Middle School=

Approximately forty minutes away from the University of Rhode Island is Portsmouth Middle School. Nestled in the community of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the school is a center for learning for students who are in grades 5-8. To gain a better understanding of what the school is actually like, one must compare different aspects of it to the state of Rhode Island. Different categories serve to offer multiple views into the school so one may make and informed opinion on the quality of the school and the education of its students. In each category, Portsmouth seems to exceed the standards in comparison to the state. Portsmouth Middle School is not a very diverse school compared to the state of Rhode Island. Eight grade counts for 37% of the population, making it the largest group in the school. Comparably, the state average of eighth graders is ‍33.4%. In both the state and the school, the population of boys only exceeds that of girls by around one percent. The majority of the students were white with 84.5% of the population, whereas the state average is 67.1%. Students of more than one race were equal to African American students with 5.8% of the population. Overall, Portsmouth Middle School is a relatively unvaried. (Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), 2010)
 * __Introduction__**
 * __Demographics__**

__**Student Achievement**__ The student achievement in the school is above-average in comparison to the state of Rhode Island. Students were proficient in all areas of the NECAP assessments.Sixth grade math was 85% proficient while the state average was 60%. Eighth grade reading was 86% proficient for Portsmouth Middle School compared to 61% for RI. The table shows the scores for the students with the state average on the right. All of the targets were met in the AYP Report Card and there were no areas that need improvement.According to data provided, 68.4% of the students plan to attend a four year college. The statistic shows that the students are ambitious and want to continue their education after high school. (RIDE, 2010, 2011, 2011 )


 * ~ NECAP Assessments ||~ % Proficient School ||~ % Proficient State ||
 * < 5th Grade Math 2010-11 ||= 83 % ||= 62 % ||
 * < 5th Grade Reading 2010-11 ||= 85 % ||= 73 % ||
 * < 5th Grade Writing 2010-11 ||= 66 % ||= 59 % ||
 * < 6th Grade Math 2010-11 ||= 85 % ||= 60 % ||
 * < 6th Grade Reading 2010-11 ||= 84 % ||= 71 % ||
 * < 7th Grade Math 2010-11 ||= 76 % ||= 54 % ||
 * < 7th Grade Reading 2010-11 ||= 82 % ||= 65 % ||
 * < 8th Grade Math 2010-11 ||= 85 % ||= 54 % ||
 * < 8th Grade Reading 2010-11 ||= 90 % ||= 74 % ||
 * < 8th Grade Writing 2010-11 ||= 86 % ||= 61 % ||
 * < 8th Grade Science 2010-11 ||= 44 % ||= 25 % ||


 * __Teachers__**

Teachers in Portsmouth are qualified and their students have reflected their methods when responding to surveys. Although the percent of teachers that had emergency certifications between 2010 and 2011 are double that of the state average, it is still only 2%. All teachers are highly qualified, whereas 3% of Rhode Island teachers are not. The teacher to student ratio is the same for both at 1:11. When polled, 51.3% of the students from Portsmouth said that all of their teachers ask them to use facts to support their opinions in writing assignments while the state average is only 41.2%. The following table lists the categories that the students had to respond to and the results of teachers who did the actions. Overall, the teachers performed very well in comparison to the state and one can deduce that the teachers are quite proficient. (RIDE, 2010 ,2011)

The families and community of the students seems to be better off than the rest of the state. Only 12% of Portsmouth Middle School students are eligible for subsidized lunch. The state average is 43%. The significant difference shows how the majority of families of the students in Portsmouth have above-average incomes and can afford to buy their children the lunches at the full price. The community is predominantly English-speaking, where less than 1% of the students receive ESL/Bilingual Education Services, compared to Rhode Island's 5%. A student whose first language is English is automatically at an advantage because there are no language barriers to overcome while performing in school. When asked, 56% of Portsmouth students strongly agreed with the statement the they feel like they have a friend they can talk about their problems with. That is only 2.5% higher than the state average. The students are able to discuss their problems which will enable them to eventually focus on their studies more. The students' ability to discuss their problems and have support from the community contributes to the high grades that they earn in that they are able to focus better on their schoolwork.
 * __Family, Community, & Home Life__**

The students of Portsmouth Middle School have a relatively high attendance rate, but a variety of reasons for skipping school. The Portsmouth attendance rate is 95% with only 9% of the population falling under the category of chronic absenteeism. Rhode Island has 16% of the population falling under the category. Surprisingly, 74% of students in Portsmouth admit to skipping school once or twice a year. That is in comparison to the 63.3% statewide. The school falls below the state average in the other frequencies. Reasons for skipping school vary and seem to play a large role in the truancy of students. While 53.5% of Portsmouth students skipped school because they did not get enough sleep, 50.1% statewide said the same. The table below lists the other reasons for skipping and the percentage of students who answered that way. (RIDE, 2010, 2011)
 * __Safe and Supportive Schools__**

__**Funding and Resources**__ Portsmouth Middle School is well-funded from its community and can provide for the students. The district per pupil expenditure is $12,850.00, which shows how much the district puts into each student. The median family income for the district it $68,577.00 which is customary for many middle to upper class families and allows for such a high district per pupil expenditure. The students are coming from families without economic hardships and are able to be sure that they will have the materials needed to learn. When asked, 52.4% of the students disagreed that students in their classes needed to share books. The average for the state of Rhode Island is that 51% disagree. When asked if their gym has enough equipment for all of the students, 61.3% of Portsmouth students agreed and 56.7% of students statewide agreed. The statistics given show how the school is able to provide its students with the resources needed to get an excellent education. With the students form Portsmouth having the proper funding, they are assured that their education will be available through their resources. (RIDE 2010, 2011)

__**Conclusion**__ Overall, Portsmouth Middle School seems to be an above-average school. Students scored higher on the NECAP Assessments in every category through all of the tested grades than the statewide average. Although it is not a very diverse school, there are still different races and ethnicities present even if they represent a comparably small percentage. The teachers are qualified to be teaching the students and encourage their pupils to work in a variety of ways. Families and the community support the students and encourage them to do well in school. High attendance rates and adequate funding make the school an overall proficient school that is an excellent facility to educate all of its students.