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March 29, 2008

CUBE is one of the groups that has pre-conference meetings before the NSBA Annual Conference, and about 50 school board members visited three different Orange County Schools on Thursday. I went along for the ride and got to see hands on some of the great things that are happening in Orange County. Our morning started off with a briefing from the school district where superintendent Ronald Blocker emphasized that academic rigor is the most important component for his district. He encourages all students, regardless of their background or family situation to strive for academic success. I visited Jackson Middle School, where Dr. Joseph Miller and his staff have embraced the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination). AVID is tough, but worth it. Students go through an application to determine their likes, dislikes, and where to focus their attention. These students are often those who have the “potential” stamp put on them, but lack the structure and the support system to know how to get from potential to college (yes, they talk about college in middle school). All the subjects are taught, but Dr. Miller and his staff work in a unique way so that the students are active and engaged. They’ve been so successful there, they were named an AVID Development School and are accustomed to men and women coming in to eaves drop and see what’s happening.
Dr. Miller emphasized that his staff has complete buy-in with AVID and are eager to learn more about how to help the students at Jackson through regular staff development. Jackson also has an IB program for middle grades and as we visited classrooms we could see student work that incorporated higher level thinking and encouraged personal exploration for students. Tutors brought in from high schools and local colleges helped in a math class and as we disrupted classes the day before their spring break, students were still on task and working well. It’s encouraging to see that at any school, but one that has a high poverty rate and student turnover is especially important. It was evident that the students there were learning and engaged and Jackson clearly is a school that shows hard work and a great staff create success for students.

Posted by Kevin Scott, NSBA Staff, at 7:49 AM | Special Programs & Events

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