(Vol. 4, No. 1 - Spring 2000)


"Middle School Reform: Raising the Stakes" (PDF file)

These stories are from the final issue of Changing Schools in Long Beach -- a tabloid newspaper published by the Focused Reporting Project (some of the same folks who bring you MiddleWeb) with support from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation's Program for Student Achievement.

You will need the Acrobat Reader software (free at this site) to view the issue as published. If you would like a paper copy, send us an email request and include your postal address. [HINT: If you want to print this file, try setting your print or page-setup setting at 80%.]

The stories in this issue can also be accessed below in HTML format by clicking on the appropriate link. Graphic illustrations, including a two-page display charting the progress of Long Beach middle grades reform, are only available in the PDF version.

The contents of this issue include:

The Long Beach Unified School District is building a tailored assessment system that will drive standards-based reform through the use of end-of-course tests, comprehensive professional development, and high expectations for principals, teachers and students.

-- Progress Toward LBUSD's Student Achievement Goals: 1999 Middle School Assessment Data

LBUSD Deputy Supt. Chris Steinhauser's sole responsibility is to raise student achievement in the district's 18 lowest-performing schools -- including four middle schools. In these interview excerpts, Steinhauser describes how the district plans to hold schools to a high standard, including "reconstituting" low-performers to avoid potential school takeovers by the state under its new accountability system.

With a strong central office staff in place, LBUSD has turned its attention to sharpening the leadership skills of talented principals and teachers who can support continuous school improvement.

Long Beach Superintendent Carl Cohn became the longest serving head of an urban district early in April 2000. Middle-school reform has taken place on his watch as part of a general effort to build a standards-based school system. Yet, as the following interview shows, Cohn credits others with the vision.

As Long Beach Unified puts the finishing touches on its standards-based curriculum, professional development built on rigorous teacher standards is becoming the top priority. "It's really coming down to what is happening in a classroom with 35 kids and one teacher."

-- LBUSD's strategic plan for professional development

In the last two years, Long Beach Unified has redoubled its effort to support its many low-income and low-performing middle grades students. Next on the agenda: better counseling support and an effort to correct the "scandal" of "storefront schools."

One hears a strong message from central office staff in Long Beach Unified. Ultimately, all students should be assessed on the same standards, and reach the same level of skills and knowledge.

"I have developed a real appreciation for the idea that the education of students in our community is not a partitioned responsibility," says Glenn Nagel, Long Beach State's dean of natural sciences.

"Special Section on Parent Involvement" (PDF file)

In the Long Beach public schools, standards-based reforms make the perennial problem of involving middle school parents in their children's learning even more important-- and more difficult.

Rogers Middle School enjoys an active PTA and a generous supply of parent volunteers who raise funds, tutor in classrooms, and even run a "sweet shop" for students. But support for student achievement is the school's first parent-involvement priority.

Paul Jenkins teaches seventh and eighth grade history at Rogers Middle School. In these interview excerpts, he talks about the value of school-parent communications around standards. (A two-page spread illustrating one of Jenkins' assignments, "Exporation and Settlement," and examples of student work is available in the PDF version of "Changing Schools.")

Work schedules and language barriers make some parents of struggling middle school students reluctant to participate in school life. Add to this the normal decline in parent activity when students move to middle school, and it's easy to see why LBUSD's "parent liaisons" have a formidable task. But it's one they relish.