Welcome to Our Beliefs!
OUR
BELIEFS
·
Student learning is the chief priority of all teachers,
administrators, students, and community members.
·
Students are valued as unique individuals and provided with a variety
of learning opportunities.
·
Students,
teachers, parents, administrators, and community are equally valued partners in
the creation of a safe, stimulating, and positive educational experience.
MISSION
STATEMENT
Our mission is to work with all stakeholders in supporting, guiding, and encouraging each individual learner to achieve his/her maximum potential and to become part of a community of life-long learners.
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SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT PROFILE
A.
Introduction
In this section of our school improvement plan an overview of student performance data, student and community demographic data, school characteristics, and stakeholder perspectives on the quality of education is provided in Section A. A summary of the major sets of data within each of these categories is outlined in Section B (Tables 1-4).
The student
performance data collected for the Profile is summarized in Table 1. This
is a summary of students’ performance on national and state level assessments.
National
Measures:
The national student performance data collected includes the Terra Nova
taken by sixth graders. This test
compares our students’ performance to the performance of other sixth graders
nationwide. The comparison is made
in reading, language, and mathematics.
State
Measures:
The statewide assessment is the MCT.
This assessment is given in reading, language, and mathematics.
All students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades are required to
participate. Additionally, seventh
graders have benchmark scores that must be attained for promotion.
The percentage of our students meeting the state standards is greater
than the state’s average in each area. All
eighth grade students taking Algebra I are also given a subject area test in
April each year. Table 1 indicates
a pass rate of 100% for 2002-2003.
2.
Student and Community Demographic Data
The total
enrollment of Caledonia Middle School is 480, which is 15% higher than four
years ago. In addition to this increase, there has been a small growth in
minority ethnic groups represented in the student population.
The
students at Caledonia Middle School are residents of the northern third of
Lowndes County, which has a total population of 61,586.
The racial composition of the county is 55.8% White, 41.4% Black, and 1%
Hispanic. The town of Caledonia has
a population of 1, 015. The racial
composition of Caledonia is 93.2% White, 3.9% Black, 1.1% Hispanic, 0.4% Asian,
and 1.4% Other. The average family
income is approximately $30,068.00. Forty-one
percent of the households have school-aged children. Almost 25% of the children live in households with incomes
below the poverty level. A summary
of demographic data about our students is outlined in Tables 2A.
A summary of the demographic data about our community is outlined in
Table 2B.
The
community has a mix of service industry, manufacturing, retail businesses, and
agriculture. The workforce is made up of military and professional personnel,
including physicians, lawyers, and educators, as well as skilled and unskilled
labor. The most recent addition to the
The
variety of religions in the area includes the following denominations:
Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Episcopalian, Jewish, Lutheran,
Methodist, Mormon, Pentecostal, and Presbyterian.
The
Parent-Teacher Organization had been disbanded for the past several years but
was re-established in 2003-2004. The new PTO leadership is striving to involve
parents and educators in several ways. They
have started a tutoring program in the elementary school, sent out informative
newsletters, helped the school financially with various projects, and provided
speakers and programs for the community. The
Band Boosters and the Sports Boosters are very active, providing strong support
for the musicians and athletes at CMS. Caledonia
has a local library that offers story time and other activities for students.
Ola J. Pickett Park provides the setting for year-round sports and other
activities including a walking track. Construction
is complete on a new Y.M.C.A., which is adjacent to the park and across from the
school. Y.M.C.A. management has
agreed to work closely with Caledonia School to provide additional programs and
activities for the students and community.
Pee Wee football and cheerleading, Little League baseball, girls’ fast
pitch softball, and soccer are played in the park throughout the year.
There are also a variety of school-sponsored clubs and community
organizations, such as 4-H and Boy Scouts, that provide opportunities for
student involvement outside the classroom.
3.
School Characteristics
Caledonia Middle School is a public, rural school. It was established in 1987-1988 with approximately 350 students and has increased to 480 today. The school is located in northern Lowndes County approximately 10 miles from Columbus Air Force Base. It is adjacent to Caledonia Elementary and Caledonia High School. Table 3A provides a summary of the demographic profile of our teachers and administrators by race, gender, and age. Also shown are the average years of teaching experience and the percentage of teachers and administrators with advanced degrees. Table 3B provides a summary of the data related to average class size, expenditures per pupil, transportation methods, and students receiving assistance with food services. A breakdown of students with disabilities is illustrated in Table 3C.
4.
Stakeholders Perspectives on the Quality of Education
Caledonia Middle
School utilized a school district needs assessment survey from 2002-2003 to
gather the opinions of students, teachers, parents, and community members about
the quality of education at our school. Tables 4A and 4B illustrates this
survey. An overview of stakeholder opinions revealed the
following information:
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Students overall attitude of the school was positive.
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Results showed that a majority of students feel they possess the skills and tools necessary for achievement.
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Results also showed that students believe they need help in English and reading.
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The majority of students are satisfied with the help they receive in math.
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Students find the library helpful and are able to find the resources they need.
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Parents overall attitude of the school was positive.
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Parents do believe that the school is doing a good job of educating their children.
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Parents feel welcome at the school, but they believe better communication is needed between parents and teachers.
