Seventh-grade students Sarah Fraley, Renae Lewis, Mica Easton and Kaitlyn Dierce cheer during the West Cater Middle School (Carter) Schools to Watch ceremony March 30, 2010. Photo by Amy Wallot

Seventh-grade students Sarah Fraley, Renae Lewis, Mica Easton and Kaitlyn Dierce cheer during the West Cater Middle School (Carter) Schools to Watch ceremony March 30, 2010. Photo by Amy Wallot

West Carter Middle School

  • Community: Rural northeast Kentucky
  • Enrollment: 447
  • Grade levels: 6-8
  • School schedule: Seven-period day
  • www.carter.kyschools.us

Academic Excellence

  • PLC meetings are used for analyzing common assessments for instructional impact and curriculum adjustments.
  • The progress of individual students is monitored weekly, and when students are not progressing satisfactorily they are identified and interventions implemented.
  • Breakfast and lunch buddies provide students with additional time to complete work that was not turned in during class.
  • Job-embedded professional development is practiced and is being applied through the curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Developmental Responsiveness

  • A summer camp brings together the incoming 6th-graders from the three feeder schools in a fun setting and helps prepare them for the upcoming year.
  • Sixth-graders are given time to develop and connect as a class through morning time in the cafeteria and by being housed in a separate wing of the school.
  • School’s Take Seven initiative provides all students with daily physical activity.

Social Equity

  • Student behavior expectations are taught as a class lesson twice a year and are consistently applied.
  • Students are recognized by their lockers being “tagged” when they are involved in school activities and for mastery of standards and good attendance.
  • Implementation of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program has lowered office referrals.

Organizational Support

  • School leadership has sought outside advice and expertise to spur and maintain school improvement efforts.
  • The principal and assistant principal have offices on different floors to be more visible and accessible.
  • Through their restructuring plan, ongoing collaboration with a neighboring middle school has been established.
  • All students have both reading and language arts as well as two mathematics classes.

MORE INFO…
www.schoolstowatch.org
Fran Salyers, fran.salyers@eku.edu, (859) 622-1513