Middle School Curriculum
Beliefs Regarding Differentiated Instruction:
- Various levels of complexity
- Challenges students at an appropriate developmental level
- Data driven decisions
- Flexible groupings based on student needs and ability
- Content, process & product can be differentiated
- Qualitatively different – not quantitatively (students do different activities – NOT less work)
Differentiated Instruction In Madison County Middle Schools looks like...
- Variety of activities to address learning styles and levels of the curriculum
- Instruction and materials are appropriate to current levels of understanding.
- Student Engagement
- Active participation
- Student inquiry
- Teacher probing for understanding
- Varying questions based on the level of the learners
- Small group instruction that targets specific needs
- Teachers use data to drive instruction.
- Small groups based on data (readiness), interest or learning styles
- Planning and preparation
- Lesson plans that reflect DI focus
- Grade level meetings focused on data and DI
- Evidence of use of data
- Reteaching
- Small group instruction
- One-on-one assistance
- Relevant Homework
- Monitor what is being sent home
- Monitor lesson plans for relevant homework that reinforces what is being taught in class
- Varying homework assignments
- Check for understanding
Middle schools have adopted reading programs that also incorporate assessments to determine the levels of the learner and provide appropriate instruction. All subjects are focused on building better thinkers and problem-solvers who can apply knowledge in new situations.
Grading
- A 90-100
- B 80-89
- C 70-79
- D 65-69
- F 64 and below (Very Poor / Failure)
- I Incomplete
Students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are required to take reading, mathematics, science, English, and social studies. State law now requires a student to take additional physical-based electives such as band, choral music and P.E.
To be eligible for promotion to the next grade level, a student must master essential skills as identified in the curriculum structure of the State of Mississippi and the Madison County School District, and must show proficiency in the designated essential skills for all subjects taken.
- If a student receives a final grade of F in any course, this constitutes failure of that course and could result in the student being retained.
- To be eligible for summer school, students must have a final grade average of at least 55 in the course that he/she is attempting to retake.
- Only students residing in the Madison County Schools will be allowed to attend summer school in the district.
Universal Screeners:
Universal screeners are used to identify students who may have fallen significantly behind and are in need of intervention, serve as indicators of academic growth for students, and for placement in accelerated classes at the middle school level. They will be administered three times each year – Fall, Winter, and Spring. Reports may be sent home at the discretion of the building level principal. The intent of the assessments is to identify current levels of the learners in the classrooms and to guide the teacher on the instruction of each individual student.
