This document summarizes a report on best practices for building capacity in higher-performing middle schools. The report found that these schools had cultures that supported high achievement through collaborative vision-setting and an emphasis on continuous improvement. They also had climates of mutual trust and respect that helped enact their visions. Supportive structures, like common planning time and teacher leadership roles, reinforced collaboratively-supported instruction. School leadership encouraged initiative-taking and provided opportunities for professional growth. The higher-performing schools served as models for adaptively linking people, activities, contexts, and time to best support student learning.

1. Capacity Building
In Higher-Performing Middle Schools
A Report on Best Practices
In New York State
American Educational Research Association
March 27, 2008
New York City
Kristen Campbell Wilcox
Janet Ives Angelis
School of Education-University at Albany

2. Capacity Building
Processes and practices by
which districts and schools
enhance collaboration focused
on student learning among
teachers, administrators, and
community members, and
provide teachers with
instructional support.

3. Findings
• Culture supports a vision of
high achievement
• Climate of respect helps enact
vision
• Structures reinforce
collaboratively supported
instruction
• Leadership encourages
teacher initiative taking

4. Previous Findings
• Culture, climate, relationships
– (Van Zee et al., Brown et al., Hoy &
Hannum)
• Professional communities
– (Fullan, Weisbord, DuFour)
• Learning organizations
– (Senge, Hargreaves, Darling-
Hammond, Resnick, Little)

5. Ecological Framework
• Culture, leadership, and
relationships + formal structure
• Classrooms are nested in
schools, within districts, and
within communities.
(Brofenbrenner 1993)

6. Our Sample
• 10 HP schools with 6 similar
but AP schools based on 3
years of NYS assessment
data (2003-5)
• Half: = or > NYS average
poverty level
• Urban, rural, and suburban
• Open admissions
• NYS average PPE

7. The Data
• 2-day site visits
• Interviewed teachers and
administrators using a semi-
structured interview protocol
• Collected documents
• Coded more than 160 interviews
and documents
• Crafted case studies for each site
• Created a cross-site report of BP

8. Culture supports a vision of
high achievement
Broad visions, big plans
– Input from multiple stakeholders
– Aligned with overall goals
– Focused on achievement,
especially closing the
achievement gap
Everything we do is centered on students
achieving, improving, and closing the
achievement gap.

9. Culture . . . . . .
Enacting the vision..
– Clearly articulated
– Teachers encouraged to
innovate to enhance student
achievement
I want my faculty to take risks and try
new things.

10. Culture . . . . . .
Never done
– Proactive stance
Excellence is a goal without a finish
line.
You never arrive. You are always
becoming.
When is good not good enough?
Where can we improve?

11. Climate of respect helps
enact vision
Relationships are based on
mutual trust and respect
– Trust is most essential
– Respect for and from all
The single most important thing . . . is
to build trust with your faculty.

12. Climate . . . . . .
Clear expectations
– Explicit and consistent
– Freedom to explore and learn
within clear goals
Good citizenship, respect, and
responsibility.
When you . . . set . . . expectations in
terms of behavior and academic success,
students generally meet them.

13. Climate . . . . . .
Shared responsibility
– No blame
– More support when fall short of
goals/expectations
Rather than a reprimand or finger pointing, the
AS asked what more the administration could
do to help us be more successful.

14. Structures reinforce
collaboratively supported
instruction
Scheduled meeting time focuses
on curriculum, instruction,
assessment, and student
learning/needs.
We have a lot of input as to what happens.
We are empowered.

15. Structures . . .
Mentor programs and other
formal teacher leadership roles
– Team leader
– Middle school department head
– Academic coach
We have an awesome mentoring program and
it is run by the teachers.

16. Structures . . .
Multi-constituent decision-
making bodies
– Curriculum design
– Textbook selection
– “Congruency” teams
– Action research teams
– SDM
Committees here are a huge thing.

17. Structures . . .
Relevant program of
professional development
– Balanced between district- and
teacher-defined needs
– Relevant to district/school goals
(e.g., closing the gap)
– New initiatives include PD – are
not “teacher proof”
[Our school improvement model] expects
teachers to make professional choices.

18. Leadership encourages
teacher initiative taking
A “can do” culture and strong
work ethic
– Build on strengths
– Focus on ability > disability
– Challenge but provide support
Differentiated instruction has stretched
us all a lot as ways to meet [student]
needs in our classes.

19. Leadership . . .
Provide professional
opportunities beyond one’s
own classroom
– Encourage conference
participation/presentation
– Conduct workshops for
colleagues
– Visit other classes
I . . . try to bring teachers early into facilitator
roles to develop their leadership skills.

20. Leadership . . .
Encourages initiative taking and
action
– Propose/pilot new programs
– Apply for grants
– Call services in > sending
student out
We can say, “What’s a better way to do this?”
and not be penalized. Taking risks is okay.

21. Implications
• HP schools differ from APs
primarily in the degree to which
they have been able to put all 4 of
the elements in place.
• These schools serve as models
of adaptive systems that provide
‘linkages’ between people,
activities, contexts, and time.

22. www.albany.edu/aire/kids
jangelis@uamail.albany.edu
kwilcox1@uamail.albany.edu