The grant was submitted by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform with the Kentucky Middle School Association (KMSA) and the Institute for Excellence in Education from Michigan as partners.
Services, resources, and assistance will be provided to the school through this grant. While participation in the grant does not cost the school or district, it does take a strong commitment to the middle grades by the district and a willingness to work for improvement from the school.“I am very pleased and excited that Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Stinson will be participating in the national grant. They both do an excellent job and this opportunity will only serve to enhance their leadership skills and will result in their being more efficient and capable administrators for Mayfield Middle School,” stated Lonnie Burgett, Superintendent Mayfield Independent Schools.
Through this national grant MMS will receive assistance in implementing programs, developing practices, and establishing organizational structures consistent with the National Forum’s Schools to Watch (STW) criteria for high-performing middle schools. A leadership coach with middle school experience and a mentor middle school will work with MMS during the four years of the grant to help them improve student achievement and achieve the Schools to Watch national recognition.
A school leadership team including a district office representative will be identified to facilitate the implementation of the grant at MMS. This team will participate in trainings focused on the work of the grant and be engaged in both state and national STW networks for the purpose of exchanging ideas, solving problems, and discussing practices. This spring the staff of MMS will complete an online evaluation of the school that will serve as a baseline measure and provide data for determining focus areas for school improvement.
“I believe we owe it to our students to seek every opportunity to help prepare them for their future. As leaders in the school, we have to want to grow and improve; after all, this is what we ask of our teachers and students. I am excited about what the future holds for MMS,” commented Kim Reed, Principal.
In June, Principal Kim Reed and Assistant Principal Kelly Stinson attended the National STW Conference in Washington, D.C. They had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the other Kentucky and Michigan project schools and to attend presentations conducted by staffs of high-performing middle schools from across the United States. While at the conference, they gathered ideas to bring back to MMS and received training relative to the grant.
“The Kentucky Middle School Association was excited to be part of this grant because it brings services and resources to the six targeted middle schools and allows for sharing of information with all Kentucky middle schools,” said Fran Salyers, executive director of KMSA. “I am so pleased that the invitation for MMS to participate in the grant was accepted, and I am impressed with the commitment of the educators from Mayfield that are involved.”
The KMSA was actively involved in developing the grant, and will be responsible for implementing and coordinating the work of the grant in Kentucky.
“This i3 grant affords us the opportunity to improve outcomes for young adolescent students by equipping middle school leaders with the skills, knowledge, supports, and resources they need to change and inspire their school communities,” commented Deborah Kasak, executive director of the National Forum.
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, a national alliance of over 60 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades, was the lead organization in developing and submitting the grant.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, “In this era of rapid change, we must make sure that our students are keeping pace with the rigor, relevance and changing demands of the global job market. I am encouraged by the innovative ideas to accelerate student achievement demonstrated in the grant applications.”
