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**OVERVIEW**![](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.5194444444444444in"
height="2.966666666666667in"}

Baton Rouge ("Red Stick"---named for a reddish pole which marked two
Native American hunting areas) is situated on the Mississippi River and
is the state capital of Louisiana. The second largest city in Louisiana
after New Orleans, it is a major industrial, petrochemical and active
port of the American South. After Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005),
the city's population doubled. East Baton Rouge Parish's population has
climbed to almost 600,000 since the mandatory evacuation was issued.

The East Baton Rouge Parish School System serves the Greater Baton Rouge
area. With more than 90 schools and an enrollment of approximately
46,000 students in pre-K through grade 12, it is the largest district in
the state and nationally among the top 100 school districts in student
enrollment.

The 33-year-old building that currently houses Glasgow Middle School
(GMS) was constructed in 1955 as a suburban elementary school designed
to serve an all-white middle class neighborhood. It later became a
junior high school for the same neighborhood. The school closed to
become a district satellite office and reopened in 1979 as the
district's first magnet middle school. When the magnet program moved to
another school, Glasgow Middle School began serving a new community of
two nearby inner-city areas. In 1998, the gifted/talented program moved
to GMS and serves the southern part of Baton Rouge.

Glasgow students are recognized nationally for their academic
achievement. For the last nine years, one or more Glasgow students have
competed on the Louisiana State MathCounts team. In 2005, a Glasgow
student won the national MathCounts championship. Twenty-five percent of
the school's 7th graders are invited to participate in the Duke
University talent search.

An urban middle school comprising grades 6, 7, and 8, Glasgow offers a
"traditional" academic program, a gifted and talented program, and
services for students with disabilities. Traditional students may also
take classes in the gifted and talented programs. GMS is a school of
choice for parents under the provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB),
meaning that parents can request a transfer to Glasgow as a
high-performing school from a lower-performing one.

Seventy four percent of the GMS teachers are highly qualified according
to No Child Left Behind criteria. Two members of the faculty are
National Board-certified and one teacher of mathematics has served as
the state MathCounts coach for the national competition for the past 19
years.

**GATOR BITE**![](media/image3.jpeg){width="3.347916666666667in"
height="2.775in"}

The positive energy of Glasgow's students and staff---the "Gators"---is
palpable on entering the building. They live by the Gator BITE code:

**Believe in yourself**

**Integrity**

**Treat others as yourself**

**Education is #1**

This code is repeated daily during the morning announcements and is
posted throughout the school as a beacon. As a teacher said, "When you
walk in the door there is a different feeling here. Because of high
expectations, the students work from bell to bell in every class." Added
another, "My students know that I want them to succeed in life." Because
Glasgow is a choice school, this culture of high expectations serves
transferring students especially well. Typically transferring into
Glasgow six to eight weeks after the beginning of the school year, many
transferring students have incoming norm-referenced scores below the
13th percentile. The Glasgow program is designed to accelerate their
learning to close the gap with their peers; for example, transferring
students receive a double block of mathematics. This reinforces the key
practices of holding high expectations and rewarding positive behavior,
the cornerstones of the GMS community. The school's number one priority
is the success of all students at Glasgow Middle School.

**HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND RIGOROUS CURRICULA**

The phrase" high expectations" has been in vogue for a number of years
in education. It plays out in a variety of ways at Glasgow Middle
School. High expectations are communicated to students by providing
challenging courses in all subject areas; students are also able to
accelerate their learning through differentiated instruction based on
standardized and formative assessments. All students, if qualified, may
participate in any program at the school, including the Gifted and
Talented program.

The Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum serves as the framework for core
content areas. The school's literacy program emphasizes writing across
the curriculum and an appreciation of literature. Five certified as
National Writing Project teachers focus on writing skills with 8th
graders. A range of mathematics classes are offered, from basic
6th-grade skills to Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Advanced Math
and Trigonometry for high school credit. The school has invested in two
sets of textbooks for each student so that one set can be left at home
and the other remains at school, eliminating the disruption of forgotten
books at either end.

The school's full menu of electives includes the Arts (music and art),
Latin, French and Spanish, as well as beginning, intermediate, and
advanced concert band classes. Glasgow also supports three school choirs
and string classes. The Arts are not part of the comprehensive
curriculum but a state Arts curriculum offers teachers a measure of
guidance. Arts educators are also guided by standards and benchmarks
recommended by their respective national professional organizations.

"Our students are so ready for high school and they do maintain their
academic success. They will go to college and they want to. Before they
come here they don't think they can go to college," averred one teacher
proudly. The district and schools take full advantage of Louisiana State
University (LSU), where students can receive accelerated instruction at
LSU summer school.

The Talented Program serves students identified as talented in Theatre,
Music and Visual Arts. Trained professionals provide enriched
instruction in small group settings. The Gifted Program serves students
identified as academically gifted. Its reduced class size and
differentiated curriculum have been designed to meet the unique needs of
gifted students. Instruction focuses on complex concepts and an in-depth
exploration of topics.

The Scholastic Academy is designed to encourage potentially gifted
students to think critically and creatively. After one year of
participation in a gifted setting, students are referred to Pupil
Appraisal Services for gifted evaluation, and continued placement in the
program is determined annually. The Gifted and Talented program is an
in-class program, rather than the pull-out model used in other schools.

Students as GMS take high expectations as seriously as the faculty. An
example is the School for Schools program. Started by two Glasgow
students for their social studies fair project, this is an international
effort to adopt or build schools in Northern Uganda by building
awareness and raising money. GMS was the second middle school and the
first public middle school in the U.S. to participate in helping the
children of Northern Uganda. At this time, 48 students and 17 sponsors
are participating in the Uganda project. The two students won first
place in the political science category at the school level and will
participate in the state contest.

**PASSIONATE LEADERSHIP**

Principal Judy Odell is recognized as the school's instructional and
inspirational leader. An assistant principal is in charge of discipline
issues; a dean of students also works with some discipline issues,
conducts classroom observation walkthroughs, and oversees the lesson
plan system. They work together as a well-organized team. Parents,
students and staff are welcome to discuss and share any concerns with
them. Ms. Odell uses distributive leadership throughout the school in a
variety of ways:

-   A school-level Instructional Management Team (IMT), composed of all
    the department chairs, translates and supports instruction. As a
    team member explained, "I am the liaison between the curriculum and
    the teachers. I check lesson plans, do some observations, and
    participate in system-wide walk throughs."\
    The IMT meets monthly for half a day to address curriculum,
    professional development, and\
    assessment concerns.

-   Department chairs meet with their departments monthly for half a day
    to convey information from the IMT and provide professional
    development.

-   Instructional team meetings are interdisciplinary, comprising the
    four core subject area teachers and, when possible, specialists.
    Teams meet every other day for a 45-minute common planning time to
    discuss instructional and student issues and meet with parents.
    Working from agendas, they document discussions about curricula,
    goals and feedback, parent and community involvement, positive
    school climate, and collegiality and professionalism, and submit
    this report to Principal Odell.

-   At the direction of the administration, the Reading Coach works with
    teachers.

-   After-school faculty meetings are held monthly.

-   The school improvement team comprises parents, faculty, staff,
    administration, and community leaders. It meets monthly from October
    through May to lead the school in following the School Improvement
    Plan.

The interdisciplinary teams represent the core subject areas of English,
mathematics, science, and social studies, and their meetings encourage
in-depth discussions about their shared students and their learning
needs. "Our teams really work will together and communicate," said a
team member. Added another, "When we meet we can see and feel how
students and teachers are doing. There is a sense of community for
children and adults."

**PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT**

Parent involvement is strong, especially considering that Glasgow is not
a neighborhood school; most students are bused to the school from areas
all around their parish. A small group of parents gathered during the
school visit spoke effusively about Principal Odell's leadership and the
quality of the teaching staff, as well as the benefits they saw in the
diversity of the student body and the high expectations that the school
holds for all students. "The adults approach problems with a positive
attitude and sense of humor," said one parent. Another remarked, "My son
really feels cared for here. There are high expectations and a real
sense of love and the arts," and a parent added that "Here there are two
trophy cases---one for academics and one for sports!" "The music program
is outstanding!" said another. ![](media/image4.jpeg){width="4.3in"
height="2.113888888888889in"}

Among the many reasons parents cited to account for Glasgow's success
were strong leadership, autonomy to work with students, a two-way
information flow, a curriculum with a mix of arts and academics,
diversity of staff and students, and parents who support what the school
needs. "If the school needs something the parents have it within 48
hours,"\
stated a parent.

Interviews with the school administration disclosed limited
participation by community organizations allied with the school,
although the local Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring an awards luncheon
for the faculty and staff in March to honor Glasgow's selection as a
Blue Ribbon School.

The PTO participates in several activities to support school programs,
selling school spirit items, preparing meals for Open Houses and school
concerts, and providing teacher grants for instructional materials and
supplies. PTO members serve as judges for the science and social studies
fairs and "do whatever it takes to get it done."

**INNOVATIONS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE**

Several key innovations make a difference for the Glasgow community. It
is a school of choice for parents and families who wish to move their
children from a low-performing public school to high-performing and
offers all families opportunities for academically advanced and talented
children.

An inclusive academic program and a caring learning environment prepare
students from diverse elementary academic experiences to work as a
cohesive learning unit. Sitting in on several interdisciplinary team
meetings, an observer can readily see that the teams encourage in-depth
discussions about their shared students and their learning needs.
Teachers know what the students are doing and the help they need. "Our
teams really work will together and communicate," said a team member.
Another teacher remarked, "When we meet we can see and feel how students
and teachers are doing. There is a sense of community for children and
adults." ![](media/image5.jpeg){width="3.4625in"
height="1.6965277777777779in"}

Teachers new to the school are paired with another teacher for a year,
and the dean provides extra support as needed. Teachers new to teaching
take part in a two-year mentoring program. The Instructional Management
Team supports all teachers and the grade-level interdisciplinary team
meetings support active learning communities.

Positive Behavior Support (PBS), a program designed to reinforce
positive behavior among all members of the school\'s population,
emphasizes the use of preventive, teaching, and reinforcement-based
strategies to achieve meaningful and durable behavior and lifestyle
outcomes. It is designed to ensure that everyone is aware of behavioral
expectations, that these expectations are clearly and concisely stated,
and that positive recognition is awarded to those who exhibit these
expected behaviors over a period of time. The program encompasses all
students, teachers, and other staff on campus, and focuses on behaviors
in the classroom, the cafeteria, during assemblies, and in the hallways
between classes. As a parent noted, "Glasgow is a safe place because the
response is swift, severe, and sustained if any confrontations
\[arise\]."

Peer helpers are nominated 8th-graders; being a peer helper is
considered an honor and the other students look up to them. Under a
faculty advisor, peer helpers are trained to work with their peers to
understand problems such as signs of depression and how to deal with
them. Observations by peer helpers provide insights into what makes
Glasgow special. "It helps us in every part of our lives," "There's
always someone there to support each other because people look out for
each other," "We learn how to help each other. They \[new students\]
become one of us the day they get here," "We are taught mutual respect
and manners," "We've got class teachers. The expectations they have is
the way of life," "We're equals with the teachers. We can ask questions
and respond to the teachers and they don't get mad at you," "They use
PowerPoints, hands-on activities, and they don't lecture. We have fun
but we are learning," and "It's a real community. This was a different
school on the first day of 6th grade than my\
other school."

One student's experience highlights the impact of Glasgow Middle School
and peer helpers. He and his family came to Baton Rouge as victims of
hurricane Katrina. Initially he wanted to attend his neighborhood school
rather than Glasgow, but said he was glad he went to Glasgow, because it
saved him from the path of drinking and stealing with his neighborhood
peers. "I've learned to deal with the peer pressure. I am doing more
sports so I am not around \[bad influences\]."

**USING ASSESSMENT TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES**

Assessment results are key to school improvement and serve as the
instructional focus for all students. Members of the school improvement
team analyze student data to note strengths and weaknesses, and
incorporate successful strategies into the next academic year, designing
interventions for differentiated instruction. The different assessments
inform faculty so they can meet the goals of the school improvement
plan.![](media/image6.jpeg){width="4.3in" height="3.0097222222222224in"}

Parents are apprised of their child's assessment results throughout the
year. The faculty immediately consults with parents of children who
score below the criteria for passing. Students receive extra support
through tutoring and test preparation.

Glasgow Middle School administers both norm-referenced and
criterion-referenced tests. Until 2006, 6th- and 7th-grade students took
the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), which was replaced in 2006 with
the iLEAP test. The iLEAP includes both norm-referenced and
criterion-referenced data and is geared to the state's
criterion-referenced test, the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program
(LEAP21). Eighth-grade students must score a minimum of Approaching
Basic in either English or mathematics and Basic in the other for
promotion to high school.

Scores for the ITBS (used through 2005) and the iLEAP (begun in 2006)
for 6th-graders at Glasgow are typically the lowest in the school,
because Glasgow is a receiving school for students of varied
socio-economic backgrounds and from some lower-achieving schools. The
challenge that incoming 6th-grade student scores present requires
special effort from 6th-grade teachers, and new students typically take
a few months to become accustomed to the rigorous standards. As the
faculty works with new students, test scores improve considerably for
7th-grade students, and improvement is even more pronounced by 8th
grade. In spite of low 6th-grade scores, both 6th- and 7th-grade student
scores on the IOWA and the iLEAP still exceeded the national norm.

Glasgow has a higher percentage of students scoring at the upper end of
the range and a lower percentage scoring at the lower end. The reverse
is true statewide. Louisiana's criterion-referenced test (LEAP21) has
five levels: Advanced (superior performance), Mastery (competency),
Basic (fundamental knowledge), Approaching Basic (partial demonstration
of fundamental knowledge), and Unsatisfactory (not ready for the next
school year). Glasgow students outperform other students in the state on
all portions. In 2006, 25% of Glasgow students scored Advanced in
English compared with the state's 3%; 28% scored Mastery compared with
12%; 25% scored Basic compared with 40%; 18% scored Approaching Basic
compared with 35%; and 5% scored Unsatisfactory compared with 11%. In
the same year, 15% of Glasgow students scored Advanced in mathematics
compared with the state's 3%; 12% scored Mastery compared with 4%; 51%
scored Basic compared with 46%; 13% scored Approaching Basic, compared
with 24%; and 8% scored Unsatisfactory compared with 23%.

Glasgow students demonstrate similar achievement in science and social
studies. Administrators are particularly proud of this accomplishment
because, in accordance with No Child Left Behind, Glasgow welcomes
"choice" students who transfer after school has been in session as many
as six to eight weeks and enter with lower achievement levels. GMS also
welcomed students displaced by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. All these
students had to acclimate to a different school culture and progress
rapidly to high levels of achievement.

GMS has met or exceeded growth targets set by the state for every year
but one, and was recognized as a school of Academic Excellence by the
state of Louisiana.

**Professional Development**

Professional development opportunities are found at all levels for
administrators and teachers to implement research-based strategies and
practices at Glasgow Middle School. The thread that runs through
professional development is one of supporting people at every point to
become the best they can be. For example, all faculty and administrators
conduct classroom walk-throughs to observe instruction and provide
constructive feedback to their colleagues. The middle school coordinator
(Assistant Superintendent of Instruction) does bi-monthly walk-throughs
and provides feedback to Principal Odell, who acts on the findings. The
principal is required to complete five walk-throughs per week and file a
report with the district office.

Another critical element of support occurs through keeping everyone
well-informed. Staff members at all levels communicate at monthly
meetings. In addition, there are monthly, half-day assistant principals'
meetings for leadership development, and the principal has a mentor and
a coach with whom she meets twice in the fall and twice in the spring.
The principal must also conduct two formal observations per teacher per
year.

**CONCLUSION**

Glasgow Middle School has created a community that values each child,
family member, and staff person. Its inclusive academic program stresses
high expectations in a caring environment that prepares students from
extremely diverse elementary level academic experiences to work as a
cohesive whole.

+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| Glasgow Middle School          |         |         |        |       |
|                                |         |         |        |       |
| Leap 21                        |         |         |        |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| \% proficient and above: 8th   |         |         |        |       |
| grade English Language Arts    |         |         |        |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
|                                | 2004    | 2005    | 2006   | 2007  |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| All                            | 75      | 73      | 78     | 73    |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| African American               | 57      | 54      | 61     |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| Reduced or Free Lunch          | 65      | 50      | 60     |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| State Scores                   |         |         |        | 57    |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| \% proficient and above: 8th   |         |         |        |       |
| grade Math                     |         |         |        |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
|                                | 2004    | 2005    | 2006   | 2007  |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| All                            | 78      | 69      | 78     | 79    |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| African American               | 59      | 47      | 65     |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| Reduced or Free Lunch          | 61      | 43      | 67     |       |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+
| State Scores                   |         |         |        | 55    |
+--------------------------------+---------+---------+--------+-------+

> The LEAP 21 is a standards-based test, which means it measures
> specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Louisiana.