Now completing its seventh year, Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School
(Belle Isle) offers students a rigorous academic program in a highly
supportive environment. Well ahead of most schools in its district, it
is performing close to the state's 2014 goals in both reading and math.

A public school of choice in Oklahoma City, Belle Isle draws students
from the greater Oklahoma City area, but gives preference to students in
the immediate area, siblings, and other district students. Admission is
by application; candidates must score above 60% in reading, language,
and math and keep a B average in grades three through five.

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="3.5541666666666667in"
height="2.6972222222222224in"}A grassroots group of parents and
community members created Belle Isle in response to the Oklahoma City
Public Schools (OCPS) enterprise policy (predating charter school
policy), intended to increase school choice and education reform.
Operating under contract with the Oklahoma City Public Schools, the
school has authority over budgeting, recruitment and hiring, academic
programs and staff development, and must meet state licensing
requirements and use the same student assessments as other district
schools. The district owns the school building---a former primary school
in a residential neighborhood---and manages all purchasing.

Two bodies, a non-profit Board and the OCPS, govern the school. The
principal, Lynn Kellert, answers to both, valuing the autonomy the OCPS
offers and the support the Board provides. Teachers described the Board
(13 of its 15 members are parents of current Belle Isle students) as
supportive and generous. The Board makes grants to teachers for supplies
and works to link the school to the neighborhood---most recently, by
collaborating on a walking trail around the school that is open to
neighborhood use.

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.247244094488189in"
height="2.554724409448819in"}Principal Kellert sees site-based
management as critical to Belle Isle's success---particularly in hiring
personnel, where she is careful to hire people committed to the model.
Parents agree. Authority over finances lets the principal organize the
budget to meet school-defined goals and priorities. Principal Kellert
has been in her role for five years. Her staff includes an assistant
principal, 22 FTE classroom teachers, 3.5 specialists, and 2.5 support
staff members.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.210236220472441in"
height="2.8736220472440945in"}Belle Isle's strong academic program is
based on the Core Knowledge curriculum developed by the scholar E.D.
Hirsch, Jr., with added emphasis on the fine and performing arts and
foreign languages, including Spanish and Latin. Core Knowledge is a
"solid, specific, shared core curriculum" designed to establish "strong
foundations of knowledge, grade by grade."[^1] Teachers explain that the
Core Knowledge offers a spiraling approach to knowledge, allowing them
to make connections across the disciplines. "\[The\] CK sequence
reinforces from one classroom to another," explained a 6^th^ grade
teacher. Teachers integrate student learning through both grade-level
and subject-specific meetings. Each student's social and academic
progress is closely monitored and communicated to parents. Kellert keeps
watch on student data, especially on students scoring below 50%---whom
she calls "bubble kids"---and works to help them stay engaged and
achieving.

Belle Isle's fine and performing arts program includes orchestra, band,
chorus, and fine arts classes. Performances punctuate the school year;
during our visit, students produced a puppet show, rehearsed for a
forthcoming string concert, and a practiced in a voice class. Students
mount a major theatrical production, coordinated and facilitated by
music and drama teachers. In 2003, for their production of *Guys and
Dolls*, students came to school early for months.

The school relies on authentic materials rather than textbooks. A parent
explained, "We are mostly project driven -- focused on learning and
achievement -- not texts and tests." Because using multiple sources
presents challenges of its own, a school-created system of documenting
lessons preserves syllabi and lesson plans for incoming teachers.

Each year, the school refines and develops a content area. For example,
the school applied for and received a grant from the Southwest
Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to use videotaping and
conferencing to improve math instruction. Math teachers attended the
National Council of Teachers of Math conference, and studied lessons
with SEDL. "We got a better grasp on the math program," a teacher said,
"We are more reflective about how we teach."

According to Principal Kellert, teachers are expected to engage students
in learning productively "from bell to bell." Teachers like the
90-minute block schedule because they can introduce a new concept in a
lecture, and follow it up with active learning. The 90-minute
instructional blocks permit more differentiated instructional practices
and assessments. Students like the longer class periods and the A/B
schedule: "If you don't get something, you have a day to go ask for help
before the next class," a student explained.

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="3.739763779527559in"
height="2.5311023622047246in"}In a "Soapy Geometry" lesson, students in
a 7^th^ grade geometry class worked in small groups, building pyramids
and prisms out of toothpicks and marshmallows. Each group created a
triangle pyramid, square pyramid, triangle prism, and a cube, then
recorded the numbers of faces, edges, and vertices, and calculated the
areas of different shapes. Then they posed and tested hypotheses about
how soap film would adhere to the shapes when dipped in soapy water.

In another example of active learning, 8^th^ grade language arts
students explored the importance of communicating details. Working in
pairs, one student described a black and white sketch of a street or
other scene, while her partner drew the images described without looking
at the picture he was attempting to replicate. Students interacted
amiably, and focused on the task at hand.

Students are encouraged to feel positive about academic achievement.
"It's cool to be smart here, whereas in others schools, kids hid their
books," remarked one teacher. "Academic teams are given the same honor
and prestige as athletic teams," a student said, "the principal
announces our successes -- the whole school knows. They don't announce
when we do things wrong. Our classes have leadership teams -- to help
out. We don't just sit and wait for the teacher."

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="3.4229166666666666in"
height="2.776388888888889in"}The sense of order and calm at Belle Isle
is striking. Teachers agreed it was an unusual middle school
environment, emphasizing respect, a positive attitude toward learning,
and high expectations of achievement. A first year teacher noted, "This
is like a family - everybody is so encouraging. They ask, 'how can I
help you?'" The positive relations begin with the administration and are
carried through to the students. "We all talk the same language. We are
all going in the same direction," Kellert said, speaking of the unified
vision that shapes the school community.

Students described teachers as "so nice, comforting. They make you feel
welcome. Every teacher knows every student by name." Others added, "If
you go here, you have to want to be here." Both teachers and students
enthusiastically joked that the students at Belle Isle are nerds -- that
they want to learn. "We feel really well prepared here," a student said,
"We can get high school credit. We are exposed to a lot. French,
Algebra, Fine Arts is great here. A lot of schools are losing the arts
-- we are active and involved! When we get into character (during
grade-level Festival Days) it helps us remember history. It makes
history fun."

Teachers and administrators credit the Great Expectations Teaching Model
with creating this atmosphere. A state initiative, Great Expectations is
bringing major changes and innovations to public school classrooms in
Oklahoma. Founded in 1991 on the belief that education can solve social
problems, that teachers want to become more skilled, and that students
want to learn, its basic tenets are:

-   ![](media/image6.jpeg){width="4.133858267716535in"
    height="2.1763779527559057in"}All Children Can Learn

-   Climate of Mutual Respect

-   Building Self-Esteem

-   Teacher Attitude and Responsibility

-   High Expectations

-   Teacher Knowledge and Skill

This model draws on a range of learning theories evident in classroom
practices such as teacher modeling, critical thinking skills, emphasis
on student responsibility, enriched vocabulary, and displays of student
work. All Belle Isle's teachers attend the Great Expectations
professional development program; its ideals and practices permeate the
school culture.

Teachers, students, parents and administrators see great value in
modeling respect. One student said, "They want everyone to be proud of
everyone." Another added, "We're all leaders. You want to be a model for
the younger grades." Teachers feel part of a professional learning
community. A math teacher who received national teacher certification
credited her peers: "Teachers helped me a lot. This is a professional
community. I could not have done it without them." Another teacher said,
"I could not come here and coast. There are lots of expectations but
there is lots of support. There is no acceptance of mediocrity."

The tone is set by Principal Kellert: she is "beyond supportive,"
explained a teacher, "She's very fair, she has good advice." Teachers
feel trusted, not micromanaged, by the principal. "We just teach -- she
stays out of our way," a teacher explained. "At other schools we were
policed. . . . \[Here\] we are trusted. . . . People flock to her. I
listen to here and learn from her -- how she handles a parent
conference. . . . She engages us in problem solving \[and\] does the
same with students. Her expectations are 1) you are here first for the
kids 2) you are a teacher of your subject area. . . . She is always
trying to improve -- reading, thinking, we are always working to get
better."

Advisors plan morning "character meetings" around school principles like
honor and integrity. "There is a focus on character here," a teacher
said, "We don't try to hide it. We talk about life principles."
Stakeholders report a very strong sense of community. Belle Isle draws
students from throughout Oklahoma City, including some of the wealthiest
and poorest neighborhoods. Character meetings, the tone of respect, and
the fact that all Belle Isle students wear uniforms help erase class-
and race-based differences. "You don't have concept of who is rich or
poor. Don't have clue about backgrounds," explains one teacher. When
school bus service was cut from twenty to four buses, some 20 students
were no longer able to attend; in testament to the community's spirit,
parents were able to organize transit for most of the students.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="3.3744094488188976in"
height="2.751968503937008in"}To ease students' transition from
elementary school, 6^th^ graders stay together throughout the day. Team
meetings for 6^th^ grade look at how well a child fits with his or her
classmates. In 7th and 8th grade team meetings, all teachers review
students' progress, working together to address individual needs.
Teachers communicate frequently with parents, post grades weekly, and
are available by email, phone, and for conferences. Regularly scheduled
team meetings let parents see all of a child's teachers in one visit.
This access lets parents and students feel secure: Parents said that "it
is like a family setting -- they don't let kids fall through the
cracks."

Students are encouraged to take responsibility in all parts of their
life at Belle Isle, from behavior and academics to the student-run
musical productions. They receive agenda books to plan their work, and
can get extra help before or after classes. The honor code is posted in
every classroom, and students are held accountable for their actions. If
a student received marks for missing homework or behavioral problems, he
or she can work them off after school or through extra work. A student
described it as "well thought out. It is very fair and it gives us an
opportunity to make mistakes and then to work to make up for them."

One teacher saw the school's success as a "positive self-fulfilling
prophesy," the result of holding students to high expectations for
academic achievement, social development, and active citizenry. The
school seeks to help every student find an area in which he or she can
succeed. Students are expected to engage in a variety of activities,
including music, arts, sports, and academics. Students said, "Teachers
really care. They take the time to help you succeed" and, "They look at
students' individual talents and they will help you and find
opportunities for you to develop those talents."

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="4.482677165354331in"
height="3.159055118110236in"}

[^1]: Core Knowledge website