CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS TO WATCH
California Schools to Watch is a statewide program implemented by the California League
of Middle Schools, California Department of Education, California Middle Grades Alliance, National Forum, and the California Schools to Watch model schools.
Redesignated: 2022
Designated 2019
Empire Union Elementary School District
Stanislaus County
Keven Drake, Principal
400 Frazine Road, Modesto, CA 95357
209-577-3945
School Characteristics
Community: rural. Enrollment: 618. Grade levels: 7,8. School schedule: Eight-period day with zero period physical education; 92-minute block for ELA instruction.
School Demographics
Free/reduced lunch: 80%. English learners: 41%
Replicable Practices
Instruction at Glick Middle School is based on direct interactive instruction, incorporating problem-based learning and purposeful grouping of students in classrooms and science labs. Through school-wide use of Google Classroom and other programs, teachers utilize technology to enrich, substitute, augment, modify and redefine lessons.
Glick’s schedule provides for a 92-minute block of time for ELA instruction, as well as interventions such as READ 180, and System 44. Students are also able to access after-school tutoring from CSU Stanislaus students, peer tutoring, and two embedded study skills classes.
Glick staff has committed to a variety of collaborative and interdisciplinary instructional practices including cooperative learning, blended learning, hands-on learning, project-based learning, and integrated technology.
Staff members at Glick are at all entrance gates each morning greeting students and welcoming them and providing a final salutation at the end of the day.
The first day of school student body is placed into groups and students rotate through twelve stations where they receive information about school rules and expectations.
In response to the needs of their student community, Glick provides multiple opportunities for students to get out in the broader community for field trips, performances, college field trips, and competitions throughout the state. In addition, students are given the opportunity to attend multiple leadership conferences.
Supplemental to multiple classes to address the needs of EL students, the school offers science and history curriculum in Spanish, as well as two Spanish elective courses aligned with the high school.