CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS TO WATCH

Southridge Middle is a “Microsoft Showcase School” emphasizing personal learning for all students with 1:1 learning devices and Office 365 Education, Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Skype, and other research-based applications.

Team-based smaller learning communities allow teachers to share the same group of students and common prep periods. “College teams” create a nurturing learning environment for students, increasing personalization, relevance and rigor of coursework, and providing opportunities for teachers to collaborate to support students’ academic and emotional growth.

Students needing additional support benefit from Southridge’s highly articulated intervention program offering differentiation, intervention classes and tutoring support. GATE students receive a differentiated curriculum during the school day and can take enrichment classes after school and on Saturdays.

Teachers participate in instructional rounds focused on observations of best practices, cognitive tasks, and learning targets, providing consistent feedback to staff and administration.

Southridge has developed a school approach to teaching students how to answer short constructed responses as well as addressing major writing tasks in core subjects. Social studies and English teachers utilize the same graphic organizers to teach writing and presentation skills.

The school has an instructional focus on argumentative writing which is supported by training, professional readings, peer walks and instructional rounds creating a three-time cycle of support/inquiry during the year.

Staff engages in deep analysis of students not passing classes by examining the types of assessments affecting the grade, trends in students not passing classes, grade-level alignment, and grading practices resulting in improvements in student success.