Tacoma schools in $4B federal improvement experiment receive varying levels of criticism

In the closing weeks of a school year, temptation looms. Kids know that if they just run out the clock, they can trade term papers for summer time TV, phonics for free time. Teachers find it hard to keep students focused.

At Stewart Middle School in Tacoma, there's an antidote to those doldrums, and it's called Mini Term.

Just before school ended in June, students could take a break from their regular schedules and sign up for intensive classes with a bit of fun. They could discover how math and music relate by building instruments. They could produce a music video or learn about nutrition and fitness through the YMCA. There were lots of other choices.

"If they don't make this whole education thing theirs," Stewart Principal Jon Ketler explained, "it's like a waste of time."

Ketler's goal for Mini Term – indeed, for the whole school year – is to encourage students to explore new paths. Engage students, he believes, and academic performance will rise.

Stewart is one of four Tacoma middle schools that are part of a nearly $4 billion experiment funded by the federal government to improve academic performance at schools across the nation. The other Tacoma schools are Giaudrone and Jason Lee. The fourth school, Hunt, was closed.

Now the first year's report cards on the three remaining schools have arrived – with mixed results that depend in part on the extent of each campus' reforms.

While there was some criticism of all three schools in reports issued by consultants hired by the state, the most stinging comments came from Stewart staff and students.

Ketler's management style prompted their concerns. Some said Ketler – principal at Stewart, as well as two of the city's alternative high schools – was stretched too thin and blurred the lines between his three schools. One student compared him to "the man behind the curtain in the ‘Wizard of Oz.' "

Of the three reform schools, Stewart had the least experienced teachers – partly intentional, as Ketler sought instructors who could bring fresh energy.

But teachers told the consultants they were running hard to keep up. "The only thing at Stewart that is consistent is change," one staff member said.

Krestin Bahr, who's in charge of middle schools for Tacoma, said she's not bothered by the negatives in the first annual reports.

"I would rather the data be harsh – and real," she said.

FEDERAL PUSH, LOCAL CHOICE

The goal of federal education reform is to see if new curriculum, extra staff, added technology and other changes can spark improvements at some of the nation's most struggling schools.

States were awarded nearly $4 billion in federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds in 2009 and 2010.

Tacoma won an estimated $11 million over three years – more than any other school district in Washington. In turn, Tacoma last school year launched some of the most ambitious SIG-funded changes in the state: It replaced principals and at least half the teaching staff at Stewart and Giaudrone, and it closed Hunt. The changes at Jason Lee were less disruptive.

The money is being spent at Tacoma middle schools that had persistently turned in poor performances on state tests, landing them among the bottom 5 percent in the state.

Compared with Tacoma middle schools as a whole, these four campuses teach more children of color and special needs students, and have a higher poverty rate. More students are defined as "at-risk" in these schools, based on factors such as unexcused absences, discipline incidents, at-home lives and student mobility.

The district had to choose from among several school improvement models sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education. There were some major requirements attached to each model, but educators were also given latitude to make changes they believed would help kids.

Tacoma chose to close Hunt, the smallest of the four, and transfer its students to higher-performing middle schools, primarily Mason and Truman. Pat Cummings, the district's director of research and evaluation, plans to analyze last year's state test scores of Hunt students to see if sending them to new schools helped scores improve.

Giaudrone and Stewart adopted the federal turnaround model. They underwent the most dramatic changes, gaining new principals and new teachers that make up half or more of their faculties, along with new school themes.

Jason Lee used a federal model dubbed transformation. It included some curriculum and instruction changes but also allowed the continuation of reform efforts that were under way before the SIG money arrived.

STEWART SHAKES THINGS UP

Ketler already had a reputation in the Tacoma district as a guy who liked to shake things up.

He founded two of Tacoma's alternative high schools, the School of the Arts (SOTA) and the Science and Math Institute (SAMI), both touted as showcases by district and state officials.

He still presides over both those schools as principal, with the help of co-directors. It's the same management model he chose when he was asked to take the helm of a third school, Stewart, located on Pacific Avenue. Two co-directors also help run day-to-day operations there.

Among the criticisms of Ketler in the recent consultants' reports is that he doesn't differentiate enough between his three schools.

"Our principal brought the mission statement from the Tacoma School of the Arts, and many staff do not think it is really appropriate for Stewart Middle School," one staff member told the consultants.

In fact, Ketler did bring a few ideas from SOTA and SAMI with him – such as Mini Term. He took a nationally recognized school model called STEM – for science, technology, engineering and math – and grafted the arts onto it. He calls the concept STEAM.

He also has tried to foster partnerships between the three schools. SOTA and SAMI students serve as mentors for Stewart students. This year, a major fundraising event put on by parents benefited all three schools.

With grant money, Ketler was able to purchase Macintosh computers for Stewart – the gold standard in the creative arts – along with iPod Touch devices for teachers. With the hand-held tools, they can access information, download video and sound recordings, and literally have the power of the Internet in the palms of their hands.

Stewart kids learn science and engineering by building robots with Legos. Others apply what they learn in geometry by building a garden shed. Students have transformed a hillside on school property into a community garden, where they learn both science and public service. The school's music program has grown.

"To sit here and teach to the test, thinking that's the way to change education, is not going to make it better," Ketler said. "It's not the same as it was in 1950."

Kids seem to enjoy the hands-on learning. Dakota Ocheltree, one of the eighth graders who helped build the shed, explained how students had to learn basic math before they started hammering nails: "If everything's a different angle, or it's not the right measurement, it wouldn't fit properly."

And working outside, Dakota said, beat "sitting in a classroom, reading books."

Ketler is also a passionate believer in the concept of inclusion, which holds that it's harmful to segregate special-education students in self-contained classrooms. As the parent of a special-needs child, he's convinced of the value of inclusion.

Some teachers complained they had a hard time serving the needs of a wide range of students. Several parents and students echoed those concerns, saying the elimination of a program for highly capable students hindered their progress. But another parent said inclusion had helped her special-needs child.

Ketler says inclusion means "building communities that are about everyone," rather than isolating some students. He said Stewart plans to provide more support for teachers so they can better understand how to teach to the entire spectrum of abilities.

GIAUDRONE PREACHES TEAMWORK

Behind the front desk at Giaudrone, Laura Bailey works triage: directing staff and visitors to appointments, answering the phones and sewing a student's ripped pants.

Assistant Principal Brad Brown stops a girl who was sent to the office to retrieve envelopes, and makes her remove a plastic bracelet that spells out an all-too-common adolescent profanity.

Fast forward a couple of days, and Principal Zeek Edmond is in his office counseling a student.

Edmond has tried to form a cohesive team at his school, located east of Interstate 5 near the Tacoma Mall. He implemented the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, a prestigious college preparatory program recognized around the world. The global focus ensures that every Giaudrone sixth-grader, for example, can take a semester of French or Spanish.

Teamwork is the only way for his staff to survive in a climate of rapid change, Edmond believes.

Some of the highest praise heard by the state consultants who studied Tacoma's SIG-funded schools came from Giaudrone, where staff members described "a strong sense of commitment and collective responsibility," as well as feelings of fatigue. They are still adjusting to new teaching styles that they're learning from IB training.

Students in the consultant report say school this year was stricter but safer than in the past, and parents reported fewer neighborhood fights. But teachers say they're eager for training on how to prevent bullying.

Overall, Giaudrone teachers said they feel supported and that their administration is accessible: "They're very good about getting back to you, and they do lunches."

Teamwork is evident in the classroom shared by humanities teachers Michelle Gerbyshak and Susan Gregory. Their team-taught class, combining language arts and social studies, has students move around the room as they compare ancient civilizations. Students use color-coded highlighters to identify the broad topic, the question explored and the evidence supporting their conclusions. Both teachers coach students on how to write their response.

"The whole point is to hook your audience," says Gerbyshak.

As in any classroom, there are challenges. But three special-education students and two kids who need extra academic support are doing the same work as the others. Rather than pulling such kids out of a classroom, Giaudrone often sends specialists in to work side-by-side with classroom teachers.

The school is saturated with messages that tell kids they can go to college. Students packed the gym for an end-of–the-year assembly that featured recruiters from colleges across the state, and they asked thoughtful questions.

JASON LEE CONTINUES WHAT IT STARTED

Principal Jonathan Kellett arrived at Jason Lee in 2009, a year ahead of the SIG grants.

A popular principal during his years at Stadium High School, Kellett was already a man on a reform mission when he arrived at the middle school that sits between Tacoma's Hilltop and North Slope neighborhoods.

But he was glad to see more funding come his way last year. It brought him added staff, more counseling hours and broader elective offerings.

SIG money didn't pay for it, but Jason Lee took another big step this year when it introduced single-gender classes for sixth-grade math, science and humanities. The idea is controversial in public education but has gained some support nationally.

The school also sought to increase partnerships with community organizations such as Allen Renaissance and Metro Parks, which provide after-school programs. The school has a long-standing partnership with Hilltop Artists, a private nonprofit established in 1994 with the help of Tacoma native son and glass artist Dale Chihuly.

For years, Jason Lee had a reputation in Tacoma as a dangerous place – a reputation that Kellett said steered students away. That's something the staff has worked to change.

The state consultants heard from both parents and staff members that Jason Lee is a safer school than in years past. Still, only about half the students they talked to felt that way.

"The (state) study points out that we need to find out why some students might not feel safe," Kellett said. He wants to foster "a greater (student) voice and ownership in their school" with programs such as Student Summit forum and mentorships.

To foster a calmer climate, Jason Lee adopted uniforms for the first time this year. Parents such as Michael Doss objected, saying kids should be allowed to wear what they want. On the bright side, he said he likes the idea that Jason Lee students stay with the same teachers in core subjects for all three years.

Fletcher Jenkins said his granddaughter had to move to Jason Lee after Hunt closed. But he feels she's received a good education at her new school.

"They are turning this school and community around," he said.

Whether it's school climate or other factors, enrollment is projected to grow at Jason Lee, from about 470 students last year to an expected 525 this fall.

"The school has evolved, and teachers have evolved," said Linda Terrones, who retired this year after 17 years at Jason Lee. "It's been a change for the better."

TWO MORE YEARS OF FUNDING

The SIG grants will last two more school years. Principals at all three schools say they will work to ensure their hard-won reforms don't disappear when the funds runs out.

Money for extra staffing may expire, but major changes in curriculum and teaching methods will remain, they say. Asked if the public should expect a quick turnaround in state test scores after just one year of change, principals say it's too soon to tell.

But Bahr, the administrator in charge of Tacoma middle schools, said there's a sense of urgency that's been instilled at all three schools.

She said principals and teachers are taking the consultants' findings – as well as their own first year of experience – to heart. And that will likely mean more changes in the school year that starts Sept. 1.

"We changed very quickly in a year," she said. "We are pushing the envelope as hard as we can, but we have to bring students and parents along with us. Now, we are just going to be working harder."

Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635 debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com