Laura Bush chooses Stovall MS to announce new education program

First Lady Laura Bush chose Aldine ISD’s Stovall Middle School as the site to announce the second education initiative of the George W. Bush Institute, a program that will target middle school students called, “Middle School Matters.”

Mrs. Bush announced the new initiative on Wednesday, Feb. 9, to a group of Aldine ISD Board Trustees, Superintendent Dr. Wanda Bamberg, Houston ISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier, AISD administrators, members of President’s Bush’s education policy institute, and Stovall Middle School students and staff.

Prior to Mrs. Bush’s announcement, Dr. Bamberg provided opening remarks and said the district was honored to have Mrs. Bush pick one of its schools to make such an important announcement that will focus on student’s academic achievement.

“Our vision is to produce the nation’s best and we are represented here today with students, staff and leaders who are the nation’s best,” Dr. Bamberg said. “We are so honored to have the First Lady with us today, Ambassador James Glassman, members and guests of the George W. Bush Institute for a celebration and announcement. In Aldine, we are all about serving students and serving staff to support them in the important work of improving student achievement. And this work is aligned with some of the goals and plans of the Institute. Thank you for this opportunity to be a part of the celebration.”

The program’s vision is to intently focus on middle school improvement (grades 6-8) that will leverage the best available research and practice to dramatically increase the number of students who will be well prepared to enter high school and will be ready to earn a meaningful diploma.

“Middle school is the last and best chance to prepare students for a successful high school career,” Mrs. Bush said during her remarks to approximately 400 people in the Stovall Middle School Auditorium. “Research shows with systematic, intensive interventions that students who started middle school behind can catch up.”

“Middle School Matters” will develop, implement, test and scale a school transformation model that will enable middle schools to achieve their mission of ensuring students have the required academic foundation to successfully complete high school. The initiative will integrate a suite of research and evidence based strategies, interventions, tools, and assistance into a set of specifications. With analysis and implementation support, participating schools will be transformed by improved student performance.

Researchers have identified 11 elements as crucial to middle school success. The 11 are: school leadership, effective teachers, reading and reading interventions, mathematics and mathematics interventions, writing and writing interventions, learning and cognitive science, advanced reasoning, data and use of data to improve instruction and learning, dropout prevention, extended learning and school, student, family and community support.

Top researchers and high performing practitioners in the field have joined the project to leverage their years of experience and drive the development of comprehensive, relevant, research-based specifications. The research team consists of:

• Dr. Reid Lyon of Southern Methodist University
• Dr. David Chard of Southern Methodist University
• Dr. Sharon Vaught of the University of Texas at Austin
• Dr. Steve Graham of Vanderbilt University
• Dr. Dean Nafziger and Don Barfield of Edvance Research, Inc.
• Dr. Mark Dynarski of Chesapeake Counseling
• Dr. Robert Balfanz of John Hopkins University
• Dr. Art Graesser of the University of Memphis; and
• Dr. Sandra Chapman and Dr. Jacquelyn Gamino of the University of Texas at Dallas

“Middle School Matters” will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 will consist of researchers defining the exemplary level for the 11 elements with specific principles, practices and examples tailored for school administrators and teachers to implement on their needs.

In Phase II, the Bush Institute will recruit a select group of schools (10 to 15) to complete a needs assessment and begin implementation of the research. During this phase, an extensive evaluation will be conducted and adjustments made as necessary. Phase III will begin with the 2014-15 school year and will include 20 schools. Participating schools will be made aware of the most up to date research-based principles and practices for improving student achievement and classroom instruction at the middle school level.

The Meadows Foundation is providing the initial funding for “Middle School Matters. Other collaborators include America’s Promise, Civic Enterprise, Southern Regional Education Board, Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas, and Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University.

In addition to Mrs. Bush’s remarks, the audience also heard from the Honorable James K. Glassman, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute, Sandy Kress, a fellow in education policy with the George W. Bush Institute and Linda Perryman Evans, president and chief executive officer of The Meadows Foundation. Dr. Bamberg provided opening remarks and Mrs. Bush was introduced by Stovall Middle School eighth-grader Lisa Lara.