SCHOOL VISION AND MISSION

Newton-Conover STEM Middle Schools mission reads, NCMS will provide a caring
environment that empowers students to be successful. The vision of NCMS is to inspire students to
be actively engaged in exploring academics, the arts, and athletics. The mission and vision are
surrounded by the core values, which are to be responsible, to be respectful, and to be safe.
Decisions are made with students being the central focus, as clearly articulated in our vision
and mission statement. Whether it be School Improvement Team, classroom supplies, school brand,
field trips, or something as simple as the schedule -- all decisions are driven by the vision and mission
statements. The tagline for NCMS, Solving Tomorrows Problems Today, describes our commitment
to academic excellence with a focus on rigor and relevance. Everything we do at NCMS centers
around building a better thinker: our schedule, academic rewards, our instructional delivery, and
professional development for teachers.

SPECIAL ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

June 11th, 2015 was a typical June day - warm, sunny, and an array of beautiful clouds. It is a
day often talked about and one that continues to sting, but more importantly, it is a memory not worth
repeating. Teachers gathered with excitement and enthusiasm to hear about testing results for the
2014-15 school year. Enthusiasm was shortly diminished and smiles turned to saddened brows. The
valiant teachers took the summer to think about their purpose as an educator - to inspire, motivate,
educate, and challenge students to be the best version of themselves. Eleanor Roosevelt states, We
gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in
the face....we must do that which we think we cannot. Times were harsh and change was necessary.
While it wasnt always this way at NCMS, we were required to face our fears and make big changes.
NCMS had taken some giant strides at the end of the 2014-15 school year in implementing STEM
and PBIS as two main focuses for the following year to help with instruction, behaviors, and pride in
the school.
The summer of 2015, all core content teachers were trained by the Buck Institute for Education
on how to create and develop Project-Based Learning Units to connect content in a relevant and
rigorous manner. Teachers planned instruction that was engaging, hands-on, and included brain
breaks. The physical space took a transformation by having places for students to learn, such as: a
classroom makerspace, more computer labs, and more devices in the classroom. The media center
also had a major facelift. It now has a coding corner, an individual makerspace, four thinktank areas
for students to collaborate using smart tvs and chromecast, a green-screen room, and a quiet center
for reading or book check-out. All teachers in the sixth and seventh grade rolled out Genius Hour - a
period where students are provided time to pursue a project they are passionate about and present a
five minute Little Red Talk (TedTalk) to their class. Selected winners were then provided a mentor in
preparation for the opportunity to present talks at our partnering college in front of all fifth and sixth
graders, as well as business partners.

In the 2014-2015 school year, behaviors seemed to be out of control, with almost 2500 office
referrals for a school with a student body of 630. As a result of PBIS, this number dramatically
reduced to 324 this year. PBIS provided classroom structure, an organized system for discipline and
communication with parents, as well as a reward system for students who made good choices. Daily
tickets are distributed by all staff members for positive behaviors. Both the staff member and the
student name go on the ticket. The ticket is placed in that students locked grade-level box, which is
housed in our cafeteria. Every Monday, there are five winners called for each grade-level to receive a
prize for both the staff member and the student. We offer mini rewards every three and a half weeks
and a major reward each quarter. Participation included everyone who did not receive Out of School
Suspension, In-School Suspension, or bus discipline. NCMS had a 95% participation rate at all of the
major and mini rewards.
Pride in the school is not only about change, but also about changing the perception of all
stakeholders. STEM has become an integral part of NCMS. Students and the community members
now feel pride in the school. STEM Connection Nights are themed from a local career field in high-
demand and offer a free dinner. Community partnerships interact and engage with parents in a
creative manner to spark interest in a future career and make parents aware of current vacancies.
NCMS has gained over 40+ business partners, changed the community perception of the school,
decreased inappropriate student behaviors, and changed the culture of the school. It is for these
reasons that NCMS should be a school to watch. We are already being watched and visited by NC
Senators, other school administrators, and district representatives. Our goal is to broaden the horizon
to share with others that it is possible to balance innovation and test scores.

Our schedule places a high priority on providing a support system for all learners. The
schedule for sixth and seventh grades is comprised of eighty minute periods for math and English
Language Arts with forty minutes for social studies and science; eighth grade students have sixty
minutes for each of these classes. Teachers collaboratively build common assessments using
Mastery Connect as well as quarterly common exams through Case21. Teachers also use
GradeCam, an app linked with PowerSchool, to quickly analyze data and create remediation groups.
All of the data is reviewed weekly within grade levels and monthly in Vertical Team meetings to make
adjustments with remediation classes. Our schedule has a forty-five minute block built in each day
called What I Need or WIN. During the first semester, WIN has one day of club meetings, two days of
Genius Hour, and two days of remediation. Second semester WIN has one day of club meetings, one
day of tech training, and three days of remediation. The philosophy of NCMS is to support all levels of
learners, which is why all teachers on campus including counselors, exceptional child, and elective
teachers have a WIN class. Remediation includes both smaller support groups and advanced classes
for students who naturally excel. Students are expected to track their common assessments and
Case21 Benchmark data in order to help set their own individual academic goals. Low-performing
students are individually supported through Multi-Tiered Student Support (MTSS) and Response to
Intervention (RTI) programs. Students with an overall classroom grade less than 69% begin Tier 1
paperwork of the MTSS process. If the interventions established with the parent, student, and
teacher(s) are not working, the student is submitted to the RTI team for Tier 2 paperwork to establish
interventions to help support the student.

NCMS rewards students for academic excellence through the PRIDE (Promoting Recognition
for Individual Dedication to Excellence) program with different levels of PRIDE cards. To qualify for a
gold card, students can have no less than a 90% average in any class and no more than five
absences/tardies during a semester. Gold card holders receive free entry into all athletic home
events. To qualify for a silver card, students can have no less than an 80% average and have no
more than 5 absences/tardies for the semester. Silver card holders receive a discounted entry fee of
$1 for all athletic home events. All PRIDE card holders receive various rewards throughout the year,
including but not limited to: wearing their uniform shirt untucked on Fridays and ice cream sandwiches
or popsicles at lunch. We also recognize all card holders with a yearly celebration that includes
parents. Another celebration for academic success is the End of Grade (EOG) Bootcamp held two
weeks prior to end of year testing. EOG Bootcamp is whole-school remediation for all EOG exams.
Students are on a modified schedule to rotate to all tested subject areas for an engaging mini lesson
that ends with a short assessment. Each group of students is organized using data collected from
cumulative Cas21 exams. Students are able to earn points for their grade level by scoring 80% or
higher on a daily mini assessment and demonstrating effort and perseverance. Points are tallied each
day and both students and grade levels earn rewards. All points for the week accumulate for a large
reward at the end of the week.

Each grade level at NCMS has an assigned Exceptional Childrens teacher to model true
inclusion concept with common planning, which allows for co-teaching opportunities. More than 50%
of our teachers have been trained by the Buck Institute for Education on how to develop project-
based learning (PBL) units. Instruction is delivered using district-created pacing guides with delivery
focusing on developing and building collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.

Students at NCMS have many opportunities to use technology tools while learning. For
example, students can use a Google Chromecast in the Media Center while working on a group
project, work in the dedicated makerspace to make their design come to life, or virtually connect with
a guest expert in a field their class is researching. Teachers have adopted learning lunches for
students who are behind in their coursework and those who need additional support. Cares Team
meetings, which include counselors, the school nurse, the school resource officer, administrators, and
grade-level content teachers, are held monthly to review any student with concerns impacting
learning. This may range from academic issues to emotional, social, or health concerns; it may also
be a student with barriers in living arrangement. The team creates a plan to support that student and
family whether that be a home visit, daily calls home, check-in/out with a mentor, etc. We recognize
the strength of supporting and involving families to work together in building a better student.

Teachers each have their own web page posted on the schools website, often with a link to
Canvas, where most teachers store their coursework. The first week of school, all teachers send
home a syllabus outlining classroom and grade-level expectations. Many of the teachers
communicate with parents daily through the use of Remind, a text messaging system that allows
teachers to send text messages home without disclosing their personal phone numbers. Parents
have on-demand access to PowerSchool in order to monitor their childs academic success as well as
receiving a paper progress report every three weeks. Each grade level communicates with parents for
behaviors that could be impeding learning. Demerits are tracked in Class Dojo by the sixth grade
teachers, in agendas by the seventh grade teachers, and in Google Docs by the eighth grade
teachers. NCMS strives to eliminate common excuses and learning barriers for students by working
collaboratively on positive solutions.

Each month teachers collaborate during their Vertical Team meetings to discuss common
assessment data, benchmarks, and standards within their content areas. teachers also work on
building their grade-level PBL units. During the monthly STEM professional learning community
(PLC), teachers hear from a grade-level peer about a specific tool they have used in their classroom
and how it enhances instructional delivery. Teachers have the opportunity to see an instructional
strategy spotlighted in our weekly bulletin through the use of our classroom cameras.

STUDENT DATA
Enrollment Data
Total Number in 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th Total # of % of Total
Grade Students Enrollment
Caucasian 114 97 107 100 144 562 49%
Native American 0 0 0 0 1 1 0%
Asian 10 10 13 10 14 57 5%
African American 27 27 31 34 26 145 12.6%
Filipino 0 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Hispanic 54 59 62 62 71 308 26.8%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Other 15 13 23 14 10 75 6.6%
Totals 220 206 236 220 266 1148 100%

Total Number 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th Total # of % of Total

in Grade Students Enrollment
Male students 117 102 126 122 142 609 53%
Female students 103 104 110 98 124 539 47%
Free/Reduced 161* 413* 135* 709 62%
lunch
Identified Special 28 27 23 31 34 143 12.5%
Education
ELL students 14 13 19 14 31 91 8%
*Data was closed out for the year and we are unable to separate by grade-level. We took the
total and divided by the number of grade-levels.
Our three elementarys average is 70.9% approved for free and reduced lunch.
Our high schools average is 46.3% approved for free and reduced lunch (59% at the
traditional high school and 34%).

ABSENTEE DATA

What was the average attendance rate for students in your school during the 2015-16 school
year (%) 96.39%

We define our student school population as stable.

RESEARCH, GRANTS, ARTICLES, PROJECTS

2011-12
Awards Received

United Way Community Impact, NCCAT Golden Apple, Young People of Integrity

2012-13
Awards Received
 AdvanceED Sacs, United Way Community Impact, NCCAT Golden Apple, Teen-Up, Carowinds
Coaster Mania

2013-14
Awards Received

United Way Community Impact, NCCAT Golden Apple, Giving from the Heart Volunteer Award,
Carowinds Coaster Mania

2014-15
Grants Awarded Articles Awards Received
Published

$500 Farm Bureau Grant NCMLE: United Way

$1000 Duke Energy Grant MakerSpace - Community Impact
$1500 Morgridge Family Foundation Golden Apple
$9000 Donation from the PBO
$300 Donors Choose Grant - Aquaponic System
$550 Education Foundation Grant

2015-16
Grants Awarded Projects Awards Received

$1500 Donors Choose Grant - 3D Printer 6th - gardening United Way

$1500 Innovative Grant - Media Revamp & aquaponics Community Impact
$1500 Innovative Grant - Little REDs with City Farm Golden Apple
$1500 Innovative Grant - At-Risk Adrenaline Project
$1500 Innovative Grant - Gardening
$1500 Innovative Grant - TARC 7th - Hot
$3000 Donation from City of Conover Planet, Cool
$3000 Donation for 3D Printer from Joey Moffit Kids
$350 Donation from Catawba Chamber of
Commerce 8th - Live Wax
$350 Donors Choose Grant - Classroom Museum
Headphones

Designated a School to Watch by the NCMLE in January 2017.

FACULTY INFORMATION (FULL-TIME CERTIFIED STAFF)

Number of full-time certified staff: 42

Number of full-time certified staff with advanced degrees: 11

Number of full-time certified staff with National Board certification: 5

Length of service for full-time certified staff at the school:

0-3 years: 11
 4-10 years: 12

10+ years: 19

Professional involvement
List of middle school related professional educational organizations to which the school
belongs: NCASA, NCMLE