North Augusta Middle first up for TAVs

In 2009, North Augusta Middle School principal Barry Head and about nine of his teachers attended training for a formal initiative, "Making Middle Grades Work."

Other Aiken County middle schools have also taken the training, and now Head's school is the first to take the next step - technical assistance visits (TAVs).

County and state educators who visited the school last week have provided immediate feedback on strengths and weaknesses and will also provide a longer written report soon, Head said in a presentation he and Area 5 assistant superintendent Dr. Randy Stowe presented at an Aiken School Board meeting Tuesday.

"As soon as we get the extended report," Head said, "we'll immediately work on it, and it will become part of our strategic plan."

Making Middle Grades Work is a program developed by the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB), similar to the High Schools That Work program introduced in recent years by district administrators.

"The idea is to improve instruction," said Stowe. "One aspect of that process are the TAVs, and during this year, all middle schools will undergo the process."

MMGW doesn't focus directly on student achievement, but on implementing key practices for teachers and schools to help drive instruction and help students prepare for success.

"TAVs provide outside eyes to come into the school and look at what the administrators and teachers are doing," Stowe said.

At North Augusta Middle School last week, the visiting team included a State Department of Education staff member, an outside educator and representative faculty of the feeder elementary schools in North Augusta and from North Augusta High.

The identified priority areas for all middle schools include rigor/high expectations, leadership, use of data/program evaluation, student engagement, guidance and family/community engagement.

Head said he was encouraged when the TAV group found a commitment at his school to critical thinking skills, transition opportunity for new 6th-graders, cross-curricular activities, career development programs and other academic and student engagement programs.

"This is great," said board member Wesley Hightower. "This is about helping student achievement, and I'm impressed with the work you've done."

Aiken Middle School participated in the technical assistance visit process Tuesday and Wednesday. The visits will continue at the other middle schools through early March.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.