Running Head: Yorktown

Initial Impression of Needs: Yorktown Middle School

Elizabeth Jones
Ball State University

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Introduction
Yorktown Corporation has conveniently constructed the facilities of Yorktown Elementary,
Middle, and High Schools to sit very close in proximity to one another, creating a sense of
connectedness amongst the schools. Though it is the only middle school in the city, Yorktown Middle
School provides a variety of opportunities and a well-respected curriculum for all of the students that
attend. In order to better understand the needs of Yorktown Middle School, it is necessary to explore
various channels of information (the Department of Education, the specific school improvement plan,
and observational information) to gain insight into the demographics of the area and school, as well as
the school's goals and strengths.
Demographics
According to data within the past five years, the city of Yorktown is comprised of 4,902
residents (Yorktown Schools, 2014). Of these residents, 47.8% are male and 52.2% are female. The
vast majority of the population (96.2%) identify as White, non-Hispanic, while only 2.1% identify as
Asian, 0.6% as African-American, 0.4% as Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, and 0.6% as Multiracial.
Furthermore, the same census reported that the socio-economic status of residents of Yorktown
range from lower middle class to upper middle class and even upper class. In fact, the average income
of Yorktown households is $26,065, while the median income is $50,974. Only approximately 3.9% of
families live below the poverty line. This limited range of class and income has implications for the
school which will be discussed later in this paper.
While there are over 4,000 residents of Yorktown, there are only approximately 1,842
households, which means an average household is comprised of two to three people. Of these
households, 61.5% report as married couples living together, 37.5% of whom have children under the
age of 18. 10.2% of households are comprised of a single female, some of whom have children.
Over the past few years, the population of Yorktown has been on an upward rise. Between the
increasing population, and the relatively stable economy and income of the residents, Yorktown has

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begun to prioritize the revitalization of the downtown businesses, pursuing grants for the creation and
maintenance of parks, and continuing residential development in the hopes of accommodating and
sustaining the growing population.
The school body composition is a reflection of the local population. Over the past five years, the
school population has steadily increased by 12%, mimicking the steady growth of the city. Furthermore,
the student population at Yorktown Middle School is as diverse as the city. OF the 580 students, 91.5%
are Caucasian, 1.9% Pacific Islander or Asian, 1.8% African American, 2.8% Multiracial, and 1.8%
Hispanic. Although less than 5% of the households in Yorktown fall below the poverty line, 18.6% of
the Yorktown Middle School students receive free lunch benefits, and 9% receive reduced lunch
benefits. Finally, 50 students receive a variety of special education services at the middle school level.
Goals
In their School Improvement Plan, Yorktown Middle School identified two goals specific for
students to create action plans and measure, and added a third goal for the staff (Yorktown, 2014). The
first goal is to keep students in school as much as possible. In order to accomplish this goal, the
administration created a four year plan to increase the rate of student attendance. According to the
Department of Education, the 2012-2013 school year saw an attendance rate of 96.7%, an increase of
nearly 0.5% over the past five years. In that year, only 5 students were absent for more than 10 days.
The second goal outlined in the School Improvement Plan was that students will demonstrate
growth and performance in English and Math. Through the implementation of additional programs and
modified curriculums, Yorktown Middle School staff collaborated to improve the courses for students to
promote achievement on ISTEP+.
It should be noted that both of these two goals were identified as necessary as a result of the
analysis of data that the school collected to assess the needs of the students.
The third goal was designed specifically with the teachers in mind, and aimed to promote professional
development. Speifically, the administration hoped to educate school personnel on how to interpret

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performance data and use it to inform and direct their intructional methods. In order to achieve this
goal, staff were assigned to different subcommittees addressing a specific area that was relevant to the
teachers' subject: Advanced Education, Traits of Writing,Building a writing rubric, ISTEP+ Data
Analysis, Acuity Data Analysis, and Response to Instruction. Furthermore, Yorktown Middle School is
the recipient of a grant that will facilitate staff having the opportunity to participate in eLearning
conferences during the summer of 2014 (Department of Education, 2014).
Strengths
Yorktown Middle School provides diverse services and a plethora of opportunities to its
students, contributing to it's Four Star Status in the state of Indiana (Department of Indiana, 2014). One
of the most impressive strengths of this school is its diversified curriculum. Yorktown Middle School
offers the state determined core curriculum in addition to computer education, music, art, physical
education, health, foreign language, industrial technology, among other opportunities. Furthermore, for
the core curriculum, Yorktown also provides high ability classes in addition to advanced classes,
remediation services for ISTEP+, special education services, and an educational support program for
any student requiring assistance with completing an assignment or master ing a subjeect. This support
service is called the Tigers' D.E.N. (Dedicated to the Educational Needs of all students).
The special education services that Yorktown Middle School provides students are made possible
due to three full time special education teachers. One of the teachers spans elementary to middle
schools to facilitate an easier transition for certain students. Additionally, Yorktown employs a speech
pathologist, and through a cooperative between Delaware and Blackford Counties, Yorktown is also
able to provide additional services including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and services for
students with autism spectrum disorders and/or visual impairments.
Yorktown Middle School is committed to implementing programs and providing opportunities to
students to enhance the classroom curriculum. These include field trips,contests, community speakers,
incentive programs through grants, and a strong technology program. Yorktown also offers a variety of

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extracurricular activities (ranging from sports to clubs) to engage students outside of the classroom and
help them to invest in their education.
The approaches Yorktown has taken to promote academic achievement has been effective, at
least according to the Department Education's analysis of the 2013 ISTEP+ performance scores.
Overall, the middle school is classified as experiencing higher growth and higher achievement
(Department of Education, 2014). Over 80% of students passed almost every subject of the ISTEP+.
The only two exceptions were that 75% of 6th graders passed the Language Arts portion, and 60.2% of
6th graders passed the ISTEP+ Science area. In general, performance in each subject area was increased
from prior years.
To further enhance a consistent approach to education, common time is set aside each day to
allow teachers to collaborate, professional development, intervention meeting. This can promote
cohesion and a sense of teamwork amongst teachers in the building, and provide a more consistent
structure for students. Yorktown also seeks to promote a collaborative relationship between the school
and the community. The Parent Teacher Organization works to raise funds for extended learning
opportunities, and assist with events like ISTEP and the book fair. Local organizations provide funds
and grants, as well as incentive and gifts to support students in achieving their academic goals. In
exchange, students support local organizations and also promote their causes.
The sentiment that Yorktown promotes is that every member of the school and community can
work together to create a safe and secure learning environment, so much of the collaboration is done in
the pursuit of that ideal.
Needs
While Yorktown Middle School has many strengths and offers a vast array of opportunities for
its students, it is not without its unique needs. Through conversations with current staff at Yorktown
Middle School, three specific needs were identified. First, there is a lac of support for 21 st Century
Scholars. While many receive assistance in signing up, there is a lack of community with the

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representatives of 21st Century Scholars and the school staff regarding tracking student progress and
making sure they are staying on track to receive the college benefits. There is a need for a more clear
cut and specific procedure to assist in this process. It may be important to consider reaching out to
parents and trying to provide the parents with resources to facilitate the process. This collaboration
would be in line with Yorktown's promotion of collaboration.
The second identified need is for support services for at-risk youth. At Yorktown, at-risk youth
are identified based on socio-economic status, poor grades, and/or low ISTEP+ scores. These students
seem to lack study skills or organizational skills. Literature suggests that one potential intervention that
can address such an issue is through an after school program. Rather than taking students out of classes
where they may fall behind, after school programs provide an environment where students can learn new
skills, develop healthy relationships, and have something to do outside of school (Sebastian, 2014).
A third need as identified by the school personnel was for the middle school girls that addresses
healthy communication and self-esteem, and how to manage drama.
Aside from these three identified needs, there are others that become evident through the
exploration of performance reviews and the school improvement plan. The most striking is the lack of
diversity. There is little ethnic and racial diversity, but also a lack in socio-economic diversity. In fact,
the rate of non-white students at Yorktown Middle School is so little, there is no disaggregation of
performance and achievement data available through the department of education. This makes it
difficult to determine whether those minority populations are receiving equitable services, or if they need
additional support.
As the town continues to grow, and the buildings are renovated and revitalized, the cost of living
in the community will continue to rise. This can result in a need for larger facilities, of course, but also
can result in a more exclusive and less diverse environment for students. Higgins (2001) discovered in
her study that diversity is a key component in helping individuals have the confidence to overcome
obstacles. A lack of exposure to diversity can have significant impacts on student development of self

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efficacy and self esteem, which can impede them as they continue to pursue college degrees and careers.
While Yorktown offers many benefits to students, these needs can be addressed in order to further
improve the school environment, and, therefore, the experience of each student who walks through the
doors.

References
Higgins, Monica C. (2001). Changing careers: The effects of social context. Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 22, pp. 595-618
Indiana Department of Education. (n.d.). Indiana Department of Education. Retrieved June 16, 2014,
from http://www.doe.in.gov/
Sebastian, J. (2014). The impact of an after-school intervention program on academic achievement
among middle school students. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A, 74.
School Improvement Plan. (n.d.). Yorktown Middle School. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from
http://yms.yorktown.k12.in.us/