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Story posted December, 2007

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• Students now score on a par with wealthier neighbors on state assessments in English, and exceed them slightly in math

Surrounded by its much wealthier Westchester County neighbors, Port Chester, NY is a lower middle-class island in a privileged sea. Its middle school is home to about 800 students in grades six through eight. Latino students make up 68% of population, while African Americans and Whites make up 11% and 21% respectively. Sixty-five percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. But close attention to the needs of each individual student helps Port Chester Middle School keep pace with the county's wealthiest schools.

The successes at Port Chester Middle School were hard won. When Carmen Macchia took over as principal in 1993, safety was his number one priority. He and his staff spent six years cleaning up the school and addressing the root causes of many of the school's discipline problems. But when an assessment in 1999 revealed that only about a third of Port Chester's students were meeting state standards in English and Math, the entire school community embarked on a serious journey of self-discovery.

Port Chester set out to create an environment where teachers have the tools and resources they need to be better teachers, and where students receive the individual attention and support they need to be better students. Small class sizes, individualized instruction, and teacher development are the cornerstones of Port Chester's personal approach. As John Fazio, a math teacher, asserts: "Nobody falls through the cracks."

Macchia trains all his teachers to stress reading and writing in every subject, even art. Creative scheduling ensures that teams of teachers have the time not only to plan curriculum and instruction but also to study student performance data and discuss individual students who are struggling. In fact, the school devotes two team meetings a week to identifying specific resources individual student's need - from counseling, to tutoring, to outside social services. Many times students and parents are included in these meetings. Teachers even "loop," or follow their students from grade to grade, creating strong bonds between teachers and students. Special attention to students with disabilities and to those learning English also has been a key to the school's improvement.

Port Chester Middle School's students now score on a par with their wealthier counterparts on state assessments in English and exceed them slightly in Math. Administrators and teachers point out that students feel safe, and that caring adults are meeting their emotional, physical, and academic needs. And, a fun and hands-on approach to learning keeps students engaged.

Port Chester discovered that personal attention to both its students and its teachers is key to success. As one teacher puts it, we "believe in meeting the needs of the teachers the way we meet the needs of the students."

Further details about this story can be found in our sources:

LFA's interview with Teacher Michael de Vito and Principal Carmen Macchia, of Port Chester Middle School, January 2008 (listen above, 25 minutes)

Karin Chenoweth, "It's Being Done: Port Chester Middle School". Harvard Education Press. Boston, MA, 2007

Jacqueline L. Marino, "Best Practices Case Study. Just for the Kids-New York Project". Albany, NY, 2005

Lucille Renwick, for District Administration.com, "Port Chester (N.Y.) Middle School: Success at a Steady Pace", March 2007

Slyvia Saunders, for New York Teacher, "The Art of Redesigning a School." January 16, 2007

For more information about the story please contact:
Carmen Macchia
Principal, Port Chester Middle School
cjmacchia@pcschools.lhric.org

Photo from www.nysut.org