Enabling students to achieve that “lightbulb moment” at Farmington Middle School
When Forward selected Farmington Middle School (FMS) to participate in the LeARner Collective, the team faced what instructional facilitator Tammie Bullock describes as an ideal convergence of campus and district-wide improvement opportunities. FMS was integrating a new curriculum and statewide assessment while continuing its push to establish inclusive instructional practices, including as part of the new statewide standard related to high-quality instructional materials (HQIM).
FMS had embraced HQIM for years. Its teachers were already adept at developing and using evidence-based, rigorous instructional methods in their classrooms. Previously, educators designed their own HQIM, which required extensive time and effort. The FMS team welcomed the Department of Education’s Arkansas Initiative for Instructional Materials (AIIM). Teachers saw it as a supplement to their existing efforts that could ease their instructional delivery.
Phase I of the LeARner Collective allowed FMS to be more proactive in its planning for AIIM implementation. The regular convenings provided a sense of camaraderie as teams from Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta brainstormed how to facilitate a seamless, successful process. With Forward and 2Revolutions’ support, FMS bypassed countless hours of trial and error, developing innovative solutions to help the school align with the new standards without eliminating teachers’ autonomy. Tammie said Phase I came at the right time, but she suggests that Phase II is perhaps even more opportune. As part of the continuation pathway, FMS is broadening the scope of its efforts.
FMS is setting up additional planning times for teachers and doubling its focus on effective literacy instruction. Specifically, the team is helping students with writing—an area kids struggled with post-COVID and virtual learning. FMS is hosting peer-learning labs for teachers to compare practices and delivery against the required curriculum. Tammie believes this “reflective teaching” will help the team continue to enhance instructional delivery and reduce the need for reteaching so the staff can provide more targeted interventions.
FMS sees the LeARner Collective as a ripe opportunity for teachers to hone their craft. A long-time educator, Tammie notes that school improvement initiatives are not always one-size-fits-all. The LeARner Collective empowers those in the classroom to build roadmaps that best fit the context of their students and districts. As Phase II continues, the FMS team looks forward to sharing best practices that educators across the district—at all grade levels—can use to help all students succeed.
