2002-2003

Jordan provides a supportive, flexible, and innovative environment for the diverse needs of the school community by promoting relevant and meaningful learning opportunities. Our students are self-motivated, well-rounded, life long learners who successfully contribute to society.

David Starr Jordan Middle School opened in 1937 and closed its doors in 1985 due to a decline in enrollment. It reopened in September 1991 and now serves sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in Palo Alto. The Palo Alto Unified School District encompasses: Palo Alto, a highly-educated and increasingly diverse community; part of Los Altos Hills, home to many Silicon Valley executives and professionals; Stanford University; and Stanford Industrial Park. Jordan also serves part of the University campus, Professorville, older Palo Alto, and neighborhoods ranging from high income to low income housing. Seventy-nine students in the Voluntary Transfer Program from East Palo Alto and 13 Allen Bill transfer students round out the school population. Our demographic breakdown is as follows: 66% Caucasian, 17% Asian, 4% African-American, 7% Hispanic and 6% other.

Virtually all our students speak English, since students needing continued instruction in an English Language Development program attend J. L. Stanford Middle School. Students from four special day classes mainstream into our regular program.

Jordan parents support their children, the school and our efforts to provide challenging education that fosters high student achievement. Parents contribute to the PTA and the school in the form of monetary and material donations, volunteer hours, and attendance at school functions; they support the students, the staff, and school to accomplish our mission and attain our goals. The PTA functions as a vital part of the school community. They share the responsibility for arranging significant parent education events, provide communication between home and school, arrange several staff appreciation events, and recruit volunteers for classroom assistance and student activities. The Site Council is another place where parents assume an active role in decision-making. This body, composed of parents, students, and staff makes philosophical and monetary decisions which determine the direction of the school as a whole. Shared decision making is evident through task forces and staff cluster groups.

Community involvement and service take several forms at Jordan. The city and the school collaborate in community health, counseling, organized sports, and law enforcement.

Teacher professionalism is at the very core of the operation of our school and district. Shared decision-making empowers teachers by allowing them to take ownership and pride in decisions. This process also fosters mutual respect and encourages collegiality. The academic departments at Jordan exhibit professionalism by offering their students a rich curriculum that is often teacher-created and provides hands-on and real life experiences. Cooperation among teachers within their departments fosters the sharing of ideas and the development of a dependable support system. Cooperation between departments, such as on projects, teaching assignments, and teaming, creates a positive social and academic environment.

School Finance

School districts receive funding from three sources: state, federal government, and local income sources. PAUSD receives less than 1% of its revenues from the federal government and less than 15% from the State of California. State funding is received for both general expenses and the operation of specific programs, often called categorical or restricted programs. The district relies heavily on local property taxes to fund its programs. Approximately 80% of the district’s income is from local sources, including property tax collections, building leases and rentals, and interest income.

Budgets are allotted to the schools for instructional programs and for general operating expenses. Each school determines the specific allocation of its budget to meet its unique needs and priorities. The following are the five sources of income controlled at the site at Jordan this year:

The Jordan instructional staff is comprised of 80 full and part-time certificated employees. All teachers teach the majority of their assignment in an area for which they hold a designated credential. Every staff member holds a bachelor’s degree, 37 hold master’s degrees, and two hold doctorate degrees. Two part-time psychologists, two full-time counselors, one part-time counselor, one Dean of Students and two Assistant Principals support our students and staff. An instructional librarian serves the entire school. Classes are staffed at a ratio of 28.5 students to 1 teacher, except sixth grade and English and in mathematics which are staffed at 24:1.

Students at Jordan Middle School engage in a meaning-centered integrated curriculum that promotes student-centered learning, implements state frameworks, and offers challenging electives and enrichment opportunities. District steering committees as well as school departments ensure a smooth transition from grade to grade and school to school. Jordan’s curriculum offers students multifaceted opportunities to learn and master key concepts and skills as well as explore personal interests and previously untried areas.

Teachers at Jordan emphasize active learning strategies to engage and meet the particular needs of their students. For example, in science, students generate hypotheses and create experiments on a computer simulation model to test their hypotheses. In language arts, students delve in to literature engagement activities such as a story, maps, simulations and graphic organizers to further their understanding of material read. In social studies, students examine artifacts to draw conclusions about a particular stage of human development. In math, students work in cooperative groups with manipulatives for constructivist learning. Throughout the school, students ask questions, solve problems, create solutions, and present their learning to fellow classmates or the school community. Teachers vary instructional strategies to meet the needs of students and the content area. Direct instruction is available as a choice program in grade six.

The Jordan curriculum has the depth of content that accompanies state frameworks and district curriculum guides, as well as the innovation that comes with a talented teaching staff.

Jordan offers students rich and varied curricular choices. Through the sixth grade wheel and seventh and eighth grade elective programs, students are able to explore areas they may want to pursue further in high school or possibly as career options. Such classes as computer programming, web page design, drama, industrial technology, guidance, and music add to the variety of a student’s day. The physical education program provides a balance between fitness activities and skill development. Through the years at Jordan students can explore and develop multiple skills and interests.

Our total Instructional Minutes of 60,970 for the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades exceed the state requirement of 54,000 minutes by 6,970.

The PAUSD Board of Education believes that the purpose of a comprehensive staff evaluation program is "improvement of the quality of teaching and learning through the recognition, maintenance and improvement of staff competency." The district has worked with our employee organizations to establish procedures that meet this goal.

Permanent certificated employees are formally evaluated at least once every two years. All classified staff members are assessed annually or biannually.

Probationary and temporary teachers receive close supervision and support and are formally evaluated every year.
These groups of teachers participate in either the BTSA or PAR support programs.

School Facility

Jordan Middle School was built in 1937 and remained open until 1985 when it closed due to enrollment decline. It was remodeled and reopened again in 1991.

The ongoing challenge posed by the high use of technology has been met, thanks to many expert volunteer parents and community members. The voters passed a Bond Measure in 1995 to provide funds for renovations to schools in Palo Alto. The H, M and F wings were renovated last year. This year the G, E and C wings underwent extensive renovation. Next year will be the final phase, including the gym, cafetorium, snack bar, library, office and A and B wings.

Jordan students receive encouragement to succeed both personally and academically from teachers, administrators and support staff. Jordan is fortunate to have Guidance Counselors who serve as case managers for students in each of the three grade levels. They provide short-term individual and small group counseling for students experiencing difficulties with school adjustment, academic success and other social and emotional concerns. They serve as a resource to Jordan teachers and parents and make referrals to the school psychologist and the Adolescent Counseling Services interns, when appropriate. They provide articulation links between elementary and middle school teachers along with the high school staff. They orient new students and their families and facilitate grade-level Student Study Team meetings. Additionally, they oversee class placements and handle schedule change requests.

Other academic support comes from the Special Education Department, the AVID elective as well as Math Workshop Reading Enhancement, and the Academy, an after school program in reading and mathematics for sixth graders. The Library and Computer Lab are open both during brunch and lunch. After-school resources are also available in their classrooms during TEAM time, the 10-minute period at the end of each school day. Students are encouraged to seek out their teachers if they need help clarifying an assignment, making up a test or need help chunking out a long-term project. The Library houses a Homework Center three days a week until 4:30 p.m. with adult tutors available for student support. One of Jordan's credentialed math teachers, along with a cadre of tutors provide after-school math homework help in her room on those same three days and many teachers are available before and or after school for assistance as well. Finally, Saturday Academy is available bi-monthly for students who need help.

The Board of Education has identified staff development as a top priority. Our curriculum and instructional systems are complex, and staff must be given the time and training needed to incorporate new content, new teaching strategies, and new materials into their classroom routines. Workshops are available during the summer, after school, and on release time. This year the staff development days were used to refine school goals to continue our work in Six-tract writing in all content areas and to develop differentiated curriculum via technology.

Substitute Teachers

The district actively recruits fully-credentialed substitute teachers. We maintain a list of over 150 qualified teachers. To ensure continued quality substitute teaching, we pay one of the highest daily rates in the county and we provide an orientation program and inservice opportunities for our substitutes.

School Discipline Plan

Jordan maintains a discipline policy that promotes respect and security, is compatible with the characteristics of young adolescents, and is enforced with fairness and consistency. At the beginning of the year, administrators review with all students a covenant of behavioral expectations. In assemblies, administrators and student leaders reinforce behavioral expectations. Students receive support and academic counseling from several caregivers. There are expectations and consequences regarding behavior clearly defined in the handbooks for parents, staff and students. In 2001-2002 Jordan had 104 suspensions and 0 expulsion.