Advocating for Effective and Thriving Middle School Communities

Jamie Summers

Northwest Middle School

Outline

• Resource Allocation
• Support Systems
• Policy Evaluation
• Advocacy Plan

Resource Allocation

Current Classroom Materials

• Teachers are unclear of their budget from year to year.
• They work to simply keep supply requests to a minimum, or under $100.
• Teachers use websites like donorschoose.com to receive external donations for larger supply orders.
• After COVID, a larger supply order was given to all IPS schools, but the teachers were not a part of the decision process. As a result, many of the supplies were not useful or needed. Many teachers would look to trade, but since they all received the same supplies, it was hard to trade.
• Supplies are severely lacking in quality, quantity, and diversity.
• There is a reluctance to use any new or higher quality supplies that they do have because they aren’t sure when new ones are coming.
• Outside of the normal school laptops for each student, technology isn’t utilized in the art room for anything specific.

Current Classroom Materials - Strengths

• Teachers work together to share supplies and share extras whenever they can.
• Expansion of the arts programs through “Rebuilding Stronger” by IPS indicates a commitment to enhancing arts education (IPS Moving Forward With Full Implementation of Its Rebuilding Stronger Plan, 2023).
• Teachers, like Mr. Roberts, are resourceful and use websites such as Donors Choose to get special projects funded.

Current Classroom Materials - Weaknesses

• In the art room and elective classes, access to technology is limited. No digital drawing tablets or software are available, and tech use is minimal due to infrastructure gaps. This undermines equitable access to 21st-century learning tools, which Powell identifies as essential for developmentally responsive instruction (2020).
• The lack of consistency in materials and budget allocation makes it hard for teachers to plan lessons effectively.
• Chronic underfunding severely limits access to art supplies. Teachers often use personal funds or donations to restock basic materials such as paper, paint, and markers. This scarcity limits project variety and scale, contradicting Powell’s call for middle school environments to be “challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant” (2020).

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Other School Resources

• All students are provided a Chromebook and planner.
• According to the Student Handbook, the school offers resources such as:
• Media Center, School Counselor, Social Worker, and Access to Eskenazi Mental Health Services
• Extracurriculars include:
• Tutoring, Robotics, Character Building, Student Council, E-Sports, Chess, Girls Inc, IMPD Cares, and various sports groups and teams.
• IPS has trained over 450 teachers in various academic models, including STEM and International Baccalaureate, which may encompass art educators. However, specific professional development opportunities for art teachers at NWMS aren't explicitly mentioned (Pak-Harvey, 2024).

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Support Systems

Support Systems

• As stated in the Student Handbook, the school offers resources such as a school counselor, social worker, and access to Eskenazi Mental Health Services.
• It is apparent when you observe at Northwest Middle School that they are focused on restorative discipline, as stated in this policy in the Student Handbook:
• “Corrective responses include a focus on instruction in appropriate behavior, culturally responsive support strategies, and social emotional learning opportunities. The goals of assigning corrective responses and consequences are to maintain a safe environment, maximize all students’ learning, and improve students’ behavior and problem-solving skills (IPS, 2024).
• It is also apparent as you observe at Northwest, that the teachers are also a vital resource for the students. You often see them being a support, emotionally and otherwise, to help the students succeed.

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Support Systems - Effectiveness

• NWMS’s dedication to restorative justice practices is a positive aspect of what you see daily. Teachers and staff are all dedicated to the students and helping them succeed.
• While IPS emphasizes collaborative teaching practices, specific PLCs for art educators at NWMS aren’t detailed or readily available (Northwest Middle School – an IB World School, n.d.).
• The integration of new academic models and support services demonstrates a proactive approach to both teacher and student development; however, the effectiveness of these systems is not apparent or evaluated regularly.
• There is a lack of time on the teacher’s part and detailed information on mentorships and PLCs for art educators, which is a potential area for development. �

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Support Systems - Recommendations

• Create visual arts-focused PLCs and mentorships.
• Leverage community partners for additional art-specific student support.
• It seems that “Rebuilding Stronger” by IPS is dedicated to enhancing arts in the classroom, but the system needs to work on teacher development opportunities or the transparency of the opportunities available (IPS Moving Forward With Full Implementation of Its Rebuilding Stronger Plan, 2023).
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Policy Evaluation

Positive Contributions

• IB Middle Years Program (MYP): Promotes inquiry-based learning, global engagement, and interdisciplinary education, enhancing critical thinking and student agency (IPS, 2024).
• Authentic Assessment Framework: Encourages real-world, meaningful performance tasks, fostering student voice, choice, and reflections (IPS, 2024).
• Progressive Discipline & PBIS: Implements restorative practices and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to cultivate a supportive learning environment (IPS, 2024).
• Inclusive Dress Code: Ensures equitable enforcement without shaming or marginalizing students, supporting student identity and psychological safety (IPS, 2024).

Challenges

• Attendance Policy & Truancy Enforcement: Strict enforcement (chronic truant status after 5 absences) may disproportionately affect students facing barriers outside of the classroom, such as transportation or housing inability (IPS, 2024).
• Technology Use Restriction: Limited personal use of devices and strong disciplinary consequences may hinder digital literacy and equitable access for some students (IPS, 2024).
• Homework Practice Policy: Homework is ungraded but still required, which may be confusing for students used to traditional systems and could reduce accountability for parent engagement (IPS, 2024).

Advocacy Plan

Optimizing Resource Allocation

Challenge:

• Chronic underfunding in elective classrooms, especially art, leads to inadequate materials, limited access to technology, and over-reliance on teacher-funded supplies (Field Notes/Observations, 2025; IPS, 2024).
• No clear budget transparency for teachers, making long-term planning difficult.

Optimizing Resource Allocation - Recommendations

• Conduct annual needs assessment in elective departments to identify material and tech gaps, as well as areas for trading or collaboration.
• Establish a district-level baseline funding guarantee for all classrooms, ensuring essential art supplies and digital tools (e.g., drawing tablets, design software).
• Leverage community partnerships (e.g., local art stores, museums) for consistent donations, artist visits, and mentorship programs.

Optimizing Resource Allocation - Collaborations

• Collaborate with parents and local businesses to create a “Friends of the Arts” network that supports art education through small grants, volunteer time, or donations.
• Present finding and requests to the IPS Board of Commissioners and school administrators using visual data to show impact.

Strengthening Support Systems

Challenge:

• Lack of structured mentorship or content-specific PLCs for art educators.
• Emotional support for students exists but is stretched thin due to understaffing and overextended social-emotional support roles (Field Notes/Observations, 2025).

Strengthening Support Systems- Recommendations

• Develop dedicated PLCs for visual and performing arts teachers to collaborate, plan interdisciplinary projects, and share resources.
• Launch peer mentorship program pairing new teachers with experienced ones, with stipends or professional development credit as incentives.
• Formalize a student peer leadership group focused on creativity, belonging, and artistic identity, building on the school’s Community of Care practices (IPS, 2024).

Strengthening Support Systems- Collaborations

• Involve local arts organizations (e.g., Arts for Learning Indiana, Big Car Collaborative) to co-host workshops or mentorships.
• Encourage parent involvement in art-based extracurricular clubs or school exhibitions.

Resources

Field Notes/Observations. (2025). Weekly reflections from field experience at Northwest Middle School. Unpublished manuscript.

IPS Moving Forward with Full Implementation of its Rebuilding Stronger Plan. (2023, March 23). https://myips.org/blog/district/ips-moving-forward-with-full- implementation-of-its-rebuilding-stronger-plan/

Indianapolis Public Schools. (2024). Northwest Middle School student/parent handbook 2024–2025. https://myips.org/northwest/

Northwest Middle School – an IB World School. (n.d.). https://myips.org/northwest/

Pak-Harvey, A. (2024, December 3). New IPS middle school model brings mixed experiences. Chalkbeat Indiana. Retrieved from https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2024/12/03/indianapolis-public-schools- has-mixed-middle-school-rollout-for-families/

Powell, S. D. (2020). Introduction to middle level education (4th ed.). Pearson.