Measures of Success at Southwest Middle School

This spring, the State of California released information about the performance of all public schools operating from kindergarten through grade 12 in which the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) performance and growth scores from 2015 and 2016 were compared for each school.  The report shows that our English Learner Progress and English Language Arts performance improved significantly from 2015 to 2016. An area of focus for us is the need to support all students in mathematics learning in order to improve performance.  Our schools’ performance is similar to other schools in our district and state that are similar to Southwest Middle School.

There are other measures that we look to to evaluate our performance as well.  The Gallup Poll, a survey of students’ attitudes and perceptions, records the fact that students’ feel that their overall engagement and that they have supportive teachers were the 2nd highest of all middle schools in the Sweetwater District.  We believe that this is due to our efforts at building relationships with our students and community through our Restorative Practices program.

Additionally, our promotion rate has been over 90% for the past four years, up from 76% in 2012.

We are building a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) school in which our students participate in dynamic and future-oriented learning experiences to prepare them for the economy of the future in which life sciences, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health sciences, information/communication technology are proven to be the fastest growing career sectors in San Diego County, according to the San Diego Workforce Partnership whom we have partnered with to teach our students specifically about San Diego career opportunities in the future.

We believe that it is important to provide GREAT, FUTURE-DRIVEN learning experiences for students in order that they are able to be successful and have multiple career opportunities in the future.

There are many ways to measure a school’s progress.  One of the best ways is to visit!  For specific information about the State’s SBAC scores click on the link below.  For a personal tour of Southwest Middle School to see the amazing things that students are learning and doing, please call 628-4009 and make an appointment with our principal to see our school.

https://www.caschooldashboard.org/#/Home and typing in Southwest Middle School.