Davisville+Middle+School+Fall+2014


 * Chris McCarthy **


 * INTRODUCTION **

"Davisville Middle School is committed to providing our students with pathways for academic and personal success through challenging and diverse educational opportunities".



Located at 200 School Street in North Kingstown, Rhode Island is Davisville Middle School, also known as DMS. Located right next to McGinn Park, which is an added benefit for after school activities and town events, It is one of two public middle schools in the North Kingstown School Department and shares the 6-8th graders of NK with Wickford Middle School. Each year DMS educates about 500-600 students and 70 staff members. The staff includes Principle Ruthanne Logan, Assistant Principle Marisa Eisner and the Superintendent of NKSD is Dr. Phil Auger. Davisville is home of the Dragons and sports the colors blue and gold. This context statement is a great source for any parents looking for a place to live, and send their children to school in Rhode Island and based on the statistics NK and Davisiville look like a great option.


 * Community Background **

The town of North Kingstown is located in a suburban part of Rhode Island's Washington County. It is a middle class area and home to many white families. The following tables and statistics show why DMS is located in a very wealthy town.

This first table makes it very clear that the town of North Kingstown is home to many families that are better off financially than the average Rhode Islander and the average American. Most of the town of North Kingstown would be considered middle class or even upper middle class because the average household and family income is nearly $30,000 more than the average in Rhode Island and a couple thousand more higher than the average American. With less than 5.3% of the NK families under the poverty level, lets take a look at what race these families are.
 * INCOME/POVERTY || North Kingstown || Rhode Island || United States ||
 * Median household income || $ 80,102 || $56,102 || $53,046 ||
 * Median family income || $ 100,972 || $72,872 || $64,585 ||
 * Per capital income || $ 40,455 || $30,005 || $28,051 ||
 * All families below the poverty level || 5.3% || 9.2% || 10.9% ||
 * All people below the poverty level || 7.2% || 13.2% || 14.9% ||
 * Family income under $ 10,000 || 206 (2.8%) || 31,866 (7.8%) || 8,272,970 (7.2%) ||
 * Family income over $ 200,000 || 793 (10.8%) || 18,602 (4.5%) || 5,345,209 (4.6%) ||


 * RACE/ETHINICITY || North Kingstown || Rhode Island || United States ||
 * White || 25,081 (94.7%) || 81.4 % || 72.4% ||
 * Black/African Americans || 267 (1%) || 5.7% || 12.6% ||
 * Asian || 356 (1.3 %) || 2.9% || 4.8% ||
 * Hispanic or Latino || 637 (2.4%) || 12.4% || 16.3% ||
 * American Indian and Alaskan Native || 155 (.6%) || 0.6% || 0.9% ||
 * Mexican || 112 (.4%) || 0.9% || 10.3% ||

North Kingstown is heavily populated by whites as they make up about 95% of the population. This is 14% higher than the average in Rhode Island and more than 20% higher than the US average. Since there is only 5% of the population left made up by the other races it is obvious why the African American, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, and Mexican population is so low. In fact they are all less than the RI and US average. African American and Hispanic being the biggest difference. Overall North Kingstown is much less diverse than the rest of Rhode Island.

This next table takes a look at basic educational statistics in the town of North Kingstown and Rhode Island. North Kingstown does not take part in the head start program but it does not seem to affect the students future learning. A very high percentage of the towns 8th graders are at or above the reading level and math proficiency. 91% are over the average reading level and 80% above the math proficiency level. Also the HS graduation rate is 10% higher than the state average of 80%. However one of the more shocking statistics I found about the town of North Kingstown is that only 30% of all the towns children participate in full day kindergarten. Full day Kindergarten is seen as a very important first step in a children's education as it teaches them to be away from home and in the classroom for a full school day. And for a town that succeeds in the classroom as the kids grow up, it is shocking to see the percentage of full days to be so far below the overall RI percentage of 70%.
 * Education || North Kingstown || Rhode Island ||
 * Early Head Start || 0 || 503 ||
 * Chronic early absence in grades K-3 || 5% || 12% ||
 * Suspension rate (per 100) || 19 || 23 ||
 * HS graduation rate || 90% || 80% ||
 * 8th graders at or above reading level || 91% || 74% ||
 * Full Day Kindergarten || 30% || 70% ||
 * Involved in Special Ed. || 13% || 17% ||
 * 8th graders above math proficiency || 80% || 57% ||

= **District Summary** =
 * Attendance Rates**
 * Attendance Rates**



This table takes a look at the attendance rates in Rhode Island and the towns of North Kingstown (NK), Barrington, and Central Falls. It divides it up by town and by level of education including elementary, middle, high, and all of them together. High School is obviously where the numbers start to vary by town because that is when children begin to make their own decisions about education and they are not always the right ones. The RI average HS attendance is about 92% of the student body and North Kingstown and Barrington both exceed that average with a rate of 95%. Central Falls on the other hand, falls way below at 88%. School attendance is important because it shows that the students actually want to come to school and enjoy the environment, and based on the chart, North Kingstown creates a good environment for the students to socialize and learn.

Suspension Incidents
Here we can take a look at the number of suspensions in the district of North Kingstown compared to the total number in Rhode Island and compared to the districts of Barrington and Central Falls. For a pretty successful town, grades wise and family income wise, North Kingstown has a surprisingly high number of suspensions. Over 400 more than the number of suspensions in Barrington and Central Falls combined. Now NK is a rather big district and their high school does have much more students, therefore, more misbehavior, but the staff at North Kingstown must be doing something that reflects on the very high suspension rates.
 * =  ||= RI ||= NK ||= Barrington ||= Central Falls ||
 * = Elementary School ||= 2,815 ||= 20 ||= 0 ||= 3 ||
 * = Middle School ||= 11,537 ||= 96 ||= 32 ||= 358 ||
 * = High School ||= 17,944 ||= 623 ||= 107 ||= 117 ||

** School Analysis **
(Welcome banner outside of Library)

NECAP Assessments

This line chart makes it very clear that Davisville Middle School scores well above the average test score in the state of Rhode Island. In every grade, and every subject, Davisville excels. The most obvious difference being in 8th grade math, in which the average score for a Rhode Island student was 57%, while DMS students scored an average of 77%, a whole 20 points better. NECAP stands for New England Common Assessment Program and every year students in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine are assessed in the subjects of reading, writing, mathematics, and science. This began taking place in 2005 (2009 in Maine) and have several benefits such as evaluating how well the students are learning the curriculum, and how also gives the student a self evaluation once the grades are returned.

Falls ||
 * = Qualifications and Teacher-student ratio ||= Rhode Island ||= DMS ||= Barrington ||= Central
 * = Teachers with emergency certification ||= 1% ||= 0% ||= 0% ||= 0% ||
 * = teacher-student ratio ||= 1:11 ||= 1:10 ||= 1:11 ||= 1:14 ||

This table takes a quick look at some qualifications and teacher ratios. A teacher with emergency certification is just someone that may be filling in due to an emergency. One thing that stands out to me is the fact that Central Falls, an urban school that scores much lower on NECAPs and certain tests, has much less teachers than the state average. It is not surprising but, it makes it clear why central falls could be struggling. The more teachers there are, then the smaller class sizes can be, and with smaller classes, the students get more one on one time and that is very key. Davisville does a great job with this as their ratio is even better than the state average of 1:11.

** Conclusion **
After looking through the data it is clear that Davisville Middle School is almost everything you want in a school. Financially the town is in great shape, academically the students do great, and there are plenty of staff members/teachers to help DMS run efficiently. The community of North Kingstown is very wealthy compared to the rest of Rhode Island. It is a suburban area with everything from grocery stores to salons, all within a few miles, and is not very diverse with nearly 95% of the population being white. The school district, although high in suspension incidents, which is likely because they set the bar high in North Kingstown, scores very well on NECAPS and SAT's. Overall if looking to go to a school that is near the top in nearly everything, Davisville Middle School of North Kingstown seems to be a very viable option.

= ** References **=

RI Kids Count. (2012-2013). Retrieved from [] on 9/22/14

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from [] on 9/22/14

Votta, P. (2013). Info works! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting. Retrieved from [] on 9/22/14

North Kingstown School Department (2014) [|North Kingstown School Department] on 10/14/14

Peer Evaluation / Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement


 * Author: Chris McCarthy **


 * Editor:Tatyana Leite **


 * Total Score for this Evaluation: ** 24/35 pts

The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.

As a peer editor, your tasks are:


 * Read author's report.
 * Carefully **evaluate** report by assigning a score for each criterion
 * provide **constructive comments** that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
 * Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

**RUBRIC**


 * Name: ** **Score:**


 * Introduction: 3/5 points **

5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.

4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.

3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.

2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.

0: No introduction section is apparent.

Comments on report's introduction: Included names of school/district/community, but did not discuss who report is intended to inform


 * Organization: 5/5 points **

5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.

4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.

3: Report is missing one section.

2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.

1: Report is missing two or more sections.

Comments on report's organization:


 * Mechanics: 0/5 points **

5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.

There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.

4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.

3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.

2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.

0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.

Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions: No references, grammatical errors


 * Creativity: 4/5 **

5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.

4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.

3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.

Comments on report's creativity:


 * Conclusion: 4/5 **

5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.

4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community

3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.

1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.

0: No conclusion.

Comments on report's conclusion:


 * Data/Analysis: 8/10 **

5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).

4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.

3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.

2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.

0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.

Comments on data/analysis/General comments:

Peer Evaluation / Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement


 * Author: Chris McCarthy **


 * Editor: Chris Fletcher **


 * Total Score for this Evaluation: ** 24/35 pts

The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.

As a peer editor, your tasks are:


 * Read author's report.
 * Carefully **evaluate** report by assigning a score for each criterion
 * provide **constructive comments** that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
 * Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

**RUBRIC**


 * Name: ** **Score:**


 * Introduction: 3/5 points **

5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.

4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.

3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.

2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.

0: No introduction section is apparent.

Comments on report's introduction:

Included names of school/district/community, but did not discuss who report is intended to inform


 * Organization: 5/5 points **

5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.

4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.

3: Report is missing one section.

2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.

1: Report is missing two or more sections.

Comments on report's organization:


 * Mechanics: 0/5 points **

5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.

There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.

4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.

3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.

2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.

0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.

Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:

No references, grammatical errors


 * Creativity: 4/5 **

5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.

4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.

3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.

Comments on report's creativity:


 * Conclusion: 3/5 **

5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.

4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community

3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.

1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.

0: No conclusion.

Comments on report's conclusion:


 * Data/Analysis: 10/10 **

5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).

4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.

3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.

2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.

0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.

Comments on data/analysis/General comments: