Williamson County Middle College High School

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Williamson County Middle College High School

• Franklin, Tennessee
• Principal Harold Ford

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• A school of choice designed to meet the needs of
  bright underserved or underachieving students,
  grades 10-12.
• Admissions is by application and interview.
• About 70 of the students that apply are
  accepted.
• The following are characteristics of the students
  we have served over the years

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• 62 of students did not attend Williamson County
  Public Schools in grades K 9
• 58 of students live in reconfigured homes
• Average days missed before coming to MCHS 25
• 58 of parents did not attend college

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• 42 of student hold a job outside of school
• 55 of students are expected to pay all or part
  of their own living expenses
• 94 of students have moved more than once
• 53 of students have moved more than 4 times and
  19 have moved more than 7 times

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• 97 of students have attended two or more high
  schools
• 51 of students have attended four or more high
  schools

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• The average GPA for incoming students is between
  .5 and 4.2
• 40 of incoming students are behind in credits

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Middle College Successes

• Total graduates to date 701 students
• Attendance 90.6
• Graduation Rate 88.6
• 95 of students said that if they hadnt come to
  Middle College, they would have dropped out of
  high school
• 70 attend higher education
• Focus Groups

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Middle College Successes continued

• Middle College Alumni have chosen the following
  colleges and universities
• - Arizona State University
• - Belmont University
• - Chattanooga State Technical Community College
• -Columbia State Community College
• -Lipscomb University
• -Florida A M University
• -Fisk University
• -High Point University
• -Loyola University of New Orleans
• -Mankato State University
• -Middle Tennessee State University
• -Nashville State Technical Community College
• -Pellissippi State Technical Community College
• -Southern Illinois University

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• -Tennessee State University
• -University of Tennessee
• -Southern Illinois University
• -Volunteer State College
• -West Virginia University
• -Xavier University
• -Warren Wilson College
• -Evergreen College
• -University of Tennessee Chattanooga
• -University of Tennessee Martin
• -New York University
• -Sara Lawrence
• -Savannah School of the Arts
• -Flagler College
• -Aquinas College
• -Full Sail University
• -Nashville Auto Diesel College
• -Nashville State Community College

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• Now that you know the numbers, lets talk to the
  heartbeat of the school the students, faculty
  and teachers.

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Teachers What do you do to make the MCHS
graduation rate a success?

• 1 PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
• Making personal connections with the students is
  THE golden ticket to graduating students! Making
  students comfortable, listening to their needs,
  accepting their learning styles, garnering and
  maintaining mutual respect, and valuing their
  opinions/needs is how MCHS teachers are breaking
  down barriers to education and opening doors to
  new opportunities.

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• 2 FOLLOW THROUGH
• Teachers are constantly checking-in and
  checking-up on students, both personally and
  academically. This communication happens via text
  messages, phone conversations, emails, contact
  with parents, etc. Sometimes the call is to say
  I missed you today and hope you feel better and
  sometimes the call is to wake a student up that
  was late the day before. This follow through
  helps to foster the personal connection and makes
  the student feel that they are noticed.

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• 3 APPLICABLE LEARNING
• By making the learning applicable and
  incorporating current events, community service,
  global awareness, guest speakers personal
  accounts of real-life situations, etc., students
  are more connected and less likely to feel
  overwhelmed by rote memorization and homework.
  Engaging lessons, coupled with special
  relationships, make students excited to come to
  school.

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• 4 BELIEF
• By having a genuine belief in a student's
  potential, they know that when you say "you can
  do it" and they truly start to believe I can do
  it". Instilling self-esteem and confidence is the
  only way to have a student apply themselves and
  work towards graduating. Once again, this goes
  back to personal connection.

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• 5 Breaking down barriers
• Breaking down obstacles to learning, is a must
  at MCHS. Teachers have become very keen to the
  needs of their students and road blocks to
  learning come in many forms. Here are some
  examples
• Letting a student with a sick father dismiss
  early to pick up his/her little sister.
• Making school work more manageable for a student
  that has been sick.
• Giving a student lunch money that is struggling
  financially.
• Bargaining time with a student that has to work
  to support their family.

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Students What is it about MCHS that has helped
you to pursue graduation?

• Middle College treats me like an adult and
  truly cares about me.
• They take time to get to know you as a person
  and what you need help with. They dont give up
  on you. They bend over backwards to help you.
  They all really care about you, theyre not just
  teachers they really are friends.

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• MCHS is the only school I have ever wanted to
  wake up and go to school!
• We dont get judged at all. We are looked at as
  people and not just a number in the crowd.
• I feel like I am an adult. I feel loved and
  important.

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• Before people expected me to mess up. Here,
  people believe in me to succeed.
• MCHS helped me to meet new people. It helped me
  when I wanted to stop going to high school.
• It gives me a safe place to go and talk about my
  feelings.

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• MCHS is family, we all have our own styles and
  opinions but in the end, we ALL love one
  another.
• This school is somewhere where I can be myself.
  I would say the teachers have helped me more than
  anyone in my life. I focus here and I can put all
  of my focus into work instead of trying to be one
  of the cool kids. Thanks Middle College.

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• I have depression and anxiety and the teachers
  understand if you need to do a presentation in
  private. They have been really willing to help me
  help myself.
• Coming here, I have found a better understanding
  of myself and now I know what Im doing with my
  life.
• Middle College is my home away from home.

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• The relaxed atmosphere has brought my grades
  from Fs to As because I am way less stressed
• MCHS has saved my life both educationally and
  emotionally.
• Middle College has saved my life.

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Thank You

• Questions?
• Email contact Harold Ford
• haroldf_at_wcs.edu