ERIC Number: EJ836316
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Apr
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1529-8957
EISSN: N/A
Reading Microtrends to Reveal Students' Needs
Dillon, Robert
Principal Leadership, v9 n8 p32-35 Apr 2009
The teacher leaders and school administrators at Nipher Middle School in Kirkwood, Missouri, have recently embraced a new set of strategies for supporting learning for all students. During the weekly problem-solving conversations that are a part of their response-to-intervention model, it became evident that clusters of students with unique and previously unrecognized needs were emerging. Recognizing those clusters of students started a conversation about how to meet those students' specific needs and how to fill the gaps so that maximum learning could take place. Microtrend targeting gives school leaders another strategy to use on the long road to filling the gaps and supporting all students. In schools, a microtrend is a small group of students who share similar characteristics and who can benefit from a specific set of interventions. This article discusses four microtrends found in Nipher's student population: (1) childhood obesity; (2) natural disasters and military deployment; (3) mental illness; and (4) information cycle. Looking at these specific concerns in this way has helped Nipher establish clustered interventions that produce powerful results.
Descriptors: Obesity, Mental Disorders, Grade 9, Teacher Leadership, Middle Schools, Intervention, Models, Student Needs, Problem Solving, Student Characteristics, Cluster Grouping, Natural Disasters
National Association of Secondary School Principals. 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1537. Tel: 800-253-7746; Tel: 703-860-0200; Fax: 703-620-6534; Web site: http://www.principals.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Missouri
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A