Middle School

AGORA RESOURCE CENTER

The middle school administrators, teachers, and staff are committed to creating a learning community where everyone is included, valued, and receives the support to grow. Ensuring that the transition from elementary to high school is challenging yet secure, teachers strive to foster an environment that sees mistakes and failures as temporary. It is through the successes and failures that come from taking risks, that students learn the important qualities of perseverance, grit, and resiliency. To provide a challenging learning atmosphere, Agora middle school attempts to meet the individual differences in student skills, interests, backgrounds, and rates of learning. Teachers have a variety of ways to work with the range of skill levels within a class. However, if you feel that your child is falling behind or needs to be challenged more, please contact your teacher(s). We believe that a student succeeds best when there is a strong partnership between home and school, a partnership that thrives on communication.

If you have an objection to specific academic course, content, a resource, an instructional practice or assessment, please follow the procedure detailed:

Curriculum Exemption Requests

Meet Our Middle School Staff

Bridget Kozar

Middle School Principal

Heather Bianconi

Middle School Assistant Principal

Bernard Boccella

Middle School Assistant Principal

Jennifer Lucia

Assistant Director of Special Education, MS

Jennifer Fisher-Clark

Director of Special Education, K-8

Maryann Johnson

Assistant Director of Special Education, K-8

HALF-DAY SCHEDULE

MS Half Day Schedule
Period 1	8:15 – 8:50
Period 2	9:00 – 9:25
Period 3	9:30 – 9:55
Period 4	10:00 – 10:25
Period 6	10:30 – 10:55
Period 7	11:00 – 11:25
Period 8	11:30 – 11:55

FULL DAY SCHEDULE

Middle School Schedule & Periods
8:15-8:50	Period 1 – Focus
9:00 – 9:50	Period 2
10:00 – 10:50	Period 3
11:00 – 11:50	Period 4
11:50-12:30	Period 5 – Lunch
12:30 – 1:20	Period 6
1:30 – 2:20	Period 7
2:30 – 3:20	Period 8
3:30-4:00	Period 9

Middle School Assessment Plan

Agora Cyber Charter School Agora Cyber Charter School 2021-2022 Middle School Assessment Plan In order to prepare our students for the core concepts of each content area and ensure that they exhibit the readiness necessary to be successful K-12, we have developed an assessment overview to show the types of assessments we use to guide instruction. This will also enable us, as a team, to coordinate our assessment windows to maximize student performance across the year. Agora includes a variety of assessments to support the whole child. As a follow up, we analyze and triangulate our data when it comes to student achievement. Our goal is to provide a composite of each learner and capitalize on their strengths as well as support them in areas of weakness. Though this overview is a snapshot of our formal assessments, it is imperative that we note the importance of ongoing teacher-created formative checks throughout instruction to check for understanding along the way thus enabling teachers to analyze student work in real time and make necessary adjustments to the learning process.
Assessment:	Intended For:	Type:	Description:	Purpose Use:	Administered:
State Mandated Testing Measures
PSSA or PASA	Grades 6, 7, and 8 ELA and Math; Grade 8 Science All students; special education students based on IEP	Summative	The PSSA and PASA are standards-based, criterion-referenced assessments which provides students, parents, educators and citizens with an understanding of student and school performance related to the attainment of proficiency of the academic standards	The PSSA and PASA state assessments can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning.	Spring
Act 35 Assessment of Civics Knowledge	Grade 7 Social Studies	Summative	The Civics assessment is a culminating designed to determine the knowledge, skills and actions of students as they participate in our Civics education programs. Our courses are based on US History, Government, and civics standards.	This assessment is given at least once between grades 7-12 to continuously guide school entities in developing strong curriculum that includes Civics knowledge ultimately preparing our students for future civic endeavors.	Spring May 11
WIDA/ACCESS	Grades 6-8	Summative	ACCESS online or WIDA is a federal requirement under ESSA for all English Language Learners registered. It is used for monitoring and reporting on Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.	This assessment is given annually to each EL and determines placement, language proficiency, and instructional implications in accordance with “Can Do” descriptors.	Winter (January)
Universal Screening Tools
Classroom Diagnostic Tool (CDT) MATH	Grades 6-8	Diagnostic Universal Screening Tool	CDTs provide a snapshot on why and how students may still be struggling or exceeding grade and/or course Eligible Content.	To provide information that will help guide instruction by providing support to students and teachers. The CDT reports are designed to provide a picture or snapshot of how students are performing in relation to PA Assessment Anchors & Eligible content.	Fall (by 9/8) Winter (1/31-2/1)
Reading Plus Literacy Screener	Grades 6-8	Diagnostic/ Universal Screening Tool; Interim/Benchmark Progress Monitoring	Adaptive assessment gives a 360-degree view of each student. It provides a data-driven starting point for the personalized instruction and practice students need to become independent readers.	Data from the assessment will be used to guide instructional pathways in reading by pinpointing students’ strengths and areas for improvement.	Fall (8/30-9/3) (Diagnostic/Screening) Winter (1/25) Spring (6/1) (Benchmarking) Monthly (PM)
Content-Based Assessments
TDA Writing Benchmark ELA Social Studies Science	Grades 6-8	Benchmark	Using the TDA Learning Progressions rubric in SAS, teachers assess students’ reading comprehension, analysis, and essay writing skills. The assessment is given quarterly, and the data is used to inform instruction.	The purpose of the TDA assessment is to improve student writing and analysis of text. This will be a benchmark assessment to predict how students will perform on the PSSAs and will also be an instructional tool which teachers use to inform instructional decisions. This will also help build students’ writing stamina.	(*Sign up) 11/1, 1/14, 3/18,5/25
Constructed Response Writing Benchmark ELA Social Studies Science Math	Grades 6-8	Benchmark	Using the CR rubric(s) in SAS, teachers assess students’ reading comprehension and analysis. The assessment is given quarterly, and the data is used to inform instruction.	The purpose of the CR is to take a look at student ability to analyze text or provide explanation. This will be a benchmark assessment to predict how students will perform on the PSSAs and will also be an instructional tool which teachers use to inform instructional decisions.	(*Sign up) 11/1, 1/14, 3/18,5/25
Common Unit Assessments	Grades 6-8	Summative	Locally-developed, standards-aligned assessment, administered to determine skills taught during a particular unit of study.	To measure mastery of standards addressed in each standards-aligned learning module. Data is analyzed and used to determine need for review and/gap analysis at a group or more individualized manner.	End of Unit (as determined by content area sequence)
Special Education Local or Alternate Assessments (student specific)
AimswebPlus	Grades 6-8 Students based on IEP	Diagnostic/Screening; Also used for Progress Monitoring	Online assessment used for universal screening and progress monitoring in the areas of early numeracy, early literacy, reading fluency, comprehension, written expression, math computations, math applications	Frequent assessment and monitoring of students at-risk or with severe needs. Expected rates of progress are prescribed and compared to actual progress, based on IEP goals. Reports evaluate student progress, prescribe program changes and revisions to ensure IEP success and serve as an accountability and communication tool for program evaluation and reporting.	Baseline at course beginning, then bi-weekly
MobyMax	Grades 6-8 PASA students based on IEP	Diagnostic Interim/ Benchmark; Progress Monitoring	Skill Checker pinpoints missing skills quickly and precisely. Benchmarked accurately measures performance for all standards within a grade level. Progress monitoring measures are built into the system.	Teachers can see a snapshot of student growth, assign lessons, and monitor student progress from within the Skill Checker. Easy-to-use reports track students’ progress toward mastery of grade-level standards from the beginning to the end of the school year.	Baseline in fall (or upon enrollment), then Every 4-6 weeks
TeachTown	Grades 6-8 Students based on IEP	Progress Monitoring	Research-based program for students identified with Autism. Blend of computer-delivered and teacher-led instruction to increase student’s vocabulary, listening skills, social emotional development, independence, academics, and cognitive skills. Adaptable and aligned to Common Core Standards, state specific standards and student IEP goals.	Progress Monitoring Tool for students within full time autistic support. Determine developmental level on each learning domain: Adaptive skills, cognitive skills, language arts, language development, math, and social/emotional skills. Additional generalization lessons for students to demonstrate acquired skills. Aligned to student IEPs.	Monthly
Current Skills Assessment	Grades 7-8 Students based on IEP	Formative	Self-assessment of workplace, home, community, and independent living skills. Students list whether they have mastered the skill, can do the skill with help, or are unable/unaware of the skill.	Used to drive IEP transition planning and assist students in building missing workplace, home, community, and independent living skills	Annually