Crozier Middle School

Principal’s Message

Welcome to Crozier Middle School where our goal is to provide high quality instruction, intervention and enrichment perfectly matched to student need.  Our new program provides multiple opportunities for our dynamic teaching teams to meet regularly each week to deepen our practice of guiding the strategic process of learning.  These meetings (common planning) will result in the deepened practice of student-centered learning designed to meet the need of each individual student.

Our targeted Success for All Learners Plan is rooted in the philosophy that all students can and will learn in a differentiated teaching environment that allows students to have the support they need.  This support means that student progress will be closely monitored by staff, and adjustments to the learning process will be made based upon the data from that monitoring.  Even our school budgets have been adjusted to coincide with our goals! This process will allow us to focus not only on what we are teaching (state standards), but more importantly, the degree to which our students have reached mastery.

When mastery is not reached, our Response to Intervention (RTI) model will provide multiple, extended learning opportunities that are based on student need. Teams may select to re-teach, team-teach, tutor, or assign students to intensive, targeted intervention with the ability to cycle out once mastery has been reached.

Our staff is highly focused and on a mission of maintaining high expectations for both themselves and our students.

Once again, on behalf of Team Crozier (staff, students, parents, community), I welcome you and invite you to join us as we embark upon a steep trajectory towards the top.

Doug Howard
Principal

Major Achievements

• Our Academic Performance Index (API) indicates that we continue to make steady growth. In a three year period, we made an average growth of 10 points.
• Crozier students expanded their horizons during the 2007–2008 school year. Our band was chosen to attend a concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Additionally, they have participated in the Beach Cities Music Festival the last three years and have done a wonderful job.
• Through the Annenberg Foundation Middle School Program, our students attended the theater and worked with a professional actor. Students annually attend the J. Paul Getty Museum and many other cultural centers around the Los Angeles area.
• In addition Crozier has been adopted by KaiserPermanente Hospital, where our students get the opportunity to be mentored by doctors and visit their health care facility.

Focus for Improvement

• Work with those students who scored at the Basic level on the California Standards Tests and move them to the next level, Proficient. We have also embedded into our curriculum classes that will assist our students in English/language arts and math, giving those students a double block of math and English on a daily basis.
• Continue to improve schoolwide in the area of mathematics. It is our goal to increase math scores and achieve the Adequate Yearly Progress target set under the No Child Left Behind Act. We have the unique opportunity here at Crozier of taking advantage of the Quality Educational Investment Act. This program will give us finances that will assist in professional development for teachers, smaller class sizes, and additional funds for technology and programs.
• We have started a new program to mentor students who are not experiencing school success (they have low test scores, poor grades, and lack of study skills). These students will receive additional support that will include tutoring, counseling, learning study skills, and working with their parents. We will also provide students with afterschool tutoring opportunities, Saturday school, and supplemental education service providers at no cost to the students.