Barker Middle School is an urban middle school in the Michigan City Area Schools Corporation in Michigan City, Indiana. In 2010, our two local middle schools were tasked with choosing a school-wide theme for each of our respective schools. Barker Middle School choose to be a STEM-themed school focusing on integrating curriculum with STEM connections. STEM become our vehicle to prepare our students for their future in rigourous and authentic ways. Staff have collaborated in weekly and monthly meetings and during summer professional development opportunities to infuse STEM methodologies of utlizing technology, project-based learning, career connections, the "4 C's" (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, & communication), community partnerships, interdisciplinary connections, and authentic learning opportunities.
In the spring of 2017, Barker went through the Indiana Department of Education's STEM Certification process. We received a cohort 3 STEM Certification designation as a middle school. We were very excited to share our work in STEM and begin working to grow our programming and continually improve our teaching methologies. To begin our growth process in STEM, Barker Middle School was nominated, applied, and was selected to the Science Leadership Initiative School Partners Program from the Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago as the only Indiana middle school in the partnership. This three year partnership lead Barker through a rigorous approach to critically anazyle and to aid in improvement of research-based elements of Science & STEM programming school wide. These elements which guided Barker include: Values, Collaboration and Planning, Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Learning, Communication, Technology, Partners, and Money.
Currently Barker Middle School is comprised of 7th and 8th grades that serves approximately 418 students. The Barker student family is diverse with 46.2% white, 33% black, 11.5% hispanic, 8.9% multiracial, and 0.5% asian. 74.6% qualify for free and reduced lunch and 24.4% of the population receive special education services. In addition 1.9% of students are English Language Learners.
Barker has established many strong community partnerships to support programming and are always striving to expand school partners. One of our proudest community partnerships is through our STEM Community Challenges which occur 3 times per year. In 2016, Barker received recognition for our STEM Community Challenges with a "Promising Practices" Award from the Indiana Department of Education. In 2018, the STEM Community Challenges program also received local recognition from the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce's "Shining Light Award". We have partnered with local 6th grade elementary classes, local businesses, and community groups to connect students and develop authentic learning and engineering opportunities that is very unique using friendly competition style challenges. Community volunteers and groups also aid in facilitating the competitions. These challenges have become one of the traits Barker is known for in our community and are an integral part of our school culture and an ongoing tradition to connect our 6th grade students to the middle school they may attend. Our most signature event is our "Water Bottle Rocket" challenge that is held at our high school football field as our annual "year end finale" competition. The STEM Community Challenges have been in place for 8 years now and serve as a venue to share with our community what our school's focus is about by including our local media outlets in coverage of our finale events. Many of these media coverages are included as evidence in our application.
Many of our community partnerships provide place-based learning opportunities for students infusing field trips and real world learning experiences.
Barker provides many school-wide STEM opportunities to all students including "Stop, Drop, & STEM" activities, STEM Community Challenges, STEM Fair, career connections, and field trips. Career connections are a strong focus for all students through 8th grade Career Week,DiscoverE's "Chats with Change Makers" series, pre-recorded local career highlight videos, STEM Career Development classes, the Naviance program, and content career connections. Diverse representation of gender and ethnicities are embodied to support many career opportunties.
Barker hosts our "Student-Led Conferences" twice a year where parents come to school in the evening. At the conferences, students share their "personal learning plan" that they have created as a Google slideshow which is unique to each student of who they are, where they are, and goals & action steps moving ahead for learning growth. Family involvement is evident in our "Parent Invite to Lunch" (with a STEM Challenge) events held quarterly. An adult advocate may come to have lunch with their student and are challenged with a STEM activity. Supplies are provided for families to also take the STEM activity home to participate as a family or with friends. Entire families, grandparents, parents, adults advocates have enjoyed these events showcasing Barker's STEM programming and have encouraged others to become critical thinkers!
Barker strives to provide our students with learning opportunities that infuse a variety of modern technologies and applications and expand existing ones. Students are provided by our district chromebooks to infuse technology at school and at home. Barker staff are always striving to write grants to acquire modern technology to excite student learning. Some of the modern technology at this time students use are IPads, Chromebook tablets, Virtual Reality equipment, 3D printers, and ozobots. We have acquired additional technologies to infuse soon. Some applications students are utlizing to create products and Public Service Announcements (PSA's) are Scratch, Code.org, IMovie, podcasts, Inventor (PLTW), Animaker, WeVideo, and Tinkercad.
Additionally, staff continually write and receive many grants to fund projects for supplies that to further student success. Some of our community partners have also donated needed items for differing projects.
Barker's instructional design is based on the MCAS perspecitves and priorities of utilizing high quality date-driven instruction, career preparation, viable program choices and opportunities, and a focus on the achievement gap. The mission of Barker Middle School is excellence for everyone. Barker is a place of supportive relationships with students, staff, and the community. We demonstrate an academically challenging learning environment that fosters the growth of lifelong learners.
Barker Middle School is dedicated to providing a wide variety of STEM opportunities, engagement, exposure, and support to inspire students in the fields of STEM and to foster our investment in students development and growth.