Laura Belle Wallace Middle School in Kyle, Texas

Laura Belle Wallace Middle School in Kyle, Texas, is KUCRL’s first named SIM Profile Showcase School.  To be a SIM Profile Showcase School, a school must demonstrate that SIM is a part of the school culture.  SIM must be observable daily, and the school must have data that demonstrates improved student outcomes/achievements. The SIM footprint is clearly evident in this school; it has become a part of the school culture and is observable daily. You can view evidence of the SIM footprint in a video posted on ViewPure*! 

SIM reaches beyond this school into the district. The Hays Community Independent School District (CISD) uses SMARTER as a template for planning and instruction and in Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings. Visitors can observe PLCs and witness the SMARTER template in action in creating integrated Unit Organizers. 

An examination of the last three years of data tells a happy story. Each year, an increasing number of students have met or exceeded the state standards and the students’ scale scores across all three grades showed a positive trajectory. The teachers examined their class data and learned that, across the past three years, there was notable growth in student achievement in their courses – more students were successful and the level of success had increased.

Laura Belle Wallace Implementation Showcase

Teachers implement Content Enhancement Routines (CER) in all core content classes and in most elective classes. 

SIM devices are collected on a shared drive for collaboration across faculty.

Student notebooks and binders contain CER devices co-constructed and used in classes .

The Paragraph Writing Strategy is embedded into core content classes as well as being integrated with an expository writing strategy used by the district. 

Learning Strategies are taught in a reading intervention course and student folders and data are available for viewing. 

A Region 13 SIM coach works with strategies teachers to support implementation with fidelity. 

The school is implementing four of the five levels of the Content Literacy Continuum (CLC), and Levels 1-3 are being implemented with a high level of fidelity and quality. 

The principal and SIM coach are investigating ways to integrate the Speech Language Program to implement CLC Level 5. 

What Students Say

•     I really feel like the Course Organizer helped me in all of my classes because it helped me to …see where I was and what I need to improve on. 

•     I think the FRAME helped me the most this year, mostly because it was easy to remember how to fill it out and it helped me to organize the details. 

•     The Comparison Table helped me find the definitions of the words and helped me remember what they meant.

•     I think the Paragraph Strategy diagram really helped me this year because it was really simple…it organized everything for me. 

•    The Clarifying Routine Table was really helpful for me because I’m bilingual.  It helps you break down what you need and don’t need and to really be successful.

What Teachers Say

•     Possible Selves was one of my favorite strategies because it let me listen to my kids’ hopes and dreams and really get to know them.

•     The Learning Strategies helped my students [to] be more organized about how they read a passage and figure out the vocabulary and answer questions.

•     SIM allows me to focus on the content that I know I can deliver to my students in a very easy way that they can then go back and review to enhance what some of the kids may not already know and build upon it.

•  FRAME is easy for me to organize my thoughts and go over and review or study later on for a test. 

•    I like Unit Organizer  because it’s fun to see what we’re going to learn throughout the unit. 

What Administrators Say

•   SIM is research based and it has done nothing but wonderful things for the students that use it.  Personally as a teacher and administrator, I’ve seen the value of it.  Most students will tell you that it helps them organize what their thoughts are, the content specific things that are important, and cut away things they don’t need.