ABSTRACT
Objectives are much more narrow and specific and require data to create so they can be measured. Schools often want to attempt many goals, and very few get implemented. Schools must uncover the root causes of their undesirable results to alleviate the problem or to get desirable results that will last over time. In this middle school, most students work with about seven different teachers during the week. Of the students scoring Below Basic and identified for special education services, 65% were in self-contained classrooms in 2003–04, and 35% received resource services. Implications for the school improvement plan, derived from comprehensive data analyses of strengths and challenges, ended up consistent with the gap and root cause analyses. Staff saw that they need powerful professional development to help them know how to help all students learn, and strategies to ensure the implementation of these learnings.
