MarzanoResources.com/HRSExcellence CHALLENGE Bankhead Middle School is a traditionally high-performing school, with reading and math scores that rank above district and state averages. Never satisfied with status quo, Principal Amber Freeman and her team at Bankhead continue to seek ways to not only maintain their strong results, but also to improve and ensure that every student shares the school’s success. When district leaders brought the High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework to her attention, Freeman recognized its potential to support and structure her school’s initiatives. HRS Level 1, which focuses on a safe, supportive, and collaborative culture, was especially impactful at the middle school level, where students undergo significant social, physical, and academic changes in a short span of time. Bankhead’s faculty and staff sought to assist students most at risk—those facing challenges with behavior, home life, or attendance that impacted their academic performance. Believing these students would benefit from more individualized support and personal connections, they designed and implemented a teacher-student mentoring program. Bankhead’s leaders also aimed to improve the instructional capacity of their teachers. HRS Level 2 emphasizes effective teaching in every classroom. To ensure consistency and a common understanding of instructional practices and expectations, Bankhead focused on developing and mastering their own instructional model. IMPLEMENTATION Bankhead educators customized their mentorship program and instructional model to fit their unique needs rather than using out-of-the-box solutions. Grounded in research, the HRS framework supports this adaptive approach and emphasizes continuous monitoring and improvement— practices that Bankhead leaders have also adopted. The school’s mentorship program, “Boosting Motivation and Success” (BMS), began informally and evolved by adapting data-driven models to fit students’ needs. Students with discipline or home life challenges who are not already receiving other services are referred by teachers, and mentors choose their mentees. Mentors meet weekly with one or two students, focusing on patience, positivity, and high expectations to foster positive relationships that motivate improved behavior, attendance, and academics. The program continues to be refined to maximize mentor impact, including shifting attendance-related support to the school counselor. For instruction, Bankhead adapted 16 elements from Dr. Robert Marzano’s New Art and Science of Teaching (NASOT) model, aligning them with the state teacher evaluation system. Teachers take ownership by mastering and presenting elements. Their work is supported by Avanti, a library of professional learning videos made by teachers for teachers, as well as further professional development from Marzano Resources associates. Individual growth goals, Avanti’s virtual platform, collaborative learning rounds, and scheduled collaboration time helped teachers improve their skills and collectively ensure student success. . High Reliability Schools framework . 16 elements from Dr. Robert Marzano’s New Art and Science of Teaching . PD via Avanti . PD with Marzano associates BANKHEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL CORDOVA, ALABAMA 243 STUDENTS / 61.3% FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH / 1.7% ENGLISH LEARNERS / 23.1% SPECIAL NEEDS 88.5% WHITE / 6.6% BLACK / 3.7% MULTIRACIAL / 1.2% AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE EVIDENCE OF EXCELLENCE
