Colby Middle School
N. Second Street
Colby, WI

Type of School: Middle School (6-8)
Location: Colby: Located in Central Wisconsin
Rural: Population of 1,500
Size: One instructional team of 5 teachers for each grade-level
Approximately 249 students
Student Population: Majority of students are Caucasian.
All students are full-time in general education
10% of student population has an identified disability
Principal: Liz Sheridan: Principal for approximately 2 years
Teachers: A mix of fairly new and experienced teachers in the building

EMPOWER CITIZENS IN A DEMOCRACY:
Teachers met in the summer to create a school-wide advisory program.
A cross-grade student council makes decisions on fund-raising, drug and alcohol awareness, monthly community service projects and social activities.
Grade-level teaching teams make all curriculum decisions.

INCLUDE ALL:
All students with disabilities are included in general education classes full-time.
One special education teacher is assigned to each grade level house to consult and support students at that grade level.
Students with disabilities are proportionately assigned to each of the general education classrooms. (i.e., there is no clustering of students with disabilities). All classrooms serve a heterogeneous group of students.
Multi-age Encore classes are offered weekly and include all students.

TEACH & ADAPT FOR DIVERSITY:
Appropriate accommodations for students with and without disabilities are made by classroom teachers or the special education teacher when team teaching.
No specialized or different curricula are used for students with disabilities. All students participate in the general education curriculum with adaptations and modifications.
The middle school curriculum, philosophy, and structure supports a diverse range of interests and learning styles.
Students with disabilities are included in all testing and assessment.

BUILD COMMUNITY & SUPPORT LEARNING:
In many classes, students work in partners or in small groups, using peer support models.
Each grade level team has an hour of planning time together each day where the team decides on where support is needed that day due to the content being covered and students needs.
Additional school staff are also used as team teachers and supports, including the librarian, the computer teacher, the occupational therapist, etc.
Special education staff assist all students, not just those with disabilities.
The Senior Tax Exchange Program allows senior citizens to volunteer their time in the school and get property tax credit in return.

PARTNERING:
There is a strong parent connection through the Booster club and Parents club.
Students help seniors in the community during activities such as "Make a Difference Day."
The library and computer lab is open certain nights each week for community use.