Odle Middle School

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Odle Middle School
One Dynamic Learning Environment
Location
14401 NE 8th Street
Bellevue, WA 98007
Information
Type Public Middle School
School district Bellevue School District
Principal Eric McDowell
Faculty 35.4 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades 6 – 8
Enrollment 644 (as of 2008-09)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 18.2[1]
Color(s) Red, Blue
Nickname Vikings
Information 425-456-6600
Website School website
District website

Odle Middle School is a public middle school in Bellevue, Washington, USA. The school is one of six middle schools in the Bellevue School District, and was named posthumously after Frank Odle, who taught in the district for 55 years before retiring in 1968.[2][3] Odle also stands for One Dynamic Learning Environment. Odle is located across from Stevenson Elementary, a primary feeder elementary school for Odle. Odle is primarily known for its hosting of the PRISM program, a gifted program for high-performing children. As of the 2009-10 school year, the school's principal is Eric McDowell and assistant principal is Jacqueline McKenzie.[4]

In the 2001-02 school year, Odle Middle School was one of two schools in the state to be awarded a Blue Ribbon by the U.S. Department of Education,[5][6][7] the highest award an American school can receive.[8][9]

Contents

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 644 students and 35.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), equalling a student-teacher ratio of 18.2.[1] 40% of the students are Caucasian, 38% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 9% are Hispanic, 9% are multi-ethnic, and 4% are African American.[10]

[edit] PRISM

The PRISM program at Odle is part of the Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) program offered in the Bellevue School District for grades 1 through 12.[11] The district superintendent stated, in February 2006, that "the only other program that we know of like this is in Australia".[12] PRISM at Odle Middle School follows the PRISM curriculum acceleration from Stevenson Elementary School and continues into the experimental high school PRISM program at Interlake High School.

[edit] Qualification

PRISM is a selective program; applicants must have a minimum score of 144 on the Cognitive Abilities Test. Reading and Quantitative scores must be of the 90th percentile or higher, one of which at or above the 97th percentile.[13]

The PRISM program is for students that have high academic and intellectual ability, but do not wish to skip grades, as this usually puts the student in an environment with older children that the student may feel uncomfortable in. PRISM allows the student to remain with students of similar age and similar academic skills.[14]

[edit] Classes

The program consists of separate core classes in science, math, language arts, and social studies for all grade levels. The curriculum for science consists of two years of integrated science followed by one year of biology. Science is taught at one grade above grade level. Language arts and social studies classes are combined into a two-class block for all grade levels. For mathematics, students take a placement test to enter math grade levels two grades or higher than the student's grade level.[citation needed]

[edit] High School Extension

See also: Interlake High School#PRISM at Interlake

The high school program, which is currently in its third year of implementation in the 2008–2009 school year, extends the science, English, and social studies classes further in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Interlake High School.[15] In the IB program, PRISM students complete the IB diploma during 10th and 11th grade, rather than the usual 11th and 12th grade. The University of Washington provides special English and Social Studies classes for PRISM students in their senior year.[16]

[edit] Extracurricular awards

[edit] Math Team

Odle's math team, fully consisting of PRISM students, can be considered one of the strongest in the nation.[citation needed] Odle's math team consists of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who compete in competitions such as American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), Math is Cool (MIC), Mount Rainer Math Invitational (MRMI), MathCounts, and other popular events.[citation needed] Students from Odle received first place in the team contest in the Washington State Mathematics Championship (WSMC) for 6th and 7th grades in 2008.[17] In the WSMC 2009, they took 1st place in 6th and 8th grades,[18][19] and 2nd and 3rd places in 7th grade.[20] Former student Shijie Joy Zheng was part of the Washington State MathCounts team that placed 7th nationally in May 2007.[21]

[edit] Chess Team

Odle Middle School earned first place in the 2006 national K-8 chess championship.[22][23][24] The chess team has also claimed first place in the Washington Middle School Team Championship for the school years 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08.[25]

[edit] Future Problem Solvers

Odle Middle School's Future Problem Solving Club, led by PRISM Language Arts and Social Studies teacher Debby Benzinger, received 5th place in the Future Problem Solving Program International Competition in 2007.[citation needed]

The Knowledge Masters Open Team, also led by Benzinger, placed first in Washington State and 31st worldwide in Fall 2007.[26] In Spring 2008, they placed first in state as well as 12th internationally.[27] In Fall 2008, they placed second in state as well as 26th internationally.[28]

[edit] Academy classes

Academy courses are a more rigorous and in-depth option for students rather than normal classes offered at Odle.[citation needed]

[edit] Visual and Performing Arts

The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts offers classes in theater arts, orchestra, band, choir, dance, and photography.[29]

Odle no longer offers analog photography classes as of the 2009–10 school year because of it being outdated, but still offers video production classes and has added a new class, Technology Applications. In the same year, the Academy of Visual Arts, formerly an Academy class, ended due to a lack of enrollment.[citation needed]

[edit] Math, Science, and Applied Technology

In the Academy of Math, Science, and Applied Technology, students spend a two-period block each day working on Academy projects. At Odle, in spring 2003, 76 percent of eighth-graders met standards in science, one of the highest success rates in the Seattle Metropolitan area. This success was attributed by then principal Kenneth Lyon to this academy since 96.3 percent of the 54 eighth-graders in the academy succeeded on the science Washington Assessment of Student Learning.[30]

The Academy of Math, Science, and Applied Technology is not an available course option for PRISM students, as the PRISM curriculum is one year ahead.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Odle Middle School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 16, 2009.
  2. ^ Cornwall, Warren; Shevory, Kristina (October 23, 2003). "Some who shaped Bellevue". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/134661627_btabshapers.html. Retrieved February 25, 2008. 
  3. ^ Bellevue School District Timeline, Retrieved on February 25, 2008
  4. ^ Odle: Middle Schools, Bellevue School District, Retrieved on September 15, 2009
  5. ^ "Bellevue middle school receives national recognition" Washington State School Directors' Association, May 29, 2002.
  6. ^ "BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002" (pdf). U.S. Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf. Retrieved February 25, 2008. 
  7. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized - 2003 Through 2006 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  8. ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  9. ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  10. ^ "Odle : Middle Schools : Schools : Bellevue School District", Bellevue School District, accessed October 1, 2009
  11. ^ "Gifted Programs", Bellevue School District, accessed February 25, 2008
  12. ^ "Fast track at Gifted High", Rachel Tuinstra, Seattle Times, February 22, 2006
  13. ^ PRISM (Grades 1-8), Bellevue School District
  14. ^ PRISM, BSD Curriculum Web
  15. ^ Gifted High School Program (Grades 9-12), Bellevue School District
  16. ^ Gifted High School Program, Bellevue School District
  17. ^ WSMC 2008 results, Retrieved on 28 April 2009
  18. ^ WSMC 2009 6th grade results, Retrieved on 28 April 2009
  19. ^ WSMC 2009 8th grade results, Retrieved on 28 April 2009
  20. ^ WSMC 2009 7th grade results, Retrieved on 28 April 2009
  21. ^ "Toddler run over by car, killed", Seattle Times, Retrieved May 15, 2007
  22. ^ United States Chess Federation (2006-04-12). "1123 Young Chess Enthusiasts in Louisville". Press release. http://www.uschess.org/news/press/uspr0613.php. Retrieved 2006-02-25. 
  23. ^ "National News, 1123 Young Chess Enthusiasts in Louisville" ([dead link] – Scholar search), Chess Review Online, the Newsletter of the United States Chess Federation 3 (13), 2006-04-13, http://www.uschess.org/news/newsletter/2006/060413/USNews.php 
  24. ^ 2006 Tournament Chess News
  25. ^ http://www.alchess.com/chess/07/jhs/?page=TEAM&xsection=K8 accessed 2008-02-25
  26. ^ [1], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Fall 2007 Middle School Division.[dead link]
  27. ^ [2], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Spring 2008 Middle School Division.[dead link]
  28. ^ [3], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Fall 2008 Middle School Division.[dead link]
  29. ^ "Special Offerings at Odle", Bellevue School District, accessed 27 February 2008
  30. ^ "WASL science results poor", Gregory Roberts, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 18, 2003

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Bellevue School District
High Schools
Middle Schools
Chinook Middle School • Highland Middle School • Odle Middle School • Tillicum Middle School • Tyee Middle School
Elementary Schools
Ardmore Elementary School • Bennett Elementary School • Cherry Crest Elementary School • Clyde Hill Elementary School • Eastgate Elementary School • Enatai Elementary School • Lake Hills Elementary School • Medina Elementary School • Newport Heights Elementary School • Phantom Lake Elementary School • Puesta del Sol Elementary School • Sherwood Forest Elementary School • Somerset Elementary School • Spiritridge Elementary School • Stevenson Elementary School • Woodridge Elementary School
Alternative Schools
International School • Kelsey Creek Home School Center (1-12) • Robinswood Middle School • Robinswood High School

Coordinates: 47°37′1.54″N 122°8′53.95″W / 47.6170944°N 122.1483194°W / 47.6170944; -122.1483194

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