Georgia Lighthouse Schools to Watch - School Tours





Yeager Middle School



Designated in 2009
Yeager Middle School • Douglas County School System • Douglas County • Georgia • Dr.Garrick Askew, Principal • 000 Kings Highway, Douglasville, GA 30135 ? Phone (770) 651-5600, Fax (770) 947-7374
Website: www.yeager.dcm.schoolinsites.com


2009-2010 School Statistics

Community: Suburb of large city, Atlanta
Enrollment: 843 students
Grade Levels: 6, 7, 8
School Schedule: 7 period day

Student Demographics
9.02%   Hispanic
44.84%   White
39.62%   African American
5.22%   Multi-Ethnic
1.19%   Asian/Pacific Islander

58%   Free/Reduced Lunch

2005 AYP: Met
2006 AYP: Met
2007 AYP: Met
2008 AYP: Did Not Meet
2009 AYP: Met 12 of 13 criteria


School Characteristics and Replicable Practices


Academic Excellence

  • “Exceeding Expectations!” is YMS’ motto. High academic achievement is fostered on many levels.
  • In providing a learning community in which all students can exceed expectations, YMS emphasizes seven key areas of best practice seen in effective middle schools (National Middle School Association, 2008). Areas of emphasis for best practice at YMS are: curriculum, commitment to students, high academic achievement, student discipline, positive school climate, faculty morale, and family and community partnerships.
  • YMS’ mission is to ensure a quality education, education that not only shows mastery of the standards but allows students to make real-world connections with the curriculum.
  • The focus at YMS is quality collaboration among teachers and the use of common planning times to develop shared lesson plans.
  • Each subject area has developed a common syllabus to ensure that parents know that expectations and requirements are consistent with the subject area and will progress with their students as they further their education in the school.
  • Students are taught to assess their work and the work of their peers against the performance standards. All performance tasks are customized to meet the standard being addressed as well as the interests, needs, and backgrounds of the students.
  • Teachers maintain a collection of student work in portfolios so that students are provided with exemplars that meet and exceed the performance standard.
  • Instructional styles may vary from classroom to classroom, but all Yeager teachers utilize strategies that are research-based and data driven.
  • Teachers regularly engage in authentic instruction to support student achievement. Students are provided the opportunity to reconstruct and reinvent the information to engage in more complex thinking skills.
  • YMS also has a zero tolerance stance when it comes to zeros on homework. Yeager is home to “Zeroes Aren’t Productive”-ZAP. Students are given a study hall/tutoring period to complete homework assigned by their instructors.
  • YMS is also home to the 75% Club, in which students are given a mock Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The test is scored, and based on that information, instructors design personalized curriculum to mitigate noted learning gaps.
  • Math teachers use homeroom to gain more time with students who are in need of additional instruction in mathematics. Students were identified based on their previous year’s CRCT results, collaborative evaluations between teachers, and summative and formative assessments in their classrooms.
  • In order to extend and refine our performance, Yeager teachers participated in the Marzano study, Classroom Instruction That Works survey. We analyzed our needs based on the survey’s results. This assisted in the expansion of our professional development programs.
  • Instructional strategies take on many forms at Yeager. Teachers have been trained on Differentiated Instruction, Learning-Focused Schools, Standards-Based classrooms, and the Georgia Performance Standards modules.


Developmental Responsiveness

  • YMS’ mentoring program is one of the biggest in the county. Adult advocates actively participate in the lives of their protégés. Over 90% of Yeager’s faculty is a mentor to at least one student.
  • Yeager’s staff includes two dedicated counselors and a graduation coach to help us inspire students to become successful adults. The counseling staff members provide sympathetic ears, but remain resolute in their push to develop responsible citizens
  • The counselors bring in former Yeager students from the county’s high schools each spring so students can discuss course offerings and provide helpful hints about transitioning to high school.
  • Each year, YMS celebrates Red Ribbon Week and No-Name Calling Week with help from our counselors who come up with fun activities, contests, and special classroom visits to help our students realize the importance of these weeks.
  • YMS also actively adapts its environment to meet the needs of its diverse learning community. An example is the school’s rotating schedule. Classes rotate through a series of three weekly schedules (Y, M, and S weeks).
  • YMS groups teachers and students in small learning communities characterized by close, mutually respectful relationships.
  • YMS believes that heterogeneous grouping is more effective because this model allows all students to learn from their peers.
  • The inclusion of all students in receptive settings motivates everyone to do their best. Teams are chosen to complement the learning of the students. We believe that matching the learning styles of the students to the teaching styles of their instructors maximizes student achievement.
  • Students also participate in interscholastic sports at YMS. YMS offers the following sports teams: football, softball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ track and field. Students are also given the opportunity to join YMS’ performance teams: the Mustang cheerleaders, the YMS Step Team, Pep Band, and Chorus. Mustangs are regularly recognized through Honors Band and Honors Chorus. Of the 60 members of the 2006 Douglas County Middle School Honors Band, 31 students were Mustangs. In addition to the above mentioned sports and performing arts clubs, we also have other age-appropriate, co-curricular activities such as the Quilting Club, YMAC (Yeager Movie Appreciation Club), the Yeager Checkmates Club, the Math Club, the Ladies of Excellence, the Gentlemen of Distinction, the International Club and the Art Club.
  • YMS’ commitment to its students ensures that students are participate in the decision-making process. YMS is proud of our service organizations because they foster the development of good citizenship skills and gives students the opportunity to help others as they serve the community. Our Beta Club in 2006-2007, decided to organize drives that supported our troops in their fight against terrorism by sending care packages filled with much-missed items from home.
  • YMS’ Student Government Association (SGA) is a voice for all students in the school. SGA meets monthly with the school administration to discuss and ascertain the needs of the student body. Additionally, they honor our faculty and staff members with monthly recognition awards. SGA also shows its commitment to the community by sponsoring a Toys for Tots drive in the winter months.

Social Equity

  • YMS also provides multiple opportunities for students to express and develop outside interests as well as their personal identities. Field trips are used to extend lessons learned in the classroom. It is not unusual for our Mustangs to travel to Huntsville, Alabama to the Space Center or to Fernbank Science Center to explore Georgia’s past. Students can explore the properties of Newtonian Physics as they ride the roller coasters at Six Flags over Georgia on Science Day. YMS 8th grade Band members will travel to Orlando, Florida to participate in a Disney World music clinic.
  • YMS is also a pilot school for the RIPP (Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways) violence prevention program. RIPP is a curriculum created by the United States Department of Education. YMS was selected based on the school’s interest in creating a more positive environment for student learning. YMS does advisory through Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP) and our teachers as student advocates. RIPP is a violence prevention advisory program. RIPP uses a variety of methods to teach students about diffusing volatile situations. In the RIPP advisory program, there is emphasis on diversity and multiculturalism. Students are taught through the Social Studies curriculum to be more positive in resolving conflicts. Through the acronyms of S.C.I.D.D.L.E. and R.A.I.D., students are taught the ways of nonviolent retaliation. S.C.I.D.D.L.E. teaches the students to stop, calm down, identify the problem, decide an option, do the option, look back (reflect), and evaluate the decision. R.A.I.D is the acronym for the options when confronted. Students can resolve the issue, avoid the issue, ignore the situation, or diffuse the conflict. Using the techniques of RIPP, students are becoming more peaceful and positive in their outlooks.
  • YMS also hosts an International Club. The International Club provides opportunities for children to learn about other cultures. During club meetings, students learn about cultural differences. They also learn how all these cultures mix in the diversity of the United States. YMS’ international dinner night is a huge success that is enjoyed by all. Participants can enjoy specialties from around the world. During this time, all diners learn about the cultures of the participants and gain knowledge of and respect for the school’s diversity.
  • In recent years, we surveyed parents about the effectiveness of the tutoring programs, counseling programs, and extracurricular activities offered by the school. In fact, Math Night is the result of administering a previous parent survey. Parents were understandably confused about the new math standards and wanted to know more about the new math standards and how it would affect the students. We hold Math Nights to address their concerns and introduce the new curriculum.
  • The counselors and peer mediators then develop programs to provide awareness about these issues. Surveys are used to determine the winners of the Red Ribbon doors that are decorated for drug awareness week. Career Day was expanded in response to the students wanting to know more about careers of the future and the education that was needed to be successful in those careers.
  • We have clubs that interest and nurture many of the gifts the students bring with them. For our budding authors, there is the Creative Writing Club, which is new to Yeager this year. For our aspiring artists, there is the Art Club where they can find their muse in many types of media, including paint and print media. The 4-H Club is active at Yeager, and many of our students go on to represent Yeager and Douglasville on the state level of leadership within 4-H. For students interested in the exciting art of Japanese animation, known as anime, there is the Anime Club. This club examines anime in its various forms, print books, movies, and television shows and how it influences American television and games. The Stock Market Club assists in developing enterprising entrepreneurs and future business leaders. This club participates in a stock market simulation game that pits their cunning strategies against other clubs within the State of Georgia. Last year, the Stock Market Club was feted at an event for winning the region by earning the most money. If photography is the interest of a student, he/she can join the yearbook staff and make the Hoofprints, our annual, something memorable.
  • Students can make a positive impact on the relationships that they form at Yeager by joining the Peer mediators. Peer mediators are an essential part of the Yeager family; they help to promote a safe and nurturing atmosphere. Students are trained to resolve conflicts, develop student programs, and foster a positive environment. The Peer mediators are extremely effective due to the diversity of their group. They represent the entire body and are very inclusive in their activities. Students have named the Peer mediators as one of the best programs for students at Yeager.

Organizational Supports

  • YMS believes that in order for all students to exceed expectations, parental and community involvement is a must.
  • Yeager supports parental involvement through its PTA and the School Council. The School Council has four parent members and three faculty members. The school council meets with Dr. Askew, to stay informed of the school’s accomplishments and discuss the various needs of the school.
  • Further it is YMS’ mission to keep parents informed and involved in student learning. This is achieved through SST (Student Support Teams) and grade level parent nights.
  • YMS also publishes a quarterly newsletter, the Pony Express. The Pony Express is filled with information about the instructional and extracurricular programs at YMS.
  • YMS’ annual career day includes professionals from more than 100 different areas who come to the school to share their knowledge and experience with the students.
  • Our website, http://yeager.dcm.schoolinsites.com is updated daily with new information about our school. On this website, a visitor can see teachers’ syllabi, read a note from the Principal’s corner, look at the lunch menu, and email a note to a teacher. A quick look at the school calendar updates visitors on daily happenings at the school. Visitors will also find the latest scores from our team sports or discover when our Honor band is performing.
  • Parents can check their student’s grades via Parent Portal.