Jordan Middle School

750 North California Avenue

Palo Alto, CA 94303

    David Starr Jordan Middle School reopened in September 1991 and now serves approximately 950 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in Palo Alto, a community with high expectations for its students and schools. The Palo Alto Unified School District encompasses: Palo Alto, a highly-educated and increasingly diverse community; part of Los Altos Hills, home to many Silicon Valley executives and professionals; Stanford University; and Stanford Industrial Park. Jordan also serves part of the University campus, Professorville, older Palo Alto, and neighborhoods ranging from high income to low income housing. Sixty-eight students in the Voluntary Transfer Program from East Palo Alto and nine Allen Bill transfer students round out the school population. Caucasian students represent about 74% of the population, with 11% Asian, 7% Black, 5% Hispanic, and 3% other.

    Virtually all of the students speak English, since students needing continued instruction in an English Language Development program attend J. L. Stanford Middle School. Students from three special day classes mainstream into our regular program. Some physically-handicapped students needing regular education programs attend Jordan.

    The great majority of Jordan parents support their children, the school and our efforts to provide challenging education that fosters student competence. Parents contribute to the PTA and the school in the form of material donations, volunteer hours, and attendance at school functions; they enable the students and staff to accomplish their mission and reach their goals.

Instructional Program:

    Students at Jordan Middle School engage in a meaning-centered integrated curriculum that promotes student-centered learning, implements state frameworks, and offers challenging electives and enrichment opportunities. District steering committees as well as school departments ensure a smooth transition from grade to grade and school to school. Jordan's curriculum offers students multifaceted opportunities to learn and master key concepts and skills as well as explore personal interests and previously untried areas.

    Teachers at Jordan emphasize active learning strategies to engage and meet the particular needs of their students. Rather than expecting students to sit in desks and listen to lectures, teachers design lessons that engage students directly in their learning. For example, in science, students generate hypotheses and create experiments on a computer simulation model to test their hypotheses. In language arts, students delve in to literature engagement activities such as a story, maps, simulations, and graphic organizers to further their understanding of material read. In social studies, students examine artifacts to draw conclusions about a particular stage of human development. In math, students work in cooperative groups with manipulatives for discovery learning. Throughout the school, students ask questions, solve problems, create solutions, and present their learning to fellow classmates or the school community.

    Jordan offers students rich and varied curricular choices. Through the sixth grade wheel and seventh and eight grade elective programs, students are able to explore areas they may want to pursue further in high school or possibly as career options. Such classes as computer programming, drama, industrial technology, languages, and music add to the variety of a student's day. The physical education program provides a balance between fitness activities and skill development. Uncharted territory is available to students during the Wednesday afternoon XL Academy program. In this program, teachers and community members combine forces to offer such varied classes as Computer Art, Fun, Food and Chocolate, CAD/CAM design, Lego Logo, Yearbook, Fitness, and Ultimate Frisbee. Through the years at Jordan course work, students can explore and develop multiple skills and interests.

Jordan's Scores on California Standardized Tests

Scores range from 1-99. A score of 99 indicates that the school scored higher than 99 percent of the other public schools in California. Scores are from "McCormack's Guides '99."

School Facilities:

    Jordan Middle School, built in 1937, was remodeled in 1991 when it reopened. The staff and students enjoy being in a comfortable, pleasant-looking facility. However, while the remodel ensures that the school meets State code requirements for fire, safety and handicapped access, the facility is not without problems, created by trying to have an old facility support new systems. The addition of technology has been challenging. Thanks to many volunteer hours from parents and community, the school is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The Bond that passed the voters in 1995, to provide funds for renovations to schools in Palo Alto will certainly help the Jordan campus with some of its long standing site problems.

Jordan Middle School's Vision:

"Jordan provides a supportive, flexible, and innovative environment for the diverse needs of the school community by promoting relevant and meaningful learning opportunities."

"Our students are self-motivated, well-rounded, life long learners successfully contributing to society."

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