Implementing the High Schools That Work Key Practices Central High School Park Hills, MO.

1. Implementing the High Schools That Work Key Practices Central High SchoolPark Hills, MO. Brad Coleman, High School Principal bcoleman@centralr3.org

2. Central High School • Park Hills, Missouri pop. 7000 • Located 50 miles south of St. Louis • Area economic situation is depressed with mining the major industry of the past. • The school district has a tax rate of $4.05, including debt service. • Recognized for Distinction in Performance for the past three years.

3. Central High School • High School enrollment is 550 students grades 9-12, 97% white, 3% minority. • Free/reduced lunch rate is 57% • Traditional 7 period day. • Special Needs enrollment is 22% • Math, English, Science and Business have 4 full time teachers, 3 Social Studies teachers and 12 other faculty members.

4. Central High School • Why search for a comprehensive school reform model? • We needed a vision and guidance. • We needed professional development and money!!! • Our MAP scores were stagnant. • We didn’t meet vocational standards, college placement standards, or ACT standards. • A new principal with new leadership district-wide.

5. Central High School • We found and researched the High Schools That Work model from the Southern Regional Education Board. • We wrote the grant and received both a state grant ($25,000 per year for 5 years) and a federal CSR grant ($75,000 per year for 3 years).

6. High Schools That WorkGoals • Raise the mathematics, science, communication, problem-solving and technical achievement of more students to the national average and above. • Blend the essential content of traditional college-preparatory studies – mathematics, science and language arts – with quality career/technical studies by creating conditions that support school leaders, teachers and counselors in carrying out key practices. • Advance state and local policies and leadership initiatives necessary to sustain a continuous school-improvement effort for both academic and career/technical studies.

7. High Schools That WorkGoals • Have all graduates at the Basic level on the NAEP and an increasing percent at the Proficient level in reading, math and science. • Have all graduates complete a college-prep academic core and a concentration in an academic or career/technical area.

8. High Schools That WorkGoals • Have all students who enter grade nine complete high school. • Have all graduates leave high school with postsecondary credits or meet standards for postsecondary studies without having to take remedial courses.

9. Site Development Workshop Objectives • Participants will develop awareness and understanding of goals and key practices. • Determine the status of school and classroom practices. • Brainstorm and select actions to take to advance achievement.

10. Site Development Workshop Objectives • Develop steps to prepare a whole-school improvement plan. • Connect state standards and school improvement plans. • Plan staff development needed to implement key practices. • Form focus teams.

11. Getting Started Establish Need for Change • Learn where you are now by doing needs assessment. • Involve all teachers in needs assessment process. • Collect data from students, parents, teachers and employers. • Look at and visit successful high schools.

12. High Schools That WorkKey Practices • High expectations – setting higher expectations and getting more students to meet them. • Career/technical studies – increasing access to intellectually challenging career/technical studies, with a major emphasis on using high-level mathematics, science, language arts and problem-solving skills in the modern workplace and in preparation for continued learning.

13. High Schools That WorkKey Practices • Academic studies – increasing access to academic studies that teach the essential concepts from the college-preparatory curriculum by encouraging students to use academic content and skills to address real-world projects and problems. • Program of study – having students complete a challenging program of study with an upgraded academic core and a major.

14. High Schools That WorkKey Practices • Work-based learning – giving students and their parents the choice of a system that integrates school-based and work-based learning. The system should span high school and postsecondary studies and should be planned by educators, employers and employees. • Teachers working together – having an organization, structure and schedule giving academic and vocational teachers the time to plan and deliver integrated instruction aimed at teaching high-level academic and technical content.

15. High Schools That WorkKey Practices • Students actively engaged – getting every student involved in rigorous and challenging learning. • Guidance – involving each student and his or her parents in a guidance and advising system that ensures the completion of an accelerated program of study with an in-depth academic or vocational/technical major.

16. High Schools That WorkKey Practices • Extra help – providing a structured system of extra help to enable students who may lack adequate preparations to complete an accelerated program of study that includes high-level academic and technical content. • Keeping score – using student assessment and program evaluation data to improve continuously the school climate, organization, management, curricula and instruction to advance student learning and to recognize students who meet both curriculum and performance goals.

17. HIGH EXPECTATIONS • Setting a clear mission and vision. • Establishing goals for students and staff. • Establishing a HSTW team of teachers aligned with our CSIP committees. • Establishing Focus Teams based on the key practices. • Establishing a Student Advisory Committee. • Development of comprehensive, common quarterfinal exams in all classes.

18. HIGH EXPECTATIONS • Analyzing and using data from Crystal Reports to revise and rewrite curriculum in order to improve student performance and align standards. Department Improvement Plans are required based on assessment results. • Development of benchmark items in all classes with common assessments, common quarterfinal exams and common course syllabi. • I evaluate all benchmark and final exams using a scoring rubric that includes information on types of questions (MC, CR, PE), higher order thinking skills and student feedback.

19. HIGH EXPECTATIONS • We developed a Literacy Committee to address literacy issues and to help increase expectation levels for students in all classes. • Literacy Committee recommendations and policies implemented. Developed a 4 year Literacy Plan to address literacy issues across the curriculum. See handouts on our Literacy Initiative Plan . • Provided all students with Writer’s Inc and student planners for use in classes. • Increased rigor and expectations in all classes.

20. HIGH EXPECTATIONS • Math—Eliminated basic and applied classes. All students must take Algebra I and Geometry. 4 years of Math required including Math in the senior year. • Science—Eliminated basic and applied classes. All students must take Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry or Intermediate Chemistry. • The elimination of lower level courses: English—English I, II and III are all College Prep, Honors English. English IV is either Dual Credit or the College Level Basic English. No Applied Classes. • NO WATERED DOWN CURRICULUM!

21. Career/Technical Studies • We integrated the Applied Academics curriculum with higher level Math, English and Science curriculum. • We sent our entire staff to spend a half day with our local career/tech school to examine curriculum, see instructional practices utilized, and to meet with vocational teachers to discuss curricular issues.

22. Career/Technical Studies • We changed our tracks with students to require that students either select a career/tech track, a college prep track or both. • We do not allow students to aimlessly take courses without following one of the above tracks. • Rearranged our bell schedule to accommodate career/tech students to take a 7 period day. • Added career/tech programs with Cisco and Marketing, expanded Network Admin. • Added the JAGS (Jobs for Americas Graduates) program for all students.

23. Academic/Program of Study • Eliminated all lower level courses, teaching all courses to the College Prep level. • Increased graduation requirements: • 4 years of College Prep English. • 4 years of Math (must have Algebra I (can be 2 years) and Geometry) All seniors must take a Math class (Algebra II, III, Math Analysis or higher level). • 3 years of Science (must take Physical Science and Biology, Chemistry or Intermediate Chemistry. • 3 years of Social Studies. • 1 year of Computer Applications required • 1 Fine Art, 1 Practical Arts, 1/2 Health, ½ ACT prep ½ Personal Finance, 1 P.E.

24. Academic/Program of Study • Instituted the Literacy and Numeracy Initiatives across the curriculum. Bought all students copies of Writer’s Inc to use in all classroom writing projects. Trained staff in use of literacy and numeracy initiatives. • Developed common scoring rubrics for writing in all classes to provide consistency across the curriculum. • Developing academic majors.

25. Academic Studies • Assessments are more hands on, application style in all classes. Authentic assessment is a must. • Provided more training to the staff on developing project based and critical thinking activities with relevance and meaning to students. • Benchmarked objectives for quarterfinal exams.

26. Teachers Working Together • Rearranged the master schedule to provide common planning times for departments. • Each department meets weekly to examine what makes quality student work, to revise curriculum and establish benchmarks and common assessments. • Worked to align students and teachers so that one teacher teaches all sections of a class. • Teachers develop curriculum (EAT) and use lesson plan notebooks.

27. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • Established RAP Wednesday Schedule for students and staff. • We divided our seven, 50 minute period day (with 16 minutes of Channel One time), into eight, 45 minute classes (no Channel One). R.A.P. period is after fourth period before lunch every Wednesday. • Each teacher, including the principal, is assigned to mentor a group of 15-20 students throughout their school career. • Students are divided randomly for each mentor by grade. Teachers for each grade are divided into interdisciplinary teams. • Special Needs students are assigned to their caseworkers.

28. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • The goal is to help students, with support of parents, set after-high school goals, select courses that allow them to meet their goals, and review student progress and attendance. • Conferences with parents will take place in the spring of each year for scheduling purposes. • Conferences will take place over a one week period before or after school or on a district scheduled parent/conference day. Scheduling for the next year is completed, 4-year plans are updated and third quarter report cards are issued.

29. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • What is different about our advisory period is that we provide extra help to students and extra help for teachers through professional development. • We developed a monthly calendar of lesson plans, activities and events for each grade level. • Each week, one, two, three or all classes may be involved in an activity or event supervised by the assistant principal and counselors. Teachers are in another location with a professional development activity planned.

30. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • For example, in week one, the sophomore class may be involved in a meeting with the Josten’s rep. for class rings. Sophomore advisors are engaged in professional development. All other classes are meeting with their advisors, completing an assigned, grade specific lesson or activity. • In week two, the junior and senior class may be meeting with college reps while the sophomore and freshmen classes are meeting with their advisors. Junior and senior advisors are engaged in professional development. • Silent, sustained reading time is utilized during the RAP sessions when activities are complete.

31. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • Any class meeting, Student Council meeting or Student Advisory meeting must be held during the RAP period. All guest speakers, assemblies, etc must meet during the R.A.P. period. There have been occasions where the R.A.P. period has been moved to another day or a different time to accommodate special activities. • The goal is to prevent students from missing valuable class time and to prevent before and after school faculty meetings for professional development.

32. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • Topics covered in each grade level advisement: -9th grade—library/research skills, study skills/outlining, time management, organizational skills, social skills/respect, teamwork, cooperative learning, driver’s education manual -10th grade-- library/research skills, study skills, time management, job applications, interviews, responsibility, personal finance -11th grade—personal finance, career focus, recruiters, college admissions, technical schools, occupations -12th grade—personal finance, stocks and investments, banking procedures, credit cards, budgeting, insurance (health, car, life, home), real estate and financial aid.

33. Teachers Working TogetherR.A.P.—Rebel Advisement Period • Teacher professional development has focused primarily on instituting our literacy initiative. We have also used the time to introduce the numeracy program, focus on data received from HSTW and our state, and to provide training on using demonstration classroom teachers. • All advisors have a buddy teacher who can help out when a teacher is absent.

34. Teachers Working Together • Demonstration Classrooms—successful schools translate professional development into improved instructional practices. We have trained 4 teachers to develop demonstration classrooms for other teachers to observe the learned strategies in practice. Each teacher has focused on different strategies (differentiated instruction, Socratic seminar, project based learning, cooperative learning) they model for other staff members. Quality teaching equals strategies that engage students.

35. Students Actively Engaged • Interdisciplinary lessons are taught with writing, reading and math top priorities. • A new homework policy was developed to allow student revision of work to meet standards. • More project-based and critical thinking activities are utilized in all classes with relevance and meaning to students. • Student Advisory Committee and Student Council are utilized to initiate programs and policies. • Attendance Policy—6 days or loss of credit.

36. Extra HelpP.A.S.S.—Performance and Achievement System for Success • To meet the more rigorous demands and higher expectations in classes, we implemented an after school, extra help program we refer to as P.A.S.S. • PASS classes meet after school from 2:45-3:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. No practices, activities or events may begin on these days until 3:30 p.m. • Students are required to attend if they have a “D” or “F” in any class at progress report time (midterm of each quarter). If a student fails one course, attendance is one day, two courses, two days, etc.

37. Extra HelpP.A.S.S.—Performance and Achievement System for Success • A “D” or “F” on a quarter final will mandate three weeks of required PASS. The first two weeks will be remediation of instruction over the tested objectives and the third week students will retake the quarter final. • A score of “Step One” on our state MAP tests will require attendance in PASS. • PASS attendance is required for any make-up tests, labs and projects. Students are not allowed to make-up tests or labs during the school day.

38. Extra HelpP.A.S.S.—Performance and Achievement System for Success • Students can attend but are not required to attend for the following reasons: -to get extra help -to use computer labs or the library -to take enrichment classes -to get A+ tutoring hours -to receive guidance and advisement -to regain credits lost to attendance in the Credit Recovery program.

39. Extra HelpP.A.S.S.—Performance and Achievement System for Success • All staff members stay at least 2 days a week for PASS with students scheduled into classes based on the following priority list: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Business/Technology, all other classes. • There is no extra pay for staff members. • Students receive schedules and calendars of teacher attendance are posted. • Buddy teachers are assigned for staff members who may be absent.

40. Extra HelpP.A.S.S.—Performance and Achievement System for Success • Bus transportation is provided. • PASS classes consist of true extra help with assignments, some extension lessons from the classes, enrichment, test review and make up work for labs and all missed tests. • PASS at the end of the quarter is based on a quarter final grade with lessons developed around the most commonly missed benchmark objectives from the common course quarter final exam.

41. Extra Help • A Credit Recovery class is offered that meets before or after school and in summer school. • Credit Recovery allows students who do not receive credit from a class due to poor attendance or failure (must have at least 50%), to make up the credit in an accelerated program. Final exams are included from the coordinating class as well as a writing component.

42. Extra Help • For students who drop out, we created a credit recovery program we refer to as Tier III. • Tier III students work at an accelerated pace with the ALS program to earn credits for graduation. A writing component is included for every credit earned. Assignment is either full or half day. • We developed a Freshmen Academy, requiring the lowest functioning 20-30 8th graders to come to summer school and receive a week of instruction in English, Math, Science and Social Studies. • Developed Fish Camp orientation for Freshmen.

43. Keeping Score • We have continuously used student assessment and program evaluation data to improve the school climate, management, curriculum and instruction to advance student learning. • Quality professional development is the key to our success. • Using data from a variety of sources, including HSTW National and State data, have helped to provide the justification for the implementation of many of our programs.

44. Keeping Score/The Results • We developed common course syllabi for all courses. • We developed a Homework policy for all students and staff members. • We have developed a Testing policy to better coordinate tests and expectations for tests.

45. 2001 Science Adv/Prof 3% Step 1/Prog 65% 2001 Math Adv/Prof 7% Step 1/Prog 62% 2005 Science Adv/Prof 26% Step 1/Prog 28% 2005 Math Adv/Prof 53% Step 1/Prog 28% Keeping Score/The ResultsMAP TESTS

46. 2001 Comm Arts Adv/Prof 15% Step I/Prog 38% 2001 Social Studies Adv/Prof 13% Step I/Prog 37% 2005 Comm Arts Adv/Prof 28% Step I/Prog 24% 2005 Social Studies Adv/Prof 33% Step I/Prog 28% Keeping Score/The ResultsMAP TESTS

47. CHS Students Percent Reaching Goal Reading 72% Math 80% Science 71% MEAN SCORES Reading 290 Math 317 Science 310 All Students--National Percent Reaching Goal Reading 54% Math 59% Science 48% MEAN SCORES Reading 277 Math 298 Science 293 HSTW NAEP Results

48. Keeping Score—ACT

49. ACT Results

50. Effects of the PASS Program 2003 2nd qter midterms—335 progress reports 2003 end of 2nd qter—339 progress reports 2004 3rd qter midterms—290 progress reports 2004 end of 3rd qter—224 progress reports 2004 4th qter midterms—216 progress reports 2004 1st qter midterms—210 progress reports 2004 end of 1st qter—189 progress reports 2004-2005 rest of year—fluctuating between a low of 165 and a high of 211