Travelers Rest High School

1. Travelers Rest High School Making CONNECTIONSthat count!

2. In The Beginning • In 2005, Gov. Sanford signed the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) • The legislation was designed to give students the tools they needed to be successful in an increasingly technological society.

3. EEDA set up a system called “Personal Pathways to Success” by combining • high academic standards with enhanced opportunities to explore career options. • To implement “Personal Pathways to Success”, EEDA mandated a variety of • supporting iniatives: • High Schools That Work: By 2010 all South Carolina high schools are to be • reorganized on the High Schools That Work (HSTW) model (or a similar • approved model). HSTW provides a framework of goals and key practices • to accelerate learning, including rigorous academic standards and out-of- • classroom learning opportunities. • Regional Education Centers: provide career planning services for students • and adults • Individual Attention for Students: High schools are mandated to hire more • guidance counselors to achieve a ratio of one counselor for every 300 students, • and counselors specializing in career guidance will help students plan their • educations. Students at risk for dropping out will be identified early and models • will be developed to help these students graduate.

4. Protection Against Tracking: EEDA includes provisions that protect students • against being steered into pathways that do not fit their best interests.

5. High Schools That Work • is an effort-based school improvement initiative founded on the conviction • that most students can master rigorous academic and career/technical studies • if school leaders and teachers create an environment that motivates students • to make the effort to succeed. • The HSTW school improvement design provides a framework of Goals, Key • Practices and Key Conditions for accelerating learning and setting higher • standards.

6. HSTW has identified a set of Key Practices that impact student achievement. TEN KEY PRACTICES • High Expectations :integrate high expectations into classroom practices • Program of Study: Require each student to complete an upgraded • academic core and a concentration • 3. Academic Studies: Teach more students the essential concepts of the • college preparatory curriculum by encouraging them to apply academic • content and skills to real-world problems and projects. • 4. Career/Technical Studies: Provide more students access to intellectually • challenging career/technical studies in high-demand fields that emphasize • higher-level mathematics, science, literacy and problem-solving skills • needed in the workplace and in further education. • Work-based learning: Enable students and their parents to choose from • programs that integrate challenging high school studies and work-based • learning. • Teachers working together: Provide teams of teachers from several • disciplines the time and support to work together to help students succeed.

7. Students actively engaged: Engage students in academic and career/technical • classrooms in rigorous and challenging proficient-level assignments using • research-based instructional strategies and technology. • 8. Guidance: Involve students and their parents in a guidance and advisement • system that develops positive relationships and ensures completion of an • accelerated program of study with an academic or career/technical concentration. • Provide each student with the same mentor throughout high school to assist • with setting goals, selecting courses, reviewing student progress and suggesting • appropriate interventions as necessary. • Extra Help: Provide a structured system of extra help to assist students in • completing accelerated programs of study with high-level academic and technical • content. • 10: Culture of continuous improvement: Use student assessment and program • evaluation data to continuously improve school culture, organization, management, • curriculum and instruction to advance student learning.

8. CONNECTIONS TRHS ADVISORY PROGRAM

9. What is the goal of our advisor/advisee program? The goal of the adviser/advisee program is to keep students from falling through the cracks by providing a mentor to monitor, coach, and guide students through the transition from middle school to high and from high school to college/career.

10. What problems do we hope to solve? • Retention: reduce the number of student failures. • Attendance: increase student attendance rate. • Participation: Engage more students in their own learning.

11. What data will we collect? • Attendance comparisons from the inception of the program to the end of the year. • Retention rates for each participating year • Student involvement/and evaluation • Teacher input/evaluation

12. Who will be advisors? • All certified personnel, this includes Administration, Guidance Counselors, Media Specialists, and Special Programs Coordinators.

13. What are the expectations of an advisor? • Connect with each advisee as an individual; Regularly conferencing with advisees. • Build a sense of community within the group; promote positive peer culture. • Work with advisees on identified skills or topics.

14. Academic Advisement – grade report conferences, goal setting, coaching on • Homework habits. • Encourage involvement in co-curricular opportunities • Monitor or coach advisees’ work on major projects, portfolios, • Exhibitions, internships. • Make referrals for academic or personal support services • Teach study skills, organizational skills and/or test-taking skills • Focus on future educational or career plans – exploring options, • Learning interview skills, developing essays, learning about applications.

15. What additional support will be given to advisers who are struggling? • Training sessions will be held every third Tuesday before advisory sessions, after school, in the media center. • Advisory Focus team members are listed for you in the advisory notebook. Ask Questions!!!

16. How many advisor/advisee sessions will be held during the year? • Advisory will meet every three weeks, starting Aug. 28. There will be 12 sessions. Four of these sessions will be concerned with report cards and progress reports. One session will be for a grade level speaker. One session for orientation. There will be six prepared lessons for each advisory group.

17. What are the dates for each session? • Aug. 28 Orientation • Sept. 18 Progress Report • Oct. 9 • Oct. 30 Report Card • Nov. 20 • Dec. 18 • Jan. 15 • Feb. 5 • Feb. 19 Progress Report, HSTW TAV • Mar. 12 • Mar. 31 Report Card • April 23 • Advisory sessions will be held on Thursdays.

18. What is the time schedule? • Advisory sessions will last only 30 minutes. • 8:30-9:55 1st Block • 10:00 – 11:25 2nd Block • 11:30 – 12:00 Advisory Session • 12:00-12:30 First Lunch • 12:35 – 2:00 3rd Block • 12:05 – 12:45 3rd Block A • 12:45 – 1:10 Second Lunch • 1:15 – 2:00 3rd Block B • 2:05 – 3:30 4th Block

19. How many advisees will be in a group? • Advisory groups will range from 13-17 students. Some groups will have students that will graduate first semester. You may also have students that reside at one of the Group Homes.

20. How will we handle attendance? • All students are required to attend the advisory sessions. Attendance should be taken in IGPro. • The site coordinator will handle attendance and discipline issues.

21. Will advisers stay with the same students for four years? • Yes, most of the time. Grade enrollment changes may force a number change for advisors.

22. How will you handle repeaters? • Repeaters will move up with their grade level peers. The objective is to motivate them to seize opportunities for extra help, on-line courses, etc. in order to graduate on time.

23. Where will special education and ESL students fit in? • Special education and ESL students will be mixed in with the general population.

24. Is there enough space for advisee groups to have a separate area? • Classroom teachers will meet in their classrooms. Admin, Guidance, Media Center, Curriculum Instructor, and CRT will meet in other designated areas.

25. Who will develop the curriculum and choose materials? • A group of teachers met during the summer to work on the curriculum for each grade level. • Teachers may submit lessons they feel would be useful.

26. Do we have to print supplementary materials. • No. All printed supplementary materials will be provided a week before the advisory session. • Also, we will place lessons on-line with the attachments for your review.

27. Will advisers be observed and assessed? • Advisers will be observed at least once during the year. • Comments on the lesson delivery will be given. • Critiques are welcome

28. How will we evaluate our advisor/advisee program? • The program will be evaluated twice a year. Once in first semester, and once in second semester. • Teachers as well as students will be a part of the evaluation process.

29. What is our name and can it be changed. • Our logo is “Connections” . • TRHS making “connections” that count in school, community, higher education, and careers.