Connections Project 3/25/04

1. Connections Project3/25/04 • Kevin Burr • High Schools That Work • SREB

2. GCHS Mission: Making the Best Better “Where we do what we love; Love what we do; And deliver more than is promised.”

3. District-WideVision Statement • Demonstrating Excellence: • Preparing for Tomorrow.

4. GCHS Student Population

6. GCHS Student PopulationEthnic Disaggregating

8. In-Out Information (Transience) within the school year.

9. GCHS Dropout Rates 1992-1996

10. Key Events • 1985-00 = GC grows by 65% (33,000) Fastest growing community in Kansas. • 1994 = 18 different gangs identified in the school and community. • 1995 = 15 Different foreign languages/dialects spoken in GC schools. (25+ Nationalities) • 1996 = Racial Tension at its highest. • 1996 = Homecoming Canceled (CNN, NBC, CBS).

11. Did GCHS provide a safe and drug-free environment? (1996)

12. Students: Do you feel safe at GCHS?

13. ?

14. Implemented High Schools That Work philosophies. • Key Practice #1: • Set high expectations and get students to meet them.

15. It matters that students take the right academic courses. It matters that schools offer quality career/technical courses. It matters that more students meet curriculum and performance standards It matters that teachers engage students in completing challenging assignments. It matters that everyone supports high expectations. It matters that students get extra help in meeting higher standards. It matters that schools offer a supportive guidance system. It matters that teachers work together. Eight things that matter most in raising student achievement. (HSTW)

16. Challenge 1 • Unify all of the GCHS community to begin instilling a culture for high expectations and increased student achievement for ALL students. “What’s good enough for the best ought to be good enough for the rest.”

17. Challenge 1: Action Steps • For School Principals: • Hold classroom time sacred. • Hold monthly interviews with students. • Identify Master teachers to serve as coaches. • Restructure faculty meetings. • Require teachers to observe other staff. • Make frequent classroom visits. • Curricular decisions become data-driven. • Tie staff development to raising student achievement in your school.

18. Challenge 1: Action Steps • For Teachers: • Hold students accountable. • Establish the “culture” of success. • Require effective homework in ALL classes. • School-wide initiatives (Writing, Reading, Math). • Detailed course syllabus for ALL classes. • Curriculum mapping/pacing guides. • Standards-Based/Assessment Driven Curriculum.

19. Challenge 1: Action Steps • For Students: • Mandatory extra help. • Coordinated achievement reminders. • Require minimum standards of acceptable work (Essential Skills).

20. It matters that students take the right academic courses. It matters that schools offer quality career/technical courses. It matters that more students meet curriculum and performance standards It matters that teachers engage students in completing challenging assignments. It matters that everyone supports high expectations. It matters that students get extra help in meeting higher standards. It matters that schools offer a supportive guidance system. It matters that teachers work together. Eight things that matter most in raising student achievement. (HSTW)

21. Upgrading Academic Requirements for All Students • 1997-2002 • Increased graduation requirements • total credits from 21 to 26.5 (1998-2001) • math credits from 2 to 3 • science credits from 2 to 3 • oral communications credit from .5 to 1 • computer technology credits from 0 to 1 • Required algebra mastery of all students • Core Standards and Benchmarks (competency-based structure). • Restructured math curricular alignment. • Double-blocked math. • Required Senior Project (high stakes).

22. GCHS Dropout Rates 1996-2003

23. GCHS Graduation Rates

24. Grade Distribution “A’s and B’s” 1996-2003

25. Grade Distribution “F’s” 1996-03

26. Enrollment Shifts in Upper Level Science Courses 1999-03

27. Enrollment Shifts in Upper Level Math Courses 1999-03

28. NAEP Results (GCHS) Reading 1996-2002

29. Reading Results (GCHS)Percent Reaching HSTW Goal

30. NAEP Results (GCHS)Math 1996-2002

31. Math Results (GCHS)Percent Reaching HSTW Goal

32. NAEP Results (GCHS) Science 1996-2002

33. Science Results (GCHS)Percent Reaching HSTW Goal

34. 2002 HSTW/NAEP CTE students vs. non-CTE • CTE students score higher than total student population • All students above HSTW goal • Programmed study seems to make a difference in student achievement.

35. Kansas Assessment TestsMath 1996-2003

36. KS Assessment Math – Proficient or Above 2000-2003

37. Kansas Assessment TestsReading 1996-2003

38. KS Assessment Reading – Proficient or Above 2000-03

39. 2001-03 PLAN Test Reading Results

40. 2001-03 PLAN TestScience Reasoning Results

41. 2001-03 PLAN Test Math Results

42. PLAN Test Results: Math (Alg/Geom/Alg II)

43. School Climate/ Student and Parental Perceptions

44. Did GCHS provide you with a positive learning experience?

45. Did GCHS improve your ability to solve problems?

46. Did GCHS teachers generally hold high standards and demand high quality work from you?

47. Did GCHS provide a safe and drug-free environment?

48. Did GCHS increase your ability to be responsible?

49. Students: Do you feel safe at GCHS?

50. Parents: Do you believe that GCHS is a safe environment for your child?