ISA’s High School Transformation Model A Partnership for Student Success

ISA’s High School Transformation ModelA Partnership for Student Success Gerry House, Ed.D. President & CEO MinneapolisFebruary 24, 2011 Transforming America’s High Schools

“Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental.” W.E.B. DUBOIS INSPIRING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE

WHERE WE ARE NOW US HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE 70% All students 55% African American students 48% African American males PROFICIENCY 38%of the nation’s 12th graders read at a proficient level Students who enroll in remedial reading courses are 3x more likely to drop out of college (NAEP) JOBS and the ECONOMY 85% of current jobs require some postsecondary education On average, college graduates earn twice as much as those with just a high school degree. If the number of high school dropouts in each age cohort were cut in half, the government would reap $35 billion annually via extra tax revenues or reduced costs of public health, of crime and justice, and in welfare payments. Transforming America’s High Schools

AFTER 90% of Bronx Lab’s Class of 2009 graduated 100% were accepted into college (as were 100% of the graduates of 2008, their first graduating class) 86% matriculated Five members of the class of 2008 and four members of the class of 2009 were Posse Foundation Scholars, and were awarded 4, full tuition scholarships to prestigious liberal art colleges. BRONX LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL • BEFORE • Bronx Lab, founded in 2004, is located in the Evander Childs High School building. • In Evander Childs’ last year of operation as a large high school, the four-year graduation rate was 35%. Transforming America’s High Schools

AFTER 2009 graduation rate 100% 2010 graduation rate 98.6% (100% African American, 98% economically disadvantaged) Recognized by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) for their academic achievement during the 2009-10 school year. Schools are recognized for greatest gains and for highest performance. Carver’s School of the Arts was recognized in both categories. SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AT CARVER BEFORE The New Schools at Carver were created in 2005 as part of the Atlanta Public Schools’ restructuring of George Washington Carver High School. Carver’s graduation rate in 2005 was 61%. Attendance was 52.5%. Transforming America’s High Schools

AFTER In 2009-10, Cody’s second year as a campus of small schools, Cody’s 9th grades had an 85% average attendance rate In 2009-10, an average of 90% of Cody small school students were on track for graduation. CODY HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS BEFORE In 2008, Cody High School in Detroit had a 60 % attendance rate and a 47% graduation rate. Transforming America’s High Schools

WHAT SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS HAVE IN COMMON • A rigorous academic program focused on higher order thinking, extended writing, problem-solving, and other skills for college and career success • Knowledgeable and skilled teachers and leaders • Strong, caring relationships between students and teachers, students and students, so no student falls through the cracks • Extended learning opportunities • Support for students – counseling, advisors • Support for teachers – professional development • Use of data –student work, attendance, test scores, graduation rates • Strong parental and community involvement • Shared accountability for student success • Some autonomy and flexibility to make decisions based on what’s best for students

THE ISA MODEL INSPIRING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE

WHAT THE RESEARCH TELLS US “Most urban high schools are too large and fail to promote close personal relationships and a sense of community between adults and students...high schools should be structured to promote supportive personal relationships among the members of its community.” (National Research Council, 2003) Schools in which teams of teachers meet regularly, plan collaboratively, and adapt their practice to students’ needs get better results. (Fullan, 2000) Students participate in co-curricular activities more and are less alienated. (Huling, 1980) Small schools can “create social and academic environments that lead to improved student outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students.” (DeAngelis, Illinois Education Research Council, 2004)

WHAT THE RESEARCH TELLS US Small school size has positive effects on student outcomes. In a study of 13,600 urban, suburban and rural schools, the benefits include: Higher achievement for all students Lower achievement gaps across races Lower dropout rates Lower student suspension rates Less drug abuse Less vandalism and violence Increased parent involvement Transforming America’s High Schools

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES Transforming America’s High Schools

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 1. A RIGOROUS COLLEGE PREP CURRICULUM • Inquiry-based approach to curriculum and instruction that includes extensive writing across the curriculum, culturally responsive pedagogy, higher order thinking, complex problem solving, self-discipline and effective work habits • Engaging; links to real-world issues • Multiple forms of assessment, including performance and portfolio assessments, teacher tests, standardized tests and value-added assessments • Alignment with state standards to ensure that students pass applicable state exams • A college prep focus in all grades including college tours, SAT preparation, individual college planning, parent information and enrollment in courses at local colleges

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 2. A DEDICATED TEAM OF TEACHERS AND A COUNSELOR • Consistency for students throughout the four years of the program. • Teacher and counselor teams develop strategies to create personalized, caring communities where students know there are high expectations for their performance and that the adults are committed to their success • Teachers have expertise in the subject area they teach and demonstrate successful experience teaching diverse learners

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 3. CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • Customized professional development to support teachers in developing effective teaching practices based on learning goals and students’ needs • Embedded coaching targeted to individual teacher improvement and team development • Intensive Summer and Winter Professional development Institutes and content area workshops

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 4. DISTRIBUTED COUNSELING • A counselor who works with the teams to create a personalized, caring community in which all students are known well. • The counselor also provides direct services to students and their families, as required, sometimes through leveraging available community resources. • The counselor works with the teams to address students’ academic, social and emotional needs • Advisory structures which assign 10-15 students with a faculty advisor to provide ongoing academic, social and emotional supports

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 5. PARENT INVOLVEMENT • Teachers and counselors reach out to parents as a valuable source of information about their children’s strengths and experiences, talents and aspirations, learning styles • Teachers invite parents to participate regularly in conferences to review student work and progress together, to build relationships and to maintain open lines of communication. • School engages parents and community in leadership and volunteer activities to facilitate the development of strong family-school connections, such as orientations for new students/parents, family potluck nights, etc.

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 6. EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY AND SCHOOL YEAR • Time, attention and other supports students need to be successful in a challenging, college prep curriculum • Skill development; test preparation; talent development and enrichment; leadership development; homework support; travel; summer institutes in math, science and technology • Community service and internships which allow students to explore their interests, participate in "world of work" experiences and also make a contribution to others

ISA’S SEVEN PRINCIPLES • 7. CONTINUOUS ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT • Teachers examine and share practices that produce desired student outcomes. They collaboratively and regularly review student work to determine if the learning goals they have set are being met. • Staff are members of a network of other peers developing small schools via web-based opportunities, conferences, joint training and shared resources. • Staff participates in external assessment of program quality using a “critical friends” type process • Staff Regularly review data on student performance (i.e., interim assessments in math and writing, attendance, test scores) to assess progress and gaps in student and school performance

STRUCTURE • SENIOR ACADEMY • The Senior Academy, which has its own principal and staff, begins as a 10th-12th grade school and is organized to ensure students in these grades have a successful school experience. • Customized plans are developed for grades and students to make sure students are on track for graduation and post-secondary success. • The Start-Up School • Strategy of starting up new school frees district to establish new culture, norms, practices • Incoming ninth grade, parents, faculty, and school and community leadership, build the culture of the start-up school • School community develops a shared accountability for student success

STRUCTURE • YEAR BY YEAR DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOOL • The start-up school begins with 100 students and adds a cohort of 100 9th graders a year until the school has about 400 students in grades 9-12 in 4 years. • The Senior Academy graduates a grade a year until it phases out in 3 years.

SCHOOL DEVELOPMETN PROCESS • PLANNING PHASE • New principal, working with an ISA school coach, establishes a School Design Team, composed of the principal, teachers, parents, community members, students. • Design Team articulates the vision, which embeds the ISA principles and provides a blueprint for the organization and instructional program of the start-up school. • The Senior Academy, with its own staff, works with the ISA coach to develop long and short-term plans for how the school will graduate students prepared for college and careers.

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS • IMPLEMENTATION • A Minneapolis-based school coach works with the faculty one day a week to implement ISA’s Seven Principles and to support leadership, teacher, counselor, team and school development during the 4 1/2 year design and implementation phases. • Content coaches in math, literacy and science are also available on an as-needed basis to provide teachers with support in these content areas. • To ensure coherence between district policies and practices and the ISA Model, the district assigns a senior leader as the liaison to ISA. • The principal of the Senior Academy and the principal of the small school meet regularly as a Building Council to ensure smooth operation and management of the building (security plan, shared spaces, etc.)

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS • SUSTAINING • Sustaining phase begins in 5th year, after the start-up school has its first graduating class • Partnership with the ISA national network of schools. • A sustainability inventory at the end of the 4th year to assess the school’s implementation of the ISA Model and to identify its strengths and challenges and need for continued development. • Offering of a range of services customized to address the identified needs that will support the school in continuing the fidelity to the model and achieving strong student outcomes.

VALIDATION INSPIRING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE

ISA STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS ISA schools serve a diverse student population: • 73% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch • 9% English language learners • 11% designated as special education students • Only 36% scored “proficient” in math • Only 31% scored “proficient” in reading on 8th grade state tests

ISA’S 4-YEAR COHORT GRADUATION RATE • Nationally, about 70% of students graduate on time; about 1.2 million students drop out annually. • 17 of the nation’s 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50%. Transforming America’s High Schools

6-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF ISA SCHOOLS AED (Academy for Educational Development) finds ISA has had a “large and positive effect” on grade promotion, attendance, course passing, credit accumulation, and graduation rates. According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, the college persistence rate for ISA students who enrolled in a 4-year college is 94%,compared to the national rate of 76%.

% STUDENTS ATTENDING 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS Transforming America’s High Schools

IN THEIR WORDS Transforming America’s High Schools

THANK YOU! Transforming America’s High Schools

ISA’s High School Transformation Model A Partnership for Student Success