Gate Equity Webinar: Supporting 9 th Grade Success

1. Gate Equity Webinar: Supporting 9th Grade Success Dixie Grunenfelder – OSPI Kefi Andersen – OSPI Aaron Cummings – Principal in Ephrata School District Toby Marston – Counselor in mount Baker School District

2. Agenda • Understand the importance of 9th Grade • Review keys to supporting 9th Grade success • Provide potential responses to intervene and prevent 9th course grade failure: • Aaron Cummings – Principal in Ephrata School District • Toby Marston – Counselor in Mount Baker School District OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

3. Every student ready for career, college, and life • To provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives. • Four- and five-year high school graduation rates • Enrollment, remediation, and completion rates in post-secondary training and education VisionMissionMeasures of Success

4. Performance Indicators • We must help students: • Enter kindergarten with expected skills in all six areas identified by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS). • Meet standard on the 3rd-, 8th-, and 11th-grade statewide English language arts (ELA) and math assessments, and the 8th-grade statewide science assessment. • Grow toward proficiency in ELA and math, as determined by Student Growth Percentiles, in 4th and 6th grades. • Enroll in Algebra I/Integrated Math I by the end of 8th or 9th grade and earn high school credit. • Enroll in college-level courses and earn dual credit. • Take the SAT and ACT and earn college-ready scores. • Access financial aid for post-secondary learning. • We must help students avoid: • 9th-grade course failure. • Suspensions and expulsions. • Chronic absenteeism. www.k12.wa.us/AboutUs OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

5. Polling • Do you track 9th grade failure? • No • No, but plan on starting • Just started • Have for a long time OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

6. Accessing Your Data • Contact your District Data Security Manager to get access to the Performance Indicators Preview application. • The role is “PI_Preview Basic User” • Logon to EDS: https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/ • Select the “Performance Indicators Preview” application. • Select the school or district organization in which your DDSM assigned your role. • Click on Reports OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

7. Why are we concerned with 9th course failure? Students who end their ninth grade year on-track, are four times more likely to graduate from high school than those who are off track. • Based on research by University of Chicago CCSR, Preventable Failure Research Summary, April 2014.

8. 9th Grade Course Failure is an Early Warning • 9th grade failure is a better predictor of graduation than race, ethnicity, level of poverty, or test scores. • 9th Grade Course Failure is actionable. • Addressing 9th grade course failure is also a way to address graduation. Graduation High School Middle School Elementary

9. What We Know About Preventing 9thGrade Course Failure

10. Polling • Do you use a student perception survey to measure school connectedness? • Yes, we survey regularly and use the data to inform our work • Yes, we survey, but don’t really use the data • No, we don’t survey students. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

11. School Culture…What Students are Telling Us According to the 2014 Healthy Youth Survey, 10th grade students report: • 55% think school is not usually important for later in life 62.5% say they don’t usually like being at school 77.3% have people at school to help if needed 84.6% feel safe at school OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

12. School Culture Relational Trust Feeling Safe Having something to offer Providing time and expertise Supports Provides assistance/ help in meeting expected standards/goals LEARNING Academic Press Provides specific direction embedded in high standards, goals and belief of success for everyone C U L T U R E F O R OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Failure is not an optionis a shared attitude of teachers, staff and students “Cultural changes take place when questions related to academic press and social support are being asked simultaneously, and when behaviors and beliefs are rooted in relational trust.” –Chuck Salina Salina, Girtz, Eppinga

13. Using Data OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

14. How many students are there in each Tier in your district? Tier 3: # Tier 2: # Tier 1: # OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

15. Transition from 8th Grade • For All: Activities and Clubs • For At Risk: Paired with specific teachers • Most At Risk: Mentoring OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

16. How to Set Up Vertical Teaming from Career Guidance Washington • Plan a process aligned with District/Building Level Teams tasks • Determine if vertical planning team is a subset of the Leadership/Counseling Team • Recruit grade level band leaders and counselors • Clarify roles for grade level leaders and counselors • Determine priority tasks (data use, engagement strategies for staff, students and parents) • Focus on grade level communication “between” grade level communication (linked to PLC structures when possible) • Address transition processes between schools with timelines and responsibilities • Coordinate Calendars • Link to Multi-Tiered System of Support and Dropout Early Warning Systems • Organize small group high school campus visits for middle school students OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

17. Multi-Tier System of Supports An Example from one School District • Tier 3: Individual • Unannounced home visits with door hangers for absentees • One on One study time with class teachers whose classes they are struggling in / Check and Connect • Required Learning Lab/ study hours to make up for incomplete credit • Tier 2: Group • Targeted Lunch Study Hall Hours / Flex Time • Competency Based Credits and extended grade deadline to 20 days into next semester or school year Tier 1: Universal • Staff shares the attitude “We will not let a single student fail – our will is stronger” • Prepare for new students in January: identify Tier 2-3 and plan interventions. • Counseling staff holds interviews with parents to set up appropriate classes and teachers before school begins, connect to services, test reading • Team up with the middle school to offer reading intervention classes so student is ready before entering high school • Freshmen Academy: separates freshmen from the rest, reinforces study skills • Connect students to the school: Link Crew, Day Long Freshmen Camp where they get to go to classes • “Inspect what you expect” Track data for who’s struggling with attendance, behavior, and coursework each week and get interventions in place right away • Standards Based Grading: missed deadlines don’t mean failing the assignment • Strong teachers who volunteer to focus on Freshmen • Start with freshmen but keep support going for 10-12th grade

18. Create Relevancy • High School and Beyond Plan • Hands on learning opportunities • Coursework ties to desired outcomes OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

19. Ephrata High School Principal Aaron Cummings • How we support 9th Graders OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

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25. Mount Baker School District CounselorToby Marston • How we support 9th Graders OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

26. 2011-2012Superintendent asked us to identify and define who an “at risk” student was in MBSD

27. Analysis was consistent with dropout literature • Students who did NOT attend MBSD as an elementary student were more likely to drop out. • Freshmen year transition was difficult (failed classes) • Attendance was an issue for our dropouts • More students living in one area of our district dropped out then other areas.

28. Student Supports • Intentional 8th-9th transition program • Counselors in classrooms • 8th grade counselor talking about transitions • HS tour day • College Bound Scholars Supporting data:100% of eligible students have signed up for the College Bound Scholarship

29. Student Supports • Refined our advisory program to assist in 9th grade transition • Re-focus on goal areas • Added a 9th grade fall Student-Led Conference Supporting data: 95% of parents report fall conference as being helpful.

30. Student Supports • Started LINK Crew, a research based peer mentor program for all 9th grade students • Focused 3 hour summer orientation • Meet with mentors in small groups 6-8 times a year. Supporting Data: 90% of 9th graders report LINK crew as being helpful to their high school transition.

31. Student Supports • Mental Health Support • Collaboration with local agencies • District commitment to hire a Mental Health Support Specialist • At LEAST one therapist on campus 5 days a week Supporting Data: 96% of students receiving services say that counseling has helped them feel more successful at school.

32. Student Supports • Community Outreach • Focus on neighborhood with most dropouts • Intentional partnership with community agencies Supporting Data: Monthly over 20 community organizations meet to collaborate on neighborhood issues

33. Student Supports • Base Camp • 35 minutes 3 times a week for additional academic support • 9:15-9:50 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

34. Base Camp Within this time three things happen: • Mountaineer Time: students with a 3.3 or above have choice to how they spend the period. • Base Camp-studentsbelow a 3.3 and with NO F’s are assigned a room for study hall. • Focused Learning-students with an F in any class are assigned to the teacher of that class to get additional time and support.

35. Focused Learning • Students are placed every three weeks • Students can be requested by a teacher even if they don’t have an F. • Students in Base Camp or Mountaineer Time can request a note to place themselves into a focused learning session.

36. Focused LearningHow are we doing?

37. Focused LearningHow are we doing? Data by Cycle

38. Focused LearningHow are we doing? English Data by Cycle

39. Focused LearningHow are we doing? Data by Specific Course ENGLISH 9(ENG901)(HARRIS) Data by course and student

40. Website • Visit the 9th Grade Course Failure Page for resources and strategies to support your work. • http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/9thGradeFailure/default.aspx OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

41. Questions • Contact • Kefi.Andersen@k12.wa.us • Is your school or district addressing 9th grade failure? Contact us and let us know what you are doing! OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

42. Accessing Your Data • Contact your District Data Security Manager to get access to the Performance Indicators Preview application. • The role is “PI_Preview Basic User” • Logon to EDS: https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/ • Select the “Performance Indicators Preview” application. • Select the school or district organization in which your DDSM assigned your role. • Click on Reports OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

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50. Helpful Resources District preview page • Copy of this presentation • Recording of the webinar data walkthrough • Helpful resources • http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/Webinars.aspx Support Resources • Visit the 9th Grade Course Failure Page for resources and strategies to support your work. http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/9thGradeFailure/default.aspx OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION