Professional Learning Communities: Staying the Course

1. Professional Learning Communities: Staying the Course Whittier Union High School District Sandy Thorstenson, Superintendent Dan Esquerra, Curriculum & Assessment Coach WHS Math Teacher

2. A Snapshot of the 13,800 Students We Serve 81% Hispanic 13% White 6% Other 13% English Learners 18% R-FEP 67% Soc Econ Dis

3. Students Receiving Free or Reduced Meals

4. The Challenge of Measurable Targets • Academic Performance Index (API) • Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) • CAHSEE: Pass and Proficient • 4-Year Graduation Rate • Grade Level Credits Towards Graduation: On-Target Rate • College eligibility: a-g Course Completion • Advanced Placement: Exams & Enrollment • Student Attendance Rate

5. Comprehensive Strategy to Increase Performance on Measurable Targets Professional Learning Communities We are committed to doing WHATEVER IT TAKES

6. Key Questions Addressed by PLCs • What do we want students to know? • How do we know when they learn it? • How do we respond when they do not learn it?

7. #1 What do we want students to know? • CA State Content Standards • WUHSD Essential Standards • Course Notebooks • Pacing Guides

8. #2 How do we know when they learn it? • Formative & Summative Assessments • Districtwide Quarterly Common Assessments • Site-based Interim Assessments • Protocol for Collaborative Analysis of Results • Annual CSTs • Support • Department Chairs & Course Leads • EADMS Technology & On-Site Support

9. #3 How do we respond when they do not learn it? Building a Systems Response rather than Isolated Efforts Pyramid of Interventions

10. Pyramid of Intervention • Initial Focus on Freshman • Guidance Issues • Utilization of Time • Prevention along with Intervention

11. Initial Focus on Freshman • Bridge Program • Parent Partnership • Freshman 1st Day • Link Crew • Increased Parallel Academic Support Classes in Reading and Math

12. Utilization of Time • Alternative Schedules • Collaboration Time • Required, not invited, Support • Maximizing Bell-to-Bell Instruction

13. Guidance Issues • Campus Watch • Intervention Specialist • Intervention Clerk • AB1802 Counselor Funding • Partnerships with Outside Agencies for Intensive Counseling Services

14. Prevention • Revision of Grading Policies • Retesting: Ensuring students learn content • Elimination of 0% in Grading Averages • Increased Feedback • Increased Grading Periods to every 4.5 weeks • Teleparent  Parents as Partners

15. Pyramid of Interventions RESULTS

16. District API Growth

17. Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Gaining on the Goal of 800

18. District AYP: Met 25 of 26 Targets

19. One Target not met: ELA Proficiency Rate for Students with Disabilities

20. 10th Grade ELA CAHSEE Pass Rate

21. 10th Grade Math CAHSEE Pass Rate

22. California High School Exit Exam(CAHSEE) Senior Pass Rates

23. AP Tests Taken

24. WUHSD On-Target Rates HIGHEST ON-TARGET RATES IN WUHSD HISTORY FOR ALL 3 GRADES

25. College Eligibility and Enrollment Students Attending 4-Year College a-g Course Completion +112 Students

26. Focus on the School Level: Whittier HS

27. Whittier HS API Growth

28. 20 min 20 min 20 min Tutoring Tutoring Tutoring Alternative Block Schedule:Not Allowing Students to Choose Failure 100minutes 100minutes 100minutes Period 1 or 2 Period 3 or 4 Period 5 or 6 BREAK LUNCH HOME

29. Process Steps1 • Listened • Rick Du Four’s Presentations for Teacher Leaders and Administrators • Read & Discussed • Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Improving Student Achievement • Whatever it Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond when Kids don’t Learn • Visited • Three Visits to Stevenson HS in Illinois

30. Process Steps2 • Learned • Gayle Karhanek Consulting • Districtwide Workshops • Consulting Days at each School Site • Applied • Pyramid of Interventions • 3 Meetings per Year • Peer Accountability in Reporting Progress

31. Next Steps • Continued Refinement of Common Grading Policies • Relentless Focus on Student Success • Ensuring Systematic Application of Prevention & Intervention Strategies Districtwide

32. www.wuhsd.k12.ca.us (562) 698-8121 ext. 1020 Sandy Thorstenson superintendent@wuhsd.k12.ca.us Dan Esquerra dan.esquerra@wuhsd.k12.ca.us

33. Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes Rigor Relevance Relationships Intensity Coherence Focus Whatever it Takes