Iredell-Statesville Schools: The Vision for High School Reform

1. Iredell-Statesville Schools: The Vision for High School Reform Presented by Dr. Bryan Setser @ Personnel and Curriculum Committee Meeting October 2, 2006

2. Why High School Reform? There are results that matter for high school graduates in the 21st Century and those results are different from and go beyond traditional metrics and “traditional notions” of high schools Improving high schools requires the nation to redefine rigor to encompass not just mastery of core academic subjects, but also mastery of 21st century skills and content The results that matter – 21st century skills integrated with core academic subjects – should be the “design specs” for creating high schools that are truly effective for students and the nation Source: NC State Board of Education 2006

3. The Challenges The nature of education is changing internationally The nature of the competition is changing internationally The nature of the workforce, jobs and skill demands is changing internationally

4. Regarding Competitive Advantage If you look at India, China, and Russia… even if you discount 90 percent of the people there as uneducated farmers…you still end up with about 300 million people who are educated. That’s bigger than the U.S. work force.” The World Is Flat - A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century (Friedman)

5. Start Working End Working Longevity

6. Facing the Facts Nearly 40 percent of high school graduates feel inadequately prepared for college or the workforce (American Diploma Project Data 2005). About 1/3 of students do not graduate after four years of high school (ETS, 2005). 2005 Math PISA world exam, US ranked 24th out of 29th of countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 48% of US patents granted in 2004 were to citizens of other countries More college graduates in India speak English than the US has college graduates (Dagget, 2005). The 21st century skill of writing is assessed by 80% of the fastest growing US industries. However, more than 75% of US graduates are not proficient in writing (NAEP, 2003). Fewer than 1 in 10 adults believe students are significantly challenged in high school (Ready for the World Report on High School Reform, ETS, 2005).

7. So What? What specifically is I-SS doing to address redesign of High Schools in order to improve global, national, state, and local gaps?

9. Two Big Ideas Underway Small Learning Communities – Freshman Academy Graduation Project

10. WHY CHANGE? In NC, 4 out of 10 freshmen are not graduating in 4 years

11. WHY CHANGE? Transitional Research found that students moving from 8th grade to 9th had a statistically significant drop in the following areas of self perception: Physical Appearance Job Competence Behavioral Conduct Self-Worth  (Hertzog, 2002)

12. WHY CHANGE? 9th Grade Discipline at WIHS Over 66% of ALL office referrals were Freshmen 03-04 In 04-05, total disciplinary issues: 1926, Freshman: 944 49% In 05-06, total disciplinary issues: school 1664, Freshman: 581 - 38% National research shows that among high school students, 9th graders have the lowest grade point average and the greatest number of discipline referrals.”  (Walsh, 2002) 

13. Algebra IPercentage of Freshmen Proficient

14. English 1Percentage of Freshmen Proficient

16. What is the Freshman Academy? All 9th graders are in the academy Utilize team teaching concepts Students are assigned to a team of 5 core academic teachers. (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Leadership Studies) Approximately 75 students per team Focused curriculum (leadership classes, careers, clubs, go program, pep, silent reading, etc.) Teacher advisor period Smaller class sizes A community project that leads to the upper academy concept as well as the Graduation/Senior Project initiative

17. The Senior/ Graduation Project The Senior Project Process is a strong, effective bridge that connects education to the world beyond high school. “One of the tenets of the Senior Project is that graduation honors and validates not only what an exit student knows, but also what he or she can do. The program’s policies and procedures mirror not only the expectations of high standards, but also the direct application. Graduates in today’s world deserve no less.” -Carleen Osher, SPI

18. Table Time in Decades

19. Fist to Five Fist = not satisfied Three = satisfied Five = very satisfied How satisfied are you with the education and skills our seniors have obtained upon graduation that will ensure their success in the 21st Century workforce?

20. The Workforce… THEN Obedience Conformity Listening Repetition Efficiency-Quantity Family Owned Company 8 hour workday Localized workforce Predominately white male managers Centralized management NOW Initiative Creativity Variety of communication skills Activism Efficiency-Quality Corporate Owned Companies Flexible scheduling Global workforce Multi-ethnic and gender managers Decentralized management

21. In a survey of 20,000 CEO’s, the following were their top ten picks of the most important qualities of effective, productive employees 10. Creative (15%) 9. Initiative (16%) 8. Humor (16%) 7. Self-motivated (22%) 6. Intelligent (26%) 5. Hard working (27%) 4. Curious (35%) 3. Honest (36%) 2. Team oriented (38%) 1. ETHICAL (49%)

22. Senior Project Steps at a Glance 1st year implementation – take baby steps Site based decisions on the level of intensity Good programs evolve over time with skill, vision and energy 2nd & 3rd year implementation – live and learn Required for graduation Senior paper Senior project Senior portfolio Senior presentation 4th year and beyond – polished and ready NCDPI mandated for high school graduation Senior Project Skills class added Each 9th – 12th grade homeroom is a stepping stone

23. Snapshots of Previous Senior Papers and Projects DNA and birth defects ~ worked in Stanford DNA lab Learning sign language ~ directed and produces a play performed by 15 hearing impaired children Robotics relationship ~ build a robotic hand to prosthetics Musical arranging ~ wrote original song & orchestration for a 26 piece orchestra Racism in education ~ lived with a minority family for 2 weeks

24. Roadblocks and Resistance “Why are you requiring my child to do this?” - Joe Parent “Why are you adding one more thing to our already overflowing plate?” - Terrific Teacher “Why do we have to do this in our senior year? Our senior year is supposed to be a breeze.” - Crabby Student

25. Reasons & Rationales Rigor No more “senioritis”! The challenge of the learning stretch School to work; school to college Relevance Read, Write, Think, Speak, Do Relationships Community mentors, professional contacts, real world experience

26. I-SS Deployment of The Big Ideas HS Website http://www.iss.k12.nc.us/curriculum/high/index.htm HS Task Force HS Task Force deployment plans (systemic and school based) Correlation to School Improvement Plans Registration recommendation to the BOE in December 2006 provides system focus on redesign via registration PDSA

27. Redesign and Reform Quotes The American High School is obsolete. -Bill Gates (2004) We should not design one more high school year or physical building until we’ve agreed on the knowledge, skills, and attributes that matter today and for tomorrow. -Partnership for 21st Century Schools

28. Final Thoughts High School Principals meetings are about best practices for PLCs related to reform and redesign The task force subcommittees are about involvement, engagement, and listening to your customers The district and the Board of Education help move us forward by providing a venue for the entire BOE to hear the vision on October 9, 2006 and holding the HS reform division accountable for the results The task is a large one but one that must be accomplished to meet the Iredell-Statesville School mission of rigorously challenging our students to achieve their academic potential and to lead productive and rewarding lives. Together, we can achieve this mission with the support of parents, staff, and the community.