Parkland Composite High school

1. Parkland Composite High school Grande yellowhead public school division #77 Edson, alberta

2. WHO are we High school grades 9-12 567 students Rural school – 80% of students are bussed 33 teachers, 17 EA/support staff FNMI Coach, LINKS Counsellors, FLEX Advisors

3. Where did we start? • We began our journey two years ago by offering a FLEX block where students could direct their own learning and receive the interventions that they required and connect with a significant adult in the building every day. • The journey began because of the results of an initial TTFM survey which outlined overwhelmingly that students did not feel that they had a significant adult in their high school and they wished for a time to receive the help that they required to be successful in their courses. • This is year “1” of our “official” High School Redesign journey.

4. Meaningful relationships was the initial focus • FLEX time was created Monday –Thursday for 30 minutes per day, between the first and second class periods in the morning. • Every student was assigned to a FLEX Advisor whom they had chosen from a list of characteristics provided by each Advisor. • FLEX Advisor lists are fluid and can be changed according to student need. • No new instruction takes place during this time.

5. Mastery learning came next and is our current focus • October 23rd 2013, A team of 5 teachers, 2 Assistant Principals, and the Principal went to Kansas City to attend a Pyramid Response to Intervention Conference. • Institute Day on October 25th was facilitated by the attending teachers to share their knowledge and discuss the affect it could have for student achievement. • Staff saw the need for a focus on essential outcomes and assessment. • We created new Department Facilitators to focus on “our students” instead of “our subjects”. • Weekly PLC’s have been revisiting the essential outcomes and are re-aligning common assessments.

6. Mastery learning Continued • This year we initiated FLEX DAYS. These are days which are entirely focused on cross-curricular, performance based projects. • Semester 1 had two full FLEX DAYS November 20th and November 21st.

7. Flex Days Initial Schedule

8. FLEX PROJECT DAYS

9. Staff, student, parent Reflection on Flex DaYS: • After reflection by staff and feedback from students and parents, FLEX DAYS were separated to March 19th and May 28th. • At the end of the year, we will reflect on the separation and determine if it will stay the same.

10. Mastery learning – Credit recovery • Began credit recovery: • One example: Students who just “passed” math were given interventions during FLEX blocks to address the concept gaps that they have in order to close the gap and assure success in their next math course. • Students who did not receive credit in a course, could work through the missing concepts, and demonstrate their new understanding in order to receive credit without redoing the entire course. • P.I.E. Parkland Independent Education – offers students an opportunity to complete a course for credit recovery OR work on a course which wouldn’t normally fit their timetable.

11. 7 High School Redesign Principals • We quickly realized that all of the Principles are interconnected and that even though we began with a focus on Meaningful Relationships and Mastery Learning we have and will continue to explore and address the other principles: • Rigorous and relevant curriculum • Personalization • Flexible Learning Environments • Educator Roles and Professional Development • Home and Community Involvement

12. Challenges • Embedded time for Professional Learning Teams: currently this occurs on Friday early dismissal days from 2:40 – 3:15 p.m. • Teachers truly releasing their traditional roles and sense of control - accepting that these are OUR STUDENTS and we need to facilitate what THEY NEED to achieve mastery and NOT following the traditional Carnegie unit. • Building timely and targeted interventions that are based on common assessments.