High School Review

1. High School Review 2013-2014

2. Welcome and Introductions • Thank you for coming. • High School Review Initiative • Meeting the last Wednesday of every month at 2:35 in this room. • Introductions

3. High School Review • Present organization of HHS was last reviewed over 15 years ago. • Adjustments and additions are made on a continual basis but we wanted to take a broader look • The goal is not major change (like a completely new master schedule, but continuous improvements on various systems

4. Breaking Ranks • Establish Essential Learning • Increase and improve student faculty interactions • Create Advisory Program • Teachers should use differentiated instruction • Implement flexible schedules for students and teachers • Allow for inclusive leadership • Align school-wide professional development with personal learning plans of staff

5. Main Committees • An Overarching main group split into four subgroups. • The Schedule • Activities and Athletics • Technology and Communications • Supportive Systems

6. The Schedule • Present Schedule • Going through scheduling process right now • All materials can be viewed on website • Process for creating new courses is generally directed by faculty and staff • Block Scheduling • Serves to keep number of students per teacher down • Helps encourage active learning • Allows students great flexibility for acceleration, variety, remediation, etc.

7. The Schedule • How do Keystone classes and Keystone requirements impact our students? • Is the master schedule serving all students in a positive fashion? • Should there be recommended continuums for elective based courses? • Are there additional courses which should be offered? (Mandarin Chinese, Computer Science)

8. Activities and Athletics • There are over 70 activities offered and all PIAA sports at the high school. • Students can participate in many diverse activities and events. • The activities are all suggested through student desire. • Participation in multiple activities does result in conflicts occasionally but the teachers and students generally work out the conflicts.

9. Activities and Athletics • Are the present offerings appropriate or are any changes necessary? • Every year new clubs may or may not be proposed and the process for proposing clubs is fairly straightforward. When a student wants a new club they need to simply justify that there is an interest at the high school.  There are always student clubs that are proposed by students and with enough student interest they are added.

10. Technology/Communications • We have identified our primary technology resources and placed them in the packet. • We presently use many tools to keep students and parents informed about upcoming events as well as grades and progress. • PowerSchool, SchoolWires, School Messenger, Naviance • Canvas, OSCAR, Performance Plus

11. Technology/Communications • What are the technology needs of the presentstudents and staff? • Is additional professional development needed? • Are we doing enough to foster appropriate digital citizenship as we move forward with technology? • We are utilizing many different systems for helping with instruction and helping with communication. Is any one system working best and do changes need to be considered?

12. Supportive Systems • We have many supportive services in place: • Heart • Counselors • Advisory • Special Education Programming • Medical Services • Do these systems need improvement and/or is additional programming necessary?

13. Supportive Systems • We have to look at our students who are struggling students.  What programs need to be implemented to help support them?   • Presently we have a mixed approach to supporting students in all subjects.  Should there be a more comprehensive approach to supporting students or is the present model appropriate?

14. Thank you