Outline For Today’s Discussion

Outline For Today’s Discussion • Identifying the K - 12 Goal for All Students • The Current Context of Our Work • The IB Possibilities IB as Standard-Setter, as Bridge, as Objective Evaluator • Identifying the IB Student • Bellevue’s Approach • Comprehensive, District-Wide • Beyond AP and IB • Results So Far • Next Steps

The Age of Universal College Education • In a new and exciting way, college attendance in the United States has grown so rapidly over the past four decades that now seventy-five percent of high school graduates get some postsecondary education within two years of receiving their diplomas. Student aspirations are even loftier, with nearly 90% saying they hope to attend college. • Possession of a college degree today means substantially what a high school diploma meant a hundred years ago. It is the passport to most careers, and without it, people can find themselves trapped in unrewarding jobs. • Universal readiness for and success in obtaining a college education of high quality are democratic values, moral imperatives, and economic necessities. • Greater Expectations, AACU

And The Bad News Is… • America’s high school students have higher educational aspirations than ever before. • Nevertheless, most K-12 and postsecondary education systems have not met teenagers’ heightened aspirations with sufficient and well-targeted resources to help all students prepare well for college. Despite their high aspirations, not enough students are well-prepared (as evidenced by high college remediation rates), and not enough complete college. Once they enroll in college, many students are startled to learn that getting into a college is often the easiest step. Completing a degree, or even enrolling in college-level courses, requires higher levels of academic preparation. In short, simply graduating from high school does not ensure that a student will be ready for college level. • Betraying The College Dream, The Stanford Bridge Project

More from Kirst: The Standards Movement • Right now the standards movement in K – 12 education and efforts to improve higher education are operating on different tracks. • Remediation rates in colleges have been estimated to be more than 60% at two-year colleges and 40% at four-year institutions nationally. • As a nation we are learning that the number of courses that high school students take and the units and names assigned to those courses are often inadequate proxies for whether or not high school graduates are prepared to succeed in college-level work.

IB: Standard-Setter, Bridge, Evaluator • The quality and level of coursework and instruction and their degree of alignment with postsecondary expectations are the key elements of effective reform • Ideally, exit standards from one education sector would equal the entrance and placement standards of next.

Who’s Right For IB? • “The continuum of IB programs is designed to prepare and motivate students to reach their potential and become active lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and global citizens. IB strongly encourages schools, districts, and practitioners in their efforts to offer all students the opportunity to succeed in a coherent K – 12 continuum of IB programs that is reflective of each school’s population.” • IBNA

Is “Opportunity” Enough • In all of the schools that we studied “freedom of choice” in course placement, a mechanism that educators used to create more heterogeneous or mixed “ability” classes, was popular but unsuccessful. Choice was popular among educators because it targeted the processes of ability grouping rather than the structures or cultures that support it. That is, it placed the onus of the reform on students to take high-track courses rather than on educators to dismantle track structures and address cultural norms – e.g., the conflation of race, class, and intelligence – that support ability grouping. • Susan Yonezawa, Amy Stuart Wells, and Irene Serna

Who’s Right For IB, Take Two • The research of Clifford Adelman should weigh heavily on those who prevent students from taking AP/IB courses. He found that students who took just one AP/IB class nearly doubled their chances of earning a college degree. • Who is most likely to reap long-term benefits from AP classes? • Those most likely to struggle in college, the very ones often relegated to second-class status in their high schools.

The Toolbox Revisited, 2006 • The academic intensity of a student’s high school curriculum counts more than anything else in precollegiate history in providing momentum toward completing a bachelor’s degree. • Just about everyone could accumulate this academic portfolio. • Unfortunately, not all high schools present adequate opportunity-to-learn, and some groups of students are excluded more than others.

College Prep Defined • Minimums • Four Units of English • Four Units of Math – Calculus, Precalculus, Trig • Biology, Chemistry, Physics • More Than Two Units of Social Studies • More Than Two Units of World Languages • More Than One AP/IB Course

What About the AP/IB Push? • Adelman: Finish 20 college credits in first year of college and you boost chances of earning a degree significantly. • “All the more reason to begin the transition process in high school with expanded dual enrollment programs offering true post secondary course work so students enter higher education with a minimum of six additive credits. Six is good, nine is better, twelve is a guarantee of momentum.”

Bellevue’s Approach: Mission • To give every student in Bellevue the kind of education traditionally reserved for America’s elite class. • To give every student in Bellevue a first rate, college preparatory education, one that will allow the student to graduate from college, not just be admitted to college.

Comprehensive, District-Wide Approach • Tightly Aligned K – 12 Curriculum that Leads All Students to Advanced Course Work • Staff Development and Support • Student Support

Curriculum: The Key To Student Success • What chiefly makes our schools unfair even for children who remain in the same school year after year, is that some students are learning less than others, not because of their innate lack of academic ability or their lack of willingness to learn, but because of the inherent shortcomings in curricular organization. • A systematic failure to teach all children the knowledge they need in order to understand what the next grade has to offer is the major source of avoidable injustice in our schools. Under these circumstances, the most important single task of an individual school is to ensure that all children within that school gain the prior knowledge they will need at the next grade level. Since our system currently leaves that supremely important task to the vagaries of individual classrooms, the result is a systemically imposed unfairness even for students who remain in the same school. • E.D. Hirsch

Thoughts on Curriculum • Because learning targets are ambiguous and inconsistent, American kids typically march from kindergarten through twelfth grade repeating content and skills more times than necessary and, at the same time, skipping large chunks of important things they should be learning. No wonder it is so unusual for all students to end their K-12 education at advanced levels. It is indeed impossible under these conditions.

What Is Curriculum? • A comprehensive curriculum includes units, lessons, materials – common goals and common experiences for all kids and teachers. • A comprehensive curriculum includes standard-defining assessments at all grade levels (K through 12) and in all disciplines.

More Thoughts on Curriculum Many people confuse “common” when used with “curriculum” to mean something narrow, rote, simplistic. The goal is for “common” and “highly intellectual” to be synonymous. • Clarity and specificity are essential in curriculum, but they are very elusive qualities. Clarity and specificity can be achieved by the “layers” of the curriculum: objectives, lesson plans, assessments, samples of student work. That is the work that lies ahead.

More Thoughts on Curriculum • Three Ways of Saying The Same Thing: • Curriculum adherence is a mandate, not an option. • Curriculum is what we teach, not a resource we refer to as needed. • Teacher creativity is to be fostered; but student learning, not teacher creativity, is the primary goal.

The Importance of Assessments Assessments are essential to a comprehensive curriculum. • Assessments measure students, teachers, curriculum, and assessments themselves. Without them, we cannot pinpoint what improvements need to be made. • Assessments are meant to inform. Information is meant to be used in the development of the program. If we fail to act when we know we are not performing up to standard, we not only miss an important opportunity, we belie the most important purpose of assessment.

More on Assessments • The careful study of student work – student performance – is one of the most powerful staff development tools at our disposal. Common assessments allow for the study of student work to become routine. • With the advent of better technology tools, data analysis becomes easier, more effective, and more useful in the improvement of curriculum and instruction. Assessment data – at the unit level and lesson level – will provide excellent information to inspire our work.

Staff Development: General Principles • Staff development is a priority and must be given the time, attention, and funding it requires to be effective. • Staff development should be connected to the teacher’s curriculum. It should be structured around grade levels, subject areas, even units and lessons. Close examination of student work is especially powerful. • Knowledge of the subject and discipline is extremely important, especially when the curriculum aims for concept attainment. Professional development should enhance content knowledge and pedagogical skill.

Staff Development: General Principles • Because the knowledge and skills of teachers are variable, professional development opportunities should be varied and flexible. • Participation in professional development should be optional. Effective teaching is mandatory. • Professional development should be on-going and follow a pattern of • learning – experimenting/practicing – • learning more – refining practice.

Staff Development: General Principles • To the extent possible, professional development should be “on demand” – that is, provided when the teacher needs it, when the teacher is ready to learn, and when the conditions are right for supporting learning. • While there are many options and many players, the end result should be coordinated, meaningful, practical, individualized, results-oriented professional growth for every staff member. • The teacher’s evaluator should be the primary evaluator of the effectiveness of the teacher’s professional development.

Student Support • From a student’s perspective…. • I’m surrounded by adults who care about me and want me to succeed. • Everyone thinks I’m smart. • The things we learn are interesting and – or – important. • The things we learn connect up and across, they make sense.

What Is it Going To Take? • From a student’s perspective … • The work is hard, but it comes in steps and I get the support I need to do it. • I know the expectations – for what we’re supposed to learn, how much we’re supposed to work, how we’re supposed to treat other people – and they seem to be the same everywhere in school. • When it’s time for change, people help us get ready. There are not many surprises.

What Do Students Say? Sixth Graders Ninth Graders Well Prepared Less Prepared Well Prepared Less Prepared Reading 78% 23% Writing 70% 30% English 58% 42% Math 72% 28% 68% 32% Science 62% 38% 58% 42% Total 70% 30% 62% 38%

Student Support In Bellevue • A common goal for all students – top notch preparation for college – and a clearly defined curriculum create the conditions for a targeted and effective student support system. • A complete support system provides personal as well as academic assistance to students. • Let’s begin with academic support.

Successful Academic Support • Academic support system is effective only to the extent that it enables students to master the curriculum. • In addition to helping students learn the content and skills in the curriculum, the academic support system must help students keep pace in the advanced track so they are fully ready for college at Grade Thirteen. • Students typically predicted not to become college graduates – the ones most likely to need extra support – are the very ones who will benefit the most from being free from pre-college classes on their entry to college.

Successful Academic Support The earlier the better. Assessments administered as early as kindergarten help us identify students who need help. More time to learn works. We provide more time before and after school, during the school day in support classes, in the evenings, and in the summer. Alignment among services is key. Connecting Title I, ESL, and Special Ed services and the district curriculum and what is happening in the mainstream classroom provides a more coordinated program for students and greater staff development opportunities for all teachers.

Successful Academic Support Creativity goes a long way. We have seen a plethora of school-based, teacher-based efforts that work: Teaching Ahead, The “Incognito” Advanced Class, Practice-at-Home via SmartBoard Movies, and so on. Technology is having an impact, especially in special education and ESL. Volunteers can be life-savers. Knowledgeable, caring adults provide students with academic gains and personal connections.

Successful Personal Support Personal support systems ensure all students are aware of their educational and career options, know how to “work the system” to get to their goals, and have access to whatever “wrap around” services they need to overcome obstacles. All students receive high quality college counseling. All students receive personal counseling when needed. Effective parent programs are in place so that parents are well informed and can support their children when it comes time to explore opportunities, solve problems, and make important decisions.

Successful Personal Support Services are provided from the outset and with consistency, all throughout a student’s time in our schools. Services are delivered, not just made available, so that all students and families benefit from them.

Student Support “Curriculum” • We are developing a district-wide support services “curriculum,” a roadmap for providing both academic and personal support for students. • Our aim is to … • Make better use of what we already know • Learn all there is to learn from others • Use this knowledge to implement effective, consistent, coordinated programs • Analyze effectiveness of our programs • Improve performance in an ongoing cycle.

A District-Wide Support “Curriculum” Matches Student Needs With Support Systems Which Have Proven To Be Successful. The Approach Will Allow Us To Use The Best We Know In A More Effective and Efficient Service To Kids Some Students Need Very Intensive Assistance Some Students Need To Be Enrolled in Special Programs: ESL, IEP, AVID Some Students Need More Assistance and Monitoring – Regular Attendance at Tutorials, Progress Reports Frequent Parent Meetings… Thanks to Good Teachers, Good Curriculum, Good Instructional Leadership, And Modest Amounts Of Routine Support, The Vast Majority of Our Students Do Well in Mainstream Programs

The Partnership • Achieve, Represented by Matt Gandal, Executive Vice President • Bellevue Education Association, Represented by Stephen Miller, President • Bellevue Community College, Represented by Jean Floten, President, and Ron Leatherbarrow, Executive Dean of Instruction • The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Represented by Tom Vander Ark, Executive Director for Education • The College Board, Represented by Peter Negroni, Senior Vice President for K-12 Programs • The National Research Center for Trends in International Math and Science Studies (TIMSS), Represented by William Schmidt, Director • Partnership for Learning, Represented by Monica Ferris and Molly O’Connor • Pathways to College Network, Represented by Sharon Camblin, Senior Consultant • Standards for Success, Represented by David Conley, Director • The University of Washington, Represented by Pat Wasley, Dean of the College of Education, and Philip Ballinger, Dean of Admission

What Is The Partnership? • A group of educators who acknowledge the absence of alignment at both the K-12 and K-16 levels, who recognize the negative impact on students this absence creates, and who are committed to solving this problem. • We aim to create a tightly aligned K – 16 program to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of every child’s time in school and thus enable every student to be successful in college.

The Work of the Partnership • To study the best international, national, state, and local standards for academic achievement. • To align these standards into a single set for each discipline. • To use these aligned standards to design curriculum. • To implement that curriculum and in the process learn what it will take to enable all students to be successful.

Benefits of the Partnership • Increased understanding about … • International, national, state, and local standards for learning • Expectations of college professors • Skills and habits of mind students need to succeed in college • Ways to reach and support first generation college-goers • Means for improving curriculum • Bellevue’s strengths and weaknesses

Summary: We Can… • Adopt as our common K– 12 mission college preparation for all students. • Align our programs with the expectations and requirements of higher education. • Make a college prep curriculum – AP and IB – the standard program for all students. • Provide staff development that enables teachers to teach that curriculum. • Provide support for students than enables them to succeed in that curriculum.

Another Thing We Can Do Change the Metrics • Percent Completing College Prep Program • Use unit and course tests to measure progress • Percent Completing AP/IB Courses • Use AP exam scores over time to measure progress • Percent Earning College Credit In High School • Percent Admitted to College • Percent Avoiding Remedial College Courses • Percent Remaining in College

African Americans 3% Asians 24% Hispanics 8% Multi-Ethnics 8% Whites 58% F/R Lunch 20% 2nd Language 25% ESL 10% IEP 10% College Plans 4-Year Schools 66% 2-Year Schools 23% Tech Schools 4% Military 2% Work 4% Bellevue’s Demographics

Kindergarten 35% First Grade 12% Second Grade 5% Third Grade 5% Fourth Grade 5% Fifth Grade 4% Sixth Grade 6% Seventh Grade 4% Eighth Grade 7% Ninth Grade 7% Tenth Grade 4% Eleventh Grade 5% Twelfth Grade 2% Bellevue Class of 2005 They Entered Bellevue Schools In… 17% 66% 18%

Academic Credits • Average Credits Per Graduate 28.7 • Percent of Class Who Earned Credits in Middle School 38% • Average Credits Earned by These Students 2.05 • World Language Credits 303 • Math Credits 271 • Science Credits 13 • English Credits 14 • Social Studies Credits 14

Academic Credits • 2005 2004 • English 98% 98% Completed Four Years • 4.49 4.48 Average Credits Earned (Speech) • 46% 42% Completed AP/IB English • Social Studies 88% 48% Completed Four Years • 4.73 3.86 Average Credits Earned • 62% 62% Completed AP/IB Social Studies • Mathematics 86% 66% Completed Four Years • 4.68 4.11 Average Credits Completed • 30% 22% Completed Pre-Calculus, No AP/IB • 50% 52% Completed AP/IB Mathematics • 80% 74% Completed “Advanced” Mathematics

Academic Credits • 2005 2004 • Science 73% 44% Completed Four Years • 93% 78% Completed Three Years • 4.37 3.47 Average Credits Earned • 97% 90% Completed Biology • 71% 64% Completed Chemistry • 69% 65% Completed Physics • 56% 50% Completed Biology, Chemistry, Physics • 44% 39% Completed AP/IB Science • 62% Completed AP/IB OR 3 Sciences

Academic Credits • 2005 2004 • World Lang 94% 91% Completed At Least One Year • 3.14 2.93 Average Credits For These Students • 14% 12% Completed AP/IB World Language • Music 52% 49% Completed At Least One Year • 2.64 2.43 Average Credits For These Students • 2% 1% Completed AP/IB Music • Visual Arts 77% 77% Completed At Least One Year • 1.38 1.42 Average Credits For These Students • 6% 6% Completed AP/IB Art

Academic Credits • 2005 2004 • Physical Educ 100% 100% Completed At Least Two Years • 3.16 2.66 Average Credits For These Students • Career-Tech 100% 99% Completed At Least One Year • 2.74 2.48 Average Credit For These Students • 215 Students Earned 1,597 Tech Prep Credits • From Five Community Colleges, 1,301 • Credits From BCC

Advanced Academic Levels • One or More AP/IB Courses 84% • 0.5 to 1.9 17% • 2.0 to 2.9 13% • 3.0 to 3.9 9% • 4.0 to 5.9 19% • 4.0 or More 44% • 6.0 or More 25% • 10.0 or More 7% • Four in the Core 20%

Advanced Academics For All Students • All Students 84% • African Americans 65% • Asians 91% • Hispanics 72% • Multi-Ethnics 73% • Whites 83% • F/L Recipients 68% • ESL Students 82% • IEP Students 45%

Graduation and Dropout Rates • Class of 2005 • Percent of Students Who Graduated On Time 90% • Percent of Students Still Enrolled 1% • Percent of Students Who Dropped Out 6% • Percent of Students Who Left – Status Unknown 3%

Outline For Today’s Discussion