High Schools That Work Technical Review Visit Exit Report

1. High Schools That WorkTechnical Review VisitExit Report Rutland High School October 23-24, 2008 Steve Weisman, SREB School Improvement Consultant

2. HSTW Technical Review Visit • “Snapshot” as seen by those external to your school. The team: • Interviewed students, teachers, administrators, counselors and superintendent • Observed classrooms • Reviewed data and plans • Heard presentations by principals of progress made over the past three years • Review of school and classroom practices • Review latest data • Use as a tool to further school improvement work over the next 3-5 years.

3. Thank You • Team members • Principal, superintendent, teacher focus teams and office staff • Rutland High School staff and students

4. Components of the HSTW TRV Report • Outstanding Practices • Next Steps • Additional Action Steps to Further Address Challenges • However, the TRV powerpoint will contain only the next steps and action steps to address challenges

5. High expectations Program of study Career/technical studies Academic studies Work-based learning Teachers working together Students actively engaged Guidance Extra help Culture of continuous improvement 10 Key Practices

6. High Expectations Extra Help Engaging Students Career and Technical Studies Teachers Working Together Program Of Study Work-based Learning Guidance Academic Studies Long term approach to deeply implementing key practices

7. Implementing Ideal HSTWFramework • Structural Changes (HSTW core, getting students ready for post-secondary, raising expectations, rigor, common grading, level of rigor) • Instructional Changes (Literacy, numeracy, research-based instruction, real world, effort-based, student-focused) • Support Changes 9th & 12th transition, extra help, A/A, comprehensive PD, support to revise curriculum • Leadership Changes Teachers/Administration work as team, school-wide culture of high expectations, strengthen relationships, use DATA

8. Readiness for School Improvement Case in point: 17% (‘06) and 38% (‘08) of RHS teachers say that district goals and priorities are clear… So,...how can we market the district to others if these statements are true… Priority One: Get foundations in place, including a functional mission statement, core beliefs and targeted goals. Current status: How does-Learning today for tomorrow’s world-guide education at RHS? Does it guide every day school and classroom practices? What does it say about getting every student prepared for success after high school?

9. Readiness for School Improvement Foundation: Beliefs…Do they… • include what the learning culture is at RHS? • reflect the way in which students and adults relate to each other? • reflect what daily practices are-classes, instruction, sorting, support? • reflect what RHS does not what RHS says it does?

10. Readiness for School Improvement HSTW Core Beliefs… • Almost all students can and will make the effort to learn grade level and course standards if adults in the school create the right conditions • All students should be enrolled in a program of study that will prepare them for further study and a career • Students who have a goal and see meaning and purpose in learning are more motivated to learn grade level and course standards • Students learn best when they have a personal connection to the school • Students learn best when teachers maintain a demanding and supportive environment that pushes students to do their best • All faculty should be involved in continuously improving teaching and learning

11. Readiness for School Improvement HSTW Measurable Goals… • Students have academic knowledge and skills needed to meet local, state and HSTW achievement goals. • Eight-five (85) percent of graduates complete HSTW recommended core curriculum and a concentration of four courses in an academic or career area. • Ninety (90) percent of students who enter ninth grade complete high school four years later. • All students leave high school showing readiness for further study or careers by: 1) earning post-secondary credit; 2) passing college placement examinations; or 3) earning employer certification or state licensure.

12. Readiness for School Improvement Recommended actions/steps: • Convene entire faculty to discuss the information on previous slides • Develop consensus with stakeholders in adopting HSTW core beliefs and use them to guide school and classroom practices • Use the data to involve all staff in continuous improvement • This then becomes what Rutland School District markets to the general public.

13. Readiness for School Improvement Once all of this is in place, then these beliefs and goals drive the conversations that occur between adults and the adults and students…they actually become the true educational pulse at RHS. This then becomes the common language for all stakeholders – especially as RHS markets itself to others outside the community!

14. Overriding Challenge: To advance the academic achievement level of all students to the proficient level or above with the goal of closing existing gaps. • Because the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college are the same as those needed to advance to a living wage job in the workplace, all students must be taught to the same high academic standards. All students need to be able to think creatively, make decisions, solve problems, visualize and reason.

15. Challenge 1: Increase to 85 percent the number of students completing recommended HSTW course of study, including an academic or career concentration and provide a system of extra help. Progress to date: • RHS has followed the state of South Dakota’s years of English, three years of mathematics (Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry), three years of science (three units of lab science including Biology, Biology II, Chemistry or Physics), three years of social studies. • 3 Regent Diploma students last three years. • Elementary Distinguished site 2005 and 2006-middle school in 2005. • Math teacher tutors period 4. Study halls.

16. Actions to Consider for Challenge 1 • Look at the upgraded academic core and areas of achievement: English Mathematics Science • Look at the HSTW data and surveys

17. Actions to consider for Challenge 1-extra help • Strengthen the extra help options by making them mandatory for students performing below a C level. • Identify students in need of help (below C level) in the first 2-3 weeks of the quarter. Also allow student identification through teacher referral, self referral and parent referral. Make certain that the extra help framework is consistent. • Look at the schedule – how can time be utilized for required extra help – study hall time, etc.

18. Challenge 2: Raise expectations to help students reach proficiency levels on state/national assessments. Progress to Date: • Meeting AYP • Dakota STEP trends important – even if not enough to make a “group” – this becomes more of an issue as more students open enroll to RHS • Subgroups do exist in grades 3-5. Make sure that they continue to show growth. • Overall, ACT results show up and down-but improvement the past three years • Staff looking at standards-gaps, etc. • Discussions held - Senior Experience.

19. Action 1 for Challenge 2: Look at the data • Begin by analyzing the HSTW assessments-both student and teacher surveys-to help determine successes, gaps and deficiencies. This will be a mirror of what RHS is all about. • Analyze data from Dakota STEP assessment and ACT( same as above). Utilize the expertise of the ESA 1 School Improvement Specialist. Cross reference standards on Dakota STEP to see which are successful and which are not. Look for the reasons for spikes and dips.

20. Action 2 for Challenge 2: Review curriculum to infuse more rigor • Continue to revisit the curriculum mapping and review all courses and make sure that they align with district and state standards & benchmarks. The goal is to ensure that the levels of teaching and learning build on each other and that there will not be gaps within the curricular area. Have each academic department conduct an instructional review of the levels of assignments and assessments they are giving to students. • Review assessment scores and how students perform on specific items to address the question, “What evidence do we have that our students are meeting the standards?” If students have not met standards, identify and plan intervention strategies to get more students to meet the standards.

21. Action 2 for Challenge 2 con’t. • Have teachers bring examples of student work to monthly meetings for examination against standards and determine what is A or B work. • Use the senior year as the time to prepare students for postsecondary. • Senior Experience can be the cap stone project.

22. Action 2 for Challenge 2 con’t. • Look to develop a senior mathematics course to prepare seniors for post-secondary. • Analyze the follow-up studies on seniors who enroll in post-secondary studies to determine how many of them needed to take remedial classes.

23. Action 3 for Challenge 2: Literacy • Develop a school-wide Literacy Across the Curriculum program. • Build on Writing to Win • Rutland Reads • Must address technical literacy – reading and writing - in all disciplines.

24. Action 3 for Challenge 2: Literacy Across the Curriculum • Read equivalent of 25 books per year across the curriculum (use current requirements) • Write weekly in all classes (Writing to Win) • Use reading and writing strategies to enhance learning in all classes • Write research papers in all classes (adapt to curricular areas) • Complete a rigorous language arts curriculum taught like honors English.

25. Challenge 3: Make student-centered/effort-based learning the focus of the school. Progress to date: • Some good examples of bell ringers. • Some objectives and/or essential question for the day listed on the board. • Some good examples of transitioning from one activity to another-one class transitioned 3 activities in a 15-minute span • Teachers and students have unbelievable technology. • Staff has received training in multiple instructional/learning strategies. • Active engagement may lead to noise, but it enhances learning.

26. Action 1 for Challenge 3: implement new strategies to actively engage students • Reach all students and tap into effort – Tapping Student Effort by Stephen G. Barkley – it’s more than classroom management! • Take work past the basic level-get students to apply and analyze information. • Work on questions to take work into “why” level. • Post objectives, agenda and essential questions in every classroom. • Teach bell to bell, use bell-ringer and closure.

27. Action 2 for Challenge 3: Discuss ways in which to improve student achievement • Focus staff meetings on raising level of challenge in assignments/assessments. • Work toward more consistent engagement of students in classroom strategies. • Be Real…relate learning to real world situations with which students can identify.

28. Challenge 4: Expand the system of guidance. Progress to date: • Principal/Counselor • One key person provides consistent leadership • Career pathways established. • Career exploration at eighth grade level (World of Work-one day per week).

29. Action 1 to Consider for Challenge 4: How can staff facilitate career guidance-including Career Cruising Difficult for one person to address “personal” counseling needs, plus career planning Case in Point…13% of teachers say school assigns a caring adult mentor to each entering 9th grader…13% say they assist parents and children in developing a plan of high school study and beyond. So,…Consider a 7-12 Adviser-Advisee program with curriculum for each class.

30. Action 2 to Consider for Challenge 4:Con’t. • Utilize laptops to implement and utilize strengths of Career Cruising. • Use A/A to provide the push for those students performing below standard • Open communication between adviser, student and parent–careers and grades • As more students open enroll, this brings outside cultures into the culture of RHS. An advisory can help students adjust and more easily adjust to culture changes • Look at schedule and determine how this can be done without a total disruption to the school day.

31. Challenge 5: Upgraded Career/Technical Progress to Date: • State certified programs • Eighth grade students have career exploration class. • Senior students said they liked the project hands-on of CT classes. • Rambler Stop – source of pride for students and community. • Students volunteered countless hours to work on construction of shop • 57 students in CTE classes.

32. Action 1 for Challenge 5: Upgrade Career Technical • Look to HSTW Assessment and surveys and look at suggestions • Look at aligning all courses to standard • Expand on the technical literacy-oral, reading, writing.

33. Action 2 for Challenge 5: Upgrade Career Technical • Revisit articulation opportunities – dual credit • Expand work-based learning opportunities.

34. TRV Team Appreciation The HSTW Technical Review Team wishes to thank you for your hospitality, cooperation, and helpfulness during the site visit. THANK YOU! Steve Weisman, Team Leader Mark Rockafellow, Co-leader stweis@mchsi.com (712)337-4395/(712)330-4008