Rockledge High School: Turnaround Story

1. Rockledge High School: Turnaround Story Council of Chief State School Officers National Conference on Student Assessment June 28, 2017 Ms. Terri Kulaga, AP Curriculum, Rockledge High School (A Cambridge High School) Kulaga.terri@brevardschools.org

2. Rockledge Background Built in 1954 16 high schools in county 11thCambridge school in the nation(2004) Strong support from Florida legislature We provide support to schools considering Cambridge We provide Best Practices training to coordinators and administrators

3. 21st Century Education

4. We Are RockledgeDemographics Rockledge Demographics Population1450 • 52.25% White • 28.45% African American • 9.23% Hispanic • 7.80% Multiracial • 1.71% Asian • 0.56% Pacific Islander • 48.38% Male • 51.61% Female • 48.00%Free and Reduced Lunch

5. Need for Change Rockledge Background • School grades • Drastic loss of population in 2005 to a new neighboring school from 1900 to 1170 students • Brain drain to neighboring schools • Students were not college and career ready • Less than 35% of students attending college/university • Weak Advanced placement program • Students were not accessing dual enrollment opportunities

6. Research Conducted Research into Programs International Baccalaureate- IB versus Advanced Placement- AP versus Cambridge AICE* • Academy based schools • Advancing Via Individual Determination – AVID • Increase dual enrollment programs * Advanced International Certificate of Education

7. Comparison of Cambridge, AP and IB Research into Programs

8. Why Cambridge? Student/Parent Perspective Why Cambridge • Internationally recognized curriculum and assessments • No gates except grade 9 - we consider ourselves inclusive rather than exclusive • Flexible - Open access/ multiple entry points for learners • Critical thinking is evident and utilized through every Cambridge class including Global Perspectives

9. Why Cambridge? Educator Perspective Why Cambridge • Aligned to state and college readiness standards • Resources (professional development) • Data from other schools offering the program • Ease of implementation • Online introductory Self study courses • Face to Face Training led by Cambridge  Teachers / Examiners • Phase 1 - introductory • Phase 2 - extension • Best Practices Workshops led by experienced  US Teachers • Webinars – videos

10. First Stages of Implementation Implementation of Cambridge • Visited other schools • Sought community and district support (initially district did not want to adopt Cambridge) • Selected 35 students to begin 9th grade to begin the IGCSE curriculum ( 600 students today) • Attended face to face and online training • Created PLC’s for teachers teaching the courses • Second year dropped all Advanced Placement courses and adopted AS and A level course for upper classmen

11. Results with Adoption of Cambridge Results using Cambridge • Named a Turn Around School in 2007 • Students are gaining acceptance at top tier universities • Student population has increased by 400 students (23%) • Students attending post secondary schools has increased from 35% to over 75% • Ranked in the top 2000 high schools by various national organizations • Florida accountability school grade is consistently and A or B from 2007

12. Rockledge High School Implemented the Cambridge Program and Found Substantial Success Results using Cambridge Grades - Post AICE Program at RHS Grades - Pre AICE Program at RHS

13. Florida’s Articulation Benefits Our Students Results using Cambridge Earning the Cambridge AICE Diploma is directly tied to Florida’s State Scholarship regardless of GPA and SAT/ACT scores. Automatically qualifies for the highest level with completed community for service hours

14. Cambridge AICE Comparisons to otherAdvanced Programs Results using Cambridge Brief Description: Study compares the effects of AICE participation to AP, IB, and matched students who did not earn credit through an advanced program on freshman year GPA. Sample Size and Characteristics: Sample included more than 8,500 students who entered FSU during the academic years of 2007-10. Key Finding: Cambridge AICE students earn higher freshman year GPA compared to AP and IB students, and all three groups earned higher freshman year GPA compared to matched students who did not earn credit through an advanced program. Source: Shaw, S. & Bailey, C. (2011). Success in the US: Are Cambridge International Assessments Good Preparation for University Study? Journal of College Admission, (Fall 2011), 6-16. Key Finding: Cambridge Advanced students (2014) earned higher freshman year GPA compared to AP and IB students, and all three groups earned higher freshman year GPA compared to matched students who did not earn credit through an advanced program.

15. Florida Core compared to Cambridge AICE Standards Results using Cambridge The Cambridge AICE and Florida Core standards set expectations for student achievement at each grade level Cambridge AICE and Florida Core share a common aim: student readiness for further study and work. Both programs value critical analysis and the individual’s capability for evaluating and synthesizing different sets of information, drawn from a variety of sources and presented in diverse forms.

16. 21st Century Education and Cambridge