On the Right Track Presentation

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On the Right Track Presentation
Red Bluff

• Vista Middle School
• September 29, 2008

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Who we are
400 students 66 White 26 Hispanic 8 other
Red Bluff High School
Qualifying Sub-groups White Hispanic ELL SED
Majority of the 23 person teaching staff have
been at the site for 12 or more years
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Where we were

• 6 consecutive years of underperformance
• 1st school in the county identified as PI
• Corrective Action Plan in place
• Leadership Team put in place under new district
  administration
• Year 4 Program Improvement

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Where We Were
First school in the county identified for
Program Improvement
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Where We Were
Unidentified And Underserved Subgroups
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What the data doesnt show

• Curriculum adoptions missing or not being
  implemented
• School climate of chaos, fighting, gang presence,
  lack of expectations or support from the site
  administration
• Instructional minutes not aligned
• Leadership team and Corrective Action Plan put in
  place under new district administration
• Staff unrest, but a family at heart
• Corrective Action Plan new administrationopport
  unity

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What We Decided to Do

• Climate first, then curriculum
• New administrative Team
• Complete school examination, top to bottom
• Brought out the skeletons from the closet (not
  judging, but as facts)
• Believe in people and work together (Never
  considered cleaning house)
• Clear expectations for student behavior and dress
• Collaboration professional development
• Leadership Team modeled openness and
  collaboration, paving the way for a climate of
  school-wide reform.
• Themes and publicity (newspaper articles
  Welcome to Vista video)

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Addressing Curriculum

• Curriculum
• Master Schedule (put into compliance with
  Corrective Action Plan)
• Assessment and Pacing in place
• Pacing by month (All content areas)
• Benchmark Assessments at the trimester
• (All content Areas)
• REACH intervention implemented
• Language Arts minutes flexed based upon need

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Addressing Curriculum

• Language Arts
• Proficient and Advanced students have 2 periods
• Basic students have 3 periods
• Below Basic and Far Below Basic have 4 periods

• Math
• All 7th graders take Pre-Algebra for 2 periods
• All 8th graders take Algebra (SDC takes Algebra
  Readiness)
• SPED get additional support 1 period

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Addressing Curriculum

• Began looking to data for information and answers
• Data conferences - pre-CST language arts data
  conference!!
• Began implementing levels of intervention (RtI)
• School-wide attention to academic vocabulary 12
  Powerful Words
• School-wide attention to ELL strategies
  (CITW4ELLs)
• Technology aimed at underperforming subgroups
  Interactive Whiteboards (ELLs and SPED)
• Technology infused Professional Development
  (PD360)
• Marvelous Monday VAPA infusion

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The new climate

• Campus behavior improved (Time-out room usage
  reduced)
• Expectations are high for all students. We are
  pointing them toward college. (College t-shirt
  drive)
• Leadership Team as important resource for site
  district administration and professional
  development
• Staff morale high
• School enrollment high waiting list

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The new approach to curriculum

• Staff collaborating weekly about student
  performance, pacing and assessment
• Levels of intervention based upon performance
  (Language Arts in place and Math in progress)
• All 8th grade students take Algebra (except SDC
  take Algebra Readiness)
• Data and pacing are driving instruction
• Achievement Gap is closing
• School performance now (show graph)

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Language Arts Performance
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Math Performance
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Continued Challenges

• Changing the paradigm
• The way it was is not necessarily the model for
  how it should be.
• Heel draggers
• RtI is reshaping schools for the better, but it
  isnt an easy shift.
• Aligning curriculum and assessments
• Aligning assessments to better reflect CST
  performance (Benchmark Tests)
• Building depth of knowledge and comfort with data
  (adoption of a new student data system Data
  Director)

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Questions that drive us

• How do we better articulate and collaborate with
  the elementary sites to improve performance K-8?
• How do we take everything to the next level?
• How do we better help each student?
• How do we fit all the RtI needs into the school
  day?
• How do we get to a similar schools rank of 10?
• How do we adequately fund needed programs?

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Where We Go From Here

• Even if you are on the right track, youll get
  run over if you just sit there. Teddy
  Roosevelt
• Continue to work collaboratively
• Continue implementation of RtI for ELA
• Continue Algebra for all and start implementation
  of RtI for Math/Algebra
• Continue making decisions based upon data
• Continue building culture of high expectations
• Continue to support whole child through exposure
  and interaction with arts (Fabulous Fridays) and
  school performances
• Recognize and celebrate student achievement

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What Weve Learned

• Start with time (What are you doing bell to
  bell?) - Terri
• Meaningful leadership, collaborative discussions
  Greg
• Set the expectations Gordon
• Make the tough decisions and proceed William

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Guide to making the tough decisions

• Know what is expected of you
• Research the specifics and know your parameters
  (Use your resources and experts)
• Make the expectation transparent to everyone
• Discuss it, get input
• Shared leadership is really tough, but essential.
• Check your contracts and Ed Code
• Make the decision and move on
• Re-evaluate and use the continuous improvement
  cycle, but pick your hills to die on

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Thank you!

• Contacts
• William McCoy, Principal (2006-2008)
• Metteer Elementary School (K-8)
• [phone] school [phone] cell
• wmccoy_at_tehamaed.org
• Gordon Yates, Principal (Current)
• Vista Middle School
• [phone]
• gyates_at_tehamaed.org
• Terri Ostergard, Peer Coach
• tosterga_at_tehamaed.org
• Greg Montgomery, Teacher
• gmontgom_at_tehamaed.org