Using Career Strategies in Smaller Learning Communities

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Using Career Strategies in Smaller Learning
Communities
Susan EngelmannInstitute for Research and
Reform in EducationKansas City, Kansas Public
Schools
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What Is First Things First?

• A comprehensive reform framework...
• developed to raise students academic
  performance...
• to levels required for post-secondary education
  and high quality employment.

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Who is IRRE?

• Institute for Research and Reform in Education

• IRRE is a not-for-profit organization
• We created and developed First Things First
• We provide technical assistance to schools and
  districts implementing First Things First

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Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools

• 20,000 students
• 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 28 elementary
  schools
• 48 African-American, 28 Hispanic, 20 Caucasian
  
• 75 free/reduced lunch
• 4th year of implementation

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Who Else Does IRRE Work With?

• Urban Districts
• Kansas City, MO
• Riverview Gardens, MO
• Houston, TX
• New Orleans, LA
• Norristown, PA
• Rural Districts
• High schools in Greenville and Shaw, MS

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FTF Strategies

• Small Learning Communities
• Family Advocate System
• Instructional Improvement

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Strategies

• Small Learning Communities
• Family Advocate System
• Instructional Improvement

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Small Learning Communities (SLCs)

• What makes them work?
• Small, tall and pure
• Thematic
• Equitable
• Common planning time
• Flexible allocation of resources
• Collective responsibility

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Strategies

• Small Learning Communities
• Family Advocate System
• Instructional Improvement

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Family Advocate System (FAS)

• What is it?
• A proven way to strengthen the kind of parent
  involvement that really matters
• Is my child known well
• By an adult that I know and trust
• And do I know what my role is in supporting my
  childs success?

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Family Advocate System (FAS)

• What is it?
• In high schools with SLCs
• A commitment by all professional and other
  qualified staff
• To work with approximately 15 students and their
  families
• For as long as they are in the school
• To ensure academic success for those students

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Strategies

• Small Learning Communities
• Family Advocate System
• Instructional Improvement

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Instructional Goals

• Engagement
• Alignment
• Rigor

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Instructional Resources

• Additional time and curricular supports for
  struggling readers and math learners
• Availability and effective use of professional
  development time
• Training and ongoing supports for existing and
  emerging instructional leaders

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Has FTF Made A Difference In Kansas City, Kansas?

• Are students more engaged in school?
• Are students showing higher levels of attendance
  and persistence to graduation?
• Is achievement for all students improving, and by
  how much?

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Six Year Trend In KCK -Percent of Disaffected
High School Students
All high schools implementing FTF
ALL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS (N4) Source data
Preliminary analysis of FTF evaluation surveys of
students in KCKPSD
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Six Year Trend In KCK -High School Attendance
Rate
All high schools implementing FTF
ALL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS (N4) Source data
Kansas State Department of Education
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KCK Graduation Rate Six Year Trend
All high schools implementing FTF
ALL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS (N4) Source data
Kansas State Department of Education
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Trends In 8th Grade Reading Assessment Scores
Kansas City, Kansas Middle Schools
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
- all students tested Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Trends In 11th Grade Reading Assessment Scores
Kansas City, Kansas High Schools
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
- all students tested Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Percentage Of Caucasian KCK Students Achieving
Proficiency Or Above In Reading (Grades 8 11)
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
all students tested. Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Percentage Of African-American KCK Students
Achieving Proficiency Or Above In Reading
(Grades 8 11)
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
all students tested. Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Percentage Of Hispanic KCK Students Achieving
Proficiency Or Above In Reading (Grades 8 11)
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
all students tested. Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Closing The Economic Achievement Gap In KCK
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Percentage of KCK Students Paid Lunch Achieving
Proficient or Above (Grades 8 and 11)
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
all students tested. Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Percentage of KCK Students Free/Reduced Achieving
Proficient or Above (Grades 8 and 11)
Source data Kansas State Department of Education
all students tested. Pending Approval by the
Kansas State Board of Education
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Thematic Small Learning Communities

• Why thematic SLCs within FTF?
• Enrich students opportunities to learn with more
  meaningful content
• Develop higher level thinking skills by actively
  engaging students in this more meaningful content
• Provide the opportunity for a smooth transition
  from secondary to post-secondary programs of
  study

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Thematic Small Learning Communities

• Why thematic SLCs within FTF?
• Give students and families educational choice and
  equity within neighborhood secondary schools
• Use shared intellectual/career focus to create
  positive, cohesive peer culture among students
  and adults

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Thematic Small Learning Communities

• What do they look like?
• Introductory course at the 9th grade
• Related courses possibly in a sequence through
  10th and 11th grade
• Capstone course at the 12th grade

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Examples in Kansas City, Kansas

• Health Careers
• Invention and Technology
• Visual Arts
• Global Communications
• Business and Management

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Health Careers Course of Study

• Four years of study in the following
• Math including one advanced level of mathematics
• Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Science including Anatomy and Physiology

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Health Careers Pathway Courses

• Introduction to Health
• Introduction to Health Careers
• Health Careers Exploration 1
• CPR and First Aid Certification
• Health Careers Exploration 2
• Job Shadowing and Internship opportunities

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Thematic Small Learning Communities

• Career and technical program supports now
  available for thematic SLCS
• Existed in the schools since 1992
• Provide additional funding to middle and high
  schools
• Requires an advisory board in the community that
  provides support

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The Future of Thematic SLCs

• Districts and intermediaries
• Create and implement professional development
  activities and curricular supports for staff
  working within core and career/technical areas
  within thematic SLCs
• Continue to build strong relationships with the
  business community to develop more authentic and
  rigorous experiences for students related to
  careers

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The Future of Thematic SLCs

• State and federal role
• Look for ways to achieve the purposes of thematic
  SLCs and career technical programs through
  continued and increased support for the above

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IRRE 1420 Locust Street, 7Q Philadelphia, PA
19102 215.545.1335 www.irre.org Jim
Connell jpcirre_at_aol.com Susan
Engelmann suengel_at_kckps.org