On The Right Track Symposium

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Polytechnic HS Los Angeles Unified School
District District 2

• On The Right Track Symposium
• October 6th, 2008 Costa Mesa
• Presented by
• Eric Brown, Literacy Coach
• Vicky Damonte, Assistant Principal (10th Grade
  Center)
• Cesar Felix, 9th Grade Math Teacher
• Jeff Herrold, 10th Grade English Teacher
• Jin Lee, Science Teacher and United Teachers of
  Los Angeles (UTLA) Chairperson
• Gerardo Loera, Interim Principal

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Polytechnic HS School Profile

• John H. Francis Polytechnic High School Los
  Angeles Unified School District District 2
• 4400 students on a multiple track (3), year
  round calendar, 4x4 block schedule
• 90 Latino, 85 Socioeconomically Disadvantaged
• 500 Special Education Students
• 30 English Learners about 1400
• Math, Science Technology Magnet 385 Students
• 225 Certificated teachers and staff
• 473 Total onsite employees

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Polytechnic High School 4x4 Block Schedule

• 16 Week Semesters are broken up into two 8 week
  mesters (quarters).
• Students take 4 classes each of the 4 mesters
  (quarters) for a total of 16 classes during the
  school year, 4 more than the 12 in a 2 semester
  system.
• This equates to six 8-week mesters on the year
  round calendar
• Students are on-track for 4 months and off for 2
  months.

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Polytechnic High School 4x4 Block Schedule
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A-G Rate of 2006-2007 Graduates Non-Magnet/Non-Ch
arter Comprehensive High School- LAUSD
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Polytechnic HS Interventions

• Extended Learning Academy- Focuses on CAHSEE
  Preparation
• Required Learning Academy- serves 1st time 9th
  grade students that do not score proficient or
  above on the CSTs in Math or English
• Tutoring-available to students during lunch
  and/or after school
• Intersession-opportunity for students to make up
  coursework
• Twilight School- serves 1st time 9th grade
  students that are in danger of repeating the 9th
  grade
• Keep Youth Doing Something KYDS- serves 10th
  -12th grade students that are behind on credits
  towards graduation and funds extra curricular
  activities for students to stay in school.

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Polytechnic HS

• Polytechnic High School is the only comprehensive
  high school in the Los Angeles Unified School
  District to exit Program Improvement Year 5 in
  2008!

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Polytechnic High School Met Adequate Yearly
Progress Requirements (AYP) in 2007 and 2008
1 of 15 Schools in California to Exit Program
Improvement Year 5 in 2008
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Accountability Academic Performance Index API
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Academic Performance Index - API Similar Schools
Ranking
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School Restructured Second to None Model Small
Learning Communities

• Creating curricular paths to success
• Developing powerful teaching and learning
• Establishing a comprehensive accountability and
  assessment system
• Providing comprehensive support for all students,
  including language-minority students and those at
  risk of failure
• Restructuring the school (Poly has restructured
  into Small Learning Communities)
• Creating new professional roles and/or redefining
  existing roles

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LAUSD Small Learning Community Seven
Attributes

• Unifying Vision Identity
• Rigorous Standards-Based Curriculum, Instruction
  Assessment
• Equity and Access
• Personalization
• Accountability and Distributed Leadership
• Collaboration/Parent and Community Engagement
• Professional Development

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Small Learning Community Evaluation

• Student Surveys Report by External Evaluator
  Public Works Inc. shows
• Students are feeling increasingly positive about
  their classroom experiences (most ratings 80-90
  agree and strongly agree)
• 85 of Poly students report they plan on
  attending a 2 or 4 year college upon graduating
• 30 of students met with counselors 5 or more
  times a year
• 65 of students met with counselors 1-4 times a
  year

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School Restructured Second to None Model
Small Learning Communities

• Focus on Academic foundation building in the 9th
  and 10th grade
• Freshman Center Started in 2004-2005 (92
  matriculation 9th to 10th grade)
• 10th Grade Center Started in 2006-2007
• Theme Based, Small Learning Communities in the
  11th and 12th grades Multiple career paths
• HABIT Hospitality, Agriculture, Business and
  Industrial Technology
• SPORT/EHS Education Human Services
• FAME Fine Arts, Media and Entertainment

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Polytechnic High School Talent Development
Johns Hopkins University

• In 2004 Polytechnic partnered with Johns Hopkins
  University and adopted their Talent Development
  Curriculum designed for 4x4 block schools
• Students are enrolled in math and English all
  year in both 9th and 10th grades
• Talent Development Curriculum integrated with a
  focus in mathematics
• i.e. Transition to Advanced Mathematics (TAM/TAG)
  courses frontloaded before students enrolled in
  Algebra 1, Geometry or Algebra 2.
• Other Talent Development Components
• Twilight School
• Freshman Seminar
• Teacher Leadership Training

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10thGrade Center Frontloading Mathematics
Preemptive - Interventions Examples for A and C
Track
Talent Development Frontloading Course
Polytechnic High School Frontloading Course
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10th Grade CASHEE Trend
98 Participation On The CAHSEE In All Subgroups
in 2008
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Small Learning Community - Activities

• Orientation / Articulation presentations 9th,
  10th and 11th-12th.
• University Field Trips
• Community Involvement fundraising for Womens
  Shelter, Tree Planting, natural catastrophes and
  other charity organizations
• 9th and 10th Grade house competitions (i.e. staff
  volleyball games, tug-a-wars etc.)
• Fundraising to support CAHSEE breakfast (i.e.
  faculty Karaoke)
• Yearly Student Award Ceremony for Freshman
  Center, 10th Grade Center and 11th-12th grade
  students.
• Conferences
• Speakers

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CAHSEE Curriculum Reforms

• Raising ENGLISH CAHSEE scores and achievement at
  Francis Polytechnic High School

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Where We Were

• CAHSEE English scores were not increasing fast
  enough to meet future AYP requirements
• English department and school administration
  collaborated on best approach to prepare students
  for the CAHSEE
• Debate around using Measuring-Up curriculum vs.
  research that indicates CAHSEE preparation is
  done better when integrated throughout entire
  curriculum

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What We Decided to Do

• Create a CAHSEE task force devoted to integrating
  preparation into our existing curriculum.
• Task force consisted of 9th and 10th grade
  English teachers and Literacy Coaches.

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The Process

• EVALUATE CURRENT PRACTICE
• Many teacher-designed tests turned out to be
  assessing standards at far below grade level 1st
  to 4th grade comprehension, vs. grade-level
  evaluation and analysis.

• True or False?
• The witches plan to meet Macbeth. (true)
• Lady Macbeth is confident that Macbeth is mean
  enough to kill Malcolm. (false)

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The Process

• Question stem
• What does this passage reveal about characters
  relationship with character?
• Question
• What does this passage reveal about Lady
  Macbeths relationship with Macbeth?

• Use CAHSEE release questions to form question
  stems.

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The Process
Use CAHSEE release answers as models for answers
and distracters

• A She is unhappy and critical of him.
• B She is supportive of his shortcomings.
• C She wishes he was more mature.
• D She does not trust him to be ruthless enough.

• parallel structure with the correct answers
  (verbs, length, syntax)
• credible
• based on the text
• demand concentration and reasoning

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Finishing the First Test

• Use the focus standards as defined by the CST and
  the CAHSEE to guide how many questions to focus
  on which standards
• Writing CAHSEE-based questions and distracters is
  difficult, time-consuming and requires practice.
• Give the assessment to students curve or buffer
  grade to accommodate the deeper rigor until
  students adjust.
• Instruction must match this new level of rigor.

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EXAMINE RESULTS and REVISE with LITERACY COACH

• Measure results which questions were most
  frequently wrong? Which distracters were chosen?
• Examine broken questions (missed by more than
  40 of the class) is it wording, clarity,
  concept or instruction?
• Revise the test to fix wording and clarity
  revise instruction to include concepts or
  practice.
• Continue to collect data use it to inform
  instruction.
• Collaboration is key the Literacy Coach is an
  expert in the assessment language and standards,
  and an ideal partner for maximizing rigor in your
  assessment

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Where We Are Now

• Far more rigorous, standards-based instruction.
  Teachers wow, I wasnt teaching that standard
  its much easier now that I understand how I will
  assess it.
• Expand the assessments to other units and
  texts.
• Build a library of rigorous, CAHSEE-aligned,
  standards-based assessments to help guide
  instruction.

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What Weve Learned

• More rigorous teaching is a direct result of the
  process if youre going to create questions
  based on a standard, you must include that
  standard in your instruction.

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Inspired by
Dr. Janis Fries-Martinez, Retired Polytechnic
High School Principal

• English, Fenwick W., and Steffy, Betty E. Deep
  Curriculum Alignment. Oxford, UK Rowman
  Littlefield Education, 2001.

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Time for a New Lens
Lens
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Designing a New Lens Back-loading and
Curriculum Alignment

• Back-loading The practice of creating alignment
  between the written and taught curriculum with
  the tested curriculum by beginning with the
  tested curriculum.

Curriculum
Standards
Release Questions
Unit 1
Standard 1
Release Question 1
Release Question 2
Unit 2
Standard 2
Release Question 3
Release Question 4
Standard 3
Release Question 5
Release Question 6
Unit 3
Standard 4
Release Question 7
Release Question 8
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Creating a New ToolSubject ? Standards ?
Assessment
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Testing the New LensNot Teaching to the Test
Taught
Written
Tested
Lens
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Looking Beyond the HorizonDeep Alignment

• Deep Alignment The concept that what is tested
  is contained in what is taught, but that what is
  taught is not confined to the test. Teaching
  that is engaged in deep alignment is anticipating
  ways of assessment in which important
  information, concepts, processes, or dispositions
  may be tested.
• Integration Integrating questions stems and
  alignment in the database
• Taking It to the Web Gian, Oscar, Rafael

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Taking It To The Web
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Year-Round English on the 4X4

• Grades 9 10
• Use of Periodic Assessments and data analysis to
  inform instruction.
• Students participate in CAHSEE preparation that
  is integrated into the curriculum throughout both
  grade levels.

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Year-Round English on the 4X4

• Grade 9
• Mester 1 Transition to Academic English (TAE)
• Students learn fundamentals of reading and
  writing for high school English, with particular
  emphasis on non-fiction.
• Teachers expose students to Polys five
  instructional strategies used across the content
  areas Thinking Maps, Reciprocal Teaching,
  Cornell Notes, Anticipatory Strategies, and
  Vocabulary Development.
• Mester 2 English 9A
• Emphasis on reading and writing of persuasive
  texts.
• Students who do not pass the course have the
  opportunity to retake the class immediately in
  the next mester.

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Year-Round English on the 4X4

• Grade 9
• Mester 3 English 9B
• Emphasis on Literary Analysis. Students read
  Romeo and Juliet and other texts.
• Recursive mini-unit on Expository reading and
  writing, with a research component focusing on
  the Renaissance.
• Mester 4 English Elective
• A review of each standard set (Persuasion,
  Exposition, and Literary Analysis).
• Students take a practice CAHSEE. Data is used to
  target areas of need in the tenth grade.

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Year-Round English on the 4X4

• Grade 10
• Mester 1 English 10A
• Emphasis on persuasive reading and writing.
• Mester 2 Writing Seminar A
• Emphasis on expository reading and writing, with
  a focus on synthesizing information from multiple
  sources.
• Mesters 3 and 4 English 10B and Writing Seminar
  B
• Emphasis on literary analysis. Students read To
  Kill a Mockingbird, Macbeth, and other texts.

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InterventionsMultiple Opportunities to Succeed

• 1100-1400 students participate in interventions
  at any given time.
• KYDS ProgramKeep Youth Doing Something
• After-school classes for at-risk students.
• High-interest contentphotography, art,
  etc.integrated with remedial instruction in math
  and English.
• Allows for recovery of credits.
• Tutoring/Homework Havenavailable to students
  during lunch and/or after school.

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InterventionsMultiple Opportunities to Succeed

• Extended Learning Academy
• Beyond the Bell program for students who are not
  proficient in math and/or English.
• Focus on CAHSEE preparation.
• CAHSEE Boot Camp
• Required course for seniors who have not passed
  the CAHSEE.
• Offered in Saturday School and during the regular
  school day.
• Course content includes test-taking strategies
  and material aligned to the test.

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Instructional Coaching

• Individualized Professional Development for
  Teachers of English and math.
• A typical coaching cycle
• Planning The coach and teacher meet to
  articulate goals for instruction.
• Observation The coach observes the teacher and
  collects relevant data.
• Reflection The coach and teacher meet to assess
  the effectiveness of the lesson and articulate
  further goals.

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Instructional Coaching

• Other functions of the Instructional Coach
• Interpreting assessment data to evaluate
  effectiveness of the instructional program.
• Facilitating action research projects in
  professional learning cadres.
• Modeling best practices in the classroom.
• Assisting department chairs with planning
  professional development.
• Assisting teachers with calibrating learning
  activities and assessments to state standards.

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9th Grade Revolution Freshmen 9th Grade House
Implemented 2004-2005

• Cesar Felix

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Polytechnic High School Freshmen Center

• First 9th Grade House in LAUSD in 2004-05
• Initiated concurrently with the 4x4 block
  schedule
• Johns Hopkins University research stated that
  students that complete the 9th grade on time are
  85 more likely to graduate from high school
• Eventually led to the creation of the 10th Grade
  House in 2006-07

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Polytechnic High School Freshmen Center

• 9th grade students are enrolled only with other
  9th grade students in one area of the campus (43
  acres at Poly)
• Students are serviced by a 9th grade
  administrator, adviser, two counselors, a dean
  and an office assistant

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Interventions - Twilight School

• Intervention offered to 9th grade students not
  successfully transitioning from middle school
• Targeting students whove failed at least half of
  their classes.
• Schedule is Periods 2-5 (leaving at 445)
• Graduate out of Twilight by passing all of their
  classes.

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Twilight School (cont.)

• Regular funds (Teachers come in late and stay
  late like the students)
• Graduation rate
• Our first class of twilight graduated last year
  (waiting on data)
• Effect on 10th grade has been positive because
  counselors move on with students
• Allows us to target Absence problems

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English in the 9th Grade

• Shared Curriculummeaning, everyone is on the
  same unit at the same time. (Greek Gods,
  Shakespeare, ect)
• New teachers have a set curriculum ready to go on
  day 1
• Deep implementation of the Five school wide
  learning strategies
• Extra Interventions (Read 180, Reading Electives,
  Twilight)

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Math

• Success breeds unity in the 9th grade math
  department spurred on by weekly lunch meetings.
• Meetings done on voluntary basis to discuss
  issues
• We were able to develop weekly quizzes to help
  stay on track with a realistic pacing guide
  during these lunches

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Math (cont.)

• We also developed what a C should look like
  assessments
• In the process of writing a common final, with
  common benchmarks
• Teacher led Professional Development
• We looked at the District Quarterly Assessments
  and CAHSEE to do data analysis in order to guide
  instruction

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Math (cont.)

• Developed a realistic pacing guide for our
  unique schedule through PDs
• Started to plan by looking ahead at higher levels
  of math and asking those teachers what do your
  kids need to know?
• We implement the districts concept lessons (math
  projects), as well as developed and shared some
  of our own.

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Frontloading Interventions

• How to accurately identify 10th grade students
  who need intervention for the CAHSEE before they
  take it in the spring
• How to identify a target group of students to
  strategically raise the percentage of students
  scoring Proficient or Above on the CAHSEE in
  order to meet AYP requirements
• How to predict, with significant amount of
  certainty, which 10th grade students will pass
  and fail the CAHSEE on their initial try

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Advantage Plus- Meeting The Needs Of All Students

• Honors/ College Focused Program
• Available to all incoming Freshmen
• Counselors and Coordinators go to Feeder middle
  schools to promote the program
• Parent Orientation in the Summer to inform
  families of program

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Identification

• Students are Identified by an extensive process
  conducted by counselors and teachers before the
  students arrive
• Previous Years grades
• CST Proficient and Advanced
• UCLA Algebra/Geometry Readiness Assessment

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Challenging Students

• There was a need for challenge the higher
  achieving students and expand Geometry in the 9th
  grade
• In 2007-08, 4 full classes completed Geometry in
  the 9th grade (120 students)
• From those four classes, two completed Algebra 2
  in the 9th grade. They are currently enrolled in
  Math Analysis as 10th graders

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Success in Geometry

• Example Teacher had a total of 60 Geometry
  students during the day in the 9th grade.
• 45 of students received As or Bs (75)
• 10 received Cs (17)
• Only 5 Students received a D or Fail (8)

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Success in Geometry 9th Grade
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Schedule for C Track Advantage Plus
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Advantage Benefits

• More Rigor in an Honors Setting
• Students feel challenged and engaged
• Elevate each others performance with a sense of
  being in this together
• More Students identified as Gifted than ever
• Students are not lost in the crowd
• Competing with local charter schools

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No Child Left Behind and State Accountability
Criteria - CAHSEE

• AYP and API are dependent in large part to CAHSEE
  scores
• AYP Annual Measurable Objectives are measured
  mainly by success of 10th grade students taking
  the CAHSEE the 1st time
• Problem High failure rate on CAHSEE
• Problem Not enough students scoring Proficient
  or Above on CAHSEE

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Guiding Questions

• How do we effectively target students for
  pre-emptive intervention for success on the
  CAHSEE before they initially take it?
• How do we proactively identify students that need
  additional support?
• Do we know which students are likely to pass the
  test or get a proficient score ?

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What are Passing and Proficient Scores?

• A passing score on the CAHSEE is
• 350 or greater on the English Language Arts
  portion of the test
• AND
• 350 or greater on the Mathematics portion of the
  test
• A proficient score is
• 380 or greater on the English portion of the test
• 380 or greater on the Mathematic portion of the
  test

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Some Possible Attributes Contributing To Success
On The CAHSEE?

• Grades/Marks
• Demographics
• Socioeconomic status
• Learning environment
• CELDT Scores
• Language Classification
• Special Education Status
• CST Scores
• Periodic Assessments
• Etc.

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Studied CST/CAHSEE Correlation at Different High
Schools

• Test Groups
• Poly HS Class of 2006
• Poly HS Class of 2007
• Santee HS Class of 2007
• LAUSD Class of 2008 (37,000 scores)
• LAUSD Class of 2007 (36,000 scores)

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Polytechnic High School Class of 2007 9th Grade
ELA CST vs. 10th Grade ELA CAHSEE Matched Scores
Note 800 scores included Source Secondary
Student Information System
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LAUSD Class of 2008 - 9th Grade ELA CST vs. 10th
Grade ELA CAHSEE Matched Scores
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LAUSD Class of 2008 - 9th Grade Algebra I CST vs.
10th Grade Math CAHSEE Matched Scores
Note 23,282 scores included Source School
Information Branch
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LAUSD Class of 2008 - 9th Grade Geometry CST vs.
10th Grade Math CAHSEE Matched Scores
Note 8,410 scores included Source School
Information Branch
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LAUSD Class of 2007 - 9th Grade MATH CST vs. 10th
Grade Math CAHSEE Matched Scores
Note 36,190 scores included Source School
Information Branch
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Math CAHSEE Predictors
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Summary of Predictors
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ELA Reliability Matrix for predicting Passing
CAHSEE ELA score 83.4 accurate
Total
26985
11761
Accuracy
Therefore the model for predicting a passing
score or failing score on the English portion of
the CAHSEE based on the 9th grade CST is correct
83.4 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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ELA Reliability Matrix for predicting Passing
CAHSEE ELA Proficient or Above score 84.6
accurate
Therefore this model is correct 84.6 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Algebra I - Reliability Matrix for predicting
Passing CAHSEE Math Passing score 72.9 accurate
Therefore the model for predicting a passing or
failing score on the Mathematics portion of the
CAHSEE based on the 9th grade CST is correct
72.9 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Algebra I Reliability Matrix for predicting
Passing CAHSEE Math Proficient or Above score
85.1 accurate
Therefore the model for predicting a score on the
Mathematics portion of the CAHSEE based on the
9th grade CST is correct 85.1 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Geometry - Reliability Matrix for predicting
Passing CAHSEE Math Passing score 88.7 accurate
Therefore the model for predicting a passing
score or failing score on the Mathematics
portion of the CAHSEE based on the 9th grade
Geometry CST is correct 88.7 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Geometry Reliability Matrix for predicting
Passing CAHSEE Math Proficient or Above score
82.1 accurate
Therefore the model for predicting a Proficient
or Above score on the Mathematics portion of the
CAHSEE based on the 9th grade Geometry CST is
correct 82.1 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Math (ALL) - Reliability Matrix for predicting
Passing score on CAHSEE Math 72.7 accurate
Therefore the model for predicting a passing
score or failing score on the Mathematics portion
of the CAHSEE based on the 9th grade Math CST is
correct 72.7 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Math (ALL) Reliability Matrix for predicting
Passing CAHSEE Math Proficient or Above score
81.5 accurate
Therefore the model for predicting a Proficient
or Above score on the Mathematics portion of the
CAHSEE based on the 9th grade Math CST
(regardless of which CST test was taken such as
Algebra I, Geometry, General Math etc.) is
correct 81.5 of the time.
This is a Confusion Matrix as described in the
work of Kohavi and Provost, 1998
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Summary of Predictors
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CAHSEE Preemptive Intervention Case Study
Polytechnic High School 2006

• Master schedule permitted for approximately 170
  seats for CAHSEE preemptive intervention in
  Spring of 2006
• Selected a window of scores predicted to be
  300-370
• Based on student performance this resulted in a
  target range as follows
• For ELA CSTs of 212 - 328
• For Math CSTs of 164 - 308

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CAHSEE Preemptive Intervention Case Study
Polytechnic High School 2006 - Results

• On average, non prepped 10th Graders matched the
  predicted values.
• Math predicted mean score 347.5
• Math actual mean score 348.5
• ELA predicted mean score 353.0
• ELA actual mean score 352.2

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Next Challenges - Steps

• Budget Cuts
• Loss of Intersession Funds
• Loss of Beyond The Bell Funds in 2009-2010
• Loss of Other Funding Related to Program
  Improvement Schools
• Increase in Benchmarks under No Child Left Behind
• Transitioning into a Single Track Calendar Loss
  of 1200-1400 students.

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Single Track Year Round Calendar
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Polytechnic High School

• Thank You
• For visits, please contact Gerardo Loera at
  lgerardo_at_lausd.net
• www.polyhigh.org