WASC Visiting Committee Report

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WASC Visiting Committee Report

• 3/28/2007

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Areas of StrengthOrganization

• The Co Principals and the School Leadership Team
  provide direction and support to effect change
  that will facilitate improved student
  achievement.
• There is an alignment of the Vision Statement,
  Essential Life Skills (RAMHI) and High School
  Initiative as showcased on posters throughout
  campus.
• MHS implemented diverse programs designed to
  address the academic, personal and social needs
  of students

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Areas of StrengthOrganization

• Strong relationships with business partners have
  created opportunities for students to explore
  post-secondary options through community service
  and internships.
• The SLC organizational structure promotes
  personal connections and relevance for students.

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Key Issues for Organization

• The needs to be a continuation of efforts to
  update/modernize physical plant.
• Technological resources can be utilized to full
  capacity, especially to support instructional
  practices.
• A more formalized data-driven system can be
  developed for measuring the effectiveness of the
  SLC structure in implementing the school-wide
  vision.
• Facilitate lines of communication between all
  stakeholders, including families residing outside
  the schools actual attendance boundaries and
  limited English speakers.

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Areas of Strength Curriculum

• There is a wide variety of classes for students
  at all levels of academic achievement.
• There is a wide variety of elective classes from
  which students can choose.
• Smaller Learning Communities enable students to
  customize their curriculum, based on their
  personal and academic goals.
• Staff development has focused on strategies that
  when implemented school-wide, will provide
  rigorous curriculum and challenging instruction
  for all students.
• There are various interventions for students with
  low academic skills.

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Key Issues Curriculum

• There is an achievement gap for African American
  and Hispanic students.
• School wide, standardized test scores have
  plateaued or dropped.
• Development of a senior project (or capstone
  project) for each small learning community.
• Continue to refine four year and post-high school
  plans/reviews for all students.
• Common planning time can strengthen curriculum
  development to meet student achievement goals.

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Areas of strength for Standards-Based Student
Learning Instruction

• Commitment to provide intervention and support as
  needed.
• Implementation of professional development to
  increase student achievement.
• Small Learning Communities have driven
  instructional improvement for students to meet
  the content standards and ESLRs.
• Access to technology.
• Collegiality of staff members to mentor each
  other to be more effective teachers.
• Experienced staff that effectively utilizes its
  expertise to effect change and strengthen
  instruction.

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Key issues for Standards-Based Student Learning
Instruction

• Adequate time for teacher collaboration.
• Professional development and training in data
  analysis.
• Monitoring Limited English Proficient students
  transitioning to Fluent English Proficient and
  provided appropriate instructional support.
• There is a need to review instructional practices
  in mathematics in light of the student
  achievement data.

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Areas of Strength Assessment Accountability

• Results of a wide variety of assessments are
  disseminated throughout the school community.
• Quarterly common assessments and end-of-course
  common District exams are in place.
• SLCs and departments at MHS use analysis of
  common assessments to drive instruction.
• MHS offers a variety of intervention courses in
  response to data analysis.
• The PASS tutoring program is available for
  struggling students.

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Key Issues Assessment Accountability

• Student absences affect both student achievement
  and student remediation.
• A greater number of SRI accounts would be
  beneficial for improving schoolwide reading.
• A process needs to be developed for the
  integration of data analysis and teaching.

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Areas of Strength School Culture and Support for
Student Personal and Academic Growth

• Variety of Intervention strategies
• Strong sense of buy-in and ownership for student
  personal and academic growth by staff
• Award winning student support services
• Nationally recognized AVID program that promotes
  a schoolwide college going culture.
• Student personal and academic growth nurtured and
  sustained by greater Long Beach community

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Key Issues Schoolwide Culture and Support for
Student Learning

• Continue to expand cultural sensitivity training
• Facilitate the involvement of all stakeholder
  members in school activities
• Continue to support development of all SLC groups
  to maximize student achievement
• Showcase the wide variety of programs that
  support student success

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Schoolwide Areas of Strength

• Alignment of Vision Statement, Essential Life
  Skills (RAMHI) and High School Initiative as
  showcased on posters throughout campus.
• Development of SLC organizational structure
  promotes personal connections and relevance for
  students.
• Nationally recognized AVID program that promotes
  a schoolwide college going culture.
• Experienced caring staff that is committed to
  student success and effectively utilizes its
  expertise to effect change and strengthen
  instruction.

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Schoolwide Areas of Strength

• Student personal and academic growth nurtured and
  sustained by greater Long Beach community
• Implementation of diverse academic programs and
  intervention strategies that address the
  academic, personal and social needs of students.
• Small Learning Communities Departments use
  analysis of a wide variety of assessments to
  drive instructional decisions for student
  achievement.
• The Co Principals and the School Leadership Team
  provide direction and support to effect change
  that will facilitate improved student
  achievement.
• The English departments development and
  implementation of effective strategies to improve
  literacy across curriculum and to serve as a
  model.

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CRITICAL AREAS FOR FOLLOW UP

• Facilitate lines of communication to encourage
  the participation of all stakeholders in shared
  decision making.
• A formalized process needs to be developed for
  the consistent integration of data analysis and
  instructional practices.
• Develop rigorous and comprehensive Literacy and
  Numeracy programs to improve student achievement
  in all content areas for all demographic groups.
• Expand the application of the Language Arts Model
  for instructional improvement in SLCs and all
  curricular areas. In particular, the mathematics
  department must develop strategies to improve
  numeracy across the curriculum to increase
  student achievement.

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Thank you Millikan