Connections Project 3/25/04

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Connections Project3/25/04

• Kevin Burr
• High Schools That Work
• SREB

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GCHS Mission Making the Best Better

• Where we do what we love
• Love what we do
• And deliver more than is promised.

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District-WideVision Statement

• Demonstrating Excellence
• Preparing for Tomorrow.

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GCHS Student Population
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GCHS Student PopulationEthnic Disaggregating
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In-Out Information (Transience) within the school
year.
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GCHS Dropout Rates 1992-1996
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Key Events

• 1985-00 GC grows by 65 (33,000) Fastest
  growing community in Kansas.
• 1994 18 different gangs identified in the
  school and community.
• 1995 15 Different foreign languages/dialect
  s spoken in GC schools. (25 Nationalities)
• 1996 Racial Tension at its highest.
• 1996 Homecoming Canceled (CNN, NBC, CBS).

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Did GCHS provide a safe and drug-free
environment? (1996)
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Students Do you feel safe at GCHS?
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?
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Implemented High Schools That Work philosophies.

• Key Practice 1
• Set high expectations and get students to meet
  them.

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Eight things that matter most in raising student
achievement. (HSTW)

• It matters that students take the right academic
  courses.
• It matters that schools offer quality
  career/technical courses.
• It matters that more students meet curriculum and
  performance standards
• It matters that teachers engage students in
  completing challenging assignments.

• It matters that everyone supports high
  expectations.
• It matters that students get extra help in
  meeting higher standards.
• It matters that schools offer a supportive
  guidance system.
• It matters that teachers work together.

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Challenge 1

• Unify all of the GCHS community to begin
  instilling a culture for high expectations and
  increased student achievement for ALL students.
• Whats good enough for the best ought to be good
  enough for the rest.

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Challenge 1 Action Steps

• For School Principals
• Hold classroom time sacred.
• Hold monthly interviews with students.
• Identify Master teachers to serve as coaches.
• Restructure faculty meetings.
• Require teachers to observe other staff.
• Make frequent classroom visits.
• Curricular decisions become data-driven.
• Tie staff development to raising student
  achievement in your school.

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Challenge 1 Action Steps

• For Teachers
• Hold students accountable.
• Establish the culture of success.
• Require effective homework in ALL classes.
• School-wide initiatives (Writing, Reading, Math).
• Detailed course syllabus for ALL classes.
• Curriculum mapping/pacing guides.
• Standards-Based/Assessment Driven Curriculum.

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Challenge 1 Action Steps

• For Students
• Mandatory extra help.
• Coordinated achievement reminders.
• Require minimum standards of acceptable work
  (Essential Skills).

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Eight things that matter most in raising student
achievement. (HSTW)

• It matters that students take the right academic
  courses.
• It matters that schools offer quality
  career/technical courses.
• It matters that more students meet curriculum and
  performance standards
• It matters that teachers engage students in
  completing challenging assignments.

• It matters that everyone supports high
  expectations.
• It matters that students get extra help in
  meeting higher standards.
• It matters that schools offer a supportive
  guidance system.
• It matters that teachers work together.

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Upgrading Academic Requirements for All Students

• 1997-2002
• Increased graduation requirements
• total credits from 21 to 26.5 (1998-2001)
• math credits from 2 to 3
• science credits from 2 to 3
• oral communications credit from .5 to 1
• computer technology credits from 0 to 1
• Required algebra mastery of all students
• Core Standards and Benchmarks (competency-based
  structure).
• Restructured math curricular alignment.
• Double-blocked math.
• Required Senior Project (high stakes).

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GCHS Dropout Rates 1996-2003
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GCHS Graduation Rates
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Grade Distribution As and Bs 1996-2003
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Grade Distribution Fs 1996-03
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Enrollment Shifts in Upper Level Science Courses
1999-03
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Enrollment Shifts in Upper Level Math Courses
1999-03
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NAEP Results (GCHS) Reading 1996-2002
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Reading Results (GCHS)Percent Reaching HSTW Goal
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NAEP Results (GCHS)Math 1996-2002
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Math Results (GCHS)Percent Reaching HSTW Goal
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NAEP Results (GCHS) Science 1996-2002
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Science Results (GCHS)Percent Reaching HSTW Goal
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2002 HSTW/NAEP CTE students vs. non-CTE

• CTE students score higher than total student
  population
• All students above HSTW goal
• Programmed study seems to make a difference in
  student achievement.

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Kansas Assessment Tests Math 1996-2003
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KS Assessment Math Proficient or Above 2000-2003
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Kansas Assessment Tests Reading 1996-2003
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KS Assessment Reading Proficient or Above
2000-03
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2001-03 PLAN Test Reading Results
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2001-03 PLAN TestScience Reasoning Results
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2001-03 PLAN Test Math Results
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PLAN Test Results Math (Alg/Geom/Alg II)
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School Climate/ Student and Parental Perceptions
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Did GCHS provide you with a positive learning
experience?
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Did GCHS improve your ability to solve problems?
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Did GCHS teachers generally hold high standards
and demand high quality work from you?
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Did GCHS provide a safe and drug-free environment?
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Did GCHS increase your ability to be responsible?
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Students Do you feel safe at GCHS?
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Parents Do you believe that GCHS is a safe
environment for your child?
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Recognitions

• Named a BEST schools by FES.
• HSTW Pacesetter School
• HSTW Silver Award winner.
• USDE Showcase site (ELL/After school
  Programs/School Improvement)
• KSDE Showcase site (school improvement)
• 1999 Milken Educator Award winner
• 1999 National Superintendent of the year finalist
• 1999 Kansas Teacher of the Year finalist
• 2000 KASSP Principal of the Year (National
  Finalist)
• 2001 KASSP Assistant Principal of the year
• 100 National teacher presentations.
• 5 appointments to Service Academies
• 100 AP Spanish Completion
• 2nd/3rd place finishers in the national Spanish
  exam (96,000)
• Multiple NM semi-finalists and finalists.

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Our Next Steps

• Require Math the Senior Year
• Change the Science Requirement to specify one
  Physical Science, one Life Science and one
  elective.
• Smaller Learning Communities.
• 9th grade academy (center).
• Raise Expectations again for the Senior Project