State of the School Address

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State of the School Address

• August 20, 2009
• 600pm

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TDHS Talent Development High School

• From the Climate Instruction Survey performed
  by TDHS John Hopkins University
• The percentages of teachers and students that
  responded "fighting among students", "students
  talking back to or disrespecting teachers" and
  "students cutting class is a serious problem" at
  Ware County fell substantially from last year.
• The percentages of students responding that they
  really like coming to math and English class
  every day or several days per week improved
  modestly from last year.
• 60 of teachers at Ware County responded that
  this year's 9th grade students adjusted to high
  school "a little better or "much better than
  last year", a 40 percentage point increase from
  last year.
• The rates of teachers at Ware County reporting
  that instruction to close students' basic skill
  gaps and instruction to challenge students'
  thinking and reasoning abilities was "better than
  last year" increased by 29 and 35 percentage
  points, respectively.
• The percentage of students at Ware County who
  responded "teachers really listen to what I have
  to say" increased by 11 percentage points from
  last year.
• Several measures of teacher morale at Ware
  County improved from last year. There was a 66
  percentage point increase in the rate of teachers
  responding that the "morale and positive spirit
  of the faculty" was "a little" or "much better
  than
• last year".

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WCHS Accomplishments/Awards

• Honor Cards
• Pride Program
• Spring Fling
• Senior Picnic
• Forestry State Champions
• Cheerleader Region Champion

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CORNERSTONE

• Attendance 95
• 330 students out of 364 moved to the 10th
  Grade
• 91 passed -- only 34 failures

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CHAPS

• 93.8 Attendance
• 35 Honor Graduates
• Only five (5) Fights all Year

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TIME

• 17 Honor Graduates
• 94.1 Attendance
• Only three (3) fights all year
• NO fights during 2nd semester

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WARE AM

• 96 Attendance
• 15 Honor Graduates
• Only four (4) fights all year

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Advanced Placement Classes

• Enrollment increase of 56 over three years
• 2007-08 100 students in 6 courses
• 2008-09 147 students in 6 courses
• 2009-10 178 students in 8 courses
• Art Studio, Biology, Calculus, English
  Literature/Composition, Human Geography,
  Psychology, US History, World History
• New to 9th Grade

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Class of 2009 304 Real Graduates
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304 Graduates

• Translates into a
• Grad Rate of
• 73.9

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2009 Graduation Rate 73.9

• Year GradRate All Black White SWD Ed
• 2009 75.0 73.9 74.4 74.0 39.2 66.7
• 2008 70.0 59.3 51.6 64.2 27.4 46.2
• 2007 65.0 58.9 46.7 66.1 16.2 41.5
• 2006 60.0 58.2 56.7 58.9 2.2 45.1
• 2005 60.0 57.4 50.0 61.5 15.5 43.5
• 2004 60.0 45.1 31.1 54.5 8.9 31.0

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ELA 2005-2009
ELA 2005-2009
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Math 2005-2009
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ELA AMO
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Math AMO
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Steps to Improvement

• Developed preventive measures to improve student
  success on the GHSGT.
• Identified students who were credit deficient
  during the 2007-2008 school year.
• Students who failed the GHSGT on their first
  attempt (March 2008) were directed to remediation
  opportunities.
• Parents were contacted and students were placed
  under contract. The graduation coach assembled
  a grad team on each student who met with the
  parent and student to devise a plan to achieve
  the goal of graduation.

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Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT)
Spring 2009

• 297 Students took test in March 2009
• 205 Passed ALL PARTS
• 46 DID NOT PASS ENGLISH
• 33 DID NOT PASS MATH
• 55 DID NOT PASS SCIENCE
• 64 DID NOT PASS SOCIAL STUDIES

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As of Today

• 76 students need to take the GHSGT
• 31 students need 1 test
• 18 students need 2 tests
• 14 students need 3 tests
• 13 students need 4 tests

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2010 Graduation Rate

• Continue preventive measures to improve student
  success on the GHSGT.
• Identify students who are credit deficient and
  direct these students into credit recovery
  opportunities so they may be better prepared to
  take the GHSGT.
• Identify students who are at-risk of failing the
  GHSGT based on their EOCT scores in related
  areas.
• Students who failed the GHSGT on their first
  attempt March 2009- have been directed toward
  remediation opportunities.
• Parents have been contacted and students have
  been placed under contract. The graduation
  coach assembled a grad team on each student who
  met with the parent and student to devise a plan
  to achieve the goal of graduation.

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WARE COUNTY SCHOOLS TEACHER/STUDENT/PARENT
COMPACT  Questions
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Title I Programs

• Tutoring
• As a result of the federal No Child Left Behind
  Act, your child may be able to receive academic
  tutoring by outside companies to help him or her
  do better in school. Families that qualify for
  free or reduced lunch can participate in this
  program. If you qualify, you can choose a free
  tutoring program that best meets your childs
  needs from the list of approved tutoring
  programs. Contact Dr. Vince Richardson at
  vrichardson_at_ware.k12.ga.us for more information.
• Twilight School
• USA Test Prep
• 2009-2010 Student Agendas

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• Standards Based Learning

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Knowing

• Traditional Classroom
• Desks in straight rows
• Whole group instruction
• Teacher talks / Students listen, take notes
• Textbook driven
• Activities not aligned with standards
• Focus on basic recall of information
• Students unaware of learning goals
• Minimal student engagement
• Assignments are primarily paper/pencil, multiple
  choice, T/F, fill in the blank
• All students receive the exact same instruction
• Students have minimal opportunities to get it
  right

• Standards-Based Classroom
• Desks in pairs or groups of 3-4
• Students engaged in learning, minimal whole group
  instruction, students in collaborative pairs,
  small groups, etc.
• Standards-driven standards/elements posted and
  used explicitly in instruction
• Essential Question posted and used to guide
  instruction
• Content-specific vocabulary posted and explicitly
  taught
• Focus on rigorous, high-level learning
• Performance tasks aligned to standards
• Instruction is differentiated by content,
  process, product

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Go Gators!

• Thanks for your attendance!
• Good Night!