Title: Manual High School Presentation to the Denver Public Schools Board of Education
1Manual High SchoolPresentation to
theDenver Public SchoolsBoard of Education
2Agenda
- Overview of Manual High School
- Manuals Current Reform Program
- Reform Program Results
- Opportunity to Move to Small School Format
- Conclusions
- Questions and Answers
3West Palm Beach FSAP Test
- Based on the story you read, who really won the
race? - Punch out the one best answer - A. Farmer George
- D. Businessman Al
- E.None of the Above
-
- B. Grumpy Pat
- C. Scientist Ralph
- E. All of the Above
- G. Write in your own
- Answer
4What Does Manual Look Like In the Post-Busing
Era?
5Manual Overview
- Demographics in Manuals neighborhood have
changed - Lowest socioeconomic status of any high school
- Latino majority
- Language barrier
- Highly mobile population
- 95.3 students of color
6Manual Overview
- Manual faces significant challenges in educating
the population it serves - 80.5 of students eligible for free/reduced lunch
- 75 of 9th graders reading below grade level
- 40 of 9th graders reading in lowest 25
- 1/3 of students requiring ELA services
- Significant turnover of students within the year
7How Has the Current Reform Plan Addressed These
Challenges?
8 MHS Current Reform Plan
- Launched in the 1997-1998 school year
- National school reform model
- Dual academic emphasis
- Foundations House for 9th and 10th grade
- Immersion in core basics
- Real world open ended problems
- Advisement blocks
- Career exploration
- Rites of Passage
9MHS Current Reform Plan
- Dual academic emphasis
- Programs of Excellence for 11th and 12th grades
- Four choices along career lines
- Courses related to career pathways
- Job shadowing and internship opportunities
- Community service project
10MHS Current Reform Plan
- Additional Elements
- Career Coaching
- College Summit
- MC Squared
- New elements in the 2000-2001 year
- 9th grade students divided into 3 school families
- Graduation by Exhibition
11How has the Reform Model Worked at Manual?
12 MHS Reform Plan Results
- Successes
- Creation of a caring atmosphere
- Successful integration of Community Mentors
- Strong academic growth of continually enrolled
students - Suspension and expulsion rate declining
- Daniels scholarships
- Challenges
- High drop out/mobility rates
- High achieving neighborhood kids not enrolling at
MHS - Too many kids still becoming lost
13What Can MHS Do to Reach More Kids with the
Reform Program?
14 Small School Redesign
- Create three autonomous small schools
- Separate faculties
- 3 principals
- 3 CDMs
- Creation of a Policies and Procedures Board
- Still share Manual name, sports and
extracurricular activities
15Why Go to Small School Format?
16Why Small Schools?
- Manual has carefully studied the small school
format - Faculty and parents have visited multiple small
school sites - Fenway Middle in Boston, Julia Richmond
Educational Complex, Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom,
RMSEL, Eagle Rock, Steamboat Springs, New Vista - 22 faculty participated in a small school forum
sponsored by the Coalition of Essential Schools - Ninth grade small school pilot this year
17 Why Small Schools?
- Research supports small school program
- Small School atmosphere proven to work
- Faculty bond with and responsibility to students
greatly enhanced - Academic achievement improves
- Attitude towards school and behavior improves
- Attendance improves
- NYU 1987 study of 21 small schools shows cost per
graduate less at small vs. large schools
18Proposed Small School Redesign
19What Will This Cost the District?
20Small Schools - Costs
- Moderate additional costs projected for DPS
- Three APs become principals
- Indirect cost of DPS administrative time
- Additional costs to be funded externally
- Enrichment costs picked up by foundations
- Extended professional development time
- Evaluation of Manual constituencies by 3rd party
21Small Schools - Costs
- Shared costs DPS/Foundations
- Facility remodeling costs
- Operations manager
- 10 minute extension/Wednesday early dismissal -
no cost
22Small School Plan Summary
- Creation of 3 autonomous schools at Manual
- Enhanced level of administrative oversight
required by DPS - Marginal additional funding required
- Outside funding to provide enrichment
- Significant impact on neighborhood kids
23What are the Expected Outcomes for Manual?
24Expected Outcomes
- Improved performance on standardized tests
- CSAP improvements of gt25 over 3 years
- Attendance increased 15 over 3 years
- Decreased mobility
- Continued decrease in suspensions/expulsions
- Enrollment of more top performing neighborhood
students - Higher school satisfaction among
students/faculty/community
25Conclusions
- Manual faces formidable challenges
- Reform is working at Manual
- Going to small schools appears to be a logical
next step in the Reform program - The small school redesign has support of faculty,
community and alumnus - Modest funding consequences for DPS
- We need the support of the DPS Board of
Education, central administration City of Denver
and foundations corporations!
26Manual High SchoolPresentation to
theDenver Public SchoolsBoard of Education