Changing School Culture & Student Achievement through the 9th Grade Academy

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Changing School Culture Student Achievement
through the 9th Grade Academy
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach,
Florida
Dr. Kathleen Weigel, Principal
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Atlantic Community High SchoolDelray Beach,
Florida

• 2552 Students
• Leading Light Award for State of Florida
• Model School for ICLE
• 57th Best High School in the Nation
• JROTC Honor Unit With Distinction
• Criminal Justice NCAC Model Academy
• 59th largest International Baccalaureate school
  in the world
• Over 2134 AP/IB exams per year
• 19 National Board Certified Teachers

Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Atlantic Community High School

• Historically 30 of our students do not graduate
  on time or do not earn a standard HS Diploma.

Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Demographics
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Socio-Economic Indicators

• Atlantic - 38 Free Reduced Lunch
• Feeder Middle Schools
• 62 Carver Middle (MYP Magnet)
• 61 Odyssey Middle
• Feeder Elementary Schools
• 95 Village Academy Elementary
• 84 Plumosa Elementary
• 76 Orchard View Elementary
• 39 Spady Elementary (Montessorri Magnet)
• 39 Banyan Creek Elementary (Gifted Magnet)
• 18 Morikami Park Elementary (Total Magnet)

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Matriculation Grade 9 to 11(AERIE Grads)
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Grade 11 (AERIE Grads) GPA 2.0 and above
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How did we do it ?

• Developed a Leadership Team
• Gave the team a mission
• Developed a compelling Vision/Goals
• Operationalized Educational Theory
• Developed a Transformation Model
• Established an aggressive/executable timeline
• Reviewed research and data

Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Leadership Team Mission

• Build the transformation plan on core tenets
• Single School Culture
• Standards and Performance Based Evaluations
• Small Learning Communities
• Project Based Quadrant D Learning Activities

Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Transformation Goals

• Improve Graduation Rates
• Raise Test Scores (FCAT, PSAT, SAT, ACT, CPT)
• Increase Opportunities to take demanding classes
  (Honors, AP, IB)
• To prepare students for meaningful employment
• To increase the number of students that are
  competitive for post secondary education
  (Tech/University)
• Increase student eligibility for extra-curricular
  activities

Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Philosophical Underpinnings Theory
- Reality

• Dr. Daggett
• Rigor
• Relevance
• Relationships
• Reflection

Operational Reality Atlantic HS

• Stiggins Assessments of and for learning
• Dufour Small Learning Communities
• Howard Data Feedback Strategy/Efficacy

Single School Culture
Dr. Allison Adler, Safe School Institute Palm
Beach County Schools
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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ACHS Academy Model
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9th Grade Academy Goals AERIE (Atlantic Eagles
Rising Into Excellence)

• Develop a sense of belonging
• Establish Small Learning Communities
• Embrace the ACHS
  Single School Culture
• Understand ACHS expectations
• Connectedness
• Leverage student expectation of change

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Academy Development

• Begin with the highest priority (9th Grade)
• Geographically locate classrooms and keep in
  close proximity
• Link a guidance counselor and administrator to
  academy (geographically located as well)
• Common planning periods for teachers
• Common lunch period for academy

Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Academy Personnel Selection

• Recruit the right teachers
• Care about students
• Try new/and innovative strategies
• Energetic/hard working
• Team players
• Want to make a difference
• Commit to the program for one year

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Academy Teacher Training

• Summer Institute
• Build suspended curriculum
• Plan interdisciplinary units
• Team Building
• CHAMPS training
• Grading
• Common Assessments
• Throughout the course of the year
• Reinforced Summer Institute
• Weekly team meetings

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AcademyStudent Placement

• Entering 9th Graders are teamed into small
  learning communities
• Retained 9th Graders are placed in 10th grade
  classes with appropriate academic interventions
  that promote acceleration.
• Heterogeneous groupings

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AERIE/RAPTOR Academy Structure
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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AERIE Academy Schedule
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Master Schedule

• Master schedule is the key. It articulates your
  priorities.
• Master Schedule remains a living, breathing
  document.
• Build Academy schedules one at a time integrate
  into the schools master schedule.
• It is imperative to design the master schedule
  around common planning.
• Academy

• Team

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AERIE Academy

Two Week Suspended Curriculum
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AERIE Academy Assemblies

• Describe behavior and expectations.
• Explain Rules and Regulations.
• Teach how to act and walk on campus.
• Walk the Talk
• Former ACHS students
• Current ACHS role models
• Adopt-an-Eagle Program
• Clubs/Activities/Sports presentations
• Guest speakers - making High School count

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RAPTOR
4
10th
Raising Atlantic Pupils To


RIGOR
RELATIONSHIP RELEVANCE
REFLECTION
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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RAPTOR Academy Goals

• Leverage a sense of belonging and Small Learning
  Communities
• Continue to embrace ACHS Single School Culture
• Development of student ownership and
  accountability of learning
• Develop a Career Plan

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RAPTOR Academy Schedule
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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RAPTOR Academy

Two Week Suspended Curriculum
Atlantic Community High School Delray Beach FL
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Building Blocks for Success

• A, B, C, I, F
• I Contracts
• Honors Contract
• Proficiency vs. Seat Time

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Unintended Consequences

• Students staying in school
• Leads to the need for additional classroom space.
• Creates opportunity for larger numbers of
  students to take standardized tests.
• Failure to maintain academy support at the next
  grade level, reverts students to prior levels of
  performance.

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Academy Roadmap

• Start at least one year out
• Establish a Leadership Team
• Establish measurable Goals and Objectives
• Use data to drive innovative solutions
• Build Small Learning Communities
• Focus on improving student performance
• Expect resistance
• Push on existing systems and rules Build a
  new box
• Success is the only option.

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Dr. Kathleen Weigel, PrincipalWeigelk_at_palmbeach.k
12.fl.us

• Atlantic Community High School
• 2455 West Atlantic Avenue
• Delray Beach, Florida 33445
• For more information contact
• Jerry Crocilla
• Career Academy Coordinator
• 561-243-1544
• CrocilJ_at_palmbeach.k12.fl.us