Doing What Works: Moving Together on High Standards for All Students

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High Schools That WorkYou can build it and we
can help!
SouthernRegionalEducationBoard
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SREB

• Formed in 1948 by governors of 16 states (not for
  profit) to improve the plight of the south by
  focusing on education
• Provide data to legislatures and state boards of
  education for decision making
• Focus on improving post-secondary institutions
• Linking states together
• 1987 HSTW in 27 schools
• 1998 MMGW in 25 schools for research
• 2001 MMGW opened to all
• 2004 1300 HSTW schools (31 states) with over
  8000 at the 2005 Summer Conference

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Business-Higher Education Forum, 2003

• In 1950, 80 percent of the jobs were classified
  as unskilled. Now, an estimated 85 percent are
  classified as skilled, requiring education
  beyond high school. 60 percent of future jobs
  will require training that only 20 percent of
  todays workers possess.

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Beliefs

• All students prepared for post-secondary or work
  success
• Focus on the middle 60 percent
• Transitions years are key 8/9
  12/Postsecondary
• Distributed leadership development
• Link schools, districts and state together
• Work harder to get better!

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SREB Theory of Change

• Establish a need for change within the faculty
• TAV Report
• Site Development Workshop
• Assessment/Use of Data
• Faculty own the change process with leadership
  providing the vision
• Interdisciplinary teams
• Concrete actions
• Start small
• Leadership Team development
• Networking
• Visit other sites
• National workshops
• Link policies, initiatives and resources to
  district and state
• Continuously review and revise

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Three Formats

• HSTW Network Begun with CT focus schools make
  changes with minimal support.
• Contracted Schools Network Accelerating the
  Improvement
• 140 Schools (over 300 since 1999)
• Whole school design
• Process Design focused on faculty ownership
• Consultant assigned to each school to provide
  support
• Urban Network Support aimed at districts

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How do schools improve?
The HSTW Improvement Process non-prescriptive,
with all faculty involved!
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Lessons Learned Since 2000

• Recommended core is key
• District support essential
• Professional Development Follow-up Key
• Proficient work requires proficient questions
• Leadership vision and stability determines
  success
• Active focus teams accelerate improvement
• Some schools need prescriptions
• Implementation is more than signs with the key
  practices.

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Key Practice 10Use student assessment and
program evaluation data to continuously
improve.THE FOUNDATION
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Four Types of Data

• Achievement schools have a lot of this
• Demographic two main uses
• School and Classroom Practices determines
  actions
• Perception provides valuable data

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Three Rs for High Schools

• Rigor
• Raise Expectations
• Challenging Academic
• Program of Study
• Relevance
• Challenging Career Technical
• Work-based Learning
• Teachers Working Together
• Active Engagement
• Relationships
• Guidance and Advisement
• Extra Help
• The Framework

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Key Practice 1Raise expectations and get
students to meet them.
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High Expectation School and Classroom Practices
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Common Actions Schools Take

• Increased requirements total or specific
  courses GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM
• Senior course requirements/Senior Project
• Course syllabi clearly defines expectations
• Common end-of-course (and unit) exams
• A-B-C Not Yet grading
• Expand opportunities to earn college credit in
  high school

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Key Practice 3 Increase access to challenging
academic studies
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Common Actions Schools Take

• Literacy Focus
• Students will read the equivalent of 25 books per
  year across the curriculum.
• Students will write weekly in all classes.
• Students will use reading and writing strategies
  to help them understand the content of all
  classes.
• 15 Strategies Every Teacher Can and Should Use
• Students will write research papers in all
  classes.
• Students will be taught as if they were in honors
  language arts classes.
• Eliminate sections of low level courses
• Curriculum maps pacing guides
• Raise the level of classroom questioning

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Key Practice 4Have students complete a
challenging program of study with an upgraded
academic core and a concentration.
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Average Scores of Students Who Completed and Did
Not Complete the Recommended Curriculum and
Concentration
Did Not Complete
HSTW Goal
Completed
Reading 286 270 279 Mathematics 310 294 297 Scienc
e 300 284 299
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HSTW-recommended Academic Core and Higher
Achievement

• Four credits in college-prep/honors English
• Four mathematics credits including Algebra I,
  II, and Geometry
• At least three credits in lab-based science
  Physical, Biology Chemistry
• At least three credits in college-prep/honors
  social studies
• NOTE 4 X 4 core for schools with schedules that
  allow at least 28 credits.
• Math in the senior year
• PLUS

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Concentrations

• 4 credits in a planned sequence of career and
  technical studies
• or
• 4 credits in a planned academic concentration
  such as
• Humanities
• Math/Science
• Fine Arts
• Schools determine concentrations with business
  community help

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Key Practice 2 Increase access to challenging
career and technical studies, with a major
emphasis on using high-level mathematics,
science, language arts and problem-solving
skills.
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High-Achieving Sites Challenge Students
High- Low-Students
said they Achieving Achieving
Sites Sites

• Used mathematics in 73 57
• vocational assignments
• Read technical manuals to 85 65
• complete assignments
• Met standards on a written 92 36
• exam to pass a course

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Common Actions Schools Take

• Business Advisory Committees become active
• Seek industry certification
• Require reading, writing and math
• Written final exams
• Capstone Projects
• Link with community colleges for dual credit
  opportunities
• Expand work-based/school-based/virtual learning
  opportunities

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Key Practice 5Give students access to a system
of work-based and school-based learning planned
cooperatively by educators and employers.
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Actions Schools Take

• Career exploration in ninth grade (i.e. 9th grade
  research paper)
• Field Trips
• Job Shadowing
• Teacher Externships
• School enterprises
• Require students in work-based learning
  opportunities to
• Attend a regular class and/or seminar.
• Keep a journal of experiences.
• Develop a professional portfolio.

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Key Practice 7 Engage students actively in
learning.
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Actions for Engaging Students

• Literacy Across the Curriculum
• Socratic Seminars
• Project-based learning
• Cooperative learning
• High-level questioning
• Integrated instruction
• Integration of technology
• Effective direct instruction

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Changing Professional Development

• Credit for implementation not attendance
• Peer Observations
• Demonstration classrooms
• Faculty study groups
• Faculty meetings become instructional improvement
  sessions
• Walkthrough Observations

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Key Practice 6 Have teachers work together to
integrate instruction.
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Academic and Career Technical Teachers Work
Together
High- Achieving Sites
Low-AchievingSites
Students said they frequently had joint
assignments in
Writing 90 23 Mathematics 41 13 Science
60 19
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Common Actions Schools Take

• START SMALL - Curriculum Wall
• Natural links
• Short-term projects
• Long-term projects
• SLCs
• Collaborative (team) teaching
• Increase inclusion
• Literacy across the curriculum

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Key Practice 8 Involve students and parents
in a guidance and advisement system
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Actions Schools Take

• Advisor-Advisee
• Reality checks for juniors
• Required annual parent meetings
• Follow-up studies
• Graduates return to talk to students
• Use technology to communicate with parents
• Involve community leaders
• Meet at convenient places for parents
• Provide child care

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Key Practice 9 Provide a structured system of
extra help
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Common Actions Schools Take

• Require extra help
• Build extra help into school day
• Use technology
• Credit recovery
• The 9th grade transition
• 9th Grade Academy
• Double-dosing and/or Ninth Grade Seminar
• Summer bridge program (1 day to 6 weeks)
• Tutoring program using various support

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Monitoring Progress The HSTW Assessment

• Required in even years and optional in odd
• NAEP Based Assessment in Reading, Mathematics and
  Science
• Student Survey of Experiences
• Transcript Analysis
• Faculty Survey
• Given to seniors (random sample or all) in
  January window
• Goals based on skills needed to pass employer
  exams and college placement exams

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HSTW Design

• Non-prescriptive design requiring faculty
  ownership
• Network provides expertise learn from others
  with similar issues.
• Key Conditions create the culture for improvement
• Schools develop plans to address the 10 Key
  Practices using faculty teams.

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Remember!

• All schools want to improve, but few want to
  change. The fact remains that to improve one
  MUST change.

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Thank You

• Ivy C. Alford, Director of State Services for
  School Improvement--HSTW
• Contact information
• 985-386-4377
• Ivy.alford_at_sreb.org
• www.sreb.org

SouthernRegionalEducationBoard