abraham lincoln high school wasc progress report 2011

Abraham Lincoln High School

2011 WASC Progress Report

February 7, 2011

Submitted to the WASC Visiting Committee by

Abraham Lincoln High School,

Los Angeles Unified School District

Ramon Cortines, Superintendent

Robert Martinez, Local District 5 Superintendent

Jose Torres, Principal

WASC Committee:

Daniel Brewer, WASC Co-Coordinator, SLC Lead Arman Bustillo, WASC Co-Coordinator &

Magnet Lead Teacher Sissi O’Reilly, Assistant Principal

Marisa Crabtree, UTLA Representative

WASC Focus Group Leaders: Marisa Crabtree Miles Nagaoka

Luisa Pak Michael Skramstad

Suzanne Strojny

Alicia Hernandez, SAA

Administrators: Rosa Diaz-Denny, Assistant Principal

Sissi O’Reilly, Assistant Principal Ricardo Rosas, Assistant Principal Alex Vasquez, Assistant Principal

Coordinators: Eva Lara, Title-I

Fidel Nava, Bilingual Coordinator, Magnet Coordinator John Robinson, Title-III Coach

Michael Skramstad, Technology Coordinator Howard Yao, Bridge Coordinator

SLCs & Magnet:

Dan Brewer, SGS Lead Teacher Arman Bustillo, Magnet Lead Teacher

Gilberto Martinez, VOICE Lead Teacher Larry Mowrey, Humanitas Lead Teacher

Mark Shump, Medical and Health Careers Lead Teacher

http://www.lincolnhs.org

Foreword

Since the 2008 WASC visit, the staff, faculty, students, and parents of Lincoln High School have

witnessed a tremendous amount of change and development in the organizational structure of the

school, staffing variations, and several instructional operational shifts stemming from the 2009

Public School Choice initiative. As a result, the process of collaboration and self-reflection

contributed to internal and external catalysts for change and reform. This WASC progress report

reflects our continuous effort to address the needs of our students, support the efforts of our

community, and transform our instructional practices to suit the needs of our students. We have

shown growth and effort in continuing our work, building our school learning culture, and

supporting the development of our students as college-bound and career-ready practitioners of

learning in the 21st century.

Visitors to our campus will discover the results and pressures of our reforms, reflected in our

growth and efforts. Our data and our results will reflect these efforts as we work to increase

stability with our reforms. We have several committees and an organizational structure that allows

for discussion and support of our ongoing work. Our Leadership Team, our WASC Focus Groups,

and our Home Groups, with the support of our WASC Co-coordinators, Dan Brewer and Arman

Bustillo, have worked diligently to compile this progress report and reflection. Although this is a

progress report and not a full self-study, we are committed to making this a collaborative process

by engaging teachers and staff members in focus groups and home groups to join in the dialogue

and contribute in the reflection of our progress.

We thank you for the time and dedication in providing us feedback on our progress, and we are

proud to honor our efforts as reflected in our work during the last 3 years.

Sincerely,

Jose Torres, Marisa Crabtree,

Principal UTLA Representative

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT Table of Contents

A b r a h a m L i n c o l n H i g h S c h o o l

Table of Contents Page

School and Community Profile 5

School Data and the 3As: Academics, Attendance, Attitude 8

Significant Changes and Public School Choice Category A: Organization Category B: Curriculum Category C: Instruction Category D: Assessment and Accountability Category E: School Culture and Student Support

20 23 24 25 26 27

Implementation of School-Wide Action Plan 35

Report on School-Wide Action Plan Based on WASC Criteria 36

Appendix 43

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT School and Community Profile


School and Community Profile

Abraham Lincoln High School is an urban school located in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. The

community is isolated from nearby downtown Los Angeles by three major freeways, the city’s primary

rail system, and the hills north of the campus. Lincoln Heights, along with the surrounding

neighborhoods, forms a community with significant socioeconomic barriers to overcome. The school is

located in one of the city’s twelve officially designated gang reduction zones. Sixteen percent of our

students come from three major housing projects. Lincoln High School is committed to serving all

students in the community. We serve a primarily Latino and Asian student population of approximately

2100 students. The school’s ethnic composition is 81% Latino, 17% Asian, and 2% of other ethnic

groups. More than 87% of our students speak a language other than English with a third designated as

English Language Learners. 34% of students’ families are receiving CAL Works services, and 85%

percent of our students qualify to receive free or reduced-price lunches and 100% receive a free lunch

every day. 10% of students are identified gifted, and 6.8% of Latino students are identified as gifted.

11.9 % of students receive special education

services with Individualized Education Plans.

27% are identified as English Learners and

49% of students are reclassified as Fluent

English Proficient.

This school year, we have implemented a new

early start calendar that began on August 16,

2010 and ends on June 7, 2011. This

structural change impacted many of our

programs and allowed us to finish first

semester by winter break. We also have a

block schedule that allows us to have four 84-

minute classes each day with an advisory

period for a total of 8 classes for each student

per semester plus an Advisory class

(scheduled by grade level and SLC to support

personalization and student needs). Our

campus also has a double lunch in which half

of the campus has lunch while the other has

advisory. They switch accordingly, and

students return to the regular class periods

after lunch. Students are provided with

breakfast before classes commence at

7:30am.

Lincoln High School is organized into four SLCs and a Magnet School. The SLCs include Humanitas, which

provides an interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for careers in education, the performing arts,

Current Student

Demographics

Faculty/Staff Demographics

Alaskan .4% Staff Attendance 93.9%

African American 1% Teachers with Full

Credentials

SDC

RSP

ROP

Coordinators

Deans

114

9

5

1

5

2

Asian 17% Teachers Without

Full Credentials

0

Latino 81% Counselors 9

Pacific Islander 0.1% Clerical Personnel 9

White 0.3% Custodial

Personnel

10

Special Education 12% Parent Reps 4

Gifted and

Talented

10% Special Ed.

Assistants

23

Economically

Disadvantaged

87% Teacher Assistants 7

English Learners 27% Student Support

Services

7

Reclassified as

Fluent English

Proficient (RFEP)

49% Cafeteria Staff 15

Population in 2007 - 2008: 2793 Population in 2008 - 2009: 2775 Population in 2009 - 2010: 2663 Population in 2010 - 2011: 2101

Administrators 5



visual arts, media arts or immediate employment for those choosing to enter the work force after

graduation; Science for Global Solutions in which students acquire the academic skills, preparation, and

motivation to successfully pursue university degrees in science, technology, and engineering; VOICE

(Victory Over Ignorance through Culture and Education) which gives every student access to an

education that focuses on creating awareness of social and political inequalities for the purposes of self-

empowerment and increasing critical thinking skills; Math, Science and Technology Magnet which offers

opportunities for students of all ethnic and academic backgrounds to participate in a rigorous college-

preparatory program, with a strong emphasis on science, mathematics, and computer technology; and

lastly, Medical and Health Careers which provides students with a career focused educational program

that will enable them to gain knowledge and experience through working in the community medical and

health arenas. Also on our campus is the Leadership in Entertainment and Media Arts Pilot School that

has its own operational structure and operates under the guidance of Local District 5 and the PSC

Initiative. The description of LEMA and their WASC document is included in the appendix.

Lincoln High School Complex – the Magnet Program is the sixth component that is also an addition to

the complex below; parents enroll in the Magnet School through the District’ Choices Enrollment

Program.



Vision:

It is the vision of Lincoln High School to provide an instructional program and a community-based

learning environment that will prepare its graduates to be problem-solving critical thinkers who are

responsible citizens in their communities.

Mission:

It is the mission of Lincoln High School to ensure that all students are exposed to a rigorous, standards-

based, culturally relevant, interdisciplinary, project-based instructional program that will graduate

students with the literacy and technology skills needed to fully participate in our modern world.

Expected School-wide Learning Results:

Literacy: For all SLC’s, the use of Interdisciplinary teaching and Project-based learning will increase

literacy and learning across the content areas, and allow for larger student choice and direction. As a

result, Lincoln High School students will have the literacy skills necessary for intellectual, cultural, and

personal achievement.

Technology: Lincoln High School students will use various forms of technology and multimedia

resources as they prepare their projects. They will be technologically literate and prepared to succeed in

our modern world and any career path they select.

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT School Data and the 3As


School Data and the 3As: Academics, Attendance, and Attitude

As a Local District 5 RTI Cohort I school, we have begun implementation of Response to Instruction and

Intervention (RTI2) to address the academic and behavioral needs of students with a student-centered

approach that is focused on “Academics, Attendance, and Attitude.” The RTI School Based Leadership

Team (SBLT) is in the process of developing positive instructional, behavioral, and psychological

mindsets within our school community through the development of the 3As throughout our work and

our systems. Since the 2009-10 school year, the SBLT (Principal, AP, and Support Staff) have been

engaged in professional development at Local District 5 to bring both standard protocol interventions

and the problem-solving method to address the needs of students, the concerns of parents, and the

growth of staff members. Teachers were initially trained in RTI2 last year as a year one introduction.

During the 2010-11 school year, we are implementing interventions schoolwide through the placement

of students in intervention classes through the utilization of mechanisms for classroom-level and school-

level data-driven decision making and the initiation of the Leadership Team and the Instructional

Leadership Council in the Problem Solving Process to support student growth in the 3As.

Academic Performance

The 2009-10 school year has reflected our

continuing growth and intense instructional and

academic focus and reflects a steady gain over 5

years (Figure 1). Our API during our last WASC

visit was 594. For the 2009-10 school year, our

API increased by 27 points and met our target

with a 615 API. Every subgroup has increased in

growth and only one subgroup (Students with

Disabilities) did not meet the targeted gain but

still increased by 12 points. We were not able to

meet all AMOs for AYP, but we increased the

numbers of students achieving proficiency or advanced in all subjects on the CST since the last WASC

visit in 2008 (based on 2007 scores). Schoolwide, we did not meet our AMOs in English and Math. Asian

students met proficiency in both English and Math. Other subgroups (Hispanic/Latino, English Learners,

and Socio-Econ Disadvantaged) did not meet the AMOs in English and Math. We showed growth in all

subgroups; however we did not meet projected targets. As a result, we only met 12 of the 22 criteria for

AYP in 2010. See Table 1 Below for specific API growth for subgroups.

Table 1: API Progress Report 2009-2010

Sub-Group Description Num Significant API Base API Growth Growth Target Actual Growth Met Target?

SCHOOLWIDE N/A 588 615 11 +27 Yes

AFRICAN AMERICANS No N/A

AMERICAN INDIANS No N/A

ASIANS Yes 754 786 5 +32 Yes

FILIPINOS No N/A

HISPANICS Yes 550 573 13 +23 Yes

Figure 1: API Progress



Table 1: API Progress Report 2009-2010

PACIFIC ISLANDERS No N/A

WHITES No N/A

SOCIOECON DISADVTGD Yes 591 617 10 +26 Yes

STDNTS W/ DISABLTS Yes 399 416 20 +17 No

ENGLISH LEARNERS Yes 538 562 13 +24 Yes

TWO OR MORE RACES No N/A

The following tables reflect the significant improvements that occurred at Lincoln High School in the last

5 years in both the CSTs in English Language Arts and Mathematics. We grew in the percentage of

proficient and advanced students schoolwide and by significant subgroups during the last five years. For

instance, our schoolwide increase in proficiency for ELA has been 4.6% over the last year and 10.2% over

the last five years. In mathematics, our schoolwide increase has been by 2.2% over the last year and

4.8% over the last five years for the number of students achieving proficiency and above.

CST English Language Arts

Proficient and Advanced Students Change Over Last year

Change Over Last 5 years

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Schoolwide 18.8% 24.7% 25.9% 24.4% 29% +4.6 +10.2

African

American

16.7% 25.0% 14.3% 10% 20% +10 +3.3

Asian 38.3% 45.2% 47.9% 47.1% 52.5% +5.4 +14.2

Latino 14.7% 20.1% 21.1% 19.4% 23.2% +3.8 +8.5

English

Learners

1.6% 3.% 2.7% 2.2% 3.7% +1.5 +2.1

SWD 0.5% 2% 2.5% 2.6% 3% +0.4 +2.5

Socio-Econ

Disadv

18.8% 25.1% 25.9% 24.9% 29.2% +4.3 +10.4

CST Math Proficient and Advanced Students Change Over Last year

Change Over Last 5 years

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Schoolwide 7.3% 10% 9.5% 9.9% 12.1% +2.2 +4.8

African

American

0 7.7 0 0 0

Asian 27.1% 32.6% 35.1% 38.0% 41.6% +3.6 +14.5

Latino 3.1% 5.1% 3.7% 3.5% 5.1% +1.6 +2.0

English

Learners

2.7% 3.9% 6.7% 5.7% 5.0% -0.7 +2.3

SWD 0.6% 1.2% 2.6% 1.2% 2.1% +0.9 +1.5

Socio-Econ

Disadv

7.6% 10.5% 10.1% 10.6% 12.3% +1.7 +4.7

The above figures represent a steady increase in our student achievement that stems from many

changes and reforms to our instructional programs and additional focus on intervention for academic

and behavioral needs. Although some subgroups have had more difficulty achieving proficient and

advanced, most subgroups have had a decrease in students who were scoring below basic and far below

Table 2: CST Growth in English and Math



basic on the last CSTs (2009-10). Students’ standardized test scores reflect growth as a result of in-class

interventions in place for core subjects such as the ELS Program, Read 180, and Kaplan Math from 2008-

10. In order to support these efforts, instructional interventions program are continuing along with the

additions of ALEKS Math Intervention, Agile Mind, Enhancing Literacy double blocks, AVID, and

advisories during the 2010-11 school year.

California Standards Test – 2009/10

(Subjects with improvement are highlighted)

Change in Proficient/

Advanced

Change in Below Basic/ Far

Below Basic

#

Tested

% ADV %

PROF

%

BASIC

% BB % FBB 2008-

09

2009-

10

Change

in 1 yr

2008-

09

2009-

10

Change

in 1 yr

ELA 9th 684 7.5% 25.1% 29.8% 21.3% 16.2% 26.6% 32.9% +6.0 44.2% 37.5% -6.7

ELA 10th 681 10.7% 15.9% 33.8% 20.9% 18.8% 19.8% 26.6% +6.8 52.5% 39.7% -12.8

ELA 11th 506 8.5% 19% 27.3% 22.5% 22.7% 28.2% 27.5% -0.7 48.5% 45.2% -3.3

General

Math

16 0% 6.3% 12.5% 12.5% 68.8% 50% 6.3% -43.7 50% 81.3% 31.3

Algebra I 438 0.5% 4.1% 10.7% 49.3% 35.4% 3.9% 4.6% +0.7 82.8% 84.7% 1.9

Geometry 641 0.9% 5.8% 12.9% 48.2% 32.1% 4.5% 6.7% +2.2 87% 80.3% -6.7

Algebra II 416 4.6% 10.3% 13.9%% 26.7% 44.5% 15.4% 14.9% -0.5 67.9% 71.2% 3.3

HS Math 260 10% 23.8% 19.2% 35.4% 11.5% 28.6% 33.8% +5.2 52% 46.9% -5.1

World

History

611 13.4% 16.9% 22.3% 12.9% 34.5% 15.3% 30.3% +15.0 65.0% 47.4% -17.6

US History 487 8.2% 18.9% 24% 19.3% 29.6% 28.3% 27.1% -1.2 44.8% 48.9% 4.1

Life Science 650 10.2% 11.7% 25.7% 23.2% 29.2% 16.9% 21.8% +4.9 58.4% 52.4% -6.0

Biology 758 10.8% 12.9% 29.7% 22.4% 24.1% 16.1% 23.7% +7.6 47.9% 46.5% -1.4

Chemistry 640 1.4% 5% 20.2% 25.3% 48.1% 5.9% 6.4% +0.5 81.6% 73.4% -8.2

Earth Science 24 4.2% 4.2% 25% 29.2% 37.5% 8.3% 66.7%

Physics 133 14.3% 36.1% 33.1% 7.5% 9% 51.1% 50.4% -0.7 18.8% 16.5% -2.3

Int Science 19 0% 0% 0% 21.1% 78.9% 0% 0% 0 95.7% 100% 4.3

Every subject area had an improvement (either through an increase in proficiency or a decrease in BBs

and FBBs) with the exceptions of General Math, Algebra II, US History, and Intermediate Science.

Proficiency increased in ELA 9th & 10th, Algebra I, Geometry, HS Math, World History, Life Science,

Biology, and Chemistry. These numbers reflect a concerted effort schoolwide in improving instructional

practices, in-school interventions, common assessments, and teacher instructional collaboration time.

The test results also reflected a decrease in proficiency across subject areas for 11th graders: ELA 11th,

Algebra II, US History, and Physics.

Aside from our CST scores, we are also focused on improving student graduation rates and decreasing

the dropout rate. The data that we use to support our goals for student achievement include passage of

the CAHSEE, success in A-G courses, and access to Advanced Placement courses. The following tables

provide data that reflect our growth in providing our students with access to college and career-ready

goals. The number of students enrolled in A-G courses has increased, and we are continuing to provide

college and career access for our students. As of 2009-10, 18.8% of our students are taking AP courses.

Table 3: CST Overall Improvements



College Readiness Based on % Taking A-G Courses

2008-09 2009-10 % A-G with only C or above

9th Grade 66.1% 90.9% 30.4%

10th Grade 65.3% 82.9% 25.0%

11th Grade 60.2% 68.3% 27.6%

12th Grade 69.5% 54.0% 21.3%

Advanced Placement 2009-10

Students taking at least one AP course 18.8%

Students passing at least one AP course with C or above 16.4%

CAHSEE Data

Our CAHSEE scores for first time test takers decreased in passing rates by 2.3%; however, the passing

rates for 11th has increased by 6.4%, which is an indicator that our CAHSEE intervention programs are

increasingly successful for students unable to pass the CAHSEE during the 10th Grade. We currently have

15 students from the class of 2010 who have been issued Certificates of Completion and are awaiting

the results of their retests. For this year’s 10th graders, we provide intervention during advisories to

increase our CAHSEE pass rate for first time test-takers. We are also using CAHSEE Diagnostic scores to

indentify students in need of intervention.

10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

2008-09 54% 67.30% 86.20%

2009-10 51.60% 73.70% 85.80%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

CAHSEE Pass Rate

Table 4: College Readiness

Figure 2: CAHSEE Pass Rate by Grade Levels

Figure 3: CAHSEE Pass Rate -ELA Figure 4: CAHSEE Pass Rate - Math



Figure 6: Increased Average Daily Attendance Rate

Our graduation rate has remained steady in the last three years. Our target for graduation for 2010 was

72.17%. Unfortunately, our graduation rate was 62.23 based on state criteria, and we were unable to

meet AYP criteria in this area. However, a number of these students have either remained on campus to

finish missing courses, are enrolled concurrently in adult school, or are being provided with an

opportunity to retake the CAHSEE this year to attain their high school diploma. We are confident that

the graduation rate for the class of 2010 will increase. As for our current students, our reform efforts

and positive academic and behavioral interventions are emerging to support their needs directly and

with personalization to ultimately raise the graduation rate and decrease the dropout rate. As a result of

budgets and district cuts to Dropout Programs, we were unable to maintain the position of Dropout

Prevention Advisor since the 2008-09 school year.

Increasing Attendance

Student attendance has also improved greatly over the

last 3 years based on schoolwide efforts in behavioral

interventions, personalization of attendance needs,

and increased parent participation. We expect these

interventions and actions to increase student academic

achievement, close our achievement gap, increase our

graduation rate and decrease our dropout rates over

the next few years. During the 2008/09 and 2009/10

school years, we had a full time Pupil Services and

Attendance Counselor and an additional part-time

counselor. Unfortunately, the economic reality did not

provide for an additional PSA this year, but we are still

able to maintain our average daily attendance. The attendance office is no longer in a centralized

location, and each SLC handles its own student attendance, including absence excuses from home,

clearing unresolved absences, and student tardies. This new system provides for more personalization

and access to students by the SLC counselors, parent representatives, clerks, and administrators.

However, the PSA continues to monitor the progress of students with more extensive attendance issues

and works with the District to distribute Initial Truancy Notifications, organize the General Assembly,

Student Recovery Day (home visits for truants and students in danger of dropping out), and conference

with parents.

Since the 2005-2006 school year, there has been a

noticeable improvement in attendance rates at Lincoln

High School. The average daily rate of attendance for

all students in grades 9-12 for the 2009-2010 school

year was 93.9%. These gains have been accomplished

through a series of strategic efforts to accurately

report student attendance and improve student

attendance per class periods. The constant

80.0085.0090.0095.00

100.00

Lincoln HS Increased Attendance

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

Figure 5: Increased Monthly Attendance



supervision of student attendance has improved the schoolwide efforts to support more stringent

absence guidelines and increased personalization with SLC offices and the support of the PSA Counselor.

We have a minimum of ten parent contacts, conferences, phone calls, and/or home visits a day to

collaborate with parents over issues and/or concerns with the attendance of their students. Migrant

students in need of financial assistance are provided access to District programs which provide for

clothing and school supplies. Positive behavior support is a continuous effort at Lincoln High School, and

Perfect Attendance Certificates and recognition for attendance are provided by SLCs in order to

personalize the importance of attending school every day for each student. For students who need more

stringent reminders, the PSA Counselor has held General Assembly meetings for the past 3 years with a

District or City of Los Angeles Attorney for parents of students who have more than 5 absences by

November to inform them of the compulsory education laws and state policies regarding student

attendance. This General Assembly meeting is also repeated in the spring. In addition, the PSA

counselor is involved with District Student Attendance Review Board hearings at Hollenbeck Police

Station.

Improving Attitudes

In order to support the academic successes of students and improve the graduation rate and decrease

the dropout rate at Lincoln High School, we have increased focus on the psychological, emotional, and

behavioral successes of students through developing positive attitudes and our positive behavioral plan.

Our discipline policy, our counseling and student support services, and our emerging Advisory program

were developed to improve student attitudes and develop their success for college and career decisions

after graduation.

Abraham Lincoln High School’s discipline philosophy revolves around the belief and practice that all

resources must be exhausted before issuing and or implementing any disciplinary consequence to our

students. As a result of our dedication towards progressive discipline, students have been able to

participate in the rigorous lessons delivered by our teachers and contributed to our high attendance

rate. Currently, we have the lowest suspension rate for a comprehensive high school in our Local

District. Previously from 2005 to 2008, we averaged 270 suspensions per school year. The change is

very dramatic when these numbers are compared to the 26 total suspensions for the 2009-2010 school

year. The following chart shows the dramatic decrease in student suspensions since 2008.

Decrease in Student Suspensions

Year Number of

Suspensions

Suspension

Rate

Change in

rate

2004-05 474 * *

2005-06 272 9.1 *

2006-07 293 9.9 +0.8

2007-08 247 8.8 -1.1

2008-09 42 1.5 -7.3

2009-10 26 1.0 -0.5

0200400600

20

04

-05

20

05

-06

20

06

-07

20

07

-08

20

08

-09

20

09

-10

Number of Suspensions

Number of Suspensions

Table 5: Student Suspensions Decrease Figure 7: Student Suspensions Decrease



In addition, Lincoln has created an environment where positive behavior is a school norm. Various

positive behavior expectations have been presented to students and posted throughout designated

areas of the campus. For instance, within one year, students no longer wear baseball caps on campus

and are expected not to have electronics during class. In order to better monitor the positive behavior

strategies at the school site, we are beginning to study and collect behavioral data through the Online

Discipline Referral System which is supported and monitored by the Central District, Local District, and

each Small Learning Community.

To support academic and behavioral expectations for all students, counseling services at Abraham

Lincoln High School continue to be supported through the Small Learning Communities in order to

personalize the high school experience for all students. Every Small Learning Community has been

staffed with two counselors with a caseload of 250-300 students to help foster a process that provides

more quality time with counselors in order for students to receive academic, career, and personal

counseling services, which will directly increase our graduation rate and lower our dropout rate.

The support services for students are well understood and coordinated through presentations,

classroom visits, advisory talks, weekly counseling meetings, and C.o.S.T. All counselors have made a

commitment to the participation in Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (S.P.A.R.C.) with the

Los Angeles County Office of Education in order to help monitor and fine tune the counseling services

provided to students. In addition, 78% (7 out of 9) of the site academic counselors are working towards

National Board Certification.

Addressing the Needs of Diverse Subgroups:

English Learners

Lincoln currently (Spring 2011) has 533 English learners. English Learners represent in total about a

third of our student population. These students are part of the District’s Master Plan Program for English

Language Learners and are part of the English Language Development (ELD) Program. The ELD program

has two main branches: PRP (Preparing for Reclassification Program and the ESL (English as a Second

Language) Program. The vast majority of EL students are in PRP (86%). Recent immigrants still acquiring

the language are in the ESL program. As specified below, our EL students come from diverse

backgrounds and experiences, but our overall population has decreased significantly since 2007.

English Learner Population by Home Language

Year Cantonese Korean Pilipino Spanish Vietnamese Other Total

2010-11 54 2 1 428 28 20 553

2009-10 70 2 1 579 30 25 707

2008-09 144 4 0 1322 56 66 1592

2007-08 78 0 1 767 26 30 902

2006-07 99 0 1 896 21 23 1040

Table 6: English Learners



Newly arrived students are placed in the grade level that their foreign transcripts show, per LAUSD

student placement policy. This means that some of our students are placed in the 10th or 11th grade

even though they may need a great deal of language support. Most of these students are also placed in

ESL 1A to begin their English language acquisition. These students are programmed in classes that

require little English and then are scheduled in the regular core classes once they have acquired

reasonable English language skills.

All EL students are required to take the CELDT (California English Language Development Test), which

measures each student’s proficiency in the different English language domains: listening, speaking,

reading, and writing. Lincoln’s English Language Learners CELDT data for 2009-2010 indicates that 30%

of our EL students are at the Early Advanced and Advanced in the overall CELDT scores. CELDT data also

indicates the following Early Advanced and Advanced percentages for the four language domains:

Speaking (48%), Listening (33%), Writing (25%), and Reading (17%). Preliminary data for our AMO for

CELDT annual growth for 2009-10 is 40.2%.

One of the priorities of Lincoln is to properly place EL students in order for them to reclassify as fluent

English proficient and reach proficiency in English, math, science and social studies. The table above

reflects the number of students reclassified over the last 4 years. There has been a decrease in the

number of students reclassified; however, there has also been a decrease in the number of English

learners, a number of whom are new arrivals and beginning ESL.

Lincoln High School clearly understands that the EL student population needs extra academic support:

13% of our English Learners attain proficiency in less than five years and 29.9% of our ELs attain

proficiency in 5 years or more (LAUSD provided data). We are helping low achieving EL students by

placing them in an intervention class using student test scores and the STAR Reading Assessment -

English Language Skills or Enhancing Literacy for PRP students and ESL experience for ESL 1 and 2

Lincoln High School ELs: Student Reclassification Data

Year Previous Year # EL # Reclassified % Reclassified

2009-10 796 66 8.29%

2008-09 902 112 12.42%

2007-08 1040 131 12.60%

2006-07 1146 109 9.51%

Table 7: CELDT Performance Data (includes Lincoln & LEMA) &Lincoln HS Only Reclassification Data



students. These classes are taught by their regular English class teacher. For our ESL students, we are

using the district-approved High Point Program. The school is ensuring that all teachers have their CLAD,

BCLAD, SB1969, or CTEL certification. All teachers have attended three modules of SDAIE professional

development for full implementation. Our goal for teachers is for them to provide their rigorous lessons

more comprehensible and accessible to all students, but especially to long term English Learners.

Lincoln High School is continuing with the successful implementation of the High Point curriculum in the

ESL program. These students are monitored once they transition to the PRP program or are reclassified

as fluent English proficient. As for PRP students, we are continuing with the use of research-based

scaffolding strategies that make content accessible and provide programs that will help students to be

successful students, such as AVID. These students will benefit from the conjunction of the accessible yet

rigorous core program with AVID to reach reclassification status. Tier 2 PRP students, who need the

extra support that the regular core and AVID cannot provide, will be placed in the ELS (English Language

Skills) curriculum or the Enhancing Literacy program to meet their needs. Students who require a Tier 3

intervention, the Read 180 reading program will provide them with the literacy skills that can take them

to Tier 2 or Tier 1. We are focused on supporting our ELs and their success on the CAHSEE, even after

they have reclassified as Fluent English Proficient. Although a majority of our ELs are not proficient in

ELA and math portions of the CAHSEE, 42.1% have passed the CAHSEE English and 51.1% have passed in

math. 87.1% of our RFEPs have passed the ELA portion of the CAHSEE and 88.6% have passed in math.

Our goal is to have all students reach proficiency in English and math, and these small gains in passing

rates provide an initial benchmark of our growth.

Table 8: ELs and RFEPs - CAHSEE Scores



Students with Disabilities

Lincoln High School provides a comprehensive array of special education programs and services in

accordance to state and District guidelines to accommodate our 225 students with disabilities. Lincoln

has programs for students with Specific Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation and Emotional

Disturbance. Itinerant Personnel provide Adaptive Physical Education (APE), Language and Speech

(LAS), Hard of Hearing (HOH), School Mental Health Counseling (SMH, PUC), Least Restrictive

Environment (LRE), and Low Incidence Support services. We offer Special Day Classes for students with

specific Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation (MR), and Emotional

Disturbance (ED). More specifically, we have five Special Day Classes

for students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SDP-SLD). We have two

Special Day Classes for students with Mental Retardation (SDP-MRM) in

addition to one Special Day Classes for students with Emotional

Disturbance (SDP-ED). We offer one Community Based Instruction

class for students with moderate to severe mental retardation, autism

and other disabilities (CBI) that engaged in various community trips and

activities to support post-high school life and opportunities. We also

offer our MR students a music class to provide them to access to

popular elective and an opportunity to display their talents.

Lincoln High School’s Resource Teachers and Paraprofessionals collaborate

with the general education teachers to support and meet the needs of our

students. In addition, Resource personnel provide instructional support in

all subject areas and targeted interventions in math and English in our

Learning Center. The RSP Learning Center is staffed two periods each day.

The Learning Center is equipped with a variety of technology including computers, a ”Smart Board” and

in the process of installing a computer and scanner equipped with the OCR program.

Since our last WASC Accreditation a number of programs and services have been added to assist the

needs of students with disabilities. A Bridge Coordinator is in place to assist in compliance with MCD

Targeted Strategic Plan Outcome 2, 3, 5, 7 and 13. We have developed online Special Education IEP

calendar to support the coordination and accessibility of scheduling IEPs. Professional development in

Differentiated Instruction has been the focus for the last two years with various experts from the District

to provide our teachers with professional development opportunities. We have dedicated Saturday and

afterschool PD to discuss ways to differentiate instruction for our students with special needs.

Lincoln has gone through District Validation Review during the 2009-10 school year. The review team

identified some items as non-compliant and a corrective action plan was developed to address these

needs. The Division of Special Education Compliance Department has received our documentation

supporting correction of the non-compliant items, and we are in compliance with all the corrective

actions. The Special Education Program will continue to maintain the efficiency and responsiveness to

Program # of

Teachers

# of

Students

RSP 5 153

SDP-SLD 5 89

SDP-

MRM

1 15

SDP-ED 1 5

CBI 1 9

Service # Students

LAS 15

APE 18

PUC 19

SMH 13

HOH 6

LRE 5

Table 9: Special Education Demographics



our parents and students through constant and consistent communication with parents and ongoing

support and evaluation of student needs.

Our campus has been made more accessible with fewer physical restraints, and we accommodate

students with physical disabilities in most buildings. Special education staff and students are fully

integrated into Small Learning Communities and Math Science Magnet. We endeavor to attain MCD

Targeted Strategic Plan compliance as well as making programs and facilities more accessible to all

students.

Our RSP program adopted the full integration model. Our students are clustered into the core subject

classes (English and Math) in a group of five or less. The RSP teachers and general education teachers

are matched up to deliver co-teaching model. The clustered classes are visited by the RSP teachers and

the paraprofessionals at least 2 or more times per week. The students are receiving the IEP services in

their full inclusion environment. The students’ progress is monitored by the RSP teachers, and when

more service is needed, the IEP meeting will be scheduled to address the issues.

Over the last five years, the percentage of students scoring basic and above in English Language Arts has

increased in our SWD population by 2.5% with a slight increase in math proficiency by 1.5%. Although

we were unable to make our target of 20, the API for our students with disabilities showed a significant

gain and increased by 17. SWD are still struggling with meeting benchmarks for math. Teachers have

been undergoing professional development to serve the needs of SWD in math. We have lost personnel

for SWD in math due to budgetary constraints. We have also lost a number of RSP teachers who

provided supplemental support in math classrooms.

Math, Science and Technology Magnet

The Math, Science and Technology Magnet Center at Lincoln High School is designed for students who

are curious, motivated, and interested in knowing more about the natural world. Our program

emphasizes exciting field study experiences with a rigorous varied curriculum built collaboratively by a

team of highly trained teachers that prepare students for entrance into four year colleges across the

nation. We emphasize the use of scientific methods, logical reasoning, collaborative teaching and

learning, and individual discovery.

Our Magnet Center has 226 students (grades 9-12) and is a school-within-a- school. Our population is

made up of 59% Asians, 39% Hispanics, and 2% other. Also, 75% of our students are Reclassified Fluent

English Proficient, 11% Initially Fluent English Proficient, 9% are English only, and 5% are English

Learners.

Working closely with our students and monitoring their progress, we encourage them to participate in a

variety of school activities and enroll in most of the AP courses, college extension courses, and other

services that we offer. In addition, we have developed partnerships with Occidental College, California

Institute of Technology, and Glendale Community College for the purpose of tutoring, academic



enrichment, guest lecturers, and joint research projects that provide post secondary experiences for our

students.

This year we were recognized as a Center of Merit by LAUSD, which means that 72% of the students

scored proficient/advanced in English Language Arts and 51% of the students scored

proficient/advanced in Mathematics of the California Standards test for the 2009-2010 school year.

Also, we were recognized as a Double Digit Growth Magnet Center for increasing the percent of

students scoring proficient/ advanced in Mathematics by 15% on the California Standards Test for 2009-

2010 school year.

Lincoln H.S. Math/Science/Technology Magnet Center Proficient & Advanced Students in Percentages

CST Subject 2008-09 2009-10 Difference 9th Grade ELA 66.01% 78.18% +12.17 10th Grade ELA 58.49% 69.12% +10.63 11th Grade ELA 64% 67.37% +3.34 Geometry 10.7%1 27.02% +16.31 Algebra II 46% 52.2% +6.2 HS Math 44.83% 63.38% +18.55 Life Science 51.93% 70.15% +18.22 Biology 51.06% 76.57% +25.51 Chemistry 31.42% 28.78% -2.64 Physics 68.51% 62.5% -6.01 World History 53.87% 57.87% +3.27 U.S. History 65.3% 66.67% +1.37

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2008-09 2009-10

9th Grade ELA

10th Grade ELA

11th Grade ELA

Geometry

Algebra II

HS Math

Life Science

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

World History

U.S. History

Table 10: Improvements in Magnet Figure 8: Significant Improvements in Magnet

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT Significant Changes and PSC


Significant Changes and Public School Choice

In the fall of 2009, Lincoln High School underwent a tremendous District-wide reform initiative. The

2009 Public School Choice (PSC) Resolution from the Superintendent’s Office and the LAUSD Board of

Education to address District-wide needs for Educational Quality, Community Involvement, and the

urgency to address these issues. Lincoln High School was one of the schools identified in the PSC

Initiative, and we were required to submit a proposal to operate and improve our campus that was

created by a committee of stakeholders. The Lincoln High School Focus Team consisted of students,

parents, teachers, classified personnel, and administrators who worked collaboratively over a 6 month

period to provide an academic audit, analysis of data, and commitment to developing a school-wide,

student-centered reform for the academic and behavioral success for all our students. Our Public School

Choice Proposal was approved with an additional Addendum submitted in March 2010 with the support

of the Office of the Superintendent and Local District 5. This process was extremely high stakes and

involved several meetings with our Superintendent of Schools and Local District Superintendent. If we

did not succeed, we would have faced reconstitution by the District or take over by an outside

organization.

As a result of our short timeline to begin immediate implementation and/or commencement of reform

efforts and programs, Lincoln High School has been preparing for the operational and instructional

program changes outlined in the 2009-10 Public School Choice Proposal and Addendum since the spring

of 2010. Lincoln High School has committed to these changes through ongoing professional

development with teachers since February 2010, enhanced participation in parental involvement

workshops, and ongoing data-driven decisions centered on student needs. In the PSC Proposal and

Addendum, addressing student learning needs was the primary focus of the instructional program.

Specific progress on implementation is listed in the chart below. When visiting classrooms, please note

that this is the very beginning of our PSC implementation and our progress is in evolution based on

changing student needs and data.

PSC Plan/Reforms Current Progress

Interdisciplinary Lessons Initially developed in March 2010 by SLCs, they are continuously

morphing and progressing as teachers collaborate on increasing

effectiveness and accessibility by SLC. Teachers are continuously

working on these lessons while using District curriculum and

Instructional Guides.

Project Based Learning Professional Development Planned for Fall 2010 and Spring 2011;

Science teachers began a grant supported inquiry project based

on PBL that they will share with teachers; Lincoln High School is

outsourcing for PD on Project Based Learning in Spring 2011.




Advisories In progress by SLC – Advisories are continuously being refined in

an ongoing basis to address the needs of all students.

Students are receiving academic and behavioral supports, peer to

peer tutoring, learning about our community, preparing college

applications and taking PSATs, developing portfolios, and

participating in sustained silent reading. 10th

Graders are

preparing for the CAHSEE.

Teaching in Block Schedule In progress; students have 4 classes per day plus an advisory - 8

academic classes in total. Advisory counts as 2.5 credits for the

LAUSD Life Skills requirement. Students have time to make up

missing coursework.

9th

and 10th

grade students who need intervention are provided

double block classes that meet every day in Algebra 1 and English

9 &10.

Student Led Conferences Our first Student-Led Conferences were instituted in Fall 2010 and

showed a dramatic increase in participation.

Portfolios Students are developing portfolios in core classes for student-led

conferences; some teachers are using electronic portfolios, other

teachers are using interactive journals/work folders. We are

intending to have schoolwide implementation of portfolios by the

2011-12 school year.

Data Driven Decision Making Attendance data, CSTs, API, AYP, grade analysis for IWEN

students, and CELDT/Reclassification data, are accessible and

being used by teachers, staff, and administrators to make

decisions regarding school programs and student success; faculty

and staff are using MyData and CoreK12 to make data driven

decisions; Leadership Team is engaging in Professional

Development since January 2011 to lead Data Driven Dialogue.

Participate in Data Analysis to Improve

and Adjust Instruction

Teachers are accessing and using MyData and CoreK12 to provide

instructional support to students based on data.

Parent Involvement Parent participation in workshops has increased: 7 Parenting class

sessions have been provided, 4 Parent Workshops conducted by

the Asian Pacific American Legal Center have addressed needs of

parents with diverse linguistic backgrounds and will continue in

the spring of 2011. We began monthly Zen Tea with Mr. Torres

with Chinese Interpreters. We continue to have monthly Café

Con Leche in Spanish to increase diverse parent participation.




Every SLC currently has a bilingual parent representative.

Support Student Literacy and Numeracy

Skills Across Content

In the Spring of 2010, we began providing PD in Literacy Across

Content. The development of Interdisciplinary Instruction and

Project Based Learning supports literacy and numeracy across

SLCs continues until the end of the 2010-2011 school year. In the

spring of 2011, a cohort of teachers will begin investigating the

use of writing across the curriculum and project-based learning.

Three Modules of SDAIE training was provided to all Lincoln High

Teachers during the fall of 2010. Support for this work will

continue in the Spring of 2011.

Teaching the Intended Curriculum Teachers are working on refining the Interdisciplinary Lessons and

their connections to District Curriculum, Periodic Assessments,

and department assessments. This is an ongoing process.

Participation in Student Intervention

Programs

Students are provided Tier II and III intervention and enrichment

programs during the school day through the ALEKS program for

math, ELS and Read 180 for English, and Agile Mind for Biology.

We provide schoolwide support for success on the CAHSEE and

CSTs during advisories. Students in 11th

and 12th

who did not pass

the CAHSEE are enrolled in a 30 hour CAHSEE intervention

program from February to March in order to pass the CAHSEE.

RTI2 Tier I Interventions/SDAIE Ongoing professional development in RTI

2 and SDAIE since the

spring of 2010. Teachers attended 3 Modules of Professional

Development specifically for Tier-I instruction to address the

needs of English Learners.

Increased Student Involvement Student involvement has increased significantly. Aside from our

Associated Student Body and Senior Class Officers, we also have

leadership councils for each SLC and Magnet. Students engage in

twice monthly Tiger Talk meetings with Mr. Torres regarding

events or concerns at Lincoln High. Students have also

participated in governing and decision making bodies including

the PSC Process Committees, Legislature, and School Site Council.



Category A: Significant Changes in Organization

There have been several structural changes in organization since the last WASC visit in 2008. We have

had a change in leadership with Jose Torres as our new principal. In addition to Mr. Torres, two of the

four Assistant Principals are new at Lincoln High School since the last WASC in 2008. We have also

gained and lost out-of-classroom certificated personnel, and we hired more counselors to serve the

needs of students in each SLC. We have a new UTLA Representative and new members to the school’s

Legislature and School Site Council.

In order to support a college and career ready culture for all students, we implemented our instructional

changes immediately on August 16, 2010 with our early start calendar and the 2 x 8 Block Schedule. The

84 minute class periods are providing students with more time to engage in active learning, longer

instructional periods to engage in experiments and projects, and more time to utilize the SDAIE

strategies and access methodologies to address the needs of English Learners. The 8 classes per

semester are allowing students to participate in more elective offerings and make up any missing

credits. Students in Algebra I, and students in English 9 and 10, are provided with double classes that

meet every day to provide intervention and enrichment. The new block schedule also includes a double

lunch, which allows enough time for all students to get proper meals during the school day. With the

new lunch schedule and all students’ access to a free lunch without a ticket, the cafeteria serves

approximately 1800 meals every day, which is almost double the number of meals served last year. Also,

the double lunch provides time for advisories and has greatly reduced student discipline concerns during

lunch.

Since August 16, the decentralization of operations and school services by SLC has greatly improved the

level of personalization that we can provide to students. All SLCs and their respective lead teachers,

counselors, administrators, parent representatives currently support their own cumulative files, student

attendance issues, parent conferences, SLC concerns, thematic programs, and partnerships. Included in

this increase level of personalization is the emerging advisory program. Lincoln High School students are

now enrolled in an advisory class distributed by SLC and grade level that meets each day to support and

enhance student self-reflection of learning and success, to engage students in developing academic and

behavioral skills for college and career mindsets, and to provide consistent personalization and

intervention within SLCs. Students are prepared for A-G requirements career readiness in their SLC

specific advisory class and will begin developing their portfolios for Parent Conference Night. The

personalization in advisories by SLC is the social-behavioral support structure to increase the graduation

rate and decrease the dropout rate for students in need of progress monitoring.

Changes in Organization and Economic Reality

Since the last WASC visit, several changes have occurred on our campus that have affected our

operational structure and ability to fully support all systems currently in place. The most direct catalyst

to our instructional program and operations has been severe cuts to our budget. We underwent many

personnel cuts during the last three years and have lost a large number of positions, including both

classified and certificated staff. Changes in staffing have included the lost of 2 administrative positions,

2 cafeteria staff members, 10 clerks, and five custodians. As a result, many of our programs and some of



our day-to-day operations have been greatly affected. We also had a decrease in staff members and

students and had to collapse one of our SLCs after the creation of the Pilot School. Since our last WASC

visit, we have lost a Diploma Project Advisor, a School Improvement Facilitator, a Problem Solving Data

Coach, a Math Coach, and converted our Literacy Coach to a Title-III Coach to support the needs of

English Learners.

Pilot School: LEMA

During the Public School Choice Resolution, a number of teachers from our main campus developed a

proposal for a 9-12 Pilot School that was accepted by LAUSD. LEMA, Leadership in Entertainment and

Media Arts Pilot School opened in the fall of 2010 with 450 students mostly from the Lincoln attendance

area and 22 teachers, 8 of whom were teachers from Lincoln High School, and its own Principal. LEMA

has its autonomy through the Pilot Schools Program and Local District 5, and its district code is separate

from our location code. LEMA is in the process of gaining accreditation through WASC, and its data for

the 2009-10 school is combined with our data. We have joint usage of a number of common facilities on

campus including the auditorium, gym and fitness areas, student lockers, faculty parking, library, and the

student cafeteria. LEMA and Lincoln High School share a bell schedule and early start calendar in order

to run operations during the day. The Lincoln High School Principal and the LEMA Principal meet weekly

with our Local District 5 Director to discuss any pertinent issues or concerns that affect both campuses.

See the appendix for LEMA WASC initial documentation that was submitted previously directly to WASC.

Category B: Significant Changes in Standards-Based Student Learning – Curriculum

Increasing our student proficiency in core subjects and school API is central to our instructional focus.

Literacy and numeracy remain as the core elements to our curriculum, and we continue to support the

building of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum with standards-based interdisciplinary

lessons and project based learning. We also utilize District curriculum, resources and assessments to

support our academic development and curricular focus. To address the instructional focus, Lincoln High

teachers have participated in ongoing professional development that is focused on the guiding question:



What does high-quality classroom instruction look like? during the 2009-10 school year on Saturdays as

they prepared the interdisciplinary lessons. In addition, our Instructional Leadership Council (ILC)

participated each month in a dialogue around this essential question using the Problem Solving Model.

In our PSC Addendum, we had outlined our implementation and PD for the 2010 school year to improve

our student achievement (figure 1). Lincoln High School is focused on providing quality first instruction

with a rigorous standards-based curriculum. In addition, we believe that students should be provided

access to the curriculum with SDAIE, access methodologies, and in-school interventions to support the

needs of all diverse learners. Since the development of the PSC Plan, we have trained teachers and

implemented Advisories, SDAIE Module I training for Access Methodologies, started an AVID Program,

began using Accelerated Reader and the STAR Reading Program, prepared ongoing Interdisciplinary

Lessons in our SLCs, trained teachers on MyData and using data to inform instruction, identified and

placed students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, and reflected on our progress as a group.

Furthermore, every Tuesday has an allotment of 75 minutes of professional development time for

teachers for collaboration and learning around the PSC initiatives and WASC recommendations, as well

as common planning time by content areas and in SLCs.

Our Accountability Matrix stated that we would increase our API by 25+ next year, and 50+ within two

years while meeting growth targets school wide and for all subgroups. The aforementioned research-

based instructional reforms that we are implementing were selected specifically to address those needs.

Our planned implementation of interdisciplinary lessons and project-based learning are specific

strategies with through core-content curricula to address student needs for rigorous cross-curricular

connections and engagement in core content while providing support to our English Learners.

Utilization of RTI2 Tier I interventions (SDAIE) instructional access methodologies is primarily to provide

universal access to core District approved standards-based curriculum to all learners, and more

specifically our ELs and students with disabilities.

Category C: Significant Changes in Standards-Based Student Learning - Instruction

Lincoln High School’s reform efforts committed to an unwavering focus on academic achievement

through professional development and the reinforcement of content, instruction, and student supports

in both daily instruction and schoolwide teacher collaboration. Teachers have been working on

developing rigorous interdisciplinary lessons, developing advisories and portfolios, learning various Tier

2 access methodologies and SDAIE strategies, and using student data to inform instruction and assess

student learning.

In order to support quality instruction in the classroom, Lincoln High School teachers have been

participating in developing strengths in content areas by attending content specific professional

development and refining the interdisciplinary lessons to provide rigorous learning experiences that are

project-based and engaging. This is an ongoing process for our first year, as we refine our skills in

engaging students in interdisciplinary instruction with collaborative groupings, academic dialogues, and

access methodologies for all learners. Teachers are adjusting to the block schedule and are developing

their instruction to provide academically engaged time for the duration of the 84 minute block. We are



also beginning to utilize student portfolios and interactive journals to support students’ monitoring of

their progress. We are in the beginning stages of this development and are encouraging all teachers to

use portfolios and interactive journals as we finish this school year and progress into the next. This will

support our student-led conferencing, and we are ensuring that all students will be able to articulate

and address their learning needs and the curriculum in terms of both academic and behavioral

expectations by the end of the school year.

Our professional development plans for the school year explicitly reinforce the PSC initiatives, WASC

recommendations, and our accountability matrix with high academic achievement as the end goal. At

Lincoln High School, a culture of collaboration is emerging from the implementation of our PSC plan.

We have been focusing on strengthening our content area instruction, collaborating by SLCs for

interdisciplinary lessons and advisories, and continuing schoolwide professional development in SDAIE,

MyData implementation, and RTI2. Teachers have also been provided professional development and

access to programs that provide support and formative assessment data such as STAR Reading

programs, Accelerated Reader, ALEKS, and Agile Mind. Continuing in the spring of 2011, we will be

looking for outside professional development providers to assist us in strengthening our understanding

and implementation of interdisciplinary lessons and project based learning.

The culture of learning is growing and evolving at Lincoln High School, as students are provided with

more personalization in advisories and an explicit focus on a college and career ready learning

environment. Since the 2008 WASC visit, our SLCs are more personalized and theme-based, and

students are supported throughout their instructional program by their 2 SLC counselors per SLC and

SLC specific teachers and advisories. Teachers are more focused on providing a college-bound culture

with career-ready options for all students by SLC theme. For instance, Lincoln High School had a college

preparedness day in which 9th graders took a practice PSAT, 10th and 11th graders all took the PSAT, and

12th graders went online and commenced their college application process. SLCs are also working

specifically with partnerships to provide theme-based personalization for all students in their

instructional program. Two examples of this can be found in the Humanitas and SGS SLCs. For instance,

Humanitas is partnered with LA Artlab to develop and curate shows and events at galleries and

museums in Los Angeles. Science for Global Solutions is partnered with Cal State LA to provide

undergraduate level science labs to our students on Saturdays in biology, chemistry, and physics. With

the flexibility of the new block schedule, we are also providing more engaging electives to students such

as Robotics and Music that can support their learning in core content areas and increase their academic

achievement.

Category D: Significant Changes in Standards-Based Student Learning - Assessment and

Accountability

Data-driven decision-making is an important facet to our reform efforts at Lincoln High School. We have

committed to using formal and informal assessments, formative and summative data, and observational

and empirical data to support our work. A majority of teachers have been trained in MyData and

CoreK12 and have used the program to research and identify student areas of need. The school is using

attendance data to identify students who need positive behavioral support and students who are



chronically tardy or truant to class. Also, students who are in need of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 intervention

support are continuously monitored by support staff and administrators. Teachers have been initially

trained in the Problem Solving Process during the 2009-10 year and our SLCs are using it in varying

degrees to support their reflections on current practice, some in more novice forms while others are

using it more confidently.

Lincoln High School is committed to the academic and behavioral success of our students, and the

implementation of our plan continues to evolve with changing data and factors stemming from ongoing

student needs. As we continue to participate in the ongoing PSC School Review process, we will

continue to reflect on our strengths and build on our areas needing growth and support using data-

driven decision making to support the needs of all students and diverse learners.

Category E: School Culture and Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth

Title-One Allocations

One hundred percent of Lincoln High School students receive free lunch and Abraham Lincoln is school-

wide Title One program. The purpose of the Title One is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and

significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on

challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. Our goal for Title-

One is to address that purpose effectively and efficiently to meet the academic needs of all of our

students. To improve student achievement, Abraham Lincoln High School allocates Title One funds to

class size reduction by funding eleven classroom teachers in core content areas: (3) Math, (3) English, (1)

Science, (2) History, (1) Foreign Language. We also further support student achievement by providing

an academic counselor and four teacher assistants for the 2010 – 2011 academic school year. To further

improve student achievement, Title One categorical funding also supports before and after school

tutoring programs in core content areas and ensures the Computer Lab and Library are open for student

use before and after school.

Through the Title-One funding allocations, Lincoln High School has a number of intervention programs

designed to identify and support students who clearly need additional academic support to ensure their

success in high school and ensure that they are college and career-ready. Title One academic supports

include: AVID, PSA Counselor and PSW Counselor. We include funding for a Bridge Coordinator who

supports the instructional program and compliance involved in working with students with disabilities as

highlighted in the school and community profile. The Bridge Coordinator at Lincoln High School ensures

appropriate learning structures, access to methodologies, and intervention curriculum is provided to all

students with special needs as specified in their IEP.

We believe curricular trips provide hands-on opportunities for real life experiences. These trips allow for

students to increase content knowledge, vocabulary and provide firsthand experience that is linked to

curricular learning, and provide cultural capital that is essential for project based learning and

interdisciplinary learning. Students in all SLCs at Lincoln have had field trips such as the Los Angeles

County Museum of Art, Getty Museum, Huntington Library, California Science Center and Museum of

Latin American Art. These trips have been made possible by the support of Title One funds.



There is a need for further professional development in the use of technology for teachers. This

academic school year, we have offered a variety of technology workshops for example: Easy Grade Pro,

Google Earth in Education, Creating an Online Presence using the LHS Website, Creating Technology

Lesson Plans using Power Point and Creating Online Courses with Moodle. We have facilitated a couple

of professional development opportunities on My Data, the District’s online data base where teachers

can access student information, test scores and grades. During these professional development

opportunities, teachers were trained on how to access the online information and also given an

opportunity to analyze the data using relevant information from their own classes.

Parent Involvement

Our goal at Abraham Lincoln High School is to reach out to parents and forge alliances for sustaining

meaningful relationships. We believe parental involvement leads to increased student achievement,

improved behavior and increased likelihood for graduation. The school has sought to increase

communication between itself and all of its stakeholders, including regularly scheduled parent seminars

at which the principal is in attendance, and telephone calls through Connect-Ed to all parents to inform

them of school events and concerns. In addition, information is available on the school website, which

is updated on a daily basis. Parents are also informed of student performance data through mail,

newsletters, and school bulletins. Notes from the School Site Council meetings are now available on the

website.

Also, the following programs have been implemented to build a strong foundation for family, school,

and community engagement: Café con Leche –informal monthly meeting with Principal Torres and

parents / community members, Zen Tea with Principal Torres - informal monthly meeting with Principal

Torres and Asian parents / community members, and Tiger Talk- bi-monthly meeting with student

leaders from each SLC to discuss school events and issues. Parents are invited to informal conversations

with the principal, two parent conference nights during the school year, open house and back to school

night, School Site Council, ELAC and CEAC monthly meetings, and parent workshops in alliance with the

Asian Pacific American Legal Center. CEAC is composed of parents of Title 1 students. Their role is to

support the school and work cooperatively to increase academic achievement. Parents have the

opportunity to participate in the design and implementation of the program through activities such as

developing a parent policy, home-school compacts, parent training, and volunteer participation in

school activities. Parents are also invited to an annual Parent Conference, which is a professional

development session to inform parents about curriculum and instruction at the school, increase

community involvement, provide information on how to support student learning at home, and increase

parent access to college and career resources for their children. All of the above represent significant

positive steps forward in the recommended areas of growth.

To increase parent participation, a Parent Center was established and full-time Parent Resource Liaison

was allocated. We believe parents should feel valued and respected when they visit Lincoln High School.

The Parent Liaison assists parents when they arrive to campus. Parents have easy access to the Parent

Center since it is located at the main entrance of the school. At the end of each visit, parents are asked

to complete a survey on their experience. This feedback is used to adjust staff practices. Four



community representatives (one for each small learning community) serve as liaisons between the

classroom teacher and parents. Community Representatives participate in school related activities

including parent trainings and workshops, calls to families for counselors and teachers in the home

language, and support for the annual parent conference. Parent representatives provide a personalized

approach to increase parent involvement.

Our Parent Resource Liaison provides support to the Parent Center by facilitating programs for parents

that include parenting classes, early childhood education, children’s health and assistance in finding

helpful services in the community. We are in the process of refining a resource center in the Parent

Center with parenting books and other informative material regarding responsible parenting and

education with easy access to borrow the materials. The Parent Resource Liaison conducts two monthly

meetings and arranges for parent volunteers.

Articulation in ninth grade is critical to student success in high school. The potential of losing focus is

greater in the 9th grade when students feel they are entering into a larger sometimes seemingly less

caring environment, which ultimately impacts how students will succeed in high school. This year, an

Articulation Event was coordinated at Lincoln High School to provide incoming freshmen and their

parents an opportunity to tour the campus, learn historic information about Abraham Lincoln High

School and school personnel presented academic information. This event helped create a mutual

understanding of curriculum expectations and high school graduation requirements. Parents usually

leave with a better understanding of how to prepare their children for a high school diploma and

provide a supportive structure at home.

College-Bound Culture

Lincoln High School college-going culture is supported through a strong collaboration between College

Office, GEAR UP Program, and Counseling staff. We conduct weekly meetings to discuss the counseling

services and needs for our students. Students in advisory are provided information on colleges by their

counselors and advisory teachers, and counselors wear collegiate pride shirts each Thursday. Evidence

of our growing college bound culture can be seen in the increased numbers of students taking the SAT.

Among the students in the class of 2010, 136 students took the SAT, and in the class of 2011, that

number rose to 238. We are aiming to increase these numbers by 2012. Since this past fall, we

provided all sophomores and juniors with the PSAT exam. We have also begun to track the success of

students heading to college and career options. We are building our program in order to encourage

more students to apply and enroll at 4 year universities.

Class of 2010

University of California 46

Private/Specialty Schools 17

California State University 90

Community College 264

East LA Skills Center 1

Military 8

Independent College 7



Students in the Gear-Up Program, along with other students at Lincoln High School in conjunction with

the College Office, have had an opportunity to participate in the Jaime Escalante Math Program/

Recovery Credit classes, Individual Graduation Plan Counseling , college field trips (UCLA, USC, CSUN,

CSULA, Cal Poly Pomona, CSU Fullerton, Occidental, UC Irvine, Pepperdine University, Mt. St. Mary’s,

ELAC, LACC, GCC, Moorpark CC), ELAC college courses (Engineering & Technology Dept/Robotics course,

Eng Graphics & Design; ELAC Photo, Child Develop, Academic Prep for English),SAT Prep classes –

Princeton Review classes (Spring and Fall); YNCC-Elite Program, 3 day trip in CA (UCSB, UCB, Cal Poly San

Luis Obispo, Stanford, CSU Monterey, CSUSF) , College Workshops (UC, CSU, CC app; Pre-FAFSA,

Financial Aid/FAFSA app, AB540 students meeting), and Parent/Student Financial Aid Workshops.

College Representatives are available to all students and visit frequently from CSUN, CSULA, Mount Saint

Mary’s, Occidental College, Occidental Upward Bound, TELACU Upward Bound, Santa Monica College,

ELAC, East Los Angeles Skills Center, and Wilson/Lincoln Adult School. Students are provided access to

scholarship information; “Pot-of-Gold” posted online, AB540 scholarship lists, and FAFSA workshops.

During the 2009-10 school year, students at Lincoln received educational enrichment from UCLA Theatre

and pre-workshops through a production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Project Higher Learning III(PHL): A GEAR UP Grant Program

Project Higher Learning III: A GEAR UP Grant Program’s mission statement is to prepare students to

succeed academically in middle and high schools in order to gain admittance to and successfully

complete a program of higher learning in college, at university, or at some other institution of

postsecondary education. Project Higher Learning is a comprehensive program intended to create

systemic change at its participating schools.

At Lincoln High School, a cohort graduating class of 2011 students began the GEAR UP program in fall

2007. The grant follows these students through graduation from high school and final preparation for

post-secondary education. The program components are organically related to its central goal: GEAR UP

students will succeed academically, graduate from high school, enter and succeed in college. The

program components such as college and career awareness, academic achievement, counseling

services, mentoring, and parent programs lay the foundation for four years of high school in preparation

for life beyond high school graduation. With the collaboration of school staff, the GEAR UP program

delivers its services and needs built on previous year’s knowledge and awareness, creating college-going

culture at the school.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)

AVID started in the fall of 2010 as a pilot program with 24 Humanitas SLC 9th grade students. Students

from Nightingale and El Sereno Middle Schools applied and were selected according to AVID selection

guidelines. AVID is an elementary through postsecondary college readiness system, designed to

increase school wide learning and performance. The AVID system provides exceptional professional

development incorporating proven teaching methodologies and on-going support for educators to



create structured learning environments that motivate students to think, comprehend and thrive inside

the school system. AVID is acceleration of student learning, not remediation; AVID is research-based

with proven results of student success; AVID is catalyst for systemic reform and change by reaching all

students through school wide and district wide AVID.

AVID has been around for 30 years and its recently revised mission statement reflect more recent work.

AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and

success in a global society. AVID teachers believe that if educators hold students to high standards, they

will rise to the challenge. Our selected AVID Elective teacher, collaborates with English, Math, Science,

History teachers along with a counselor, coordinator and administrator support. They are trained in

AVID methods and strategies to work with AVID students from 9th through 12th grade years. AVID student

s possesses “Individual Determination “and the desire to succeed in high school and to go onto college.

Next year, AVID will expand to other 9th graders in SLCs while the first Humanitas AVID group continues

to 10th grade.

Athletics

To support our college-bound and career ready culture, the Lincoln High School Athletics Program

underwent radical changes this school year. Sports were moved from the last period of the day to after

school; coaches and the athletic director reapplied for their positions. All coaching and athletic positions

were advertised within the community, and we adopted The Mission 3.0.

Providing sports programs after school has made a dramatic impact in the academic focus of students in

athletic teams. In the past, several of our coaches were also PE teachers and were busy coaching during

the last period of the day. This forced us to not be able to offer PE for students during the last period

and created large PE classes during the other periods. Some students could not take certain classes that

were only offered at the end of the day because of their participation in sports programs. Also, many of

the students who participated in sports were found wandering around campus once their season was

over and were not provided academic direction. The move of athletic programs after school has allowed

us to have smaller PE classes. Students are not restricted as to when to take the classes they need and

are provided more opportunities to take electives. Once the season is over, students continue to receive

academic instruction for the rest of the semester.

Our next change was to revamp the coaching and athletic staff. All coaches and the athletic director

reapplied for their positions. Our current administration has been at Lincoln HS for no more than 4

years. Our Athletic Director has been in this position for the last 30 years. Several of our coaches have

been coaching for 5 or more years. By making all current staff apply for their position, it gave us the

opportunity to hear their plans, goals and philosophy about the sport they coached. It also gave us the

opportunity to share with them our goals and philosophy about Lincoln’s athletic program. In this

manner, we were able to build anew with more norms and a more collaborative process that would

benefit our students. As a result, students were developing success in both the academic programs and

the athletic programs.



Unlike previous practices, we advertised these coaching positions in the community. By giving the

opportunity for members of the community to get involved in our athletics program, we showed that

we were looking for the best candidate to work with our student-athletes and truly welcomed an open

door to the primary support network of our students. It did not matter if they were staff or community

members as long as we shared our common goal: student success.

Mission 3.0 is our pilot program for our current JV football team that is true to the concept of Student-

Athlete. Pioneered by our JV Football Coach, our JV students are expected to maintain an average of 3.0

for the team. They have high expectations for behavior, and during the football season, were staying

afterschool to finish their studies after football practice for the day. Each student in the program had a

weekly progress report and high expectations from parents, teachers, and the coaches for their

academic work and in-school and out-of-school behaviors. During the 2011-12 school year, we will be

adapting this program for our Varsity Team.

EduCare Foundation

In previous years, our Beyond the Bell Afterschool Programs provider was Youth Services. This changed

during the 2009-10 school year, and many significant changes have taken place since in order to

increase student participation afterschool. The EduCare goal is to collaborate with Abraham Lincoln

High School staff and students and facilitate after school programs that will focus on academic

enrichment, mentoring, recreational activities, character education, supplemental education services,

community service, activities to promote youth leadership, and parental involvement, among the

programs EduCare offers. The after school culture at Lincoln High School is alive and growing with the

help of Lincoln staff, students, and EduCare staff. EduCare strives to promote and create new and

existing after school programs that not only provide academic support but also attract students to

become dedicated and consistent to the program of their choice. There are always a variety of new and

exciting after school activities for all Lincoln High School students. We believe in giving students power

to make changes and we take suggestions from students to ensure that we provide activities that they

want.

After-School Programs Special Events

Academic Decathlon Bloomfield Camping Trips (I & II)

Beginning Music Drill Team Competitions

Body Conditioning Health & Bi-Cultural Fair

CAHSEE Preparation-English Lincoln High School Prom

CAHSEE Preparation-Math Lincoln High School Talent Show

Cheer Fundamentals Matriculation

Choir/Glee Club Once On This Island (play)

Drill Team Paramount Studios (Culminating Event)

Drum Line/Flags Panorama Music Festival Competition

ESL Intervention SLC Fair

Fitness First Take Action Leadership Campaign

Graphic Design Track Banquet

Guitar USC College Tour

Hip-Hop

Leadership Institute

Marching Band

Ping Pong Club

Revolution SAT Prep Workshop

Science Bowl

Special Ed Intervention-English

Special Ed Intervention-Math

Stage Craft

Volleyball Fundamentals

Wind Ensemble



EduCare also provides two very essential programs to the Lincoln High School student community: the

ACE Program and TOT I & II (Training of Trainers Workshops – Take Action Leadership Campaign). The

Achievement and Commitment to Excellence (ACE) Program is a comprehensive student success, youth

empowerment, and character-building program focusing on: Character Development, Personal

Management, Emotional Intelligence, and Interpersonal Skills. The ACE program is three day character

building retreat designed to assist youth in creating more successful and constructive lives. Focus area

include conflict resolution, service learning, staff development, parent and family involvement, and

classroom curriculum. During the 2009-10 school year, we had two successful ACE programs at Lincoln

High. During the 2010-11 school year, we were able to add another two programs for our specifically

identified students. The Take Action Leadership Campaign engages students in intensive Leadership

training and share best practices to make their after-school program a better program. The goal of the

program is that all students involved will become student leaders at their school. The Take Action

Leadership Campaign Program is based on the successful student “ownership – leadership” model which

Beyond the Bell successfully implemented at selected high schools. Skills gained at camping trips include

team building, problem solving, decision making, planning, self-reliance and leadership.

Support services: Psychiatric Social Worker, School Psychologist, Nurse, PSA, and Healthy Start

Coordinator/St. John’s Clinic Partnership

In these difficult economic times, we have made some observations about the emotional and mental

health of our students, including an increase in students needing emotional support. There have been

approximately 12 suicide assessments conducted by the PSW from August 2010-December 2010.

Approximately 8 of those assessments resulted in the Psychiatric Mobile Response Team being called

and those students being psychiatrically hospitalized for a 72 hour hold. There has been 1 suicide

attempt on our campus from August 2010 to December 2010. There have been approximately 13 crisis

intervention incidents handled by the PSW between August 2010 and December 2010. Those incidents

have been classified as either threat assessments, suicide assessments, or the death of students.

Support services are provided by the Crisis Response Team which includes the APSCS, Psychiatric Social

Worker (PSW), School Psychologist, Healthy Start Coordinator, PSA, a Counselor, Dean, and School

Nurse. Crisis Response/Intervention Team evaluates situational and emotional crisis being faced by our

students. They secure immediate interventions to help students and/or staff, manage sudden trauma

and its aftermath, and assist students and/or staff in restoring and maintaining an optimal learning

environment.

Aside from the Crisis Team, individual counseling is provided for identified students, presenting mental

health concerns or psychological concerns that are impacting their learning. Family Intervention is

available from the PSW to engage parents/guardians in the educational process of their son/daughter,

and to remove barriers to learning such as students dealing with family issues in the areas of addiction,

serious mental illness, family violence, depression, and child abuse. Our PSW assists with coordinating

appropriate resources and referrals to community agencies, such as the Department of Children and

Family Services, Amanecer Community Counseling Center, Asian Pacific Counseling Center and



Hathaway Children and Family Services to respond to the needs of our students. Evidence-Based

Trauma Focused Counseling Groups are available to help students who have been negatively impacted

by trauma/violence in their lives and/or in the community by using the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention

for Trauma in School (CBITS) evidence-based model.

Our support services staff provides program support and assist with development of programs such as

Positive Discipline Plans, Lincoln’s Safety Collaborative; SST (Student Success Team), C.o.S.T.

(Coordination of Services Team). The CoST analyzes data, including office referrals, attendance, truancy

reports, and student achievement, to make decisions about supports provided to a student, how their

needs may be met, and which programs or support personnel can provide those services. CoST serves as

a safety net that is designed to match supports directly to student needs to reengage them in learning.

CoST serves approximately 100 students each year with evidence kept in confidential binders.

Lincoln High School’s support services staff members also provide mental health consultation to teacher

and staff within an individual basis, or during in-service trainings on a variety of topics ranging from,

crisis intervention, child abuse, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, Threat Assessment and other

social-emotional issues affecting adolescents. As integral members of the school community, they are

consistently providing the emotional and behavioral support to provide students with a healthy outlook

for academic success.

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT Implementation of Action Plan


Implementation of the School Wide Action Plan

The academic achievement of students is the top priority at Lincoln High School. To reach the goals that

we established since the last WASC visit, the administration, faculty, governance body, and all

stakeholders meet yearly to ensure the Single Plan for Student Achievement is based on a long-range

planning process to help students meet district, state, and federal benchmarks for achievement while

maintaining goals for college and career ready success. The implementation of the schoolwide action

plan has taken many forms during the last three years, and our progress has been greatly affected by

Public School Choice. Our progress and decisions since spring of 2010 weaves the recommendations of

WASC with the District expectations of Public School Choice.

During the 2008-09 school year, the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) served as the primary

document along with the recommendations from the WASC Visiting Committee Report. It was created

to address the critical needs and areas of follow-up suggested by the WASC committee. From 2008-10,

the SPSA was also called the High Priority Action Plan that addressed these needs through department,

SLC, and schoolwide professional development. Weekly meetings by school administration and the

leadership team and monthly meetings of the School Site Council and Legislature were held to ensure

the implementation, monitoring, and review of the school’s goals, mission and vision, and action plan. In

2009, as part of the LAUSD’s Board Resolution for Public School Choice, Lincoln went through a

voluntary, rigorous schoolwide process of analyzing student performance data, setting priorities for

reforms, creating rigorous use of effective solutions, and establishing ongoing monitoring of results.

Once the final Proposal and Addendum were accepted, this became our PSC Plan transitioned into our

2010-11 Single Plan for Student Achievement. The plan sets targets for guiding the actions and

resources of the school to improve student achievement in accordance with State and Federal

guidelines. The monitoring of our progress has been led by the Administrative Leadership Team, the SLC

Leads, and our Support Staff. Legislature has created committees to address the concerns of parents,

students, and staff members with ongoing changes and issues with scheduling and logistics. As a result

are confident in stating implementation of our Public School Choice Plan and our WASC Action Plans are

monitored by and communicated to all stakeholders.

The Office of the Superintendent is closely monitoring our progress on the Public School Choice Plan

with ongoing reviews since last year. We are participating in reviews from Central and the District in

order to show effective and efficient progress on the implementation of our PSC Plan.

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT WASC Recommendations 2008


WASC Recommendations from 2008

2008 Schoolwide Critical Areas for Follow-Up: Summary of progress. While Lincoln High School is still

working on fully implementing all of the recommendations of the WASC 2008 committee, important

strides have been made as indicated below.

1. All staff needs training in how to access the student data at the site, how to interpret the data, and

how to use the data to inform and adjust instruction.

Since our last WASC visit, there have been several improvements in the areas of data accessibility and

data analysis. Lincoln High School followed the WASC recommendations by hiring a Data Coach to

collect and assist in the meaningful interpretation of data. Although the budget crisis in California has

interfered, and the position no longer exists, the awareness of data and commitment to utilizing it

effectively remains. During the spring of 2010, all staff members were provided with training on how to

use MyData and analyze the data using the RTI2 problem solving model. Teachers were given an

opportunity to interact with the data in the professional development by finding information for their

own students and accessing class and individual student reports. The RTI2 professional development

sessions during the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010 were focused on building consensus and initiated

conversations on using data to inform instruction. Teachers in SLCs were also provided with schoolwide

data during professional development and allotted time to go over the CST, API and AYP data and

disaggregated subgroup data of students in their SLC who were ELs and SWD. During the 2009-10

school year during ILC meetings, the Instructional Leadership Council learned to use the RTI2 problem

solving model to inform and adjust instruction. In the fall of 2010, LAUSD introduced CoreK12 to

provide teachers with easy access to Periodic Assessment Data and progress monitoring data on their

students. All administrators and the leadership team received training directly from Local District 5 for

CoreK12. Teachers in core subject areas received a preliminary training on CoreK12 at the end of

December and are now able to access students’ strengths and weaknesses to refine instruction. Core

departments such as English and Math regularly discuss the data available to them on MyData and

CoreK12 and research ways to apply this data to affect instruction in their classrooms.

We have spent the last two years analyzing data in order to inform our PSC plan writing and have found

several things that are successful for all students while also providing programs that serve only a small

population of students who need more targeted assistance. Through surveys of parents, students,

teachers, and the community, we discovered several important things about our numerous programs

including a need for more parent classes. Due to parental feedback, we are offering more technology-

education classes and workshops, as well as workshops based on educating parents in the requirements

of high school and engaging them in providing support for their children in the academic rigors of high

school. Our data has shown that attendance at after school and before school programs that offer

credit or enrichment (i.e. music, band, dance, etc.) is higher and the attendance of independent study.

With the assistance of the RTI2 Problem Solving Model and implementation of data-driven programs, we

are now able to offer a more personalized, focused approach for students who are at-risk for dropping

out and failing through our teams of teachers and counselors that are based within SLCs. We are



focusing our data research to apply to our professional development via departments and our grade-

level teams that are building common assessments and focus standards, as well as applying various

strategies within core classes. Within Departments, teachers have spent time collaborating is discussions

of how to utilize this data in their classrooms able to better monitor and evaluate the impact of different

teaching strategies.

2. Develop a mechanism for data analysis to include sufficient time to collaborate, plan, implement,

monitor, and evaluate the effect of initiatives on student learning and performance on pre-identified

indicators so that the most productive programs or program elements can be strengthened and

replicated.

Accountability and assessment has become a central issue with the recent scrutiny on education with

the introduction of value-added teaching, more emphasis on standardized tests, and the release of the

controversial documentary, Waiting for Superman. We continue to be drawn back to answering the

question, “Are students learning?” and what evidence exists to show it. It is a daunting task at Lincoln

High School as many students entering the high school level far are below basic in reading and math.

Despite our challenges, we continue to make strides in using a variety of methods of assessment and

holding students accountable.

The SLCs are also currently the main mechanism for data analysis. Each SLC has been engaged in looking

at MyData and CoreK12 to develop and analyze the success of their SLC specific programs and

interventions. This occurred during Professional Development on Tuesdays and on Saturdays during

specially developed PD sessions. MyData provides specific information available about our students in

all categories, including test scores, CST and CAHSEE, as well as specific information about the types of

questions missed and a composite of school wide and individual student data. We have had two

professional development Saturday trainings on using the MyData tool, including how to specific target

a select number of students as well as looking specifically at our advisory students and their needs. This

year, for the first time, we also administered the STAR diagnostic test at the beginning of the school year

schoolwide to create a benchmark of our students’ reading levels. We intend to reevaluate

improvement at the end of the year. Read 180 has proven to be successful for the lower-end of the

student body. Teachers may also use CoreK12 to provide data on the periodic assessments. We also

implemented and trained a number of teachers in Accelerated Reader, where students read books

based on their reading level and subsequently take assessments with real-time feedback to record

comprehension. This data directly affects the interdisciplinary lesson planning process and the

development of SDAIE access methodologies in the classroom. Teachers are also using the common

planning time provided on Tuesdays in their SLCs to plan instruction and design interdisciplinary lessons

based on the needs of students.

Lincoln High School is also using the RTI2 problem solving model and RTI2 standard protocols to

collaborate, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate the effect of initiatives on student learning and

performance. Since we were a Cohort I RTI2 school, we are still learning how to effectively use RTI as a



mechanism for data analysis and data-driven decision making. The RTI2 School Based Leadership Team

has been attending professional development for two years to learn how to effectively use RTI2 to make

data driven decisions centered on students and their academic and behavioral needs. For instance, the

SBLT used the STAR Reading test to place assess all students reading below 4th grade in an appropriate

reading intervention. The SBLT also used CAHSEE Diagnostic data and CST data to place 10th grade

students in intervention for the CAHSEE. This newly formed capacity of using data for decision-making

will be transferred to other leaders at the site (Lead Teachers and Content Leads) and eventually to

teachers at Lincoln High School. The Leadership Team has already begun making student intervention

decisions for both academic and behavioral interventions using data: enrolling students in double block

ELA and Math classes, selecting students for CAHSEE interventions, testing and selecting students for

Read 180, ELS, and Enhancing Literacy, evaluating the progress of SWD, and selecting students for

Student Recovery day and the General Attendance Assembly. Read 180 was expanded at Lincoln High

School based on data reflecting student need and data reflecting the success of the program. Also,

during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, teachers in Math, Science, Social Studies, and English

Departments formed learning teams to design and implement lessons and later analyze data from these

lessons. Unfortunately, Lincoln High did not have funds to continue the program during the 2010-11

school year.

3. Investigate, design, implement, and monitor a comprehensive plan for increasing the graduation

rate and decreasing the dropout rate.

Lincoln High School has made several changes to increase the graduation rate and decrease the dropout

rate in a multi-pronged strategy involving teachers, parents, administrators and students all focused in

different ways on reducing the dropout rate. We have accomplished two major changes that we believe

will help us increase the graduation rate. Schoolwide implementation of advisories provides our

students more time to build up their study habits, to practice key skills such as reading and writing, and

to develop relationships with caring adults who will follow them through all four years of high school.

We used research that showed that by facilitating the development of relationships with teachers and a

core group of students, we can increase the graduation rate by lowering the number of students who

are “lost.” All students were programmed into advisory periods by SLC and grade level to develop

academic connections and college/career ready goals, develop positive relationships with teachers, and

increase student personalization in each SLC. The SLCs are currently refining the curriculum for

advisories in order to fulfill these goals effectively. Secondly, we adjusted our schedule this 2010-2011

school year to block schedule, which allows for students to gather more units each semester by

increasing the number of classes they are taking from six to eight. We believe that this will help with the

graduation rate by increasing the amount of electives students can take- thus giving them a tangible

“benefit” of school- as well as increasing the number of intervention and focused-skill classes we can

offer to students who need to learn basic skills.

We increased numbers of counselors to provide each SLC with two counselors and a smaller caseload.

Greater personalization was established through the increased decentralization into the SLCs since each



SLC has an administrator, lead teacher, Increasing the frequency of student-counselor interactions

enables more time spent on each student’s Individualized Graduation plan. We also accomplished this

aspect through ensuring advisories meet on a regular basis. This gives counselors a forum for designing

lessons based on grade level psychosocial, academic, and college/career needs without taking time from

the core classes. Counselors are constantly monitoring students’ progress through their A-G graduation

requirements and meeting with parents regularly around each grading period. Students now have a

designated time during the day, with time not taken from core classes, to meet one-on-one with their

counselor in order to continue developing the IGP and address other scheduling issues. Parents are

contacted if their son or daughter is truant or failing classes at each grading period.

Block scheduling was developed to provide students more time for effective learning, more effective

instruction, more opportunities for intervention and enrichment, and more opportunities to make up

credits. Also, CAHSEE prep classes have been developed for students who need direct support for

passing the CAHSEE in order to earn their diploma. With the additional two periods, other double block

courses for English Tier II interventions were added without having to take students out of A-G

requirements. Essentially, the pillars of the Public School Choice Plan were specifically formulated to

increase the graduation rate and decrease the dropout rate.

We have demonstrated a significant commitment to increasing the graduation rate and decreasing the

dropout rate in our support structures as well. Lincoln has begun an online credit recovery program to

give students additional opportunities to make up credits in addition to options provided by the Wilson-

Lincoln Adult School and East LA Skills Center. The Gear Up program, a mentoring and student support

program, has been actively involved in providing resources and opportunities for students to gain

awareness of college admissions and academic success. Our PSA counselor regularly monitors

attendance, and follows up with individual families and students. The school has participated actively in

District-wide initiatives to decrease absenteeism by having all Assistant Principals, the Principal and

Local District 5 personnel go out into the community on a specified day to make home visits to

chronically absent students. Our PSA and support staff plan assemblies for chronically tardy students to

inform them of their obligations, and also holds assemblies for parents of chronically absent students to

inform them of their obligations. During the 2008-09 school year, a group of English teachers gathered

to examine the dropout rate among students who failed a semester of Freshman English. The teachers

read research articles, interviewed students, and distributed surveys, collecting both qualitative and

quantitative data that they formulated into a report with recommendations to share with their

colleagues. This led to the development and implementation by some teachers of units in class to

address the dropout rate.

4. There is a need to define and reinforce best practices from year to year. This requires time within

the school day for teachers to collaborate.

Every Tuesday is designated a Professional Development Tuesday in order to provide teachers time that

is set aside for SLCs and Departments to meet together to define and reinforce best practices. From

2008-10, teachers have met in Learning Teams to share best practices and are now meeting as emerging



Professional Learning Communities. These teams were collapsed after the loss of funding for this school

year and the end of the District’s contract with Pearson. The science department instituted peer

observations to observe best practices. Some members of the science department are engaged in a

grant supported inquiry project on Project Based Learning. VOICE (SLC) had individual teachers share

best practices through presentations. SGS (SLC) spends professional development time collaborating on

interdisciplinary instruction and refining advisory classes. 16 Lincoln High School teachers are engaged

in Take One!, which is a collaborative process to refine and analyze the success and effectiveness of

instructional practices through the first round of National Board Certification. A number of teachers at

Lincoln are now seeking National Board Certification as a result of their participation in Take One! In

addition, Instructional Leadership Council has been formed on campus to address development of

instruction. The science department instituted peer observations to observe best practices, and a group

of science teachers are currently engaged in an inquiry project funded by a grant from UCLA Center X to

investigate Project Based Learning. The VOICE SLC had individual teachers share best practices through

presentations. Other SLCs provided observation protocols in order for teachers to observe their

colleagues in classroom observations in a collaborative and non-threatening environment.

5. Establish a 3-5 year research based Professional Development program that provides timely,

sustainable, and cyclical activities that allow staff to move from initial to full implementation of

techniques and strategies.

The Public School Choice Plan and the Single Plan for Student Achievement guide our professional

develop program with research-based methodologies and concepts. There has been an increase in the

quantity of Professional Development (“PD”) made to all staff, both mandatory PD during the school

week, and optional PD on Saturdays. Lincoln High School provides a comprehensive research based

professional development program which has included training on block scheduling, RTI2, Pearson

Learning Teams, Brain Research (Science Dept), SDAIE, and Interdisciplinary Thematic Instruction.

Teachers have been actively involved in this process and have been engaged as presenters. We are also

researching for effective outside professional development experts to help us engage in these

processes. Lincoln High Teachers are also taking advantage of Local District 5 professional learning

opportunities on Writer’s Workshops, Adaptive Schools, RTI2, and Literacy Across the Curriculum. More

detailed information regarding our reforms and professional development can be found in the previous

sections on Public School Choice and in our PSC Plan. Since we are constantly evaluating and monitoring

our progress for the PSC Process through District-led School Reviews, we are consistently undergoing

processes of reflection and refinement of our needs and our professional development. We are

accountable to the reforms mentioned in the Public School Choice Plan and Addendum by LAUSD, and

we are participating in ongoing District evaluations and self-evaluations of the implementation of each

reform item every 4-6 months. This cycle of monitoring and evaluating effectiveness allows us to

continue refining our reforms for successful full implementation and increased student achievement.



6. There is a need to integrate the SLC themes into the instruction of each class more fully.

SLCs spent the better part of the spring of 2010 designing their SLC Thematic Plan, thematic based

lesson plans, project based learning, and culminating activities for the SLC. These are ongoing and still

emerging, as teachers are refining and adjusting to the new reforms. These lessons were originally

based on the Humanitas model, and teams of teachers by grade level and different disciplines

collaborated to create plans that adhered to the standards and themes. All SLCs at Lincoln are currently

implementing their thematic plans as the foundation of their instruction and curriculum. Humanitas

integrates art in every lesson. Medical Health includes medical issues in their curriculum. VOICE uses

the advisories to integrate SLC themes. In addition, SLCs follow the recommendations for contiguous

space and personalization, highlighting and reinforcing the theme in instruction and appearance so the

students and staff develop a cohesive identity in relation to their SLC. During the last two years,

professional development hours have been distributed between SLCs and departments with every

Tuesday. Each SLC is at different states in defining a unique identity as well in the area of assessment

and accountability. Departments continue to meet to continue to improve the quality of learning taking

place in every classroom, emphasizing test taking strategies and helping students to take the

standardized tests seriously. Though school-wide codes of conduct exist, each SLC is seeking

increasingly more personalized solutions to raising academic achievement and addressing behavioral

concerns. Each SLC has continued to build interdisciplinary lesson plans to help reinforce learning

between students’ classes and reinforce the SLC themes.

7. Ensure that the intended standards-based curriculum is the taught curriculum to support students’

literacy and numeracy success.

Since 2008, through a process of research for both WASC and PSC, we discovered that students wanted

to be more engaged. During the PSC process, the collaborative stakeholders group decided to

incorporate interdisciplinary lessons and project based learning along with our current District

curriculum to engage students with hands-on cross-curricular learning, increase the focus of thematic

instruction in SLCs, stress the importance of literacy and numeracy skills, and provide college and career

ready skills. We are currently rewriting, designing, and implementing interdisciplinary (ID), thematic

units with an emphasis on project-based assessments based on some of the work that we began in

March 2010. Although the units are still in the design phase, with several progressing to the first stage

of implementation, we are confident that, given more time to work on our lessons during our

professional development and common planning time, the planned curriculum is becoming the taught

curriculum along with District Instructional Guides. Our math teachers have also been involved in the

creation of common assessments. Our English teachers are also utilizing common writing-based

assessments to prepare students for the CAHSEE and CSTs. Students are also participating in off-campus

trips and experiences to reinforce the ideas and theories included in interdisciplinary units. Each SLC is

beginning to utilize portfolios and other formative collections of project-based assessments. To support

the needs of ELs and diverse learners, our teachers have been trained in common access methodologies

and SDAIE strategies across content areas and grade levels. Four SLCs (VOICE, Medical Health,



Humanitas, and SGS) created grade level teams to ensure that the curriculum is standards based and

supports students’ literacy and numeracy success. The science department instituted peer visitations

into teacher’s classrooms to monitor the teaching of the curriculum.

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT Appendix


APPENDIX

2011 WASC PROGRESS REPORT Appendix


abraham lincoln high school wasc progress report 2011

Documents

wasc progress report

school culture

urban school

parents of lincoln high

latino students

school learning culture

community profile school

public school choice