high school restructuring cincinnati public schools
TRANSCRIPT
High School Restructuring
Cincinnati Public Schools
Five Low Performing Neighborhood High Schools
4-year Cohort Groups had graduation rates from 15% to 65%
Student Progress
0200400600800
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9th Graders
12th Graders
Background
Board of Education Appointed Committee of Parents, Teachers, and Administrators to Make Recommendations in 1999
Restructuring the comprehensive schools into small schools of 600 or Less
Create schools around themes such as College Prep or Information Technology
Received 2.4 Million Dollar Small Learning Communities Grant from Federal Government
Received 2.9 Million Dollar Grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Report Card Ratings of Restructured High Schools
School August 2003 Report Card Rating August 2004 Report Card Rating
Aiken Public Service Learning - No rating
Aiken University - Continuous Improvement
Aiken Traditional Academic Emergency Academic Emergency
Entrepreneurship Academic Emergency Continuous Improvement
Robert A. Taft Information Academic Emergency Academic Emergency
Virtual High School Continuous Improvement Continuous Improvement
Western Hills Design Tech Academic Emergency Continuous Improvement
Western Hills University Academic Emergency Effective
Western Hills Traditional Academic Emergency Continuous Improvement
Withrow International Academic Watch Continuous Improvement
Withrow University Academic Watch Excellent
Withrow Traditional Academic Emergency Continuous Improvement
Woodward Career Tech - No Rating
Woodward Traditional Academic Emergency Academic Emergency
Indicators Where Schools Showed Improvement After Restructuring
All schools for which 9th Grade Proficiency Test Passing Rate at grade 10 comparison is possible showed improvement in passing rate on all tests
Credits earned by grade level up at most of the schools
Western Hills University High School
Rated “Effective” on the 2003-04 State Report Card
Administrative Challenges and Opportunities
The Complexity of Change
“The issue is not that individual teachers and schools do not innovate and change all the time. They do. The problem is with the kinds of changes that occur in the educational system, their quality, and the random nature of the initiative.”
Mistakes with Change
Complacency – Create a sense of urgency that is at a high level, but not so overwhelming that staff lose enthusiasm
Collaboration – A critical component to meaningful change is to have staff involved in the change process – the powerful force of tradition will overcome a competent and charismatic leader if staff is not apart of the decision-making process
Mission & Vision – Assists in alignment, direction, and inspires the actions of staff members. Without this, staff members will “do their own thing”.
Instructional Initiatives
Ohio Graduation Test Success
Credit Recovery
Dual Enrollment
Seminar
Community
Students Parents Community Partners
Graduation Really Achieves Dreams
To ensure a quality public school education for all children in economically disadvantaged communities so that the high school graduation rate increases and graduates are prepared to enter and be successful in college
Project GRAD Cincinnati’sStructural & Process Components
Feeder pattern reform Local non-profit to facilitate reforms Use of data to drive strategic use of resources National technical assistance from Project GRAD
USA Learning & Support Visit process Multiple layers of program support/coaches
– Targeting teachers and principals Use of existing resources in the school/house.
Scholarship Program & Campus Family Support is the Cornerstone of Project GRAD Cincinnati
Components are: Walk for Success GRAD College Scholarships Additional Support Services
Framework for Summer Programs in Project GRAD
Summer Bridge Summer Institutes
Summer Programs
Services Successfully Implemented at the High School
Four successful “Walk For Success” to ninth graders houses. 600 homes visited with 68% scholarship agreements signed.
Two successful Summer Institutes held on University of Cincinnati campus and Cincinnati State & Technical College campus.
Three successful Summer Bridge programs for rising ninth graders held on the Western Hills University High School Campus.
Four successful college awareness days in schools K-12 Nine college tours have occurred for high school students Parent University established on Western Hills University
High School campus.
Facilitator Restructured High Schools
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Manager
Facilitate Development of Small Schools– Foster Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships– Collaborate with school based, instructional support, and
central office personnel.
Facilitate Communication– Gates Foundation– Schools– District– Community
Manage Gates Foundation Grant
Instructional Coach
Facilitate Implementation of Instructional Initiatives
Act as a Mentor
Coordinate Professional Development Gates Foundation support of professional development
Grantee Meetings Practitioners Forums School Based Sessions Institutes
State Report Card Rating
2002-03 State Report Card Rating: Academic Emergency (1 of 6 state indicators met)
2003-04 State Report Card Rating: Effective (5 of 6 state indicators met)
Student Test Scores
Measurable Progress for the 2003-04 school year on the above goals were as follows:
– Increase student test scores by 10% in all five areas of the Ohio Proficiency Test:
2002-03 2003-04 (+/-)
Reading 72.6% 90.0% +17.4%Writing 79.1% 90.0% +10.9%Citizenship 63.6% 94.2% +30.6%Math 37.1% 74.2% +37.1%Science 44.3% 85.8% +41.5%
Discipline
Reduce by 10% the percentage Out of School Suspensions & Expulsion
2002-03 Out of School Suspensions (270 total students) 450 - (21.10%) Expulsions (270 total students) 24 - (1.13%)
2003-04 Out of School Suspensions (400 total students) 298 - (7.0%) Expulsions (400 total students) 6 - (0.14%)
Attendance
– Increase school attendance rate of students by 5%:
2002-03 2003-04 % of Increase
Attendance Rate 83.1% 95.1% +12.0%
Western Hills UniversityHigh School
We are what we repeatedly do.
Therefore Excellence is not an act, but a habit!