WASC Visiting Committee WASC Visiting Committee ReportReport

3/28/20073/28/2007

Areas of StrengthAreas of StrengthOrganizationOrganization

• The Co Principals and the School The Co Principals and the School Leadership Team provide direction and Leadership Team provide direction and support to effect change that will facilitate support to effect change that will facilitate improved student achievement.improved student achievement.

• There is an alignment of the Vision There is an alignment of the Vision Statement, Essential Life Skills (RAMHI) Statement, Essential Life Skills (RAMHI) and High School Initiative as showcased on and High School Initiative as showcased on posters throughout campus.posters throughout campus.

• MHS implemented diverse programs MHS implemented diverse programs designeddesigned toto address the academic, address the academic, personal and social needs of studentspersonal and social needs of students

Areas of StrengthAreas of StrengthOrganizationOrganization

• Strong relationships with business Strong relationships with business partners have created opportunities partners have created opportunities for students to explore post-for students to explore post-secondary options through secondary options through community service and internships.community service and internships.

• The SLC organizational structure The SLC organizational structure promotes personal connections and promotes personal connections and relevance for students.relevance for students.

Key Issues for Key Issues for OrganizationOrganization

• The needs to be a continuation of efforts to The needs to be a continuation of efforts to update/modernize physical plant.update/modernize physical plant.

• Technological resources can be utilized to full Technological resources can be utilized to full capacity, especially to support instructional capacity, especially to support instructional practices.practices.

• A more formalized data-driven system can be A more formalized data-driven system can be developed for measuring the effectiveness of the SLC developed for measuring the effectiveness of the SLC structure in implementing the school-wide vision. structure in implementing the school-wide vision.

• Facilitate lines of communication between all Facilitate lines of communication between all stakeholders, including families residing outside the stakeholders, including families residing outside the school’s actual attendance boundaries and limited school’s actual attendance boundaries and limited English speakers.English speakers.

Areas of StrengthAreas of Strength CurriculumCurriculum

• There is a wide variety of classes for students at There is a wide variety of classes for students at all levels of academic achievement.all levels of academic achievement.

• There is a wide variety of elective classes from There is a wide variety of elective classes from which students can choose.which students can choose.

• Smaller Learning Communities enable students to Smaller Learning Communities enable students to customize their curriculum, based on their customize their curriculum, based on their personal and academic goals.personal and academic goals.

• Staff development has focused on strategies that Staff development has focused on strategies that when implemented school-wide, will provide when implemented school-wide, will provide rigorous curriculum and challenging instruction rigorous curriculum and challenging instruction for all students.for all students.

• There are various interventions for students with There are various interventions for students with low academic skills.low academic skills.

Key Issues: CurriculumKey Issues: Curriculum

• There is an achievement gap for African There is an achievement gap for African American and Hispanic students. American and Hispanic students.

• School wide, standardized test scores have School wide, standardized test scores have plateaued or dropped.plateaued or dropped.

• Development of a senior project (or capstone Development of a senior project (or capstone project) for each small learning community.project) for each small learning community.

• Continue to refine four year and post-high Continue to refine four year and post-high school plans/reviews for all students.school plans/reviews for all students.

• Common planning time can strengthen Common planning time can strengthen curriculum development to meet student curriculum development to meet student achievement goals.achievement goals.

Areas of strength for Standards-Areas of strength for Standards-Based Based

Student Learning: InstructionStudent Learning: Instruction• Commitment to provide intervention and support Commitment to provide intervention and support

as needed.as needed.• Implementation of professional development to Implementation of professional development to

increase student achievement.increase student achievement.• Small Learning Communities have driven Small Learning Communities have driven

instructional improvement for students to meet instructional improvement for students to meet the content standards and ESLRs.the content standards and ESLRs.

• Access to technology.Access to technology.• Collegiality of staff members to mentor each Collegiality of staff members to mentor each

other to be more effective teachers.other to be more effective teachers.• Experienced staff that effectively utilizes its Experienced staff that effectively utilizes its

expertise to effect change and strengthen expertise to effect change and strengthen instruction. instruction.

Key issues for Standards-Key issues for Standards-Based Student Learning:Based Student Learning: InstructionInstruction• Adequate time for teacher collaboration.Adequate time for teacher collaboration.• Professional development and training in Professional development and training in

data analysis.data analysis.• Monitoring Limited English Proficient Monitoring Limited English Proficient

students transitioning to Fluent English students transitioning to Fluent English Proficient and provided appropriate Proficient and provided appropriate instructional support.instructional support.

• There is a need to review instructional There is a need to review instructional practices in mathematics in light of the practices in mathematics in light of the student achievement data.student achievement data.

Areas of Strength: Assessment Areas of Strength: Assessment & Accountability& Accountability• Results of a wide variety of assessments are Results of a wide variety of assessments are

disseminated throughout the school disseminated throughout the school community.community.

• Quarterly common assessments and end-of-Quarterly common assessments and end-of-course common District exams are in place.course common District exams are in place.

• SLCs and departments at MHS use analysis SLCs and departments at MHS use analysis of common assessments to drive instruction.of common assessments to drive instruction.

• MHS offers a variety of intervention courses MHS offers a variety of intervention courses in response to data analysis. in response to data analysis.

• The PASS tutoring program is available for The PASS tutoring program is available for struggling students.struggling students.

Key Issues: Assessment & Key Issues: Assessment & AccountabilityAccountability

• Student absences affect both student Student absences affect both student achievement and student remediation.achievement and student remediation.

• A greater number of SRI accounts A greater number of SRI accounts would be beneficial for improving would be beneficial for improving schoolwide reading.schoolwide reading.

• A process needs to be developed for A process needs to be developed for the integration of data analysis and the integration of data analysis and teaching. teaching.

Areas of Strength: School Culture Areas of Strength: School Culture and Support for Student Personal and Support for Student Personal

and Academic Growthand Academic Growth • Variety of Intervention strategiesVariety of Intervention strategies

• Strong sense of buy-in and ownership for Strong sense of buy-in and ownership for student personal and academic growth by staff student personal and academic growth by staff

• Award winning student support servicesAward winning student support services

• Nationally recognized AVID program that Nationally recognized AVID program that promotes a schoolwide college going culture.promotes a schoolwide college going culture.

• Student personal and academic growth Student personal and academic growth nurtured and sustained by greater Long Beach nurtured and sustained by greater Long Beach communitycommunity

Key Issues: Schoolwide Culture Key Issues: Schoolwide Culture and Support for Student and Support for Student LearningLearning• Continue to expand cultural sensitivity Continue to expand cultural sensitivity

trainingtraining

• Facilitate the involvement of all Facilitate the involvement of all stakeholder members in school activitiesstakeholder members in school activities

• Continue to support development of all Continue to support development of all SLC groups to maximize student SLC groups to maximize student achievementachievement

• Showcase the wide variety of programs Showcase the wide variety of programs that support student success that support student success

Schoolwide Areas of Schoolwide Areas of StrengthStrength

• Alignment of Vision Statement, Essential Life Alignment of Vision Statement, Essential Life Skills (RAMHI) and High School Initiative as Skills (RAMHI) and High School Initiative as showcased on posters throughout campus.showcased on posters throughout campus.

• Development of SLC organizational structure Development of SLC organizational structure promotes personal connections and relevance for promotes personal connections and relevance for students.students.

• Nationally recognized AVID program that Nationally recognized AVID program that promotes a schoolwide college going culture.promotes a schoolwide college going culture.

• Experienced caring staff that is committed to Experienced caring staff that is committed to student success and effectively utilizes its student success and effectively utilizes its expertise to effect change and strengthen expertise to effect change and strengthen instruction. instruction.

Schoolwide Areas of Schoolwide Areas of StrengthStrength

• Student personal and academic growth nurtured and Student personal and academic growth nurtured and sustained by greater Long Beach communitysustained by greater Long Beach community

• Implementation of diverse academic programs and Implementation of diverse academic programs and intervention strategies thatintervention strategies that address the academic, personal address the academic, personal and social needs of students.and social needs of students.

• Small Learning Communities & Departments use analysis of Small Learning Communities & Departments use analysis of a wide variety of assessments to drive instructional a wide variety of assessments to drive instructional decisions for student achievement.decisions for student achievement.

• The Co Principals and the School Leadership Team provide The Co Principals and the School Leadership Team provide direction and support to effect change that will facilitate direction and support to effect change that will facilitate improved student achievement.improved student achievement.

• The English department’s development and implementation The English department’s development and implementation of effective strategies to improve literacy across curriculum of effective strategies to improve literacy across curriculum and to serve as a model.and to serve as a model.

CRITICAL AREAS FOR FOLLOW CRITICAL AREAS FOR FOLLOW UPUP• Facilitate lines of communication to encourage the Facilitate lines of communication to encourage the

participation of all stakeholders in shared decision participation of all stakeholders in shared decision making.making.

• A formalized process needs to be developed for the A formalized process needs to be developed for the consistent integration of data analysis and consistent integration of data analysis and instructional practices. instructional practices.

• Develop rigorous and comprehensive Literacy and Develop rigorous and comprehensive Literacy and Numeracy programs to improve student achievement Numeracy programs to improve student achievement in all content areas for all demographic groups.in all content areas for all demographic groups.

• Expand the application of the Language Arts Model for Expand the application of the Language Arts Model for instructional improvement in SLCs and all curricular instructional improvement in SLCs and all curricular areas. In particular, the mathematics department areas. In particular, the mathematics department must develop strategies to improve numeracy across must develop strategies to improve numeracy across the curriculum to increase student achievement.the curriculum to increase student achievement.

Thank you MillikanThank you Millikan