Gate Equity Webinar: Supporting 9th Grade Success Dixie Grunenfelder – OSPI Kefi Andersen – OSPI Aaron Cummings – Principal in Ephrata School District Toby Marston – Counselor in mount Baker School District

Agenda Understand the importance of 9th Grade Review keys to supporting 9th Grade success Provide potential responses to intervene and prevent 9th course grade failure: Aaron Cummings – Principal in Ephrata School District Toby Marston – Counselor in Mount Baker School District OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Vision Mission Measures of Success Every student ready for career, college, and life To provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives. Four- and five-year high school graduation rates Enrollment, remediation, and completion rates in post-secondary training and education

Performance Indicators We must help students: Enter kindergarten with expected skills in all six areas identified by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS). Meet standard on the 3rd-, 8th-, and 11th-grade statewide English language arts (ELA) and math assessments, and the 8th-grade statewide science assessment. Grow toward proficiency in ELA and math, as determined by Student Growth Percentiles, in 4th and 6th grades. Enroll in Algebra I/Integrated Math I by the end of 8th or 9th grade and earn high school credit. Enroll in college-level courses and earn dual credit. Take the SAT and ACT and earn college-ready scores. Access financial aid for post-secondary learning. We must help students avoid: 9th-grade course failure. Suspensions and expulsions. Chronic absenteeism. Performance Indicators www.k12.wa.us/AboutUs 9/17/2018 OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Polling Do you track 9th grade failure? No No, but plan on starting Just started Have for a long time For data to be useful it needs to be accurate, reliable, and timely Some districts have data dashboards that track Attendance, Behavior, and Course Work in real time Teachers can see where they stand vs. the rest of their department Graduation outliers have these systems in place OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Accessing Your Data Contact your District Data Security Manager to get access to the Performance Indicators Preview application. The role is “PI_Preview Basic User” Logon to EDS: https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/ Select the “Performance Indicators Preview” application. Select the school or district organization in which your DDSM assigned your role. Click on Reports District preview is going on now Press release to follow Will be posted on the OSPI website on the Performance Indicators Page You can get to EDS through OSPI’s page OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Why are we concerned with 9th course failure? Students who end their ninth grade year on-track, are four times more likely to graduate from high school than those who are off track. 9/17/2018 Based on research by University of Chicago CCSR, Preventable Failure Research Summary, April 2014.

9th Grade Course Failure is an Early Warning 9th grade failure is a better predictor of graduation than race, ethnicity, level of poverty, or test scores. 9th Grade Course Failure is actionable. Addressing 9th grade course failure is also a way to address graduation. OSPI’s data is just a look back Hopefully each school is using real time data So they can intervene in a timely way Graduation High School 9/17/2018 Middle School Elementary

What We Know About Preventing 9th Grade Course Failure 9th Grade Success Build a positive school culture Use data to monitor progress Prepare 8th graders transitioning to high school Build in multi-tier supports Create a view of the future DIXIE: According to the research we have done – we saw recurring themes. Build a positive school culture with connections between staff, students, families Use data to monitor attendance, behavior, and coursework Prepare 8th graders coming in with an orientation, Link Crew, Summer School, early registration for appropriate classes, and open communication between middle and high schools about learning expectations (try to stay consistent) Build in supports and get students positively involved in school with mentors, social activities, social support (counseling, homeroom staff member) Schedules help support students. Some success has been found through freshmen academy scheduling (keeping all the freshmen separate from the rest), adding advisory periods, using a small school model, staff teaming, and block schedules. Look to the future. Schedule college visits, keep support for students past 9th grade. 9/17/2018

Polling Do you use a student perception survey to measure school connectedness? Yes, we survey regularly and use the data to inform our work Yes, we survey, but don’t really use the data No, we don’t survey students. Perception data is a good way to evaluate building culture Asking if students are proud to go to the school tells you a lot OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

School Culture… What Students are Telling Us According to the 2014 Healthy Youth Survey, 10th grade students report: 55% think school is not usually important for later in life 77.3% have people at school to help if needed 84.6% feel safe at school 62.5% say they don’t usually like being at school OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

School Culture Failure is not an option is a shared attitude of teachers, staff and students “Cultural changes take place when questions related to academic press and social support are being asked simultaneously, and when behaviors and beliefs are rooted in relational trust.” –Chuck Salina Relational Trust Feeling Safe Having something to offer Providing time and expertise Supports Provides assistance/ help in meeting expected standards/goals Academic Press Provides specific direction embedded in high standards, goals and belief of success for everyone LEARNING C U L T R E F O R OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018 Salina, Girtz, Eppinga

Early Warning System at the Student Level Using Data Root Cause Analysis Early Warning System at the Student Level System Evaluation OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Tier 1: 80% ABC Grades Tier 2: 15% One D/F Grade Multiple D/F Grades Tier 2: 15% One D/F Grade Tier 1: 80% ABC Grades How many students are there in each Tier in your district? Tier 3: # Tier 2: # Tier 1: # OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Transition from 8th Grade For All: Activities and Clubs For At Risk: Paired with specific teachers Most At Risk: Mentoring OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

How to Set Up Vertical Teaming from Career Guidance Washington Plan a process aligned with District/Building Level Teams tasks Focus on grade level communication “between” grade level communication (linked to PLC structures when possible) Determine if vertical planning team is a subset of the Leadership/Counseling Team Address transition processes between schools with timelines and responsibilities Recruit grade level band leaders and counselors Coordinate Calendars Clarify roles for grade level leaders and counselors Link to Multi-Tiered System of Support and Dropout Early Warning Systems Determine priority tasks (data use, engagement strategies for staff, students and parents) Organize small group high school campus visits for middle school students OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Multi-Tier System of Supports An Example from one School District Tier 3: Individual Unannounced home visits with door hangers for absentees One on One study time with class teachers whose classes they are struggling in / Check and Connect Required Learning Lab/ study hours to make up for incomplete credit Tier 2: Group Targeted Lunch Study Hall Hours / Flex Time Competency Based Credits and extended grade deadline to 20 days into next semester or school year Tier 1: Universal Staff shares the attitude “We will not let a single student fail – our will is stronger” Prepare for new students in January: identify Tier 2-3 and plan interventions. Counseling staff holds interviews with parents to set up appropriate classes and teachers before school begins, connect to services, test reading Team up with the middle school to offer reading intervention classes so student is ready before entering high school Freshmen Academy: separates freshmen from the rest, reinforces study skills Connect students to the school: Link Crew, Day Long Freshmen Camp where they get to go to classes “Inspect what you expect” Track data for who’s struggling with attendance, behavior, and coursework each week and get interventions in place right away Standards Based Grading: missed deadlines don’t mean failing the assignment Strong teachers who volunteer to focus on Freshmen Start with freshmen but keep support going for 10-12th grade This isn’t meant to be a checklist. This is just one midsize district’s strategies to prevent 9th grade failure through a multi-tiered lens. These are real world examples to give you some context for what this looks like for a real district. 9/17/2018

Create Relevancy High School and Beyond Plan Hands on learning opportunities Coursework ties to desired outcomes OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Ephrata High School Principal Aaron Cummings How we support 9th Graders OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Mount Baker School District Counselor Toby Marston How we support 9th Graders OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

2011-2012 Superintendent asked us to identify and define who an “at risk” student was in MBSD

Analysis was consistent with dropout literature Students who did NOT attend MBSD as an elementary student were more likely to drop out. Freshmen year transition was difficult (failed classes) Attendance was an issue for our dropouts More students living in one area of our district dropped out then other areas.

Student Supports Intentional 8th-9th transition program Counselors in classrooms 8th grade counselor talking about transitions HS tour day College Bound Scholars Supporting data:100% of eligible students have signed up for the College Bound Scholarship

Student Supports Refined our advisory program to assist in 9th grade transition Re-focus on goal areas Added a 9th grade fall Student-Led Conference Supporting data: 95% of parents report fall conference as being helpful.

Student Supports Started LINK Crew, a research based peer mentor program for all 9th grade students Focused 3 hour summer orientation Meet with mentors in small groups 6-8 times a year. Supporting Data: 90% of 9th graders report LINK crew as being helpful to their high school transition.

Student Supports Mental Health Support Collaboration with local agencies District commitment to hire a Mental Health Support Specialist At LEAST one therapist on campus 5 days a week Supporting Data: 96% of students receiving services say that counseling has helped them feel more successful at school.

Student Supports Community Outreach Focus on neighborhood with most dropouts Intentional partnership with community agencies Supporting Data: Monthly over 20 community organizations meet to collaborate on neighborhood issues

Student Supports Base Camp 35 minutes 3 times a week for additional academic support 9:15-9:50 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Base Camp Within this time three things happen: Mountaineer Time: students with a 3.3 or above have choice to how they spend the period. Base Camp-students below a 3.3 and with NO F’s are assigned a room for study hall. Focused Learning-students with an F in any class are assigned to the teacher of that class to get additional time and support.

Focused Learning Students are placed every three weeks Students can be requested by a teacher even if they don’t have an F. Students in Base Camp or Mountaineer Time can request a note to place themselves into a focused learning session.

Focused Learning How are we doing?

Focused Learning How are we doing? Data by Cycle Cycle 1 Cycle 2 FL Kids N Fs 22.41% 32.42% FL Kids w/ Fs 38.98% MT Kids 35.17% English Fs 20.61% 13.11% Math Fs 16.21% 17.12% Science Fs 19.52% 18.18% Social Fs 16.67% 18.87% Spanish Fs 20.33% 08.94% Music Fs 04.73% 00.00% Art Fs 00.93% CTE Fs 07.43% 06.32% Health Fs 18.60% 02.33% PE Fs 00.58%

Focused Learning How are we doing? English Data by Cycle Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Cycle 5 Cycle 6 Cycle 7 Cycle 8 Cycle 9 ENGLISH 9 (ENG901) 09.62% 11.54%   ENGLISH 12 (ENG121) 38.78% 28.57% 18.37% ENGLISH 10 HONORS (ENH101) 12.50% 08.93% 07.14% ENGLISH 11 (ENG111) 46.81% 19.15% ENGLISH 10 (ENG101) 29.79% 17.02% 20.21%

Focused Learning How are we doing? Data by Specific Course ENGLISH 9(ENG901)(HARRIS)   Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Cycle 5 Cycle 6 Cycle 7 Cycle 8 Cycle 9 10.45%  07.46%  05.97%  Data by course and student Student Name Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Student A 55.20%   Student B 55.30% 50.80% Student C 14.60% 56.70% 59.20% Student D 5.40% 16.80% 11.20% Student E 51.20% Student F 5.60% Student G 26.50% 40.50% 37.20% Student H 50.20% 56.10%

Website Visit the 9th Grade Course Failure Page for resources and strategies to support your work. http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/9 thGradeFailure/default.aspx Mention rubric and workbook OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Questions Contact Kefi.Andersen@k12.wa.us Is your school or district addressing 9th grade failure? Contact us and let us know what you are doing! OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Accessing Your Data Contact your District Data Security Manager to get access to the Performance Indicators Preview application. The role is “PI_Preview Basic User” Logon to EDS: https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/ Select the “Performance Indicators Preview” application. Select the school or district organization in which your DDSM assigned your role. Click on Reports OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

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OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Helpful Resources District preview page Support Resources Copy of this presentation Recording of the webinar data walkthrough Helpful resources http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/Webinars.aspx Support Resources Visit the 9th Grade Course Failure Page for resources and strategies to support your work. http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/9thGradeFailure/default.aspx OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

Webinar on District Preview Page OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018

9/17/2018

Next Month December 14, 10-11am Creating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Integrated Student Services Contact Kefi.Andersen@k12.wa.us Is your school or district addressing 9th grade failure? Contact us and let us know what you are doing! Next Month: December 14, 2016 - Creating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Integrated Student Services OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 9/17/2018