Getting More Students to Meet Standards: Research-based Practices That Work The past is a valuable guidepost to the future, but most dangerous if used as a hitching post. Today, we will look at 50 HSTW sites that have made the most progress in unlocking themselves from the compliancy of the past. Using our system of indicators and student and faculty survey data, we identified the top 50 HSTW sites that have more fully implemented the 10 Key practices. Some HSTW schools may have, for instance, more fully implemented one aspect of the design and some may have higher achievement because of their student population, but these 50 schools stand out because of their balanced approach to implementing the total HSTW improvement model. The top 50 schools have attached themselves to a new vision that says most students can learn difficult materials if we get school and classroom practices right and let go of the old ability model of sorting for organizing middle grades and high schools. Southern Regional Education Board

High- and Low-implementation Sites Have Comparative Students High Sites Low Sites African-American 20% 21% White 66 65 Other minorities 14 We paired each of the 50 high-implementation schools with a low-implementation school with students of similar racial and ethnic mix and parental education. We compared the 50 high sites with other schools by size, type and community — rural, urban, suburban, comprehensive and vocational. There are no significant differences between the two groups of schools; therefore, differences in the achievement scores between the two groups cannot be attributed to the racial and socioeconomic backgrounds of the students. The differences are due in part, to the quality of students’ high school experiences. We wanted to find out if schools that have more deeply implemented the HSTW design have higher student achievement than high schools with similar students who had made less progress in implementing the design. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Students Meeting Performance Goals High Low All Schools Goal Reading 66% 48% 53% 85% Mathematics 68 51 55 85 Science 57 42 45 The 50 high-implementation schools, when compared to low-implementation schools are way ahead in the percentages of students who are meeting our performance goals in reading and mathematics — they are approaching the 85 percent goal. Today, we will look at the differences in school and classroom practices at two groups of schools — the 50 high-implementation and 50 low-implementation schools. At the heart of why the top schools have made greater progress in improving student achievement than have the low implementation schools are the differences in what is taught, how it is taught, what is expected of students and how teachers, students and school leaders relate to each other. High-implementation schools have 18 percent more students meeting the reading goal; 17 percent more students meeting the mathematics goal and 15 percent more meeting the science goal. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Mean Achievement Scores at High- and Low-implementation Sites Goals Reading 287 272 279 Mathematics 306 293 297 Science 300 285 299 When you compare the mean achievement scores at the 50 high-implementation schools with 50 comparative low-implementation schools, you find significant differences in the reading, mathematics and science achievement scores of the students graduating in 2002. All the data we have looked at pertains to the career-oriented students — those who have completed a sequence of courses in career/technical classes. All differences are significant at least at the .01 level. Mean scores at the high-implementation sites exceed the HSTW goals, while the mean scores at the low-implementation sites fall significantly below the goals. Students at high-implementation schools have a 15-point higher mean reading score; a 13-point higher mean mathematics score; and a 15-point higher mean science score. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Why are the scores at the high-implementation schools better? Why do students at the high-implementation schools perform better than students at the low-implementation schools? We believe in part, that the differences can be directly attributed to the way the two sets of schools implement the HSTW design. All schools want to improve, but few want to change. The fact remains that to improve, schools must change and the top schools have made more changes. Your challenge is to reflect with your colleagues about the steps you can take to more fully implement the HSTW design at your school. An improvement design is only as good as the implementation of that design. The top schools exemplify that the more completely the design is implemented, the higher student achievement. Southern Regional Education Board Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Key Practice #1 Increase students’ access to academic studies that teach college-preparatory content to all students. This key practice is at the heart of the HSTW design. The other key practices enable the school to effectively implement the academic core and concentration advocated by HSTW. When you become a HSTW school, you make a commitment to fully implement the core academic requirements called for by the design. This is essential if we are to meet our performance goals. The performance goal is to have at least 85 percent of our students at the basic level in mathematics and science, with increasing percentages at the proficient and advanced levels. In reading, our goal is to have 85 percent approaching the proficient level. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Recommended Academic Core for All Students Four credits in college-prep/honors English Four mathematics credits – Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II and above Three science credits at the college-prep level; four credits with a block schedule Three years of social studies Mathematics in the senior year Schools can raise expectations and achievement by deciding to teach all students what only the “best” students have been taught in the past and by supporting teachers in learning how to do it. Changing course titles is easy; teaching all students to the same high academic standards is more difficult. Young people want to believe that school matters in their lives. The HSTW-recommended curriculum calls for all students to earn four credits in college-preparatory/honors English. To get 85 percent of students meeting the HSTW mathematics performance goal, the HSTW Board in the Fall of 2002, modified the recommended mathematics curriculum to include four years of mathematics, including at least Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II. HSTW asks schools to require students to complete three science credits, including at least two high-level science courses, such as chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology and college-preparatory biology. If a school uses a block schedule, we recommend a fourth year of science. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Recommended Concentrations Mathematics and science concentration – four credits in each field, with at least one at the Advanced Placement level Humanities concentration – four credits each in college-prep-level language arts and social studies, with at least one at the Advanced Placement level and four additional credits from foreign language, fine arts, journalism, debate, etc. Career/technical concentration – four credits in a planned sequence of courses within a broad career field – pre-engineering, health/medical science, etc. In addition to this academic core, we recommend that students either complete a concentration in career/technical or academic studies. We propose only two academic concentrations — one mathematics and science concentration with four college-preparatory credits in each field, with at least one at the Advanced Placement level. A humanities concentration would consist of four credits each in college-preparatory-level language arts and social studies, with at least one at the Advanced Placement level and four additional credits drawn from foreign language, fine arts, journalism, debate, etc. We have a number of schools where the career concentrators are out performing college-preparatory students because many college-preparatory students are slacking off during the senior year. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Recommended Curriculum: High- and Low-implementation Sites High-implementation sites have 44 percent of the career-oriented students completing all parts of the HSTW-recommended academic core compared to only 20 percent at low-implementation schools. A primary reason why high-implementation schools have significantly higher student achievement than do low-implementation schools is because 24 percent more students completed all parts of the recommended academic core. At low-implementation schools, 17 percent of the students did not finish any part of the academic core compared to only six percent at the top-implementation schools. Our goal is to have 85 percent of the career students complete all parts of the academic core. The top 50 schools are more than halfway home in fully implementing this part of the design. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Comparison of High- and Low-implementation Sites by Recommended Curriculum Areas At the top 50 schools, 55 percent of the students finished four years of college-preparatory-level language arts compared to 32 percent at low-implementation schools. College-preparatory English means that students read eight or more books a year, wrote a short paper at least each week in their language arts classes, and wrote at least one major research paper each year. At the top schools, 88 percent of students completed the recommended mathematics curriculum compared to 70 percent at the low schools. A similar pattern is found in science. Because a student takes four years of English does not mean the student has taken four years of the right English. Similarly, taking Algebra I does not mean that a student has taken real Algebra I. The HSTW course standards are based on the notion that all students will be taught to the same standard that historically our best students have been taught. High-implementation schools have gone further in unlocking themselves from past practices of teaching to different standards for different groups of students. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Completing Four Mathematics Credits — Algebra I and Higher at High- and Low-implementation Sites Mathematics achievement is significantly higher at the high-implementation sites than at the low-implementation schools, because 53 percent of their students completed four years of mathematics beginning with Algebra I and higher, compared to only 32 percent at low-implementation sites. Bottoms: One of the top 50 HSTW sites is Southwest Guilford High School in High Point, North Carolina. This high school has 93 percent of their students completing all parts of the HSTW-recommended curriculum. Lori Braxton is assistant principal at Southwest Guilford. Lori, tell us how your school has raised the bar by giving all students access to academic courses taught to college-preparatory standards. Lori: Our principals and teachers know that teaching the HSTW-recommended academic core is a priority for the school district. Every student at Southwest Guilford is enrolled in either a college-tech-prep or a college-university-prep program of study. Guilford County is one of two counties in North Carolina that has refused to offer the state’s career-prep diploma for graduation because it is not tough enough. All students take four college-preparatory-level English courses, four challenging mathematics courses and three science courses. We encourage them to take four sciences. Here’s how we did it. After examining the curriculum, we eliminated every low-level course. We organized an instructional support team that meets weekly to discuss how to prepare all students for education and careers after high school. Each student meets with his or her counselor in the spring to review the student’s program of study. The counselors don’t just invite students to consider taking Honors or AP courses. They ask, “Which higher-level courses are you taking?” Every student is expected to take a full academic load during the senior year. We educate students and their parents about the need for a four-year plan filled with high-level courses. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Achievement Gains from 2000 to 2002 by Type of Schedule Type of schedule and credits required Achievement Points Gained Reading Math Science Traditional schedule (20-23 credits) 5 4 Block schedule (20-23 credits) 6 2 Block schedule (24-30 credits) -1 1 Block schedule – 4 math, 4 science (24-30 credits) 3 11 Changing school scheduling patterns can produce positive or negative results. More than 400 schools in the HSTW network have adopted some form of block schedule. Since 1996 and again in 2002, the greatest gains in achievement have been at HSTW sites with block scheduling, four years of mathematics and science required, and a total number of credits required for graduation that ranges from 24 to 30. Schools that changed to the block schedule and did not raise mathematics and science requirements lost ground in mathematics achievement in 2002. You cannot use block scheduling to make progress if you do not raise graduation requirements. Block scheduling can provide a false sense of progress while keeping the old system. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Key Practices #2 and #3 Increase access to challenging career/technical studies with a major emphasis on using high-level mathematics, science, language arts and problem-solving skills, and provide access to work-based and school-based learning planned cooperatively by educators and employers. Some students need to see a reason for mastering academic content. The purpose of high school career/technical studies is to: produce graduates who can read, understand and communicate in the language of the career field; use mathematical reasoning and understanding to solve problems in a career field; understand technical concept, principles and procedures; and use technology to perform workplace tasks and projects. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Learning Experiences in Career/Technical Studies Specific Practices High Sites Low Complete 4 or more technical courses. 92% 79% Use computer to complete assignments weekly. 68 53 Talk with persons from chosen field. 75 63 Another reason achievement is greater at high-implementation schools is that these schools have a richer and more challenging set of learning experiences in their career/technical classes than do students at low-implementation schools. More students at the top schools complete four or more credits in career/technical courses, are engaged more in using computers to complete assignments and more of them talk with persons from their chosen field of study. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Learning Experiences in Career/Technical Studies Specific Practices High Sites Low Use mathematics. 27% 20% Read technical materials. 32 23 Read related articles. 59 44 Do research to plan a project. 86 74 More students at the top schools than at low-implementation schools are required to use academic knowledge and skills to complete assignments in their career/technical classes. They are given assignments that require them to read technical materials and to use mathematics. They are expected to read related technical articles and do research and develop written plans for projects assigned. Instruction in top schools is designed so students apply academic knowledge and skills to real-world tasks. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Learning Experiences in Career/Technical Studies Specific Practices High Sites Low Mathematics-related homework 16% 10% Senior project 67 55 End-of-course exams 77 70 Outside reading 44 38 Expectations in career/technical classrooms are higher at top schools than at low-implementation schools. At top schools, more students do homework, complete a senior project, meet standards on an end-of-course exam and do more reading outside of class. Simply stated, more students at the higher-achieving schools are enrolled in higher-quality vocational programs. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Quality Technical Studies at High- and Low-implementation Sites Career students have higher achievement if they complete a planned sequence of career courses and use academic skills to complete real tasks. At the top 50 achieving schools, 44 percent of the students have intensive quality experiences in their career/technical studies, compared to 24 percent of students at low-implementation sites. Only 13 percent of the students at the top schools had low-quality experiences in technical classrooms compared to 28 percent at low-implementation schools. Leaders in the top schools have made advancing technical literacy achievement of primary importance in high school career/technical studies. Columbiana County Technical Center in Ohio is one such high school. Bottoms: Frank Blankenship is principal. Frank, how is your center making sure that every student will be able to read, write and use mathematics in their career fields of study. Frank: Our teachers work hard to encourage students to read in and out of school. We surround students with books, magazines and other printed materials in all classrooms and labs. Our teachers assign projects that require students to apply the mathematics they have learned. Senior projects are required of all students. Students conduct research, create a project or perform a service, write a report and make a formal presentation of the findings. Students are expected to meet and exceed the benchmarks on Ohio’s end-of-program exams. Students in all but two of our 15 career majors exceeded the state benchmarks this year, and we are working to make sure students in those two areas meet the standards next year. We offer two types of graduation certificate — a Certificate of Completion for finishing a career/technical program and an Honors Certificate for students who perform exceptionally well in their grades, attendance and on the state competencies test. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Number of Career/Technical Courses Taken at High- and Low-implementation Sites Number of Courses High Low 3 or less 11% 30% 4 to 5 28 6 or more 61 42 At the 50 top high schools, 89 percent of the students completed four or more career/technical courses, compared to 70 percent at low-implementation schools. Top schools have more job-specific career/technical programs. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Comparison of Work-based Learning Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Specific Work-site Learning Practices High Low Observed veteran workers. 55% 52% Mentor gave job instruction. 83 76* Mentor encouraged good work habits. 72 61* Mentor encouraged good customer relation skills. 74 62* Allowing students to leave school early for a part-time job often does little to advance their academic and technical knowledge. On the other hand, giving students access to work-based and school-based learning, planned cooperatively by educators and employers can enable students to acquire more meaningful knowledge and skills. At top schools, students are more likely to have a richer set of work-site learning experiences with a seasoned mentor who gives them job-specific instructions on: how to do the work; how to do the required mathematics; good work habits; and good customer relations. Bottoms: Queen Anne’s County High School in Maryland is one of the top 50 schools that provides a quality work-based learning program to prepare teenagers to perform like “professionals” in the workplace. Superintendent Sandusky, tell us how the school provides practical job experiences that build academic and career/technical knowledge and skills. Bernard: Students participate in programs that involve mentoring, internships, supervised job shadowing, apprenticeships and directed work experience. Students earn credit toward graduation if the work-based learning is aligned with a planned program of study. All programs include a plan that helps students develop a range of academic and technical skills. The school and the employers develop hands-on activities for students on various tasks and in different departments. Workplace mentors supervise, instruct and evaluate students as they implement the plan and students complete portfolios that show the connection between school and work. We have a formal partnership with the local chamber of commerce to provide a variety and range of opportunities for students. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Key Practice #4 Set high expectations and get students to meet them. You cannot teach a more demanding academic core or quality career/technical studies without raising expectations. This key practice involves making challenging, meaningful assignments and expecting students to do high-quality work. It requires faculty to be enthusiastic, dedicated and willing to provide the individual help students may need in meeting higher standards. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

High Expectation Practices at High- and Low-implementation Sites Specific Practices High Low State amount and quality of work for an “A” or a “B” 56% 42% Teachers’ availability for extra help 66 55 One or more hours of homework daily 31 20 Revise written work 48 34 Work hard to meet high standards 54 43 Students have higher achievement at high-implementation schools than at low-implementation schools because more is expected of them. At high-implementation schools, 14 percent more students are in classrooms where the amount and quality of work is clear to earn a grade of an “A” or a “B”. Eleven percent more students have teachers who are available to give them the extra help they need to meet course standards. Eleven percent more students do one or more hours of homework daily. Fourteen percent more students are in classrooms that require work to be revised until it meets standards. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Expectations at High- and Low-implementation Sites More students at the top-achieving schools experience classrooms with high expectations. Twenty-eight percent of the students at the top schools are in classrooms with high expectations compared to 15 percent at low-implementation schools. On the other hand, at the top schools, 25 percent of the students are in classrooms with low expectations compared to 42 percent at low-implementation schools. Our goal is to have 85 percent of the students at all schools in classrooms with high expectations. Even the top schools have too many students in classrooms with moderate to low expectations. Raising expectations is about the principal and a core group of faculty reaching agreement, developing a system and making it operational. Bottoms: This is what Gloria Legington and a core group of teachers at James Madison High School in Houston have done. Gloria, as principal, how did you raise expectations in a school that has an enrollment of 73 percent minority students? Gloria: All teachers provide students with a syllabus at the beginning of each semester. The syllabus describes the course and tells what will be expected of students, the major assignments, how students will be graded and how they can obtain tutoring as needed. Teachers in each department are required to provide tutoring after school and/or on Saturdays. Parents are notified that their children must attend the tutoring sessions until their grades improve. Students generally have one to two hours of homework each night. We expect students to revise their work using the computer. We are adamant about monitoring students’ achievement and teachers’ instructional strategies. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Key Practice #5 Students actively engaged – getting every student involved in rigorous and challenging learning Engage students in using: literacy for learning, numeracy for learning and science for learning. Reading, mathematics and science are the tools for thinking and advancing learning in other disciplines — academic and technical. The knowledge and skills in literacy, numeracy and science are not confined to the mathematics, English and science classrooms, but must be used across the curriculum to advance problem solving, acquisition of knowledge and answering questions in other discipline areas. These skills are tools to make sense out of all subject-matter materials. High-implementation schools have higher achievement, in part, because they have gone further than low-implementation schools in implementing a cross-curricular emphasis on using literacy, numeracy and science skills as ways to advance learning in other subjects. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Literacy Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Literacy practices High Low Revise written work for quality (often) 48% 34% Write in-depth explanations (frequently) 66 53 Complete short writings in English (monthly) 77 in science (monthly) 39 27 in social studies (monthly) 48 35 Students at the top schools have higher reading achievement because they read more and write in-depth explanations about what they have read. Not only in English/language arts classes, but in science and in social studies classes. Eleven to 14 percent more students at the top schools are engaged in using writing for learning across the curriculum. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Specific Literacy Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Literacy practices High Low Use word processor (weekly) 61% 45% Discuss topics with other students 63 56 Read books outside of class (monthly) 40 25 Read technical materials in class (monthly) 64 49 Read outside of school (two hours weekly) 24 20 Students at the top-achieving schools have more opportunities to discuss what they have read with their peers. Fifteen percent more students read a book each month outside of class and demonstrate understanding of the materials read. Fifteen percent more students at the top schools have to read in their career/technical classes to complete assignments. These many small significant differences in implementation of the HSTW design at high-implementation schools when coupled with more demanding courses have a significant impact on student achievement. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Literacy Across the Curriculum at High- and Low-implementation Sites Simply put, students have higher reading, academic and technical achievement in all classes if they have to write research papers, do short writing assignments, make oral presentations, read several books and use computers to complete assignments. At the top-achieving schools, 75 percent of the students had high to moderate literacy experiences across the curriculum, compared to 56 percent at low-implementation schools. The top-achieving schools are doing more to engage students in using reading and writing for learning across the curriculum. Sussex Technical High School in Dover, Delaware, is one of those schools. Dr. Bottoms: Sandra Walls-Culotta is the principal. Sandy, we’d like to know how you have made reading and writing an integral part of every academic and career/technical course? Sandra: All students take four years of college-prep-level English courses that emphasize reading, writing, literature and higher-order thinking skills. Entering ninth-graders who need more intense instruction receive, in addition to English, a reading course taught by our reading specialist. We have only one level of English. All students read eight to 10 books a year, write short papers weekly and do a major research paper in these classes. In their career/technical classes, all students are required to conduct research, write reports, make oral presentations and do book reports. Our school is organized so that academic and career/technical teachers can work and plan integrated projects together. Students have the same academic and career/technical teachers throughout high school. This structure provides a way for teachers to emphasize language arts skills schoolwide. We provide an after-school tutoring program to help students strengthen their language arts skills. Students demonstrate their language arts skills through “writing prompts,” research papers in the ninth and 10th grades, a junior research paper connected to the student’s career area, and a senior project, which is required for graduation. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Specific Numeracy Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Numeracy Practices High Low 4 courses, Algebra I and higher 55% 36% Mathematics the senior year 73 62 4 or more mathematics courses 71 52 Increasing mathematics achievement is about the number of mathematics courses taken, the level of courses taken and how mathematics is taught. At the top-achieving schools, 19 percent more students had the opportunity to complete four years of mathematics — Algebra I and higher — than at low-implementation schools. Eleven percent more students take mathematics the senior year, and 19 percent more complete four or more years of mathematics. This is the major reason high-implementation schools have a 13-point higher mean mathematics score than do low-implementation schools. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Numeracy Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Numeracy Practices High Low Teachers link mathematics to real-life problems 75% 66% Work-related mathematics problems 35 29 Use of mathematics in career/technical assignments 57 46 Solve problems outside textbook 71 55 The top schools are more persistent in connecting mathematical reasoning and understanding to other courses and to experiences in students’ lives outside of school. Teachers in these schools bring practical problems from outside the school into the classroom and use them as a tool to help students understand the mathematical concepts being taught. At top schools, more students have teachers who go beyond assigning the drill-type problems in the textbook and assign the word problems. More students use mathematics in their science and career/technical classrooms to complete assignments at the top schools than at low-implementation schools. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Numeracy Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Numeracy Practices High Low Orally explain processes. 34% 24% Work with others on assignments. 51 41 Groups brainstorm to solve problems. 60 47 Solve open-ended problems. 71 58 Use graphing calculator. 78 62 More students at top-achieving schools are in classrooms where they have to use the language of mathematics in both oral and written communication to explain how they solve problems. Fewer students at low-implementation schools work with their peers or participate in brainstorming groups to solve assigned problems. Further, fewer students use graphing calculators to complete assignments. In top schools, more teachers have a better balance in teaching mathematics procedures, reasoning and understanding; while in low-implementation schools, a great emphasis is placed on drill sheets. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Numeracy Across the Curriculum at High- and Low-implementation Sites In the same way that literacy across the curriculum raises reading achievement, numeracy across the curriculum is associated with higher mathematics achievement. Students who use mathematics in classes have deeper understanding and longer retention of mathematics knowledge and skills. At top-achieving schools, 41 percent of the students had high numeracy experiences across the curriculum, compared to 23 percent at low-implementation schools. In contrast, 28 percent of the students in low-implementation schools had low numeracy experiences across the curriculum, compared to only 11 percent at the top-implementation schools. Springdale High School in Springdale, Arkansas is one of the top 50 schools that does an excellent job in having students complete four years of the right mathematics courses, connecting mathematics to real-world situations and engaging students in talking and using mathematics. Eighty-six percent of their students met the HSTW performance goal in mathematics in 2002. Bottoms: Vicki Smith is a mathematics teacher and district mathematics coordinator. Vicki, tell us how you keep mathematics uppermost on the minds of teachers and students. Vicki: In 1996, our teachers spearheaded an initiative to require four years of mathematics for graduation and to adopt a mastery learning approach in algebra and geometry. The importance of mathematics is evident in classes such as biology, physics, chemistry, construction and drafting and design. The mastery learning program in algebra and geometry is a competency-based program that has clear standards and provides multiple opportunities for students to learn mathematics skills. Low-achieving students are given extra time and extra help to meet the competency levels. Students who are unsuccessful at the end of the semester are re-grouped and required to repeat the course. For the past three years, we have been one of the state’s highest achieving high schools on end-of-course mathematics exams. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Science Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Science Practices High Low Completed at least three – CP physical science, CP biology, Biology II, anatomy, CP Chemistry, physics 35% 23% Took science the senior year 67 45 Science teachers often show how scientific concepts are used in real-life situations 39 28 Used science equipment to do activities in a lab 41 26 The reason the top schools have higher science achievement is because 22 percent more students take a science course the senior year and complete four years of science than do students at low-implementation schools. Students at the top schools not only take more science, but they are 10 percent more likely to have science assignments that link science concepts and skills with real-life problems. Much remains to be done to improve science instruction at all schools. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Science Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Sites Science Practices High Low Read an assigned book (other than text book) or article dealing with science at least monthly 44% 35% Used science equipment to do science activity in the classroom at least monthly 77 60 Worked with one or more students in classroom on science at least monthly 74 57 Prepared a written report on science project at least monthly 53 41 The reason the top schools have higher science achievement is because 22 percent more students take a science course the senior year and complete four years of science than do students at low-implementation schools. Students at the top schools not only take more science, but they are 10 percent more likely to have science assignments that link science concepts and skills with real-life problems. Much remains to be done to improve science instruction at all schools. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Key Practice #6 Provide a structured system of extra help to assist students in meeting higher standards. Raising expectations and teaching higher-level courses is not enough. Schools must provide extra help to assist students in meeting higher standards. Students learn more when they know their teacher believes in them and wants to help them succeed. This type of support motivates students to work harder and convinces them that school matters. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Percentage of Students Receiving Extra Help at High- and Low-implementation Sites High-implementation schools have higher achievement because 21 percent more students are likely to get extra help than at low-implementation schools. Top schools enroll more students into more demanding courses and then provide them with the extra help they need to meet the higher course standards. Bottoms: Swain County High School in Bryson City, North Carolina, is one of the top 50 high school that does this well. Janet Clapsaddle is the principal. Janet, how did you get most of your teachers and students involved in giving and receiving extra help? Janet: Ten years ago, we asked teachers from every department to volunteer to tutor students after school from the end of the student day to the end of the teacher workday to help students catch up and move forward in their studies. The media center is open from 7 to 8 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays and from 3 to 8 p.m. the other three days of the week. Students flock to the center to use the computers, find printed resource materials or get help with their research projects. College students provide homework help from 6 to 8 p.m. three nights a week, at the school or by telephone. During the past year, 408 of our 484 students — a total of 84 percent of all students — used some aspect of the program. We have expanded our ninth-grade transition program to include a summer class for students who may need help adjusting to high school. Recently, we have added counseling services and a director for the extra-help program. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Key Practice #7 Involve students and parents in a guidance and advisement system designed to ensure that students complete an accelerated academic program of study and a major. Schools can improve student achievement by increasing the amount of time available for students to talk with counselors and teachers about completing a challenging program of study. Advisers can make a difference in students’ lives by helping students and parents plan a program of study that includes a solid academic core and either an academic or a career concentration. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Guidance Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Schools Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Guidance Practices at High- and Low-implementation Sites Encouraged to take more math 18% 12% more science 15 9 Planned program by end of grade 9 59 52 Talked with parents about high school plans 81 73 At top-achieving schools, more students are encouraged to take additional mathematics and science courses and received help by the end of ninth grade in planning a high school program of study than at low-implementation schools. They are also more likely to talk with parents about their high school program of study. Good guidance leads to better choices about courses to take in high school. However, at both groups of schools, too many students are not being encouraged to take the right mathematics and science courses and to take four years of it. If you believe that career-oriented students should leave high school prepared for both further study and work, then you have a solvable problem. If you do not, then you do not have a problem. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Guidance Practices at High- and Low-implementation Sites Talked with teachers about plans after high school 90% 80% Annual parent-teacher-student conferences 36 30 Annual meeting to review program of study 72 51 At top-achieving schools, more students talk with teachers about their postsecondary plans and have an annual parent-teacher-student conference. Twenty-one percent more students at the top schools have an annual meeting with their advisers to review their program of study than at low-implementation schools. We still have a major disconnect in providing the quality of guidance and advisement that all students need. Bottoms: However, that is not true at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, Virginia, one of the top 50 schools. Tom McLemore, as principal, how does your guidance system assist every student in planning and following a definite pathway to success? Tom: Our school motto is “Every child is a star.” The guidance staff works beyond the normal school day to inform every student about academic requirements, the state Standards of Learning, postsecondary and career options, scholarships and financial aid and other matters that will help them become positive, productive citizens. We offer advanced placement and dual-credit college courses, and a high percentage of our juniors and seniors complete high-level mathematics and science courses. Counselors are assigned to students by grade level. Counselors host guidance nights six times a year to meet with parents about their children’s futures. Counselors go into the English classrooms three times a year to explain graduation requirements, state standards and other topics related to students’ four-year programs of study. Our counselors work with business leaders to ensure that students get the academic and technical skills they need to be successful in the workplace. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Key Practice #8 Use student assessment and program evaluation data to improve curriculum, instruction, school climate, organization and management to advance student learning. High-implementation schools have higher achievement because school leaders and more teachers in these schools are constantly working to improve school and classroom practices and student achievement. These schools use student assessment and program evaluation data to create a climate that encourages higher achievement. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based Continuous Improvement Experiences at High- and Low-implementation Schools Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Leadership Practices at High- and Low-implementation Sites Continuous Improvement Practices High Low Goals are clear. 48% 36%* Teachers maintain a demanding and supportive environment. 42 32* Principals meet with teachers to examine student work. 39 29* There is a significant difference between teachers’ perceptions at the top schools and teachers’ perceptions at low-implementation schools on six indicators for continuous improvement practices. Twelve percent more teachers at the top schools than at low-implementation schools report that their goals and priorities are clearer. It’s simple. If more teachers agree on the school’s end results, those schools will make more progress. Ten percent more teachers at the top schools report that the school maintains a demanding and supportive climate to help students succeed. The principals at the top schools are perceived by 10 percent more teachers to be working shoulder-to-shoulder with them to get the job done. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Leadership Practices at High- and Low-implementation Sites Continuous Improvement Practices High Low Teachers continue to learn and seek out new ideas. 49% 39%* Teachers/administrators work as a team. 39 31* Teachers use data to evaluate school and classroom practices. 29 19* At the top-achieving schools, more teachers are constantly seeking new ideas to improve the effectiveness of their own classroom practices and more of them perceive that their administrators are willing to work with them as a team to get the job done. At the top-implementation schools, it is not just about principals using data; it is about engaging teachers with the data that seems to separate them from low-implementation schools. Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Major Drivers for Improving Student Achievement Rigorous academic core High quality career/technical courses Reasoning for learning content Challenging assignments Southern Regional Education Board Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Major Drivers for Improving Student Achievement Consensus on what it means to: Teach to high standards Teach well Make students independent learners Create a climate of continuous improvement Provide extra help Southern Regional Education Board Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Major Drivers for Improving Student Achievement A mentor to assist each student to: Explore and set postsecondary school goals Develop a program of student work Make sure students receive needed extra help Southern Regional Education Board Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Major Drivers for Improving Student Achievement Transition: Middle grades – high school High School – postsecondary Use the senior year to get ready as a jump start Southern Regional Education Board Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based

Higher Achieving Schools Deeply Implement the Key Practices. High-implementation schools have higher achievement because they have bought into the HSTW vision and are further down the road in creating a new set of school practices based on effort. In comparison, more faculty and leaders at the low-implementation schools are still obsessed with the beliefs that many students just aren’t capable of greater achievement. Leaders and teachers at high-implementation schools see more possibilities than the staff at low-implementation schools. Bill Gates discovered some ideas that originated with the Xerox Corporation about computers using commands communicated by icons (symbols representing computer programs or actions) rather than typed words. Xerox considered the project a dead end. Gates developed and marketed Windows from the discarded project and, as a consequence, the personal computer market has never again been the same. Where many only saw segregation and racial hatred, Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream of his children being judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their hearts. Where most only pitied a severely handicapped girl and believed she was hardly human, Ann Sullivan saw in Helen Keller a person who deserved dignity and who was able to learn. HSTW is based on a vision that most all of our high school students can learn what we have historically taught to only our best — to realize this dream involves disengaging ourselves from old beliefs and old school and classroom practices and be willing to try new approaches until we find that set of practices that enables our vision to become a reality. Ordinary schools become high-achieving schools when their leaders and teachers buy into this vision, enthusiastically endorse it and work together to achieve it. You will find at this conference evidence that supports the idea that the HSTW dream is an achievable dream. There is no such thing as a school that cannot do better. Southern Regional Education Board Illinois Connection 03-24-04 -- Research-based