High School Re-Design at Sonoraville High School A learning community actively pursuing a higher standard of excellence SHS: Setting a Higher Standard

Sonoraville High School Located in Calhoun (I-75 b/w Chattanooga & Atlanta) Rural, community school Opened Fall of 2005 Approx students

Who are the Phoenix?

Kerry Davis Former MS & HS Math Teacher Former Math Dept Instructional Supervisor 6-12 Instructional Math Coach Design Team Member Design Coach Who Are We? Bruce Potts Former HS Science and Physical Fitness Teacher Former Assistant Principal Principal Design Team Member Design Coach

Opportunity Knocks In 2006, Sonoraville High School was selected as 1 of the 4 high schools from across the state chosen to begin the PAGE High School Redesign Initiative

Take a minute and generate a list of factors that you feel affect a student’s ability to learn.

What can we control? Student ability? Student home life? Student genetics? Student parents? Middle school? Elementary school? Pre-school/daycare? The world of influence? Mark out any factors on your list that cannot be directly controlled by teachers.

Transitions – Our Challenges and out of our control State Decisions TKES / TEM CCRPI Growth Model SLDS Milestones SLO Local Decisions 8-12 re-configuration Budget

We CAN control the WORK that we give to kids! This responsibility requires us to develop our capacity to be teacher leaders in our own building…to take charge & design quality, engaging work and lead our students to be successful in that work! But I’m a control freak!

Digital Natives Reflection: – Why is it important to learn more about your “who” & what engages them as learners? – How can learning be affected if you create & focus on volunteers?

Core Business of Schools “To produce work that engages students – work that is so compelling that students persist when they experience difficulties, and that is so challenging that students have a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction indeed, of delight when they successfully accomplish the tasks assigned.” - Phillip Schlechty

A disciplined framework for designing student work A means for thinking about the KINDS of things that might be built into the work that would appeal to student motives (once determined) A language that makes it possible to have collaborative dialogue about student engagement & lesson design – a way to share what comes intuitive to most A system for helping competent instructors become great educators and TEACHER LEADERS! WOW FRAMEWORK OVERVIEW SHS Science Dept embraces the framework!

Chosen by the faculty and compiled by the Design Team. Posted in hallways, t-shirts( above ), teacher IDs, handbooks, etc.

The need for design!

Designing Begins at SHS Attendance to Teacher Leader Academy Re-delivery to Staff Developed of Vision and Mission statements Established Beliefs School-wide focus on student engagement Immediate implementation by teacher volunteers Various teacher groups attend WOW trainings Design Team created

The Design Team FORM: Who should comprise the team? FUNCTION: What should be the team’s functions? Before: Brainstorm ideas (never exclude “crazy”). After: “Crazy” becomes “Gravy”. SHS re- designed Parent Open-House and turned it into “Phoenix Palooza”.

Continued Strategies & Supports Learning Communities  Teacher led! – Phoenix 40s, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Tech Tuesdays Professional Development designed around our “who” & with choice (transition from SHS to school community) Peer Observations Incorporation into the School Improvement Plan – Encourage “volunteers” regarding implementation – Collecting evidence and artifacts WOW Mentors/Coaches established Induction and PL for teachers new to SHS – Rise Up Teacher Academy

Emphasis on getting to know their “who” Emphasis on measuring student engagement Design Qualities used in lesson design Affirmation of Performance emphasized Creating SHS’s “examples of design” videos “Design Time” built into next year’s bell schedule Implementation of school wide coaching circles following “Coaching for Design “ protocol

More volunteers “rise up” to be trained each year Professional learning is expanded to include students and feeder schools Re-design is Continuous and Contagious

Powerful Tools WOW workbook Shaking up the Schoolhouse Teach With Your Strengths Engaging Students: The Next Level of Working on the Work, workshop resources Resources and Tools

Affirmations WOW framework is compatible with TKES standards and Advanced Ed standards Increase in award winners for State and National Competitions (i.e. FFA, FBLA, Fine Arts, etc.) Creation of Promethean Scholars – Cross curricular environment for highly motivated and gifted students that produces 4 innovative projects a year Low teacher turn over Increase in Attendance Rate Increase in Graduation Rate Increase in State Scores and CCRPI

Increase Affirmations

A Learning Community comes to the aid of the School Community Tornado hits less than 1 mile from SHS on January 30, 2013.

Questions??????