Sequoia High School Everett Public Schools House Education Committee March 15, 2011 Sally A. Lancaster, Principal Dr. Gary Cohn, Superintendent

ALE Programs at Sequoia

Sequoia’s mission Mission: Sequoia High School will provide students with an educational environment that is positive, recognizes individual differences, and has high expectations for achievement and behavior. Sequoia works to meet the needs of its community through a program that emphasizes: Goal Setting Individual Responsibility Choice Vision: Each student graduates with a plan for their future, prepared for college or a career.

Operating principles Each child should have the opportunity and support to meet their potential Mistakes are an integral part of learning We work to create an environment that teachers and students are drawn to Each child is of worth We are here to serve students All children have the ability to learn We must provide a safe environment where students can take risks Each child deserves another chance

ESD 189 teacher of the year I teach at the alternative high school because it is structured to be an environment with regular collaboration. We invest in climate building where the staff hold not only students but each other accountable for engaging students with rigorous curriculum and clearly-scaffolded instruction. After 20 years, I have found at the alternative school the chance to help with academic planning and mentoring as part of my job. My students benefit from more engaging content, better scaffolding and our staff’s shared enthusiasm for their learning. It is a place where we are working to balance rigor with relevance.

Sequoia snapshot 318 Students 9th-12th Grades 35% Free and reduced lunch 18 Kids in transition 78 Living with self

Race/Ethnicity

Students by grade

Continuing senior breakdown

How does contract-based learning work at Sequoia?

General structure Intake 1 Month terms-progress review Reward success Intervention plan for struggling students Short-term memory loss and new opportunities

What are student expectations? Follow behavior expectations Show up everyday and do your best Goal setting, individual responsibility, choice

What accountability does the school district assure?

HSPE Writing

HSPE Reading

HSPE Math

Graduation rates

Graduation rates Data is preliminary

Accountability School improvement planning process Annual state of the school review On-Time graduation task force

What is the typical profile of a contract- based learning student?

Students in transition “Half way through my senior year I dropped out. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I moved out of my moms’ house because of how the situation at home was working. When I moved out I was couch surfing for quite a while trying to find a place to lay my head.”

Students as caretakers The greatest struggle so far in my life has been growing up poor and having a disabled mom that you have to care for and no father figure in my life”. “The greatest struggle so far in my life has been growing up poor and having a disabled mom that you have to care for and no father figure in my life”.

Parenting teens “Sadly I got caught up and made some wrong choices and became a teen mom. At that point in life I felt like I really had no life anymore and that everything was slipping out of my hands like water. I was always a self motivated and hard working student, but it was the birth of my son that became my main motivation in the end.”

Struggling students I started high school just for friends but high school was hard for me. It was even harder because we moved from California to Arizona and then finally Washington. I have been to four different high schools within four years.” “I started high school just for friends but high school was hard for me. It was even harder because we moved from California to Arizona and then finally Washington. I have been to four different high schools within four years.”

Invisible students I feel more connected to my teachersI feel more connected to my teachers I heard stories about how friendly everyone isI heard stories about how friendly everyone is No one at school judges you, you can be friends with anyoneNo one at school judges you, you can be friends with anyone It is a good environment to learnIt is a good environment to learn The people here make me feel at homeThe people here make me feel at home

What is the role of the high school? Belonging Individuals matter Different = Not the same, Different ≠ Less than

Evidence of student success Standardized assessments Graduation numbers Monthly appointment days College bound students Growing AP enrollment Students return

Evidence of student success

Questions? Thank you for your interest in Sequoia High School!