Hebrew proverb Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.

Best Practices in High School Reform International Center for Leadership in Education Dr. Richard D. Jones

International Center for Leadership in Education and Council of Chief State’s School Officers 30 Exemplary High Schools

Looking at High Schools Why Why Do We Need to Change to Change Schools? Schools? What What Needs to Needs to Be Done? Be Done? How How Do We Do It? It?

What does it feel like to be a Superintendent that proposes high school reform?

What is the reaction of the Board of Education?

Looking at High Schools Why Why Why Do We Need to Change to Change Schools? Schools? What What What Needs to Needs to Be Done? Be Done? How HowHow Do We Do It? It?

Video Students

International Center for Leadership in Education and Council of Chief State’s School Officers 30 Exemplary High Schools

Characteristics 1. Personalized Learning Personalized Learning Personalized Learning 2. High Expectations High Expectations High Expectations 3. Data - Driven Decisions Data - Driven Decisions Data - Driven Decisions 4. 9th Grade Transition 9th Grade Transition 9th Grade Transition 5. Challenging 12th Grade Challenging 12th Grade Challenging 12th Grade 6. Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum 7. Effective Leadership Effective Leadership Effective Leadership 8. Relationships Driven by Guiding Principles Relationships Driven by Guiding Principles Relationships Driven by Guiding Principles 9. Sustained Professional Development Sustained Professional Development Sustained Professional Development

Characteristics 1. Personalized Learning Personalized Learning Personalized Learning 2. High Expectations High Expectations High Expectations 3. Data - Driven Decisions Data - Driven Decisions Data - Driven Decisions 4. 9th Grade Transition 9th Grade Transition 9th Grade Transition 5. Challenging 12th Grade Challenging 12th Grade Challenging 12th Grade 6. Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum 7. Effective Leadership Effective Leadership Effective Leadership 8. Relationships Driven by Guiding Principles Relationships Driven by Guiding Principles Relationships Driven by Guiding Principles 9. Sustained Professional Development Sustained Professional Development Sustained Professional Development

Looking at High Schools Why Why Why Do We Need to Change to Change Schools? Schools? What What What Needs to Needs to Be Done? Be Done? How HowHow Do We Do It? It?

Personalized Learning Multiple Pathways Early Intervention Disaggregation of Data Small Learning Communities

Changes That Are Easier Building Relationships Identifying Student Needs Articulation of Curriculum Staff Collaboration Creating Positive School Culture Contextual Learning

Pitfalls Lack of Specific Goals Failure to Address Literacy Unchanged Curriculum Too Much Emphasis on Belonging Ignoring Staff Concerns Uninformed Student Assignment Bad Timing Focusing only on Teachers

Small Learning Communities

High Expectations

Expectations Expectations are Behaviors Collaborative High Levels of Support

21 Data Driven - especially about reading

Lexile Framework Semantic Difficulty Semantic Difficulty Syntactic Complexity Syntactic Complexity

Medical Academy Lexile Range

Visual Arts & Design Academy Lexile Range

9 th & 12 th Grades MS HS HE 129

Curriculum Focused

Teachers struggling to teach an overloaded curriculum!

PSSA English LA Benchmarks Tested

PSSA Mathematics Benchmarks Tested

Pennsylvania Career and Technical Education Pennsylvania Mathematics Standards/Benchmarks Grade 11 PSSA Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Architecture And Construction Arts & Communications Ag P r o d u c t i o n Ag M e c h a n i c s Ag S e r v i c e s (Ag B u s i n e s s ) Natur a l Resou r c e s Archit e c t u r e a n d \ D r a f t i n g Constr u c t i o n Perfor m i n g Arts Commun icat ion s A. Use operations (e.g., opposite, reciprocal, absolute value, raising to a power, finding roots, finding logarithms). MHHHHHHHH F. Demonstrate skills for using computer spreadsheets and scientific and graphing calculators. HMMHMHMMH B. Measure and compare angles in degrees and radians. HHHHHHHHM D. Use truth tables to reveal the logic of mathematical statements. MMMMMMLMM E. Demonstrate mathematical solutions to problems (e.g., in the physical sciences). MHHHHHHHH J. Demonstrate the connection between algebraic equations and inequalities and the geometry of relations in the coordinate plane. HLLLLHMLL B. Identify, create and solve practical problems involving right triangles using the trigonometric functions and the Pythagorean Theorem. MHMHHHMLL

Pennsylvania Arts Education Pennsylvania English Language Arts Standards/Benchmarks Grade 5 PSSAVisual ArtsDanceMusicTheatre A. Establish the purpose for reading a type of text (literature, information) before reading. HHHHH H. Demonstrate fluency and comprehension in reading. LLLLL A. Read and understand essential content of informational texts and documents in all academic areas. HHHHH B. Use and understand a variety of media and evaluate the quality of material produced. HHHHH C. Produce work in at least one literary genre that follows the conventions of the genre. LLLLL A. Read and understand works of literature.HHHHH B. Compare the use of literary elements within and among texts including characters, setting, plot, theme and point of view. HHHHH

Curriculum Focused Standards vs. Curriculum vs. Instruction

Curriculum Focused Standards vs. Curriculum vs. Instruction Constantly raising Rigor and Relevance

Ask Me..... “How will I ever use what I’m learning today?”

In schools the status quo persists!

Rigor

Relevance My only skill is taking tests.

All Students

Rigor/Relevance Framework Text

Assimilation of knowledge Acquisition Thinking Continuum Thinking Continuum

1.Knowledge 2.Comprehension 3.Application 4.Analysis 5.Synthesis 6.Evaluation Knowledge Taxonomy

Basic Nutrition 1Label food by nutritional groups 2Explain nutritional value of foods 3Use nutrition guidelines in planning meals 4Examine success in achieving nutrition goals 5Develop personal nutrition goals 6Appraise results of personal eating habits over time Knowledge Taxonomy

Application Model

Acquisition of knowledge Application Action Continuum

Application Model 1 Knowledge in one discipline 2 Application within discipline 3 Application across disciplines 4 Application to real-world predictable situations 5 Application to real-world unpredictable situations

Basic Nutrition 1Label food by nutrition groups 2Rank foods by nutritional value 3Make cost comparison of foods considering nutritional value 4Develop nutritional plan for a health problem affected by food 5Devise a sound nutritional plan for a group of 3 year-olds who are “picky” eaters Application Model

12345 Application Knowledge Rigor/Relevance Framework

A

A B

A B C

A B D C

Skill Identify, collect or sort pertinent information while reading.

Quadrant A Read a science experiment and identify the necessary materials to perform the experiment.

Quadrant B Locate and read current articles on biotech.

Quadrant C Read and analyze 3 original newspaper articles from WW II and identify reasons for opposition to US entry into the war.

Quadrant D Read pertinent information related to El Nino weather patterns and propose possible summer vacation destinations.

KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE A P P L I C A T I O N Extended Response Extended Response Product Performance Product Performance Primary Assessments Rigor/Relevance Framework Portfolio Portfolio Product Performance Product Performance Interview Interview Self Reflection Self Reflection Process Process Performance Performance Product Performance Product Performance Multiple Choice Multiple Choice Constructed Response Constructed Response

KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE A P P L I C A T I O N A B D C AcquisitionApplication AdaptationAssimilation Rigor/Relevance Framework

KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE A P P L I C A T I O N A B D C Rigor/Relevance Framework Activities Projects Problems

Video Kennesaw Mtn.

Leadership Problem is more people than Technical Problem is more people than Technical Not Charismatic Not Charismatic Entrepreneurial vs. Bureaucratic Entrepreneurial vs. Bureaucratic Performance vs. Compliance Performance vs. Compliance Department Chairs Department Chairs Focus on Instruction Focus on Instruction

Guiding Principles  Responsibility  Contemplation  Initiative  Perseverance  Optimism  Courage  Respect  Compassion  Adaptability  Honesty  Trustworthiness  Loyalty

Relationships Clearly Important ? How to Quantify? How to Develop?

Relationships are Essential to Student Learning Family Family Peers Peers Teachers Teachers Community Community Result of combination of support from:

Relationship Model 0.Isolated 1.Knowing 2.Assisting 3.Mentoring 4.Enduring 5.Mutually Beneficial

Relationship Model Key to Student Learning 1. Knowing Teachers get to know students and their families 2. Assisting Some positive support, but sporadic 3. Mentoring Moderate support from some individuals 4. Enduring Fully supported from all individuals 5. Mutually Beneficial Mutually supportive learning community

Support Behaviors Respect Respect Being There Being There Active Listening Active Listening Frequent Contact Frequent Contact Encouragement Encouragement Avoiding “Put Downs” Avoiding “Put Downs” ?????? ??????

Professional Development  Directly related to school goals  Ongoing  Personalized  Culture of Collaboration

Next Steps NetworkNetwork Work with select group of schoolsWork with select group of schools

Looking at High Schools Why Why Why Do We Need to Change to Change Schools? Schools? What What What Needs to Needs to Be Done? Be Done? How HowHow Do We Do It? It?

Successful Schools What is a proven successful school? No single measure Include tests, but more than tests Must be objective Recognize that schools are different

Successful Schools Criteria Quantifiable Sustainable Disaggregated Benchmarked Exceptional

Criteria Categories Core Academic Learning Stretch Learning Student and Community Engagement Student Personal Development

Criteria Grid

QuantifiableSustainable Disag- gregated Bench- marked Exceptional Core Academic Learning 3R ( Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic) Stretch Learning Rigor and Relevance Student and Community Engagement Relationships Personal Skill Development Respect and Responsibility Criteria Grid

Characteristics 1. Culture of High Expectations and Support 2. Articulated Curriculum 3. Personalized Learning 4. Rigorous and Relevant Instruction 5. Positive School Climate 6. Leadership 7. Data-driven Decisions 8. Accountability 9. Partnerships 10. Professional Learning Communities

Characteristics 1. Culture of High Expectations and Support - Create a culture that embraces the belief that all students can benefit from a rigorous and relevant curriculum and provides personalized relationships between adults and students to support high levels of achievement. 2. Articulated Curriculum - Use a framework to organize curriculum that drives instruction toward both rigor and relevance and leads to a continuum of instruction between grades and across disciplines.

Characteristics 1. Personalized Learning - Create appropriate transitions into and from school and multiple pathways to rigor and relevance based upon a student’s interests, learning style, aptitude, and needs. 2. Rigorous and Relevant Instruction - Teach students through experiences that are challenging; stimulate reflective thought and are real-world applications of skills and knowledge. 4. Positive School Climate - Establish and maintain a safe and orderly school.

Characteristics 1. Leadership - Offer effective leadership development for administrators, teachers, parents, and community. 3. Data-driven Decisions - Use data to provide a clear, unwavering focus to; rigorous and relevant curriculum priorities, personalized instruction and continuous school improvement. 5. Accountability - Set high expectations that are monitored, then hold both students and adults accountable for students’ continuous improvement in the curriculum priorities

Characteristics 2. Partnerships - Obtain and leverage parent and community involvement resulting in positive relationships with schools. 4. Professional Learning Communities - Foster development of a highly collaborative staff and provide sustained professional development focused on the improvement of instruction.

International Center for Leadership in Education, Inc Route 146 Rexford, NY Phone (518) Fax (518)