1. Rockledge High School: Turnaround Story
Council of Chief State School Officers
National Conference on Student Assessment
June 28, 2017
Ms. Terri Kulaga, AP Curriculum,
Rockledge High School (A Cambridge High School)

2. 11th Cambridge school in the nation(2004)
Rockledge Background
Built in 1954
16 high schools in county
11th Cambridge school in the nation(2004)
Strong support from Florida legislature
We provide support to schools considering Cambridge
We provide Best Practices training to coordinators and administrators

3. 21st Century Education

4. We Are Rockledge Demographics
Population 1450
52.25% White
28.45% African American
9.23% Hispanic
7.80% Multiracial
1.71% Asian
0.56% Pacific Islander
48.38% Male
51.61% Female
48.00% Free and Reduced Lunch

5. Need for Change School grades
Rockledge Background
Need for Change
School grades
Drastic loss of population in 2005 to a new neighboring school from 1900 to 1170 students
Brain drain to neighboring schools
Students were not college and career ready
Less than 35% of students attending college/university
Weak Advanced placement program
Students were not accessing dual enrollment opportunities

6. International Baccalaureate- IB versus Advanced Placement- AP
Research into Programs
Research Conducted
International Baccalaureate- IB
versus Advanced Placement- AP
versus Cambridge AICE*
Academy based schools
Advancing Via Individual Determination – AVID
Increase dual enrollment programs
* Advanced International Certificate of Education

7. Comparison of Cambridge, AP and IB
Research into Programs
Comparison of Cambridge, AP and IB

8. Why Cambridge? Student/Parent Perspective
Internationally recognized curriculum and assessments
No gates except grade 9 - we consider ourselves inclusive rather than exclusive
Flexible - Open access/ multiple entry points for learners
Critical thinking is evident and utilized through every Cambridge class including Global Perspectives

9. Why Cambridge? Educator Perspective
Aligned to state and college readiness standards
Resources (professional development)
Data from other schools offering the program
Ease of implementation
Online introductory Self study courses
Face to Face Training led by Cambridge  Teachers / Examiners
Phase 1 - introductory
Phase 2 - extension
Best Practices Workshops led by experienced  US Teachers
Webinars – videos

10. First Stages of Implementation
Implementation of Cambridge
First Stages of Implementation
Visited other schools
Sought community and district support (initially district did not want to adopt Cambridge)
Selected 35 students to begin 9th grade to begin the IGCSE curriculum ( 600 students today)
Attended face to face and online training
Created PLC’s for teachers teaching the courses
Second year dropped all Advanced Placement courses and adopted AS and A level course for upper classmen
Added note on district, bullet 2

11. Results with Adoption of Cambridge
Results using Cambridge
Results with Adoption of Cambridge
Named a Turn Around School in 2007
Students are gaining acceptance at top tier universities
Student population has increased by 400 students (23%)
Students attending post secondary schools has increased from 35% to over 75%
Ranked in the top 2000 high schools by various national organizations
Florida accountability school grade is consistently and A or B from 2007

12. Grades - Post AICE Program at RHS
Results using Cambridge
Rockledge High School Implemented the Cambridge Program and Found Substantial Success
Grades - Post AICE Program at RHS
Grades - Pre AICE
Program at RHS
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999 B A C

13. Florida’s Articulation Benefits Our Students
Results using Cambridge
Florida’s Articulation Benefits Our Students
Earning the Cambridge AICE Diploma is directly tied to Florida’s State Scholarship
regardless of GPA and SAT/ACT scores.
Automatically qualifies for the highest level with
completed community for service hours
Graduating Year
# of seniors who earned AICE diploma
# of seniors who earned BF Academic Scholar Award
# of seniors eligible for BF Academic Scholar award without diploma
# of seniors who earned BF Academic Scholar and were not AICE diploma candidates
2012 67 64 13 2
2013 63 60 22 7
2014 71 68 18
2015 52 46 10
2016
102
101 32 4

14. Cambridge AICE Comparisons to other Advanced Programs
Results using Cambridge
Cambridge AICE Comparisons to other Advanced Programs
Brief Description:
Study compares the effects of AICE participation to AP, IB, and matched students who did not earn credit through an advanced program on freshman year GPA.
Sample Size and Characteristics:
Sample included more than 8,500 students who entered FSU during the academic years of
Key Finding:
Cambridge AICE students earn higher freshman year GPA compared to AP and IB students, and all three groups earned higher freshman year GPA compared to matched students who did not earn credit through an advanced program.
Source: Shaw, S. & Bailey, C. (2011). Success in the US: Are Cambridge International Assessments Good Preparation for University Study? Journal of College Admission, (Fall 2011), 6-16.
 Key Finding:
Cambridge Advanced students (2014) earned higher freshman year GPA compared to AP and IB students, and all three groups earned higher freshman year GPA compared to matched students who did not earn credit through an advanced program.

15. Florida Core compared to Cambridge AICE Standards
Results using Cambridge
The Cambridge AICE and Florida Core standards set expectations for student achievement at each grade level
Cambridge AICE and Florida Core share a common aim: student readiness for further study and work. Both programs value critical analysis and the individual’s capability for evaluating and synthesizing different sets of information, drawn from a variety of sources and presented in diverse forms.

16. 21st Century Education and Cambridge