1. Play as guests enter the room to set the tone.

2. Transforming AP Culture with: Professional Learning & Scheduling
Tim Scott - Superintendent Kiski Area School District
Chad Roland - Principal Kiski Area High School
Matt Smith - Assistant Principal KAHS
Zach Jankowski - AP Statistics Teacher KAHS
Holly Jacobs - AP Language Teacher KAHS

3. Today’s Agenda Kiski Area background Confronting our Reality
Implementing Professional Learning Teams to evolve our culture
Partnering with National Math & Science Initiative
Developing a Supportive Structure
#Kiski_Area_SD
At end of this slide in present mode - add Q & A feature - set to allow for anyone access, not just KA. This will put site at top for people to type questions.

4. Kiski Area School District:
Is 35 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh
#Kiski_Area_SD

5. Kiski Area School District:
Has 3,648 Students
1,153 at the High School
#Kiski_Area_SD

6. Kiski Area School District:
Was one of the first schools in PA to partner with National Math + Science Initiative (NMSI)
Is also a Google Reference District, (one of 107 in the United States)
#Kiski_Area_SD
There were only 9 schools in PA when we started. There are now 31 schools in PA who have participated or will be participating in the program.
NMSI next - extended program to maintain momentum built beyond 3 year program.

7. KASD Realities In 2015-2016 Kiski Area had 249 AP enrollments
68 AP tests taken
62 Qualifying scores on AP Exam
Had a traditional 8 period school day
Had traditional disconnected Professional Learning
Had a culture of dividing students into levels
EX: 10% of 10th grade in Honors English 10
#Kiski_Area_SD

8. KASD Responses
Creating Professional Learning Communities across the district
Partnership with the National Math & Science Initiative (NMSI) to provide support to our AP Teachers
Creating a structure that supports our vision:
Continued professional learning
Students learning at higher levels
#Kiski_Area_SD

9. The Road to a Professional Learning Community-Impetus for Change
“The fundamental purpose of school is learning, not teaching.”
~ Richard DuFour ~
#Kiski_Area_SD

10. The Road to a Professional Learning Community-Definition of a PLC
“An ongoing process in which educators work interdependently in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.”
~ Rebecca DuFour ~
From The Summit, Phoenix Convention Center 2/21/18
#Kiski_Area_SD

11. The Road to a Professional Learning Community
Focus on Learning (adults and students)
Teachers must collaborate
Focus on results
Share best practices
Must be a system value on our most rigorous courses
Eliminate Elitist Mentality
Provide support for ALL learners
#Kiski_Area_SD

12. The Road to a Professional Learning Community
This led to the following:
All Buildings provide I/E time
All buildings provide built in teacher collaboration time
Connected student learning to our professional development of staff
#Kiski_Area_SD
We use to have building wide Faculty Advisory meetings - now we met with all teachers regularly and had a better understanding of needs of our staff in regards to student learning.

13. Professional Learning Community
How has this impacted you as a Professional?
How has this impacted your students?
#Kiski_Area_SD
We use to have building wide Faculty Advisory meetings - now we met with all teachers regularly and had a better understanding of needs of our staff in regards to student learning.

14. The Road to a NMSI Partner School
We met with our AP teachers
Needed to place more value on AP Exams at KAHS
Had to address barriers (College in HS, cost of test, perceived classes for elite)
Brought in representative from NMSI to meet and learn about the program
Set up formal presentations to Superintendent, Business Manager, Board of Education, and faculty at ALL district buildings
#Kiski_Area_SD
ALL staff was a key component. Wanted to connect this value of AP as the most rigorous courses we offer to the concept of making ALL classes more rigorous.

15. KASD & NMSI Alignment Kiski Area Purpose
Ensure every child is learning at the highest level he or she ever has
NMSI Belief Statement
Empower teachers and equip students with knowledge and skills to achieve in school and close opportunity and achievement gaps that exist
#Kiski_Area_SD

16. NMSI Provided to KAHS: #Kiski_Area_SD NMSI AP Equipment Grant
The NMSI Teacher Portal
AP Teacher Summer Institute CRP/LTF
Student Stipends
Two-Day Fall Workshops
Exam Fee Subsidy
Mock Exam/Reading Training
Structured Tutoring Sessions
Mentors
Saturday Study Sessions
Teacher Stipend
#Kiski_Area_SD

17. Kiski Area School District committed to:
Kiski Area pays a stipend to NMSI to participate
All students taking AP courses at Kiski Area High School will take the AP exam
Connecting this partnership with Professional Learning occurring across the district
#Kiski_Area_SD
The last bullet was our internal goal - our ability to use this program could create a cultural change in our PLC model.

18. NMSI Partnership How has this impacted you as a Professional?
How has this impacted your students?
#Kiski_Area_SD
We use to have building wide Faculty Advisory meetings - now we met with all teachers regularly and had a better understanding of needs of our staff in regards to student learning.

19. The Road to Supportive Structures
Implemented Schedule structures to support the purpose
Reduce classes per day
Embed collaborative times
Embed support for students
Connect NMSI professional learning throughout the district
#Kiski_Area_SD

20. The Road to a Supportive Structure
This led to the following:
HS - Alternating A/B Schedule
Opportunities for all students to take Advanced classes
Created new courses to fill schedules
Career/Tech students
Provide Intervention/Enrichment time
CAV Time - Lunch & Learn
IEP Students
#Kiski_Area_SD
Without study halls, students needed more “elective” classes - led to addition of classes like AP Environmental and AP Computer Science. Career & Technology students now had 5 periods per year to take classes and could receive the additional I/E time they might need for a more rigorous schedule.

21. The Road to a Supportive Structure
This led to the following:
Provide built in teacher collaboration
One meeting at a time
Created a platform to showcase the work of our AP Teachers and establish their leadership among our staff
Elimination of ALL “general” core tracks
Only option is honors or AP
#Kiski_Area_SD
Only one meeting at a time was a key for us as principals to keep the focus on learning for all meetings.

22. Supportive Structures
How has this impacted you as a Professional?
How has this impacted your students?
#Kiski_Area_SD
We use to have building wide Faculty Advisory meetings - now we met with all teachers regularly and had a better understanding of needs of our staff in regards to student learning.

23. What does this look like at Kiski Area?
#Kiski_Area_SD
You as needed.

24. Results Speak for Themselves
National Math and Science Initiative
Infusion of energy to our AP Program
#1 in the nation during the
61 to 175 Qualifying Scores in Math, Science, and English
185% Increase
From 62 to 188 Qualifying Scores Overall
#Kiski_Area_SD

25. Results Speak for Themselves
#Kiski_Area_SD

26. Results Speak for Themselves
Increased the number of AP courses offered from 9 to 14
50% of 11th grade in AP Language (11th grade)
#Kiski_Area_SD

27. Question and Answer Session
From the google Q & A
Additional Questions
#Kiski_Area_SD

28. Reflective Activity Think about the following:
What squares with your thinking?
What is circling in your head?
What is a diamond in the rough?
#Kiski_Area_SD
May or may not need - Will need to check time at this point.

29. Contact Information
Dr. Timothy Scott
Mr. Chad Roland
Mr. Matt Smith
Mr. Zach Jankowski
Ms. Holly Jacobs
#Kiski_Area_SD
Must take business cards to handout

30. Today’s Resources Kiski Area AP Conference Resources #Kiski_Area_SD
Must take business cards to handout