1. www.just4kids.org High Quality High Schools Education Commission of the States 2006 National Forum on Education Policy Dr. Jimmy Neitzel National Center for Educational Accountability

2. www.just4kids.org Searching for Answers NCEA has identified consistently higher performing schools.

3. www.just4kids.org Learning from Consistently Higher Performing High Schools NCEA has studied over 500 school systems containing schools identified as average or consistently higher performing.

4. www.just4kids.org Learning from Consistently Higher Performing High Schools The NCEA Best Practice Framework presents findings of general principles that differentiate average from consistently higher performers.

5. www.just4kids.org Learning from Consistently Higher Performing High Schools Organizing Themes of the Framework –Curriculum and Academic Goals –Staff Selection, Leadership, and Capacity Building –Instructional Programs, Practices, and Arrangements –Monitoring: Compilation, Analysis, and Use of Data –Recognition, Intervention, and Adjustment

6. www.just4kids.org Bolsa Grande High School Garden Grove USD - California

7. www.just4kids.org Bolsa Grande High School Garden Grove USD - California Curriculum and Academic Goals State standards, with detailed interpretation at the district level, are used to set goals, develop course outlines, and create common assessments. The district, school, and academic departments within the school have set explicit teaching and learning goals for improvement in student performance by grade, subject, and population group.

8. www.just4kids.org Bolsa Grande High School Garden Grove USD - California Staff Selection, Leadership, and Capacity Building School and district leaders have constructed new roles for boundary-spanning coaches (across grades and subjects) to facilitate efficient and effective knowledge exchange and system continuity.  Data Team  Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA)

9. www.just4kids.org Bolsa Grande High School Garden Grove USD - California Instructional Programs, Practices, and Arrangements Instructional programs are tightly aligned to learning standards with the understanding that the learning standards, not the textbooks, drive instructional planning. The school schedule and structure protect instructional time and reflect an emphasis on core academic courses.

10. www.just4kids.org Bolsa Grande High School Garden Grove USD - California Monitoring: Compilation, Analysis, and Use of Data The district provides a user-friendly district-wide set of formative, diagnostic, and progress-monitoring assessments that reflects the standards and written district curriculum. District and school leaders, teachers, and even students discuss assessment results openly and honestly in large-group, small-group, and individual meetings. Multiple assessment tools and methods are used to monitor student learning.

11. www.just4kids.org Bolsa Grande High School Garden Grove USD - California Recognition, Intervention, and Adjustment School leaders work with academic department leaders, teachers, and students to provide timely interventions and prevent students from falling too far behind. Staff continually evaluate intervention and recognition programs to ensure they are instructionally effective.

12. www.just4kids.org NCEA NCEA works to raise academic standards and raise student achievement. www.nc4ea.org www.just4kids.org