BACK TO TRANSFORMATION PLAN

 

2007-2008 Action Plan 2   School:  Nathan Hale High School                                                                                                                                        

 

Goal:    Improve Reading achievement on WASL by 5% per year with a focus on eliminating the achievement gap

Strategy:  Deepen & extend our Small Learning Communities.  120 minutes per week of silent reading; outside reading requirement; emphasis on literacy; reading across the curriculum.  Continue with heterogeneous groupings of students—offering support and/or challenge to those who need it and providing AP curriculum to all 11th graders in Language Arts and Social Studies to help develop their critical reading and writing skills.

Rationale: Students need more practice reading and coaching on reading well.  Cumulative WASL scores above 80% over last two years (88.9% in 05-06, 86.6% in 06-07); however, not at 100%.  There is an achievement gap, significantly between White students (89.7% at standard in 06-07) and African American students ((64.3% at standard in 06-07).

How did staff participate in setting this strategy?   Transformation Committee & related subcommittees

What data identifies the need that leads us to this goal?   There is a gap of 25.4 percentage points between White and African American students at standard.

 

Alignments/Special Populations

School Board Goal(s) 

Superintendent Focus Area(s)             

5 Year Plan Benchmarks

9 Characteristics of High Performing Schools

Title I School-wide Plan

2

1, 3, 6

8

2, 5

 

AYP Target Area (Specify)

Special Education

Bilingual/ELL

Advanced Learning

Community Learning Center

African American students.

Students are included in general education Language Arts and Social Studies classes with support and differentiation in the general classroom and in focus classes.  In 07-08 there will be a focus on pre-teaching in skills focus classes.

ELL students are included in general education Language Arts and Social Studies classes with support and differentiation in the general classroom and in focus classes.  In 07-08 there will be a focus on pre-teaching in skills focus classes.

All students have access to the AP curriculum in 11th grade LA/SS classes, raising the level of discourse for all.

 

 

Activities:

What actions will occur?

Professional Development:

How will staff acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to implement the activity?

Timeline: When will this strategy or action begin and end?

Resources:  

What are the existing and new resources that will be used to accomplish the activity?

Responsibility: Who is responsible? Who is involved?

Who will provide the leadership?

Who will do the work?

Monitoring effectiveness: What ongoing criterion referenced measures have you identified to gather evidence to show this activity is making a difference in student outcomes? What is the projected measurement cycle?

What classroom activities will occur to achieve this goal?

q       Contextual reading in every course

q       Differentiation of Curriculum

q       Literacy support in Pathways classes; after school skills support; mentorship classes in which students share their reading progress with mentor teachers.

 

 

q       Training on differentiated instruction

q       Training in identifying appropriately challenging books for students.

q       Modeling of reading strategies at every staff meeting.

 

Began in summer of 2005.  In 07-08, Hale has a focus on deepening the 120 minute a week reading program.

 

q       Pathways resources—staffing for literacy support

q       Late start planning time

q       Critical Friends Groups

 

 

q       Dept chairs will lead effort

 

 

q       Increased WASL scores

q       Increased graduation rates

q       Increased Core GPA

q       Decrease in the number of students receiving D or N at end of first semester

q       Decrease in disproportionality

What building activities will occur to achieve this goal?

 

q       Deepen school-wide commitment to daily silent reading

q       Outside reading requirement at all levels of LA courses.

q       Continued focus on culturally competent instruction and on providing extra support and resources for students who are below standard.

 

Training and observation of powerful teaching and learning

 

 

Began in the summer of  2005 and ongoing.  In 07-08 Hale has a focus on generalizing Pathways support strategies to all classrooms, with an emphasis on culturally competent strategies in the classroom.

q       Adjustment of building schedule to accommodate 120 minutes per week of silent reading

q       Transformation committee will take lead

q       Staff is responsible to guide struggling and reluctant readers.

q       School librarian will support the reading program by assisting in the building of classroom libraries, providing book talks, and research to support our reading program.

 

 

q       Increased WASL

q       Increased graduation rates

q       Increased Core GPA

q       Increased number of completed “book talks”

How will parents and the community participate in supporting this goal? Community members donate books for classroom libraries.

.Support student reading at home; review website for summer reading lists; parent “book club” support students

What additional assistance will you seek from supporting organizations such as district services and departments, the ESD and outside consultants and trainers?    Differentiated Instruction