session61

Lee Kolker, Assistant Principal, Hempstead High School, Dubuque, Iowa July 2, 2007 Model Schools Conference 2007 – Washington D.C.

Hempstead High School – Session 61

Hempstead High School has a long history of performing well on measures of achievement. Yet, the school believes it must do better to keep its students competitive in the 21st century. Developing a process to help move from good to great has led Hempstead to put structures in place that promote thought and communication about where the school is and where it wants to go. A central component is the Instructional Coaches Team, which is currently assisting the entire staff in developing effective lesson in Quadrant D of the Rigor/Relevance Framework. This session will describe how Hempstead achieves sustained change over time

[|www.hempstead.dubuque.k12.is.us] Demographically very similar, though smaller, to Central Bucks School District (Doylestown, PA) 3% minority, 11% disabilities, 15% FRL, 95% attendance “We expect you to do your best every single day.” – school culture Strengths – vision, leaders, learning community

Vision
 * Focus on improved instruction for all students
 * Data analysis
 * Staff development
 * Collaboration among disciplines
 * Expansion of regular and special education co-teaching opportunities

Department chair and instructional coaches analyze ITET (state assessment) data – put evaluations into practice Blocked time for language arts and social studies Tuesday and Wednesday early release days will have blocked classes (12 times) Just started to implement various co-teaching models

Leaders
 * Strong principal leadership
 * Teams (instructional coach team) make things happen at Hempstead
 * Teachers have multiple opportunities to be leaders
 * Constants in leadership
 * --instills leadership among all faculty

Learning
 * Organizational learning
 * Personal learning

Areas of concern
 * Transitions (8th to 9th)
 * District 7-year curriculum development cycle
 * Managing and effectively using more and more assessments (computerized assessment to get data into the classroom for real-time actionable data collection)
 * ONLINE learning
 * Building community relationships

Credit recovery – uses online programs

Planning for renewal: preparing for change 1999-2008 (strategic plan for continuous school improvement)

Lots and lots of studies

Communication
 * Neighborhood leaders (neighborhoods = cross-curricular groups)
 * Site Council (liaisons, teachers, EAs, students, etc.)
 * Data coaches (sift through data and draw conclusions)
 * Learning strategies (instructional strategies)
 * --lead to the development of instructional coaches (entering third year)

Instructional Coaches:
 * Meet daily (supported by release time)
 * The highest germination of an idea and the greatest cultivation of its implementation occurs best in a school’s own soil.
 * Coaches are not . . . peer mentors, peer coaches, observers, evaluators, substitute teachers
 * Developed ideas and responsibilities from literacy coach data

Instructional coaches are. ..
 * Connection w/principal
 * Help with portfolio development
 * Professional development
 * Curriculum research
 * Think tank for school reform issues
 * Gather data
 * Lesson critique/revisions
 * Observations
 * Career development

Iowa’s “high school project” drives need Long range vision (three year commitment) Redefine needs/goals every year Coaches meet the needs of the school (student and teachers)

Why we’ll prosper
 * We are bit a district structure – we did it ourselves
 * We developed instructional coaches without added financial commitment
 * We are sustainable because we know our DNA (culture, climate, strengths, needs, etc.)

Dreaming in Quadrant D
 * We wanted to move our school from being a good school to becoming a great school . ..
 * What would that look like?
 * What are the goals?
 * How would we determine those goals?
 * What would we need to do to accomplish those goals?
 * How would be hold ourselves accountable?

The need to establish a process that could remain sustainable over time The seeds for this sustainable process are the concepts found in the R/R framework

A study would meet the needs
 * Be data driven
 * R/R & R on a school-wide basis
 * Would be Quadrant D lesson for the entire faculty
 * Lead to continuous school improvement

Making it sustainable (the study)
 * Designed and completed by Hempstead staff (must be local)
 * Included all stakeholders (esp. students)
 * Thinking proactively (not a reactive process – what can we do to prevent failure as opposed to what can we do to deal with the failures)

Merges Instructional Decision Making and High School Reform

Gather data
 * Review students’ educational histories
 * -for the most part, these students are capable students (high achievement scores)
 * Survey the teachers (one for each student who failed) – short and salient
 * -what do you think was the cause, what did you already try, did you contact parent(s), etc.
 * Interview with students and guidance counselors
 * -general disconnect w/the school, apathy, not connected to the school culture, significant attendance and tardy issues, not making effective use of time, minimal organizational skills, lack of concern, wanted kinesthetic engagement (wanted to DO things)
 * Interview with parents
 * -wanted to be non-threatening, only were able to contact 25% of parents (did not return phone calls, were not accessible)

Keep staff informed and involved
 * Share findings w/staff as information is collected
 * Ask staff for input in small group settings; solicit dialogue
 * Share staff input w/administration

Create a plan
 * 9th Grade Mentoring Study Hall (will affect only 35 students)
 * Identify students who are most at risk for failure
 * Contacted middle school guidance counselors to information prior to scheduling

Mentoring study hall (relationships are the foundation)

Structure -7 teacher mentors (1 each period) -Meet each student 3 days per week opposite their PE class

Teacher responsibilities -Establish rapport -Monitor academic performance -Assist with organization skills -Advocate for students -Regular communication with parent(s) and school personnel

Student responsibilities -Develop plan for success -Monitor academic progress -Develop self-advocacy skills -Participate as an active member of the school community

Parent responsibilities -Attend conference -Participate as an active member of the school community -Support school discipline and attendance policies -Talk to child about school

Presented Mentoring Study Hall plan to teachers during in-service time Call for volunteers (this would be the “as assigned” duty)

Prepare for Implementation -Letter to parents -HS guidance counselors met with selected students before the end of 8th grade -Met with teachers and administrators

Continue the process Examine 9th grade failure data for the coming year Continue the data collection through the remaining high school years for the program students

Early and pre-emptive intervention

How were Quadrant D lessons developed?
 * Instructional coaches were trained in the R/R Framework
 * Training workshops delivered for all staff
 * In-service time
 * Work time for teachers

Spring 2006 – Coaches attended ICLE training workshop on QD (took along a group of teachers) Fall 2006 – Principal’s goals included QD lessons Fall 2006 – Coaches attended ICLE follow-up workshop (took along a different group of teachers)

Implementation Step 1 – introduced staff to QD Step 2 – staff members shared real-world and unpredictable lessons with staff Step 3 – wrote and reflected upon QD