darbie dennison & carren poff

Darbie Dennison & Carren Poff

Ensuring Student and Teacher Success through School Transformation

Demographics

740 students 38 classroom

teachers High poverty rate

African-American1% American Indians

1%Asian2%

Multiracial1%

Hispanic53%

White42%

Ethnicity

Free and Reduced Lunch Rates:• Elementary Average (5 schools) 84.7%• Ontario Middle School 78.4%• Ontario High School 65.4%

Current Status Successes:

We have made gains in reading, math and writing over the last two years

We have continued to close the achievement gap between whites and Hispanics

Areas of Concern: OHS still struggles with a low graduation rate We still need to develop a viable math

intervention program

OHS 2012 Reading3 year trend

Reading Sub GroupsEthnicity

Reading Sub GroupsGender

Reading Sub GroupsEconomic Disadvantage

OAKS Writing Improvement

% Met/Exceeded

Year OHS State

07/08 30 56

08/09 43 55

09/10 39 53

10/11 52 68

11/12 56 67

OHS 2012 Math3 year trend

Math Sub GroupsEthnicity

Math Sub GroupsGender

Math Sub GroupsEconomic Disadvantage

3-year trend in Graduation Rate

Data Driven Decisions Super Spread Sheet

Houses student information data, used by teachers to quickly access data

Teacher can quickly filter lists of their students, and their programs such as ELL, Sped, TAG, test scores.

IObservation Protocol Portal for recording teacher observations, discussions

and reflections. Big 3—Behavior tracking

Google doc that allows teachers to document and/or assign lunch detention for dress code violations, tardies, and disrespect toward staff.

Successful Programs We Hope To Sustain

Curriculum alignment with the CCSS & proficiency- based grading

Language! intervention program Project Lead the Way Freshman Success Aspire Community Mentor Program Increased college credit opportunities Summer school programs Challenge Day!

Alignment to CCSS and Moving to Proficiency-

Based Grading

Goal 1: Teachers across departments will align their curriculum with state content and Common Core State Standards by June of 2013.

Goal 2: Teachers will implement a proficiency-based assessment model that is aligned with their content standards and CCSS during the 2013/2014 school year.

WHY PROFICIENCIES?

In The Past

1. Teachers taught what they liked ~ no common standards, and no school-wide system to measure growth

2. No tracking of standard skills and no standard grammar/writing expectations or testing norms—other than state tests

3. Hesitancy to embrace research-based changes as they became available

4. No common language defining student skill levels or what needed to be taught each year

5. Over-reliance on completing daily practice for grades and extra credit

6. Behaviorally-based grading systems7. Writing samples at teacher’s discretion . . . with some

students never receiving a score-just a grade based on number of paragraphs

8. Over-reliance on novels 9. “We have arrived ~ no updates necessary” attitude

Now1. Common departmental skills taught, tested, and tracked2. Alignment of standards taught and tested across all grade levels3. Departmental agreement on common grammar, writing

systems, or skills tracking4. Weekly PLC’s to track, share, and discuss progress5. Graduation requirements, skill proficiency, and work samples

have new level of importance6. Nation has adopted (and is rolling out) Common Core State

Standards7. Reliance on test scores only to prove proficiency8. More experience with informational text & focus on skill rather

than story 9. No extra credit to muddy the measurement waters!10. ALWAYS EVOLVING

HOW WE GOT STARTED …

What Does it Take?

Developing Learning Targets

Literary Device: Grade-level Focus

Leveling “Sub Skills”

Work Sample Safety Net

6 PERSUASIVE

WORK

SAMPLES

BANKED

6 EXPOSITORY

WORK

SAMPLES

BANKED

IF STUDENT DOESN’T PASS OAKS WRITING, THEN ….

IF PASSING WORK SAMPLES NOT FOUND IN THESE, STUDENT CAN USE AS A BASE WRITING IN WRITING LAB TO MEET STATE REQUIREMENT – NOT

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

RUBRICS AND GRADING…

Assessment and Grading Procedures

Practice is not graded, but feedback will be given!

Proficiencies are sole source of grades for the class

No extra credit . . . either you know it or you don’t

To Pass Course Student Must: Have an average of 70% (2) or higher on

each Learning Target at the end of each semester and

Pass the course with an grade point average of 70% (2) or higher

Students track their progress at end of each unit for parent report

MARZANO GRADING SCALE

DRAFTNot Proficient

0-1.9Below 70%

Inc/F

Advanced Proficient

3.0-3.59

80%-89%

B to B+

HOW MARZANO GRADING SCALE WORKS WITH TRADITIONAL

GRADING

GRADE WEIGHTS

PROFICIENCIES 80%

CAREER RELATED LEARNING STANDARDS (CRLS)

10%

MIDTERMS/FINALS 10%

PLANNING…

UNITS

LEARNING TARGETSALL OF THESE ARE TESTED FOR PROFICIENCY IN EACH UNIT

6 SIX WEEK UNITS

UNIT 1 UNIT 2 UNIT 3 UNIT 4 UNIT 5 UNIT 6

Yearly Plan

Practice and Proficiency Examples

Example of Practice and Proficiency

Misc. Details• Every assignment mirrors proficiency• Attach Learning Targets or Writing rubric to

every pertinent assignment • Secure proficiencies/testing environment• Formative assessments used regularly –

attempt to make them as “hands-off” for teacher as possible

• Late work policy left to teacher• One retake opportunity for each proficiency

per semester

CREDIT RECOVERY…

Credit Recovery Reports

Parent/Student Notification

Options to Complete Credit Recovery

• Odysseyware• Summer School• Complete failed proficiencies after school by end of first semester

KEEPING PARENTS/STUDENTS INFORMED AND INVOLVED…

Optional Weekly Schedule

Student/Parent Support After/Before school help End of Unit Tracking and letter home Multiple formative assessments Practice format mirrors proficiency format Use of Power Teaching methods Constant connection between Learning Targets and class

work Posted Learning Targets Connection between CRLS and success on proficiencies Clear parent communication of skills Acknowledgement of practice or lack thereof Upload daily to Family Link so parents can track grades Departmentally cohesive and collaborative approach to

parent teacher conference potential questions and issues

END-OF-UNIT LETTER

Learning Targets Posted

Other Collaborative Classroom Management Tools

HOW WE HAVE CREATED CONSISTENCY…

Department Mini Lessons

Everyone teaches using standard material in first few weeks:• Plagiarism• Annotation• Inference• MLA• Summary paragraph

Collaboration Weekly department meetings Intentional and regular

deprivatization United group Dept. letters home Dept. discipline policy Dept. expectations for students Dept. “script” for conferences

BENEFITS…..

Benefits for Students and Staff

Students, parents, and teachers are aware of strengths and weaknesses

Everyone knows what will be learned for the semester/year.

Students have little to argue about with grades

Teachers can be vigilant regarding skills and strength of teaching

Higher expectations of students and teachers

Because teachers are teaching simultaneously, we will be more inclined to share resources and strategies

Future Potential Higher skill base Higher expectations Higher test scores Fewer interventions needed Students prepared for college or the work

force More structure for interaction between

schools, grade levels, and curriculums Unified departments

Language! Reading Intervention

A comprehensive literacy program:Secondary students who need to advance their comprehension, composition, vocabulary, and grammar abilities

Project Lead The Way Engineering

Intro to engineering Principles of engineering

Bio-medical Science

Freshman Success In 2010-2011 freshmen passed 98% of

their classes, up from 87% last year. Locally built curriculum:

Organizational strategies Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary Four year plan & career investigation College field trip Team-building Motivational speakers Reading Strategies for Informational

Text: Texts and Lessons by Harvey Daniels and Nancy Steineke

Guided study hall/time management/study skills

Teachers Chosen Ability to build strong relationships with

students Quick wins Organizational Strategies Team Building Basic Skills

Whole Brain Teaching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBeWEgvGm2Y

Aspire Community Mentor Program

Access to Student Assistance Programs In Reach of Everyone http://oregonstudentaid.gov/aspire-web-links.aspx

Community Mentors 42 ASPIRE Advisors for 2012-2013 Revise the program for this year. Invite both long-

term and short-term volunteer opportunities

Career Fair 52 organizations, over 70 representatives

presented during our 2012-2013 event

Aspire Community Mentor Program

College Visits: 150 senior students went to the ID/OR

College Fair 52 senior students attended National College

Fair in Boise 13 students attended United States Hispanic

Leadership Conference (USHLI) and visited U of O and OSU

160 freshman students went to the Success field trip and visited B.S.U and College of Idaho in the Spring of 2012

Over a 100 students went to T.V.C.C. to explore career opportunities

25 colleges and universities visited OHS to explain admission, programs, and scholarship

Increased College Credit Opportunities

FFA Intro to Ag Shop Adv. Ag Shop Animal Science Horticulture Farm Business

Management Ag. Computers Ag. Issues Ag. Marketing

Honors Senior English Honors U. S. History Accounting College Algebra Honors Government Word Processing II Computer Applications

Summer School Program Credit-recovery

Currently using Odyssey ware, but working on transitioning to a proficiency-based recovery system

Proficiency recovery If a student is short of passing the required number of

proficiencies, they will only be required to be re-taught and re-take the proficiencies lacking

8th/9th transition students Students who failed two or more classes in 8th grade

were required to attend summer school at OHS

Challenge Day!

Key Personnel funded by SIG

.5 administrator 2 instructional coaches College/career specialist ISS supervisor SIG manager/tech coach

Work Groups: Bridge to Sustainability

The work groups will accomplish the following goals:

Create strong school-wide systems we can sustain Empower teachers to invest in school-wide

improvement Build leadership capacity

The Site Council is at the top of the reporting structure for the three work groups:

Curriculum and Instruction Safe and Civil Schools Response to Intervention

Curriculum and Instruction

Advancing our transition to proficiency-based assessment

Developing a sustainable system for students to complete their senior project requirements Already assigned the 25 requirements to be

supported by various departments and/or individuals

Held a Senior Extravaganza to launch the program and inform seniors and their parents

Safe and Civil Schools Creating a sustainable behavior management system

that will function for administrators, teachers, and especially students. Classroom strategies

CHAMP SLANT VOICE level

This group has already accomplished some early wins.

The Big 3—Google docs behavior violation report

Revised and clarified dress-code Teacher work group is collaborating with

administration to create systems to address school wide systems of interventions for students.

RTI—Response to Intervention

Developing an academic intervention system that addresses the needs of our at-risk students across the curriculum

Continued Focus on the Improvement of Instruction

Implementing Engaging Instructional Strategies:

Marzano: The Arts and Science of Teaching

The work of Dr. Kevin Feldman

Safe and Civil Schools classroom strategies

**All focus on our Non-Negotiables for Instruction

Monitoring Implementationof Improvement

IObservation Protocol Offers a platform to have safe discussions about

classroom observations Instructional Rounds

Administrators and Instructional Coaches are making instructional rounds together to calibrate observation data

Learning Walks Dr. Kevin Feldman will be working with staff

on learning walks for two days this year.

Sustaining Continuous Improvement

Developing Instructional Leaders Investing in teacher training, encouraging even

our top teachers to improve their craft Creating a collaborative environment that allows

teachers to openly ask/share strategies, ideas and materials

Data-teams Working to develop proficiency-based

assessments, and lessons that embed research-based teaching strategies

FOR MORE INFORMATION …

ONTARIO HIGH SCHOOL1115 W. Idaho Ave.Ontario, OR 97914

541-889-5309Darbie Dennison--

dcdennison@ontario.k12.or.us Carren Poff – cpoff@ontario.k12.or.us