Century High School:

One Student, One Staff Member at a TimeReading/WritingMathRelationships

7%

3%

6%

84%

Student Demograph-ics

2007-20081673 Total Students

Am Indian - 1 (0%) Asian - 117 (7%) Hispanic - 42 (3%)Black - 112 (6%) White -1401 (84%)

Building Goals - 2008-2009

100% of grade 9 students will be actively involved in a club, sport or student organization during the 2008-2009 school year.

95% of Grade 10 students would meet or exceed proficiency as measured by the MCA II Reading test during the 2008-2009 school year.

Building Goals- 2008-2009

95% of Grade 9 students would meet or exceed proficiency on the GRAD writing test during the 2008-2009 school year.

70% of Grade 11 students would meet or exceed proficiency on the MCA II Math Test during the 2008-2009 school year.

The format today:

I will talk about the work on clubs and organizations that we implemented and continued during this past school year.

Ms Hedrick will talk about Reading and Writing Strategies.

Ms. Maggie Hongerholt will talk about math strategies.

Ms. Kathy Quinn will finish by talking about what we have done as a school community with student relationships.

Century ClubsAEDAnime ClubAnimal WelfareBPACentury Bowling TeamCentury Rock Ascension ClubChess ClubCinemallianceCLAMCyclingDebateDECAEarly RisersFCCLAFall Dance lineFall PlayFashion SocietyFellowship of Christian AthletesFirst RoboticsFishing ClubFoto Club4 SquareGSAGerman Club

HAPPHeartsHELPSHOSAInt’l Friendship ClubKey ClubKnowledge BowlLego RoboticsLink CrewLiterary GuildLumber Jack/JillMWAHAHAMath LeagueMock TrialNational History DayNHSNewspaperOctagon ClubOrigamiPainting ClubPanther Leadership TeamPanther ProwlPoverty Awareness CoopPsy-Phi ClubRachel’s Challenge

SAVE/RecyclersScience ClubScience OlympiadScrabbleScrapbooking/Family HistorySelf ConceptsSkills USASomething Creative/Sewing ClubSpanish ClubSpeechStrategic Board GamesTIMTriathlon ClubUltimate FrisbeeVisual Arts/Art ClubWinter MusicalYearbookYoung DemocratsYoung RepublicansYouth in Government (Model Assembly/Model UN)

Century Painting Club

Freshman Receiving Failing

GradesFirst Semester

2007-2008

92 students

(20% of student population)

FreshmanReceiving

Failing Grades First Semester

2008 – 2009

79 students

(21% of student population)

As a leader you need to get your hands in the dirt if you want a project to grow.

I started the Century Painting Club that was made up of 30 members. Our purpose was to do volunteer painting on two Saturdays each month during the school year.

I was one of the co-leaders of the Friends of Rachel Club that meets twice each month. Our purpose is to spread kindness and to make the school more inclusive and welcoming.

WRITING AND READING

Writing Project Process: Targeted students

that did not pass MCA Writing test in 9th grade.

Identified teachers & classes they were in

4-5 English teachers, 1 Social Studies teacher, & 3-4 Student aids met with these students once a week up until the re-take.

Pulled students out of class for 1 on 1 instruction.

Gave multiple practice writing tests.

Worked on their own writing to revise.

Showed passing test examples.

Worked in small groups 4 to 1 (student to teacher ratio).

Writing Continued: ELL students were

identified. Found common

times for these same 4-5 teachers and 3-4 student aids to go in to the ELL room and work.

Obtained students’ former test from 2008.

ELL teacher worked daily on writing process.

ELL students wrote essays 1 a week up until the test.

The following week the teachers and student aids went over that essay.

In small groups, they would go over: topic sentences, understanding the prompt, verb tense, etc.

More Writing….

Regular classes start practicing in the fall.

Given multiple sample MCA writing tests from previous years.

Shown the state rubric, send a copy of rubric home for parents.

Parents and students “grade” essay.

Shown multiple passing tests from previous years.

Discuss the language of the test: “prompt,” “pre-writing,” “final draft.”

Show the actual test—how many pages, what it looks like before test day to relieve anxiety.

Reading Strategies

Every staff development meeting a new reading strategy was taught.

Every staff member was challenged to include reading strategies into lessons and on assessments.

Constructed Responses were regularly getting skipped by students on MCA tests.

Every department started including constructed response questions on assessments.

Taught students the process.

Reading strategies… Read 180-a reading

intervention course was introduced along with an English class.

All students in Read 180 received a reading and English course every single day.

Reading Workshop-a class for students that had not passed the MCA reading test formed 2nd semester.

Small class sizes in the Reading Workshop and Read 180 classes improved 4 to 1(student to teacher ratio).

Sample MCA reading tests were given often beginning in the fall.

Discussed the language of the test: “fallacy,” “fact,” “inference,” “constructed response,” “theme” etc…

Building wide initiative…

Writing and Reading strategies show up in every curriculum.

Every teacher at Century began utilizing more ways to test writing and reading strategies within lessons & assessments .

Smaller class sizes worked for our struggling students.

Teachers voluntarily gave up lunch and prep hours to go into ELL rooms and help out.

NHS, Honors AP students volunteered their time to assist.

You can achieve success!

“It takes a village!” You must tap into

your resources in your building

to make it happen!

MATH

MATH INTERVENTIONS

Panther Pride Academy

Math teachers in PALS room

Remediation and Retesting in Algebra1, Geometry and Algebra2

Homework Hall

Teamed Math Classes

Teamed Math Classes

• Developed to help struggling students be more successful in high school math courses.

• Ultimate goal is to help every student pass the

MCA II Math test.

Teamed Math Classes

2 Math Teachers

17-22 Selected Students

1 ½ class periods

½ elective credit for the extra time in class

Same pace and tests as regular classes

Advantages

More individual help

More time for review

More immediate feedback

More time on task

More successful experiences

Student Comments:

Dan:“It is easy to get help and understand. It’s more relaxed.”Ater:“It helps me with my homework, so we can understand.”

Student Comments:

Jordan:“The one-on-one help and the extra examples have helped me be better at math.”Brady:“I learned more.”

Student Comments:

Fatima:“I would like to be in this kind of class for geometry next year.”

RELATIONSHIPS

Creating Relationships with Students

Century staff are highly motivated to develop positive relationships with students, in part because of a belief in how that improves student learning.

Staff share ideas and collaborate on how to connect with all students.

Specifically, staff are focused on creating positive relationships with students who are not achieving or are “in the gap.”

Making Connections

PALS room – with a paraprofessional and teachers, individual tutoring available

Homework Hall – teachers from each subject area available

Teaching Assistants – At-Risk students invited to be teacher assistants

Personal phone calls to parents for conferences

Encourage involvement in clubs, organizations, and activities

Self-Concepts

Group activity originally designed for a small group of African American males that has expanded to include any Century student who wants to participate.

Occurs about once a month during each of the three lunch periods – Pizza!

Each session covers a different topic relevant to teens, often focusing on racial issues.

At least 300 students attended at least one session this year.

Self-Concepts Topics

The “N” word Teen Pregnancy Drug/Alcohol Use Self-Esteem Suicide What would you do? Scared straight guests Date Rape/Sexual Violence “In Search of a Dream” – Obama

Inaugaration

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Self-Concepts has improved my personal feelings of self-worth and pride.

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Self-Concepts has improved MY understanding and accep-tance of people who are culturally and racially different from

me.

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Sefl-Concepts has helped to make Century High School safer and more welcoming to people of all races and cultures.

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Home Visit Program

Started with visits to incoming 9th graders who were referred by Middle School counselors and administrators – kids and families who would benefit from starting their high school career with a positive connection to staff and administrators.

Visits occurred in mid-August and into the first few weeks of school.

Home Visits (continued)

Expanded during the first semester to include 10th -12th grade students who were struggling with attendance and academics (behind on credits)

Typically, the HV team consisted of the principal (or other administrator), the school psychologist/social worker, the guidance counselor, and a teacher.

Positive impact on some students and families, but didn’t make a difference for others.

Home VisitStudent Outcomes

KA - 2007-08: 15 behavioral referrals. Was being monitored by law enforcement (ankle bracelet)

2008-09: 3 behavioral referrals. Law enforcement monitoring done. Stops in and chats with principal often – generally shares positive news about how he’s doing. Passed all classes this year.

Home VisitStudent Outcomes

MC - 2007-08: 8 office referrals, including a weapons violation and a fight.

2008-09: 3 behavioral referrals, 2 for cell phone violations, 1 for skipping classes. Played football in the fall.

Home VisitStudent Outcomes

CP - 2007-08: No office referrals but very angry at the world. Evaluated and qualified for EBD in 2006.

2008-09: 0 behavioral referrals. Passed all classes, except Physical Science. Re-evaluated and dismissed from EBD. Will participate in summer program with Mayo Clinic for promising students.

Other Connections

Honors Biology – 7 students~ all could do the work, just needed more time~ teacher was allowed to adjust grades for first semester into 2nd semester~ worked with them after school

US History – “Pastel Boys”

QUESTIONS

Thank You!