grosse pointe north high school 2010-2011 school improvement plans

GROSSE POINTE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

[2010-11]

Grosse Pointe North High School 2010-2011

School Improvement Plan

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About Our School Improvement Plan

Grosse Pointe North is an excellent high school by virtually every measure. In 2010, North was ranked in the top 4% of schools nationwide by Newsweek magazine, one of only 8 schools in the state of Michigan which has been listed in this ranking since it began. The Michigan Department of Education gave North an “A”, we made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) by NCLB standards, and are well above the state averages on standardized testing. Our music program won a Grammy Award as one of the Top 100 high schools in the nation, our quiz bowl team has been undefeated for seven years, and won the State Championship last year, and our athletic teams are perennial conference, regional and state title contenders. Still, as Jim Collins writes in his book Good to Great, “Good is the enemy of great”. We can‟t be complacent, and there are many areas in which we can improve. Like many schools across the country, North has an achievement gap between our lowest and highest achieving students. Our improvement plan focuses on ways to reduce this gap while still seeing our top students perform at a very high level. In recent years, we have been experiencing enrollment of more and more students who come to our district as 9th, 10th and 11th graders. We become responsible for their achievement as high school students despite them not being part of the Grosse Pointe Public School System in elementary and middle school. Last year 20% of our junior class (tested group) came to Grosse Pointe in their 9th grade year or beyond. This presents challenges as in many cases these students come with achievement deficiencies. This plan includes support and assist courses designed to address those challenges. Finally, the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act sets achievement standards culminating with a goal that all students in all schools be 100% proficient on state standardized tests by the year 2013-2014. While this goal is admirable, it is also obviously an extraordinarily high expectation. Our goal targets are aimed at reaching this goal, while understanding that the gains required to do so would be unprecedented in high school student achievement. We at North believe in the concepts of No Child Left Behind, and are working to ensure that all of our students achieve at a high level, and have opportunities they desire after high school. Thanks to all of the teachers, parents and students who worked on portions of this plan, and thanks to our North community for their support of North high School. Questions about North‟s school improvement plan can be directed to Principal Tim Bearden at 313.432.3203 or [email protected]. Go Norsemen!

mailto:[email protected]



Improvement Plan

DISTRICT GOAL AREA Student Achievement

SCHOOL OBJECTIVE Improve Literacy Skills

Evidences of Need Key Performance Indicators that show a

need to spend time,

energy, and resources on this particular

objective.

Evidences of Success in

Improvement Key Performance Indicators/Performance

Targets that point to success at year-end

review.

59% of 11th grade students passed the 2010 MME writing portion.

16% of GPN African-American students were proficient on the 2010 MME writing portion.

74% of 11th grade students passed the reading portion of the 2010 MME.

40% of GPN African-American students passed the 2010 MME reading test.

Increase in the percent of students passing the MME writing from 59% to 72%*

Increase sub-group proficiency from 16% to 35%**

Increase in proficiency from 74% to 83%*

Increase in sub-group proficiency from 40% to target of 54%**

The State target of 100% falls in 2013-2014 – three years from now. This goal % was based on achieving

33% of the difference between current scores and that target each year between now and the 2013=2014

school year.

This goal was determined by taking 33% of the current gap as a target for next year, with an ultimate goal of

eliminating the gap by the 2013-2014 school year.


Literacy – North H.S.

Action Strategies

(Tasks)

Person Responsible

for Implementing

Strategy

Resources Needed to Complete

Task

Budget Implications

Dates of

Activity (start-to-end)

Monitoring Dates

Monitoring Indicators Indicators that

point to success at end

of a strategy

ACT Practice Test

Principal, English Dept.

½ day inservice for 11th graders

Mailing - minimal

Week of Nov. 24

Classroom teacher feedback, MME writing scores

Dept. weekly writing

Dept. Chairs

Writing binder

$0

All Year

Ongoing

Classroom teacher feedback, MME Writing Scores

F.A.S.T. training

Administrators, various teachers

Grant

$0 – grant funded

Summer ‟08 – „11

Ongoing

Classroom teacher feedback, NWEA, MME scores

Freshman Assist

Teachers, Counselors, Administrators

.4 FTE

.4 FTE (ongoing)

All Year

All Year

Credit earned, NWEA testing, MME scores

Freshman Academic Success Team

Teachers, Counselors, Admin

Freshman Assist in English, Double Block Alg. I

Ongoing includes .8 of support

All Year

All Year

Credit earned, NWEA testing. MME scores



Improvement Plan


SCHOOL OBJECTIVE Improve Math Skills


need to spend time,


objective.




review.

64% of GPN students were proficient in the 2010 MME math test.

29% of GPN African-American students were proficient in the 2010 MME math test.

Increase in the percent of students passing the MME math from 64% to 76%*

Increase in percent of sub-group students proficient from 29% to target of 45%**


33% of the difference between current scores and that target each year between now and the 2013-2014

school year.

This goal was determined by taking 33% of the current achievement gap as a target for next year, with an

ultimate goal of eliminating the gap by the 2013-2014 school year.



Improvement Plan


SCHOOL OBJECTIVE Improve Science Skills


need to spend time,


objective.




review.

67% of GPN students were proficient in the 2010 MME science test.

35% of GPN African-American students were proficient in the 2010 MME science test.

Increase in the percent of students passing the MME science from 67% to 78%*

Increase in percent of sub-group students proficient from 35% to 49%**


33% of the difference between current scores and that target each year between now and the 2013=2014

school year.

This goal was determined by taking 33% of the current gap as a target for next year, with an ultimate goal of

eliminating the gap by the 2013-2014 school year.


Math/Science – North H.S.

Action Strategies

(Tasks)

Person Responsible

for Implementing

Strategy

Resources Needed to Complete

Task

Budget Implications

Dates of

Activity (start-to-end)

Monitoring Dates

Monitoring Indicators Indicators that

point to success at end of a strategy

Math support

Principal, Dept. Chair, teachers

FTE – support classes

1.2 FTE in math support

Year long

Year long

Student passing rate, MME math scores, common assessment scores

Guided math / science tutorials

Math dept., asst. principal

Teacher volunteers

$0

All Year

Ongoing

Classroom teacher feedback, MME math Scores

Struggling learner support training

Curriculum office, admin.

$$ for trainer

T.B.A.

October

Ongoing

Classroom teacher feedback, student pass rate, MME math scores

Leveling up

Math / science teachers

Teachers

$0

Year long

ongoing

Classroom teacher feedback, student success rate, MME math and science scores


ACT / MME Formatting of tests and quizzes

Math / Science teachers

Work time $0 Year long

ongoing Classroom teacher feedback, student success rate, MME math and science scores

ACT Reading Strategies

Science teachers

Work time $150 for ACT prep workbooks

Year long

ongoing Classroom teacher feedback, student success rate, MME math and science scores


North High School Improvement Plan Strategies 2010-11

School Transition

1. We ran a comprehensive “Freshman First Day” program to orient freshmen to North High School. In addition to students completing their full first day schedule without the pressure and stress of upperclassmen and an additional 1100 students, they were given team building activities, went on a North High School scavenger hunt, were given information regarding academic and behavioral expectations for North High School, and introduced to information regarding extracurricular activities.

2. To properly place all incoming students, we have put in place plans for NWEA testing of all new students.

3. We will run a periodic orientation program when we have five or more new students in a month.

4. Freshman lockers were moved to the third floor of “B” building to enhance supervision, indoctrinate them more thoroughly to school culture of academics vs. socialization and make them more part of the main building.

5. We have instituted a Freshman Transition Camp for struggling learners to introduce them to high school and our team concept in F.A.S.T. This two day camp has been funded by the Foundation.

ELA / Math

1. We have built a “freshman academy” schedule that gives dire needs students bookended support classes in English and math. The freshman assist course has been given a new literacy component curriculum. We have developed a core group of teachers with a common planning who are working to ensure the success of these students in a team atmosphere. This school within a school concept will hopefully be expanded next year to include new freshman, and extend for some upperclassmen.

2. We will again administer a practice ACT test to all juniors. A vendor has donated practice tests for our entire junior class, and will conduct an evening meeting for interested parents to review results.

3. ACT Manual / Review – Last year staff completed an ACT manual and review piece for all juniors. Juniors will be given reviews during allowed times that include test-taking strategies as well as materials for success.

4. In conjunction with the North Leadership Team, each department has been asked to submit a plan for agreed upon regular incorporation of writing in the department. For example – all English classes will require two or more pieces of written work per week.


5. Administration is sending periodic emails suggesting writing prompts, activities, or providing links.

6. PLCs and departments have made writing across the curriculum a “directed topic” for idea sharing.

7. MISD reading expert Carrie Wozniak will present to staff on Close and Critical reading strategies that are MME specific.

8. We have added additional sections of math support to fill gaps for students in algebra, and added “double-blocked” math courses that give students two periods of math per day from the same teacher using manipulatives and alternative methodologies.

9. We have increased the number of “guided” tutorials that are subject specific and include teachers actually tutoring in their content area during tutorial.

10. We have proposed that all North sophomores take the PLAN test to give us a database of ACT readiness that teachers can use to determine where students have deficiencies.

11. PLCs have been given data collection tools to use to gather and record strand specific data now that common assessments are in place. It is an expectation this year that each PLC compile common assessment data for each course. This data will be used for the purpose of initiating school improvement discussions, and evaluation and re-evaluation of curriculum and curriculum maps.

12. Teachers have been given MME strand data to focus correction on specific areas of weakness.

13. Curriculum maps are in place for each course in the building, and are being updated.

Science

1. The science department has made “students in the gap” a discussion topic for each department and PLC meeting. Science teachers are sharing ideas and developing strategies for closing the achievement gap in science.

2. Science teachers are reviewing the curricular sequence in science to determine if changes to sequencing would benefit our students.

3. Science teachers are “leveling students up” to challenge them. Building Wide

1. Administrators have made classroom instruction our primary focus for 2010-2011. We have systemized our classroom walk throughs and made a commitment that every classroom in the building is visited by an administrator at least once per week. Administrators are observing and looking for teacher and learning activities that fall within domains 1-3 of the Danielson model, or within Marzano‟s list of researched strategies.


Each visit is followed by a teacher contact either in person or via email to reinforce positive strategies, and make constructive suggestions.

2. Provide Leadership Team and School Improvement Team with data books and data points for discussion in PLCs and departmental meetings.

3. HOTS PLC – We have a PLC meeting once a month to focus on Higher Order Thinking Strategies (HOTS) and report out ideas for the entire staff.

4. Lunch & Learn – We are starting a lunch program for staff based on the book Courageous Conversations to focus on strategies for developing stronger relationships across ethnic boundaries.

5. Parent Initiative – We have an ongoing initiative to bring more parents into the building, and connect with parents as partners. We are using the automated call out and mass email blast for every significant event. In addition, we are making personal calls to select groups of parents to notify them of various school activities.

6. F.A.S.T. Parent dinner and open house – To bring in parents of our struggling learners, we have welcomed them to a meal provided by our staff, and a program to acclimate them to the building and the F.A.S.T. program.

2011-2012

1. Reset school improvement goals based on 2011 MME performance. 2. Reset School Improvement Team (SIT) with two new parents, two new

students, new leadership team. 3. Review progress on NCA goals and recommendations from our QAR visit.

Prepare QAR update based on two recommendations. 4. Expand ACT writing to ACT ELA prep test. 5. Develop common data collection template model, uniform data collection

processes, secure inservice training on common assessment data collection and analysis, build in time for PLC team data workshops.

6. Develop a plan for proposed EPAS sequence of data collection for triangulated data – NWEA, EPAS, Common Assessment.

7. Develop achievement standard benchmarks for EPAS, NWEA scores.

grosse pointe north high school 2010-2011 school improvement plans

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