southern regional education board hstw mmgw improve graduation and achievement ten lessons learned...

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Improve Graduation and Achievement

Ten Lessons Learned About Improving Graduation Rates and

Achievement:

Implications for Middle Grades and High Schools

Gene BottomsSenior Vice President

[email protected]

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Reflection Questions

As a middle grades principal, counselor or teacher leader, what three actions could you take that would have the greatest impact on preparing more students for challenging high school studies?

As a high school principal, counselor or teacher leader, what three actions could you take that would have the greatest impact on ensuring more students graduate from high school and graduate prepared for a range of postsecondary options – advanced training, two-year or four-year college, employer certification and the workplace?

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For high school and middle grades leaders, teachers and counselors: What support and assistance would you need from the district office to take these actions, in terms of staff development, resources and other assistance?

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As a middle grades principal, counselor or teacher leader, what steps would you take to engage your faculty in examining the problems that are keeping your school from preparing more students for challenging high school studies? How would you engage the faculty in addressing the three actions that you believe could result in positive changes to students’ readiness for high school?

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As a high school principal, counselor or teacher leader, how would you engage the entire faculty and faculty teams in examining the problems that are keeping your school from graduating more students prepared for a range of postsecondary options? How would you assist them in identifying and implementing three actions that will have the greatest impact on students’ success in high school and readiness for college and careers?

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Key Concepts

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Mission Acceleration Engagement Motivation Purpose, goals,

interest, aspiration Relevance Mastery Support for

students/faculty

Leadership – district/school

Failure not an option

Connections Ownership of

problems/solutions Instructional

planning Reading and writing

as ways of learning

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Why Give Equal Emphasis toGraduation Rates and Achievement?

The current focus is on meeting minimum achievement levels, not graduation.

Many students enter high school unprepared.

Many high school graduates are unprepared for college and work.

Dropouts are costly to states.

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What Can Middle Schools and High Schools Do?

Action 1: Get your school mission right.

Middle School: Prepare students for success in a college-preparatory core in grade nine.High School: Graduate students, and graduate them prepared for a range of postsecondary options

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How do Middle and High School Faculty See Their Mission?

33% of middle school teachers believe their primary mission is to prepare students to succeed in college preparatory academic courses in grade 9, compared with 59% at most-improved middle grades schools.

42% of high school teachers believe their primary mission is to graduate students and graduate them prepared for a range of postsecondary options compared with 65% at high-graduation schools.

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Do Student Aspirations Match Educators’ Mission and Beliefs?

More than 9 out of 10 eighth-graders expect to graduate from high school and 85% expect to enter postsecondary studies.

More than 9 out of 10 ninth-graders expect to graduate from high school and 84% expect to enter postsecondary studies.

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How Do You Close the Gap between the School Mission and Student Aspirations?

Engage the faculty, parents and community in discussion about the school mission.

Examine the lives of adults who failed to graduate from the school.

Develop understanding among faculty, parents, students and community about effort required to achieve the mission.

Measure progress annually against the mission.

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Change in Percentages of Eighth-Grade Students Meeting Performance

Goals from 2006 to 2008

Least-Improved Schools

Most-Improved Schools

Change Change

Reading -19 +16

Math -11 +17

Science -7 +20

Source: 2006 and 2008 Middle Grades Assessments, SREB

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Percentages of Students Meeting College-Readiness Goals at High-Graduation and

Low-Graduation Schools

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Low-Graduation

Schools(64 to 79)

High-Graduation

Schools(86 to 99)

Reading 44% 79%

Mathematics 53 69

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Does Enrolling More Middle Grades Students into an Accelerated

Curriculum Matter?Comparative Study of Most- and Least-Improved

Middle Schools

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Increase in % of Students Experiencing Accelerated Curriculum 2006 and 2008

Least-Improved Most-Improved

Accelerated English

-1% 14%

Algebra I/Pre-Algebra

1 12

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Does Enrolling More High School Students in a College-Ready Core

Matter?Comparative Study of High-Graduation Low-

Graduation Schools

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Percent of Students Completing aCollege-Ready Core

Low Graduation (Rate from 64 to 79%)

High Graduation (Rate from 86 to 99%)

4 Years CP English

42% 78%

4 Years Math Algebra I and Higher

53 73

3 Years CP Lab Science

49 77

Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment

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Why Does One Set of Schools Do Better Than the Other Set of Schools?

Agreement on a readiness missionAgreement on what it means to

teach students to standards

A belief that with EFFORT and support, most students can achieve readiness standards

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How Do You Align Both Middle and High Schools to College-Readiness

Standards? Take time to:

Align middle grades English/reading and math curriculum to high school readiness standards.

Align high school to college- and career-readiness standards.

Plan and align classroom learning activities, student assignments and assessments to readiness standards.

Create a schedule and organization that provides time for teachers to plan standards-based units and lessons and formative and summative assessments.

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What Can Middle and High Schools do to Engage and Motivate Students to

Achieve Readiness Standards?

Action 3: Engage students in learning infour ways:

Engage students intellectually to work with new concepts, explain their reasoning, defend their conclusions and explore alternative strategies.

Engage students emotionally by giving them opportunities to choose projects or areas of further study related to their interests and goals.

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What Can Middle and High Schools do to Engage and Motivate Students to

Achieve Readiness Standards?

Action 3: Engage students in learning inFour ways:

Engage students socially to work in teams in class, participate in extracurricular activates, have friends at school, feel a sense of loyalty and belonging to the school, and believe in the legitimacy of school.

Engage students behaviorally to attend class prepared and actively participate, seek assistance when needed, take challenging classes and practice habits of success.

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Does Student Level of Engagement Matter?

Percentages of Middle Grades Students Meeting High School Readiness Goals and Level of Engagement

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Intellectual Reading Math

Low 27% 33%

Intensive 54 54

Emotional

Low 36 40

Intensive 52 55

Source: 2008 Middle Grades Assessment

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Percentages of Middle Grades Students Meeting High School Readiness Goals and Level of Engagement

Mobile 6-8-10 2222

Behavioral Reading Math

Low 33% 37%

Intensive 53 54

Social

Low 40 43

Intensive 50 52

Source: 2008 Middle Grades Assessment

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Percentages of High School Students Meeting College- Readiness Goals Based on Level of Engagement

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Intellectual Reading Math

Low 44% 43%

Intensive 65 61

Emotional

Low 39 39

High 64 66


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Percentages of High School Students Meeting College- Readiness Goals Based on Level of Engagement

Mobile 6-8-10

Behavioral Reading Math

Low 42% 43%

High 70 66

Social

Low 49 47

High 76 64

Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment24Mobile 6-8-10

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Why Do Some Schools Engage Students in the Four Ways of Learning

and Others Do Not?

District and school articulate a vision of instruction beyond a pure test-prep model.

Schools purposefully plan standards-based units and lessons that stress four types of engagement.

Teachers understand that effort is the great equalizer and that it requires student motivation.

School leadership stresses four types of engagement through professional development, instructional planning, classroom observations and feedback.

Schools join academic and CT studies.

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What Can Schools Do to Help More Students Meet Readiness

Standards and Graduate?

Action 4: Embed reading and writing standards and strategies into all courses to advance reading and academic achievement in middle and high school.

Why: Learning how to learn is dependent upon

mastering the language of both academic and technical disciplines.

Deeper subject matter understanding is dependent upon an ability to comprehend, paraphrase and analyze content both orally and in writing.

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Percentages of Students Experiencing an Intensive Emphasis on Literacy Across the

Curriculum and Meeting High School Readiness Goals

Source: 2006 and 2008 Middle Grades Assessments 27Mobile 6-8-10

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Does a Schoolwide Emphasis on Reading and Writing for Learning

Impact Readiness for College and Careers?

Mobile 6-8-10 2828


High-Graduation Schools

Students Experiencing Intensive Literacy

14% 45%

Meeting Readiness Goals

Reading 44 79

Math 53 69


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Does a Schoolwide Emphasis on Reading and Writing for Learning Impact

Readiness for College and Careers?

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75% Minority/Low Implementation

Sites

75% Minority/High Implementation

Sites

Students Experiencing Literacy

13% 40%

Meeting Readiness Goals

Reading 44 79

Math 53 69


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Why do Most Improved Middle Schools Have a Greater Emphasis on Reading and Writing

Across the Curriculum?

Sequoyah MS, GA – Principal-led campaign to read a million words and professional development for teachers.

In addition to implementing a 25 Book, Read a Million Words campaign, the principal challenged students to read more books during the school year than she did. This school focused on incorporating reading and writing strategies across the curriculum to raise student achievement in all subject areas.

Willard MS, OH – Hired a full-time literacy coach who worked with all teachers to embed reading and writing standards and strategies into all courses to improve students’ reading skills.

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer MS, AL – Developed a schoolwide literacy plan that encourages students to read and write for learning in all classes, including academic, exploratory and physical education classes.

Literacy guidelines for reading and writing to learn were used to help all core area teachers to integrate literacy into all classes.

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How Do High-Graduation and High-Performing Minority High Schools Make Reading for Learning a Priority Across

All Subjects?

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Train faculty to embed reading and writing standards and strategies into all courses.

School and teacher leaders stress engaging students in reading and writing in each discipline area as a way to making them independent learners.

School principals stressed the importance of reading and writing in an information-based economy.

School and faculty leaders make reading for learning a priority, and all teachers are expected to do it.


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How Do Most-Improved Middle Grades and High Graduation/High-Performing High Schools Make Learning Relevant

?

Action 5: Connect real-world learning opportunities and students’ interests to rigorous courses.

More students at most-improved middle grades schools make greater use of technology, hands-on learning and career exploratory opportunities.

More students at high-graduation and high-performing high schools experience more hands-on learning in academic classes, use academics in CT classes and more complete a ready CP Core with a career/technical concentration.

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At Most-Improved Middle Schools More Students Experienced Relevant

Learning Opportunities

More students:Had opportunities to use technology

integrated into the curriculum for learningHad hands-on lab sciencesUsed technology in mathematics classes

and experienced real-world mathematics problems

Had some type of career exploratory class with embedded technology

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Does Joining a College-Ready Academic Core with High-Quality CT Studies Matter?

Mobile 6-8-10 3434

High-Minority High Schools

\ High-Performing Low-Performing

Complete 4 credits in CT 65% 59%

4 CP English 74 34

4 Math, Alg I/Higher 74 44

3 Lab CP Science 80 40

High-GR/High-Perf Low-GR/Low-Perf

Six or More CT 54% 28%

4 CP English 78 42

4 Math, Alg I/Higher 73 53

3 Lab CP Science 69 44


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Does Purposefully Embedding Academics into High-Quality CT Studies Matter?

Mobile 6-8-10 35

Indicators High-GR/High-Performance

Low-GR/Low-Performance

Intensive Embedding of Reading in CT

40% 13%

Intensive Embedding of Mathematics in CT

48 20

Quality CT 59 21

Student Perceived Importance of HS 59 36


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Embedded Academics into CT Improves to Achievement

Mobile 6-8-10 36Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment

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Why do more teachers do in high-graduation high schools that fewer do in low-graduation schools?

Students Report:

High-Graduation Schools

(Grad Rate Range 86-99%)


(Grad Rate Range 64-79%)

Their teachers often clearly indicated the amount and quality of work that are necessary to earn a grade of "A" or "B" at the beginning of a project or unit.

71% 49%

They read an assigned book outside of English class and demonstrated understanding of the significance of the main ideas at least monthly.

64% 46%

They completed a project that used mathematics in ways that most people would use mathematics in a work setting at least monthly.

44% 29%

Teachers cared about them enough that they would not let them get by without doing the work.

52% 30%

Career/technical teachers often stressed mathematics. 60% 39%

Mobile 6-8-10 37Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card

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Mastery Learning Motivates

Action 6: Create a culture where ‘failure is not an option’ through:

Re-teaching Tutoring Extra help and extra time Opportunities to relearn and redo Formative assessments

Mobile 6-8-10 38

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Major Challenges Middle and High Schools Faced in Implementing

‘Failure Is Not an Option’ Policies

Percentages of Schools Experiencing a Challenge

Middle Schools High Schools

Teacher resistance

54% 34%

Student resistance

47 25

Parent resistance

11 10

Source: 2009 SREB Special Survey

39Mobile 6-8-10

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Major Strategies Middle and High Schools Use in Implementing

‘Failure Is Not an Option’ Policies

Percentage of Schools Implementing Strategy

Middle Schools High SchoolsA redo requirement for doing below-standard work 68% 42%

A re-take exam requirement for below-standard results on assessments

51 33

Students are required to attend extra help 49 36

Zeroes are not possible (students are required to complete assignments to certain standards)

46 19

Students receive an I (incomplete) on report cards 32 20Source: 2009 SREB Special Survey 40Mobile 6-8-10

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Major Benefits Middle and High Schools Experienced as a Result of their ‘Failure is

Not an Option’ Policies?

Percentage of Schools Experiencing Benefit

Middle Schools High Schools

Increased student grades 84% 80%Increased student effort/motivation 78 73Increased communication with parents/parent satisfaction 67 62

Decreased course failure rates 58 56Increased math/reading achievement 43 44

Increased graduation rates 45

53% of schools reported decreased Algebra I failure.Source: 2009 SREB Special Survey

41Mobile 6-8-10

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Action 7: Identify at-risk students early and provide them with special support.

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What indicators can middle grades schools use to identify, as early as grade

6, students needing extra support?

Poor AttendanceFailing English/Reading,

Mathematics or BothDiscipline Problems

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What indicators can high schools use to identify ninth-grade students at risk of not completing high school

or graduating unprepared?

Missing more than two-day per month34%

In-school or out-of-school suspension23%

Failing at least one subject16%

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Actions Taken by Middle Grade Schools to Provide Additional Support

to At-Risk Students

Teach to grade level standards with support

Assign teachers with history of success to teach at-risk students

Extended day, week and year Focus on most essential high school

readiness standards Use daily formative assessments Teach basic skills and more

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What Strategies Are Used by High Schools to Reduce

Ninth-Grade Failure

Create ninth-grade academies with cross discipline planning time

Enroll most students into CP-level courses with a scheduled extra support class on alternate days (English/math)

Schedule a 90-day/90-minute catch-up class with special training and planning of staff

Use extended day, week and year Enroll in career/technical classes with

embedded academics

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What Works in Reducing Ninth Grade Failure Rates and Getting More Students Through Algebra I and CP English by the

End of Ninth Grade

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9th-Grade English Catch-up Classes

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What Works in Reducing Ninth Grade Failure Rates and Getting More Students Through Algebra I and CP English by the

End of Ninth Grade

Mobile 6-8-10 48

9th-Grade Math Catch-up Classes

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What can high schools do to make better use of the senior year to graduate more

students and to graduate them prepared?

Identify juniors failing to meet readiness standards for advance training, postsecondary studies or industry certification

Redesign senior English/reading/writing course to focus on expository reading and key reading standards most essential to succeed in postsecondary studies

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What can high schools do to make better use of the senior year to graduate more

students and to graduate them prepared?

Redesign senior mathematics course to focus on those mathematics concepts most fundamental to avoid remedial studies in advanced training or college-level work

Support teachers to redesign courses by training them to prepare standards-based units and daily lessons using research-based instructional strategies

Reduce by 1/3 to 1/2 students having to take remedial courses through the redesign of senior English and mathematics courses

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How to Build a Personal and Supportive Relationship with Each Student

Action 8: Emphasize guidance and advisement that connects each student to an adult in the building.

Middle Schools: Most-improved middle schools stress involving parents in discussions about their child’s performance and readiness for high school, helping students understand what will be expected of them in high school and helping students develop a six year plan for high school and secondary studies.

High Schools: High-performing/high-graduation schools connect each student to a counselor and to a teacher-advisor mentor with planned scheduled time to meet built into the curriculum and a planned program of studies by the end of grade 9 aligned to a postsecondary goal that has been approved by the student and the parents .

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Teachers Report: Least-Improved Schools

Most-Improved Schools

A required parent-student school conference

55% 74%

An introduction course on college and career opportunities

32 46

A structured guidance/advisory program

38 47

Advised a core group of students

36 47

Assigned to mentor students 36 48

Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card52

MMGW Teacher Involvement in Guidance at Most- and Least-Improved Middle Grades

Schools

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Do more students at high-minority/high-performing high schools experience high-

quality guidance and advisement?

67% of students at high-performing, high-minority high schools receive intensive guidance and advisement assistance, compared with 48 percent at low-performing, high-minority high schools.


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Do more students at high-graduation/high-performing High schools experience high-

quality guidance and advisement?

At high-graduation/high-performing high schools, 74% of students had an intensive guidance and advisement experience, compared with 56% at low-graduation/low-performing high schools.


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What can high schools do to connect each student to an adult adviser/mentor, to a goal beyond high school, and to an extracurricular activity or community learning experience?

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What Can Schools Do to Provide Experiences that Enable More Students to Meet Readiness Standards for High School and to Graduate from High School Prepared

for a Range of Postsecondary Options?

Action 9: Provide extensive professional development to staff, aligned with the school’s mission and improvement plan, with emphasis on implementation of new learning strategies.

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Differences in Professional Development Provided at Most-Improved Middle Schools

Compared with Least-Improved Middle Schools

Teachers at most-improved schools spent significantly more time in professional development activities on the following topics: (2008 data, difference between groups in parenthesis)

Using applied, hands-on strategies to teach algebra or pre-algebra (20%)

Working with a group of students as a mentor and adviser through the eighth grade (17%)

Supporting all students to master complex content in algebra (15%) Using project-based learning to deepen understanding of content

(13%) Using interdisciplinary themes or units (12%) Having students design and conduct research investigations (10%) Getting students to elaborate on their understanding, explanations or

conclusion through extended writing (9%)

Source: 2006 and 2008 MMGW Teacher Surveys

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Professional Development Provided at High-Implementation/High-Minority Schools vs.

Low-Implementation/High-Minority Schools

Had 21 hours or more professional development in past 3 years in:

20 High- Implementation/

High-Minority Sites

20 Low- Implementation/

High-Minority Sites

Additional study to gain greater depth incontent areas

32% 27%

Establishing a classroom environment that actively involves students in the learning process

24% 19%

Using a system of extra help to improve the achievement of all students

21% 15%

Staff development experiences have resulted in holding my students to national standards in my fields. 26% 20%

There are incentives that encourage me to participate in staff development a great deal.

42% 38%

Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card58Mobile 6-8-10

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Improve Graduation and AchievementProfessional Development Provided at

High-Implementation/High-Graduation Sites vs.Low-Implementation/Low-Graduation Sites

Had 21 hours or more professional development in past 3 years in:

20 High- Implementation/

High-Graduation Sites (Grad Rate 86-99%)

20 Low- Implementation/

Low-Graduation Sites(Grad Rate 64-79%)

Using reading and writing for learning in the content area and across curriculum 28% 23%

Using student portfolios across the curriculum 15% 8%

Working with groups of students as a mentor and adviser during their high school career

19% 12%

Holding my students to the current national standards developed by teachers in my fields. 28% 17%

Reflecting on what I learn in staff development programs and applying it in the classroom.

44% 35%

Mobile 6-8-10Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card

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What can school principals do to obtain greater results from professional development?

Attend with teachersSelect teachers who can train othersStress implementation (recognition,

observation, feedback)Create professional learning

communitiesEstablish demonstration

classrooms.Mobile 6-8-10 60

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Does a Learning-Centered School Principal Make a Difference?

Action 10: Ensure schools have a learning-centered school principal who keeps the school community focused on the school’s mission, serves as instructional leader to ensure that students are engaged in a rigorous curriculum, supports and reviews instructional planning, and gives feedback to the faculty continually to keep everyone engaged in ongoing, research-based school improvement efforts.

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Do principals in most-improved middle schools stress continuous school improvement more

than at least-improved schools?

Teachers Strongly Agree that:

Change 2006 to 2008

Most-Improved

Least-Improved

Goals and priorities for this school are clear.

+19% -4%

Teachers in this school maintain a demanding yet supportive environment that pushes students to do their best.

+12 +1

Teachers in this school are always learning and seeking new ideas on how to improve student achievement.

+17 +0

Mobile 6-8-10Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card

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Do principals in most-improved middle schools stress continuous school improvement more

than at least-improved schools?

Teachers Strongly Agree that:Change 2006 to 2008

Most-Improved

Least-Improved

Teachers and school administrators work as a team to improve the achievement of students in this school.

+23 -3

Staff uses data reports to continuously evaluate what is being taught and how it is being taught.

+18 +3

Intensive emphasis on continuous improvement

+21 +7

Mobile 6-8-10Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card 63

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Do principals at high-implementation/high-minority high schools vs.

low-implementation/high-minority schools stress continuous improvement?

Teachers Strongly Agree that:

20 High- Implementation/High-

Minority Sites

20 Low- Implementation/High-

Minority Sites

There is an intensive emphasis on

Continuous Improvement 38% 22%

Goals and priorities for their school are clear. 50 38Teachers in the school maintain a demanding yet supportive environment.

47 36

Teachers and administrators work as a team. 36 30Teachers use data to evaluate school’s programs and activities.

47 31

Mobile 6-8-10Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment 64

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High-Implementation/High-Graduation Sites vs. Low-Implementation/Low-Graduation Sites

Stress Continuous Improvement

Teachers Strongly Agree That:20 HIGH

Implementation/High Graduation Sites (Grad Rate 86-99%)

20 LOW Implementation/

Low Graduation Sites(Grad Rate 64-79%)

Intensive Emphasis on

Continuous Improvement 49% 25%

Goals and priorities for their school are clear. 56 42Teachers in the school maintain a demanding yet supportive environment.

53 26

Teachers in this school are continually learning and seeking new ideas.

59 37

Teachers and administrators work as a team. 56 37Teachers used data to continuously evaluate school’s programs and activities.

48 30

Source: 2008 HSTW Assessment and State Report Card 65Mobile 6-8-10

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Key Concepts

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Mission Acceleration Engagement Motivation Purpose, goals,

interest, aspiration Relevance Mastery Support for

students/faculty

Leadership – district/school

Failure not an option

Connections Ownership of

problems/solutions Instructional

planning Reading and writing

as ways of learning

southern regional education board hstw mmgw improve graduation and achievement ten lessons learned...

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