1 Brockton High School Brockton, Massachusetts City of Champions.

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Brockton High School

Brockton, Massachusetts

“City of Champions”

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Brockton High SchoolI. Who are we?

II. What have we done and how have we done it?

III. What have we accomplished so far?

IV. Questions

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Who are we?City of Brockton

Location: Southeastern Massachusetts

Population: approximately 95,000

Median Income: $31, 712. Unemployment Rate: 6.0% Major Industry: Health

Services

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Who are we?BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL Comprehensive 9 – 12 Enrollment: over 4,300 Poverty Level: 71.5% 30 different languages

represented 1/3 do not speak English as

their primary language Approximately 12%

enrolled in Transitional Bilingual Education Program

Approximately 11% receive Special Education Services

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Who are we? Brockton High SchoolStudent Population

54.5% Black - includes African-American, Cape Verdean, Haitian, Dominican, Jamaican, and others

29.3% White 13% Hispanic 2.7% Asian .5% American Indian

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HOW FAR WE’VE COME:DATA: TEST SCORES

MCAS 1998

Failure

ELA – 44%

MATH – 75%

MCAS 2007

Failure

ELA – 9%

MATH – 19%

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HOW FAR WE’VE COME:DATA: TEST SCORES

MCAS 1998Advanced

ELA – 2%MATH – 1%

ProficientELA – 20%MATH – 6%

MCAS 2007Advanced

ELA – 20%MATH – 27%

ProficientELA – 42%MATH – 24%

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HOW FAR WE’VE COME:HONOR ROLL

1998

TERM 1

859 STUDENTS

2007

TERM 1

1299 STUDENTS

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HOW FAR WE’VE COME:

THEN

“Students have a right to fail.”

BHS Principal

NOW“There is no such

right!

High Standards,

High expectations.

No excuses!”BHS Principal

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What have we done and how have we done it?

Our Restructuring Goals:

1. To improve student academic achievement Core Academic Learning Stretch Learning

2. To personalize the educational experience for every student

Student Engagement Personal Skill Development

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Essential Groups

Restructuring Committee, our “think tank”

Administrative Leadership Team

Data analysis team

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Structural Changes

Changing the schedule Changing the curriculum – emphasis on

English and Math Changing the ability levels

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Changing Attitudes: Everyone is responsible for every

student Believing that every student

CAN and MUST Our responsibility: to figure out how to

help

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Improving Student

Academic Achievement

Analyzing data to target needs Identified Core Learning

Development of Literacy Initiative Restructuring Committee identified essential literacy

skills Literacy Charts posted in every classroom

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What have we done and how have we done it? Core Learning

LITERACY CHART: READING

for content ( both literal and inferential ) to apply pre-reading, during reading and post-reading strategies to all

reading assignments, including determining purpose and pre-learning vocabulary

to research a topic to gather information to comprehend an argument to determine the main idea of a passage to understand a concept and construct meaning to expand one’s experiences c Brockton High School, 2002

READING

SOCIAL

SCIENCE

MATH

ELECTIVE

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

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LITERACY CHART: WRITING

to take notes to explain one’s thinking to argue a thesis and support one’s thinking to compare and contrast to write an open response to describe an experiment, report one’s findings, and report one’s conclusion to generate a response to what one has read, viewed, or heard to convey one’s thinking in complete sentences to develop an expository essay with a formal structure

c Brockton High School, 2002

WRITING

SOCIAL

SCIENCE

MATH

ELECTIVE

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

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LITERACY CHART: SPEAKING

to convey one’s thinking in complete sentences to interpret a passage orally to debate an issue to participate in class discussion or a public forum to make an oral presentation to one’s class, one’s peers, one’s community to present one’s portfolio to respond to what one has read, viewed, or heard to communicate in a manner that allows one to be both heard and

understood c Brockton High School, 2002

SPEAKING

SOCIAL

SCIENCE

ELECTIVE

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

MATH

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LITERACY CHART: REASONING

to create, interpret and explain a table, chart or graph to compute, interpret and explain numbers to read, break down, and solve a word problem to interpret and present statistics that support an argument or hypothesis to identify a pattern, explain a pattern, and/or make a prediction based on a

pattern to detect the fallacy in an argument or a proof to explain the logic of an argument or solution to use analogies and/or evidence to support one’s thinking to explain and/or interpret relationships of space and time c Brockton High School, 2002

REASONING

SOCIAL

SCIENCE

MATH

ELECTIVE

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

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Our Professional Development Model:

Development of Scripts Train the Trainer Interdisciplinary and Department

Workshops Implementation Follow-up/ Monitoring

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Improving Student Academic Achievement

Professional Development Literacy Workshops:

Open Response - Revised with new rubric to reflect stretch learning

Graphing - Revised to reflect stretch learning

Teaching Multiple Choice Strategies

Using Visuals to Preview a Chapter

Previewing the Table of Contents

Speaking Skills – Graded Discussions

Oral Presentation Rubric

Vocabulary in Context Thinking About Words Non-Fiction Reading

Strategies ELL Training School-wide active

reading strategies Summarizing Assessment

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What have we done and how have we done it? Stretch Learning SAMPLE QUESTIONS: 2006 MCAS

Life of Henry V: Act IV, Scene III (ll. 1-80)Open Response questionExplain how the excerpt shows that the king is an

effective leader. Use relevant and specific information from the excerpt to support your answer.

(Question is looking for language and style analysis, not simply content).

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What have we done and how have we done it? Stretch Learning SAMPLE QUESTIONS: 2006 MCASExcerpt from Don Quixote (pp 58-60)Open Response Question Explain how the author creates a humorous tone

in the excerpt. Use relevant and specific information from the excerpt to support your answer.

(Question is looking for language analysis, not simply content).

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What have we done and how have we done it? Stretch Learning

Improving Student

Academic Achievement:

Addressing needs of

special populations Advanced Placement A+ Certification International

Baccalaureate Programme

Medical Translation Program

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What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development

Improving Student Academic Achievement:

Addressing needs of special populations:

“Struggling Learners” Special Education

Putting Programs in Place Inclusion

Provides specialized instruction as part of an inclusive model within regular education classes

Students access the general education curriculum Special Education teachers provide accommodations to

meet IEP

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Addressing needs of special populations:

“Struggling Learners” Special Education

Putting Programs in PlaceIntervention Strategies:

MCAS Preparation and Remediation Classes Portfolios for Special Education students – designed to

demonstrate the student’s development of skills, strategies for test-taking, and reflective thinking

After-school program for Special Education Students

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Improving Student Academic Achievement: Addressing needs of special populations: “Struggling Learners” Special Education

Putting Programs in PlaceMonitoring Students: Portfolios Faculty: Assessment based on rubrics Department Heads: Collect, assess, and assist

teacher Associate Principal: Collect, assess, make

necessary adjustments

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Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade

House Plan School is divided into 4 color coded houses,

each one includes 9-12 Student remains in-house for nearly all classes,

all four years (Scheduling is challenging, seniors more likely to travel throughout school due to electives)

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Improving Student Academic Achievement:Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade Freshman Academy

Approx. 100 at-risk Freshmen identified for academic deficiencies. Blocked together for 3 out of 5 periods to include English,

Algebra, and return for the last period of the day for a tutorial with the same teachers/senior mentors.

Flexible scheduling, teacher teams, seniors as tutors/mentors, focus on academic remediation.

40 – 50 in each academy (we have 2)

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Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade Academic Support Contracts

Early intervention for 9th graders who are failing major subjects and/or having behavioral issues

Student support teams include housemaster, assistant housemaster, guidance counselor, teacher, parent, student

Team meets to develop Academic Support Contract

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Improving Student Academic Achievement:Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade

STUDY SKILLS LESSONS FOLLOWING LITERACY OBJECTIVES Reading: Active Reading Strategies- Previewing a text – Using

visuals to preview a chapter Writing: Note-taking – Summarizing Speaking: Street talk vs. school talk – speaking in complete

sentences - Listening Reasoning – Time management, Organizational strategies, Study

strategies

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Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade Stacking and Re-grouping

Scheduling Plan that places 3 of the same level English or Algebra classes during the same period

End of Semester 1 students are regrouped: Those at appropriate skill level Those needing additional support Those who need to restart

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Improving Student Academic Achievement:Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade Five Key Orientation Programs

Early March – “High School Expectations & Choices” – 8th grade parents

Spring – “What to Expect at BHS” – 8th grade students at their Middle Schools

Summer – “ Welcome to BHS” – incoming 9th grade (voluntary) run by teachers and high school students

Fall – “The Road to Success”: - 9th grade in their English class, writing assignment follows

Mid-Year – “It’s Not Too Late” – all 9th grade students, small groups, focus on getting back on course, writing assignment follows

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CREDIT RECOVERYGoals: To help those students who have failed the first two terms gain

the skills and meet the learning standards they did not master the first semester.

To keep students engaged so that they have a chance to pass, or at least attend summer school.

To address the academic failure and negative behaviors that often occur after the ninth grade student has failed the firt two terms

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CREDIT RECOVERY Classes conducted eight weeks after school Two sessions for each subject per week Classes are no larger than 12 students Curriculum is developed by departments and

follows identified skills and standards Lessons are prepared in advance; focus on

instruction Grading – pass or fail

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Handbook Course assigned in place of the first detention that a freshman

might get after-school course conducted by the Assistant Housemasters helps students become more familiar with handbook student identifies specific infraction(s) identifies ways to avoid repeating infraction(s)

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Peer Advisory Students who are trained Peer Mediators work

with freshmen who are referred to the office for disciplinary reasons

Coordinated at the time of infraction(s) by Assistant Housemaster

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Access Center Tutorial Center open during the day and after

school Tutorial support provided by teachers and

students

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Club Boxer After School extended day Program focusing on

academic support (MCAS) and enrichment activities ( GOALS Program for Career Planning) for 9th and 10th grade students

1- 5 teacher to student ratio (Grant Funded)

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What have we done and how have we done it? Personal skill development

Personalization Rewards for good

things Senior Good

Citizenship ID’s with privileges

Honor Roll Assemblies

Boxer of the Month

Recognition at School Committee Meetings

Faculty Recognition

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Performance Level Data- BHSWhat have we accomplished so far?

Pass Rate for Grade 10 ELA and Math

0

20

40

60

80

100

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Years

Perc

enta

ge of

Stu

dent

s Pa

ssing

Pass Rate ELA

Pass Rate Math

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What have we accomplished so far?

JOHN& ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP – 2008

249 Recipients – 25% 62 African American – 25% 21 Asian – 8% 20 Hispanic – 8% 9 Multi- Race / Non-Hispanic - 4%

3 Native American – 1% 136 White – 54 % 101 Low Income – 40% 9 LEP/FLEP – 4% 4 Students w/ Disability – 2%

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What have we accomplished so far?

External Recognition Massachusetts Compass School

Designation Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory – Schools Making Progress International Center for Leadership in

Education – Model School

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 U.S. Department of Education National

High School Summit National School Change Award - 2006

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Brockton High SchoolBrockton School District

Plymouth County 470 Forest Avenue

Brockton, Massachusetts(508)580-7633

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??????? Questions ??????

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Brockton High School

Dr. Susan E. Szachowicz, PrincipalBrockton High School470 Forest AvenueBrockton, MA [email protected]. com

1 Brockton High School Brockton, Massachusetts City of Champions.

Documents

core learning slide

iep slide

classroom slide

core learning math slide

bhs principal slide

american indian slide

health services slide

stretch learning graphing