Hall-Dale+High+School

Principal Guidance counselor HS Spanish and Senior Capstone MS Science MS Math HS Math Julie Chasse Bev Hosic Sheree Inman Brian Jandreau
 * Attendance**

**Background**
 * Former principal wanted “a report card the size of a wall”; we wanted a more abbreviated one.
 * The middle school scores were low.
 * We started looking at differences between elementary and middle school, and we started looking at 6-12. The difference was middle school had standards.
 * Middle school now reporting in terms of standards; 2 nd year at high school.
 * Rolling out one year at a time. But this took years of work.
 * A couple of years ago, we started looking at RISC. We were standards referenced; we weren’t standards-based or student centered.
 * Sent teachers to RISC symposium.
 * Consolidated with three high schools.
 * The big step is that we front loaded all professional development days to beginning of this year: every teacher and ed. tech. gets RISC training. The training was coming from State, but now money comes from district.
 * We work with other schools in bringing folks from Alaska and Colorado.
 * Beacon training is about the tools; advanced beacon looks at standards (how you become student centered).
 * In time, HD will be providing training.

Staff buy in…
 * Hand full of people that said this could work, and that grew. There was momentum from within.
 * At the end of our symposium, we voted (usually never get 75%) at 83%.
 * We’ve had to implement at own pace. We ask teachers to try some stuff.
 * We have to remind people that we need to relieve pressure who feel they are behind and put the breaks on people who are ahead.

Public…
 * During precursor to implementation, we had basic meetings and there wasn’t a whole lot of response. It’s what they’re used to, they didn’t care until high school.
 * Once the school board set a schedule, parents got involved.
 * We’ve done a shared vision with faculty, whole RSU, and each town that makes up RSU. We may be a good school, but we aren’t doing very well.
 * Difficult group is high performers because they know how to manipulate the grading system.
 * Shared vision: what do we want our graduates to look like

Report cards
 * Report card is 2-3 pages.
 * Driven by learning results and common core.
 * Standards are laid out individually.
 * Use trimesters… would rather have one grading period for the report card
 * Each trimester students assessed.
 * N/A for standards not reported on
 * Student is on track to be proficient
 * Behavior and work ethic are completely removed but are reported on
 * Behavior and work rubrics developed
 * We still have to tie this somehow to credit… we take the content standards, and the teacher reports a final level for each standard, and then we average the final standard grades (needs a 2.5)
 * Student cannot have a 1 because we don’t want anyone being so far from proficiency.
 * 2.5… is a compromise; ideally, everyone is going to look for no 2s. It was us being realistic and practical as to where our students would be performing.
 * There is a 4 year math requirement.

Interventions…
 * We run vacation schools for students who need support
 * We do “finishing school”; students must earn at least a 2.
 * In my classroom, I instituted a learner centered model. All students will be handed a check list of skills they need to demonstrate proficiency. I touch base with all students.
 * I can spend more time with struggling students because my high achievers.
 * Problem we have is one foot planted in both worlds… this won’t work until get rid of grade levels and move to leveled grades
 * All students go to advisor every day for 30-35 minutes and the expectation is that
 * If you are all caught up, you have a silent study hall
 * If you need help, you go to a class where you are struggling
 * We have our intervention period, we request students, and write keep of track of who I suggested

Quality work…
 * The work has improved, but it has also improved the way teachers teach
 * When students meet standards early… (we had 5) exceeded standards… differentiated instruction… because we know that they would get into English 10, we accelerated them. We sent waiver for these 5 students, and Sue Gendron approved.
 * We also have kids who we accelerate according to math. At the end of the 5 th grade year, we do an assessment to look at their skill sets as they present in May. I compare them against the 6 th grade standards and several of us look at data and base students placement on this data.
 * My 6 th grade math class covers all standards.

Structure…
 * Move away from grade-based classes. And move to classes based on proficiency level.
 * In stead of teaching 7 th grade science, she would be a science teacher.

How does a teacher get to the grades…
 * Teachers report out on about 100 students.
 * How long does it take to report out? The time is huge b/c...
 * Students want benefit of standards...

Infinite Campus
 * Our IT people had to write a program to be able to produce.
 * Grading window is open for a week.
 * I look at my assignments (I have a list); I break up my grade book by standard, and I trend.
 * I trend, so I start at 2 and end with a three.
 * Trending looking at where someone started and seeing where they are now…
 * Sit and talk with kid, give another assessment, talk with other teachers…
 * When you get to a report card, they think it matters. We still do an honor roll (have no 2s, including work and behavior)

Lindsey, CA   Reporting to colleges...
 * Principal transformed the whole high school.
 * He met with every parent
 * We still weight in traditional way
 * School profile that goes with transcript
 * We also have class profile (for students who transfer)
 * What about students who transfers in… Guidance counselor figures it out

Schedule...   Block 1 - 72 start at 7.55 Wellness break for breakfast - 10 minutes (homeroom) Block 2 - 72 minutes Block 3 - Class with 20 minute lunch followed 72 minute class 12:25 to 1:00 - advisor groups Block 4 - 72 minutes

Advisory
 * In theory I’m going to stay with student for four years.
 * My problem with it being a four year commitment, we maintain it even if we have a lousy relationship
 * We need to consider allowing a student to move on depending on conflict

Math teacher:
 * Part of process… on original committee that started a couple of years ago
 * Started as doubter and now a believer
 * First year implemented standards--mulitple opportunities to improve; the students knew they had to keep going back. This has motivated students.
 * I started doing leveling…
 * Class is a little frustrated because they realize that they are doing more on their own… I’m not telling them, so they are working harder
 * Went to beacon training and half a year later I started
 * In stead of doing a homework, they are going back and investing think time
 * When everyone is having an issue with the same topic, then I will “time out” for direct instruction.
 * Students are beginning to self group based on their place in stead of their friends.
 * I have three children in middle school doing RISC
 * I think it has been done well; as a parent it gives me a whole lot more information
 * My son in 1 st grade, his teachers has run with the RISC model. They have standard operating procedures: they flip their card over to show they are in classroom, etc.
 * She has also implemented a lot of choice in their reading; he is on track, but to me is a beginning reader
 * Taught to look at book to see if it is appropriate for her
 * Teachers are not sage on stage, they are facilitators
 * Do students have complaint of teacher not doing his or her job? They haven’t said you’re not answering my questions because I stay there and wait

High school world history…
 * Using a ladder (a RISC) approach…
 * Curriculum based on essential questions “Why do rebellions happen?”
 * Students try to answer that question…
 * Students traced steps as to how it unfolded and put together a final project that was a test, a slide show, a conferences, a fictitious examples based on material…
 * Students set their own levels
 * Capacity matrix … check list of things a student needs to know or do in order
 * You don’t need common assessments; you need common rubric!
 * At the beginning of class, my kids fill out goal sheet, and then to work… I need to have unit planned out ahead of time.

Misc. When we say RISC training, it starts with symposium with philosophy. The next step is to send teachers to beacon and guide.

There has been a bit of a shift in homework… you don’t have to do homework, but I give homework that has meanings, so when I give an assessments, you’ll do poorly because you didn’t do the homework.

Dad throw you in truck, and he can’t drive, and you have to drive home. Have you been paying attention the whole time home. No. We’ve been driving for students, and we need them to drive.