broad sec school reform

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PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

SECONDARY SCHOOL REFORM

Submitted By: Lateefah A. Durant


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ABSTRACT

All are alarmed by this nations high dropout rates and low academic achievement of many of our

high school students. Prince Georges County Public Schools (PGCPS) is engaged in Secondary School

Reform (SSR) to transform the educational experience of all PGCPS middle and high school students to

ensure they are provided with the skills and competencies to compete in the 21st century. My capstone

paper will discuss PGCPS model for Secondary School Reform, approach for stakeholder engagement,

and plan for implementation.

INTRODUCTION

PGCPS is located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and has approximately 128,000

students located in 200 schools. About 70,000 of these students are in grades 6-12. PGCPS is the 2nd

largest district in the State of Maryland and the 18th

largest in the nation. The District has about 18,000

employees, which includes 9,000 teachers.

To achieve our goal to graduate 100% of students college and career ready, PGCPS is

undertaking Secondary School Reform (SSR).

SITUATION

Most secondary schools in the United States are not meeting their goal to educate all students. For every

100 students in the US who begin ninth grade, only 67 will finish high school.1

This number is even

lower for African-American and Hispanic students. Low-income students, African American and Latino

students under-perform on most standardized academic achievement tests and are at a higher risk of

failing to graduate from high school (Balfanz and Legters, 2004). Unless there are substantial reforms in

the educational process for middle and high school students, many students will not achieve their

academic potential and are at risk of leaving before graduating.

1 College Ed, Creating a College-Going Culture Guide, p. 2.


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PGCPS TRANSITION FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL

Findings from a District conducted study of PGCPS ninth-graders indicate that the majority of the

districts ninth grade students experience serious adjustment problems. Before beginning high school,

only about one-half of ninth graders were proficient in reading and approximately 35% were proficient in

mathematics as measured by the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) for eighth graders (PGCPS, Ninth-

Grade PerformanceSY2007-2008, August 2008, page 1).

Too many PGCPS students begin high school without adequate academic preparation, and thus

struggle academically throughout their freshman year. By the end of SY2007-2008, only 75% of ninth

graders fulfilled requirements for promotion to tenth grade. Approximately 47% of the districts ninth

grade students received at least one failing grade. Only 45% of ninth graders fulfilled the Algebra 1

requirement for graduation.

PGCPS HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT

State High School Assessments (HSA)

PGCPS performance on the Maryland High School Assessment (HSA) demonstrates that our

high school students are experiencing difficulties in passing required academic achievement exams. The

2009 HSA passing rates for all twelfth grade students in the State of Maryland were: Biology (85.5%),

Algebra/Data Analysis (88.8%), Government (93.2%) and English (86.6%). The 2009 HSA passing rates

for all PGCPS twelfth grade students were lower for each subject area: Biology (67.8%), Algebra/Data

Analysis (74.7%), Government (84.8%) and English (80.5%).

SAT Performance

Similarly, PGCPS student performance on the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) significantly

lags behind state and national levels. In 2009, PGCPS mean scholastic achievement test (SAT) scores

were: 432 (critical reading), 425 (math); 433 (writing) and 1,296 (total score) in comparison to the State

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of Maryland mean scores of: 500 (critical reading), 502 (math); 495 (writing) and 1,495 (combined) and

national mean scores of: 501 (critical reading), 515 (math), 493 (writing) and 1,509 (combined).

Advanced Placement (AP) Performance

The district has seen a steady increase in the number of students taking one or more AP exams

since SY2006. In SY2006, 2,456 PGCPS students took one or more AP exams. In SY2009, 4,840 PGCPS

students took one or more AP exams. This represents a 97.1% increase from SY2006 to SY2009.

Similarly, there has been a marked increase in the number of AP exams taken by PGCPS students.

Unfortunately, performance on AP exams has not been as pronounced. In SY2006, 41.l9% of the

students passed AP exams with a score of three or greater. In SY2009, only 25.1% of PGCPS students

passed their AP exams with a score of three or greater. The mean AP score also declined from 2.34 in

SY2006 to 1.89 in SY2009. The district remains challenged to increase: AP course enrollment, the

number of students taking one or more AP exams, and the number of students scoring three or higher on

AP exams.

NATIONAL WORK ONSECONDARYSCHOOLREFORM

In order for our students to be college ready they must be prepared to gain admission and

succeed, without remediation, in credit-bearing courses at a two-year or four-year postsecondary

institution, trade school, or technical school.2

Furthermore, research tells us, a rigorous high school

curriculum is the greatest predictor of college completion regardless of socioeconomic status or race.3 At

PGCPS, our Secondary School Reform focus is on increasing student participation in rigorous

coursework as evidenced by participation in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate

2 ACT,Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum, 2007, p. 5.3 SLC E-News, February, 2008, p.2.

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(IB) courses. When we prepare our students to be college ready, we are also preparing them to be

workforce ready.4

While several districts have taken on the work of reforming their secondary schools, three

districts in particular have informed the work at PGCPS District of Columbia Public Schools, Miami-

Dade Public Schools, and Chicago Public Schools. District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) began

working on secondary school reform about the same time as PGCPS. Our districts are now acting as

thought partners on this work and have regularly scheduled opportunities to discuss implementation,

lessons learned, and provide feedback. Miami-Dade adopted the Advocacy Framework Model developed

by the National High School Alliance (2005) that identifies six core principles to foster high academic

achievement. These principles are: Personalized Learning Environments, Academic Engagement for All

Students, Empowered Educators, Accountable Leaders, Engaged Community and Youth, and an

Integrated System of High Standards, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment and Support. (See Appendix

A for the Miami-Dade Secondary School Reform 5-Year Plan and Appendix B for A Call to Action

Transforming High School For All Youth) Similarly, Chicago Public Schools identified six levers of

change for secondary school reform.5 At PGCPS, our framework for secondary school reform is to: 1)

Raise Expectations, 2) Expand Options and Opportunities, 3) Increase Student Transition Success, and; 4)

Empower our Teachers, Leaders, and Schools.

The SSR work impacts all of the Districts 128,000 students. While the work focuses on our

secondary grades (6-12), we recognize the importance of backward mapping this work to our elementary

schools. For instance, expanding enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) and International

Baccalaureate (IB) courses is a key component of SSR. However, in order for students to successfully

participate in these courses that require a significant amount of writing in their assessments, we must

address the deficiency of writing in our elementary school curriculum. Moreover, PGCPS is currently

4The Conference Board, et.al., Are They Really Ready to Work?, p. 41.

5 Chicagos six levers of change for secondary school reform are: 1) Increase what is expected of students by

everyone; 2) Hire, develop, and support great principals; 3) Hire, develop, and support great teachers; 4) Empower

schools as the center of change; 5) Ensure every student finds a great fit in a great school; and, 6) Prepare students to

succeed in the 9th grade.

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revising its performance targets and Secondary School Reform is the driving factor in the development of

the student achievement metrics.

OUTCOMES AND IMPLEMENTATION

All PGCPS students will graduate from high school college or career ready. The metric for this

goal is for 100% of all students to graduate college or career ready as evidenced by all high school seniors

taking an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course and/or completing a career

certification track by SY2017. Supporting this ambitious goal are student indicators around advanced

math in middle and high schools, at least two credits of foreign language, and the completion of a long

term planning guide known as an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). This goal assumes proficiency and

advanced performance on state exams at all grade levels.

PGCPS offers several different types of programs that include: traditional curricula, Montessori,

French Immersion, Creative and Performing Arts, and Talented and Gifted. In the future, the district

would like to continue to encourage creative programming and grade structures. This view is consistent

with the current national education agenda of innovation and experimentation. Through SSR, it is the

Districts intent to expand specialty programs and balance access across the district. The Secondary

School Reform Plan contemplates two ways to divide the district in terms of access, five (5) geographic

clusters and North/South geographic clusters. By balancing programs across five clusters, we reduce

transportation costs but increase costs as specialty programs demand higher operating, and in some cases,

facility costs. By balancing programs across the North and South, transportation costs increase, but

program costs are reduced. Under SSR, the joint goals of access and a wide range of programming must

coexist.

Middle Schools

Middle schools in Prince Georges County are configured for either grades 6-8 or grades 7 and 8.

Some middle schools contain specialty programs like creative and performing arts, the Middle Years

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Program (MYP), and Talented and Gifted. Middle schools follow a five period block schedule allowing

for daily instruction in the content areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. The fifth

period allows for elective courses such as physical education, music and foreign language. The five

period day limits the prescribed number of opportunities for middle school students. The SSR/system

goals call for 75% of all students leaving 8th grade with a credit in algebra and a credit in foreign

language. To achieve this goal, the current schedule will need to be adjusted to accommodate more

electives. The SSR Team plans on convening a task force during SY2010-11 to make recommendations

for a new schedule for the middle schools. Increasing the schedule from a 5 period to a 6 or 7 period day

would allow for more elective courses. This would mean more students enrolled in instrumental and

vocal music, foreign language, college readiness courses (e.g., AVID), and remediation courses. Through

SSR, expansion of the International Baccalaureate - Middle Years Program is planned for many middle

schools. While not present in every middle school, the District anticipates an expansion so that MYP

programs are balanced across the five clusters.

High Schools

Again, the Secondary School Reform initiative is driven by the goal that all students will be

college or career ready. To accomplish this, all high schools will need to offer courses and programs that

have proven track records to college and career success. Specifically, this means the expansion of

Advanced Placement (AP) courses in all high schools, the inclusion of thriving International

Baccalaureate (IB) program balanced across the 5 clusters, increased dual enrollment courses, increased

partnerships with colleges and universities, and strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics (STEM) programs balanced across the five clusters. Next school year (SY 2010-2011) each

high school will develop a signature program that reflects the community and school capacity and wishes.

As a result, schools will propose signature programs that are more career-oriented and lend themselves to

either a STEM or Humanities focus. The goal again would be to balance course offerings across the five

(5) clusters and to allow student choice within a cluster. Potential expansion of programs include AVID,

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Project Lead the Way (biomed and engineering), human development, environmental sciences,

hospitality, Homeland Security, and more traditional CTE course offerings. The district plans to structure

student schedules to allow them to be both career and college ready by the end of high school.

To implement this rigorous plan, there are staffing and facility cost implications. The costs of

these changes are currently being assessed and will continue to be determined during SY2010-2011. For

instance, with expanded AP offerings, high schools will need additional classrooms and differentiated

staffing to accommodate classes with smaller class ratios. In addition, facilities will need to respond to

the signature programs developed at each school. For example, STEM themed high schools will require

additional lab space.

Avant-garde Schools

Complementing the traditional structures of elementary, middle and high schools, SSR includes

the expansion of non-traditional programs and schools. These schools would serve to fill in the gaps that

currently exist in the traditional delivery of instruction. Avant-garde programs would include schools

serving students with mental health and behavioral issues, career related programs with intense internship

opportunities, early college experiences, distance learning sites, private/public partnerships and charter

schools. In some cases, the opportunities will be provided in non-traditional settings like a college

campus or a work site such as a hospital. At this point, it is not the Districts intent to balance avant-

garde schools across the five clusters, as they are more entrepreneurial in nature. Rather than scale up

successful programs, the goal for avant-garde schools would be to seek new and creative programs.

CONTRIBUTION

I serve as the Program Manager for Secondary School Reform. Two key decisions I have made

to enable the outcomes of Secondary School Reform were to: 1) Focus on internal and external

communications; and, 2) Establish multiple project teams comprised of diverse participants.

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Communication, communication, communication has been a driving factor in this work. In

January March 2010, we held community forums on Secondary School Reform in various parts of the

County. In March 2010, we held Secondary School Reform sessions for teachers after-school in various

high schools. In addition to receiving a SSR presentation delivered by the program manager, the

Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and/or Board Member(s) attended these meetings to

communicate the importance of the work and address stakeholder concerns. Furthermore, I have learned

that having senior district leadership participate in stakeholder meetings serves as a draw for participation.

Also during this timeframe, students, parents and community members were asked to complete an

online survey about SSR. Over 2,000 students completed this online survey. Student input will be the

next focus of our stakeholder engagement process. I have begun working with our Student Board

Member to provide more information to our students and solicit student feedback on SSR. To date, the

Student Board Member has been equipped with talking points on SSR to deliver during meetings that he

holds with students. In addition, the Student Board Member made robo-calls to students to encourage

them to complete the survey. Next year, we are looking at creating student focused SSR advertisements

through social networking sites and other online media.

This summer (2010), we will complete our Communications Plan for Secondary School Reform.

Also, I have hired a summer graduate school intern whose sole focus will be developing the collateral

items to the Communications Plan.

Determining the appropriate operational structure is also important for managing district

initiatives (Appendix C SSR Organizational Chart). To implement this district initiative, a Strategy

Team was created that is comprised of key district leaders Chief Academic Officer, Executive Director

of High Schools, an Assistant Superintendent, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of

Strategic Planning and Grants, Director of Special Education, and so on. While this team sets the

direction and identifies student outcomes, they have been most valuable in their ability to make executive

level decisions to move the work forward.

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As previously mentioned, our SSR framework is based upon 4 levers of change. Within each

lever are projects related to that particular lever. Each of these projects has a team led by a project

manager. In order to facilitate principal support and buy-in, each team has at least one principal serving

on the team.

A Parent Advisory Team has also been created to provide feedback on proposals, documents and

materials developed by the Strategy Team and serve as ambassadors for Secondary School Reform with

the parents in their buildings and in their social circles. The team is comprised of middle school and high

school Parent/Teacher Association presidents or their representatives; representatives from certain student

advocacy groups (e.g., Special Education and Talented and Gifted); and, certain parents that have

expressed concern about the SSR work.

LESSONS LEARNED

At PGCPS, during this period of reform, we are also engaged in Reductions-in-Force/layoffs,

furloughs, and diminishing departmental budgets. Nonetheless, because of the commitment of senior

leadership, the Secondary School Reform work has been able to secure planning funding for next year. In

addition, we are in the process of applying for a federal grant to support our efforts. Fortunately, due to

the support of the members of the Strategy Team, I have been able to leverage resources to move the

work forward. However, I believe greater strides could be made with a team of dedicated staff to work on

the program. For instance, DCPS has created an Office of Secondary School Transformation with

designated staff to assist with this work.

Before engaging in the work of secondary school reform, one must determine whether there is the

political will and capital to make unpopular, difficult decisions. Secondary School Reform will require a

significant shift in structures, policies, staffing and priorities. As evidenced by our framework, the key

components of secondary school reform are very similar across districts. Given limited resources, what

differs is what each district chooses to emphasize. In Miami-Dade the focus was on creating an 8 period

school day. In Chicago, the emphasis was on creating Instructional Development Systems (IDS), a

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unified system of curricular strategies, classroom materials, assessments, professional development and

coaching. At PGCPS, the focus is on increasing student access to rigorous coursework. No matter what

the focus, without the support of the superintendent and other key district leaders, it will be difficult to

enable true reform.

As the program manager for Secondary School Reform, I have learned several lessons that I can

employ in my future work: build relationships with and garner the support of leadership, build

stakeholder support and buy-in, and have a clearly defined vision at the outset.

CONCLUSION

PGCPS is still in the early implementation stage of Secondary School Reform; therefore, there

are not quantifiable outcomes to report at this time. Nonetheless, PGCPS has defined the outcome for this

work graduating 100% of students college and career ready as evidenced by all high school seniors

taking an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course and/or completing a career

certification track by SY2017. In addition, we have begun to put in place the policies, processes and

structures to achieve this goal and garnered the support of key stakeholders. I am hopeful that PGCPS

has a model for Secondary School Reform that will be able to inform other districts that embark on this

work.

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APPENDIX A:

Miami-Dade Secondary School Reform 5-Year Plan


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary Pages 3-4

Rationale Pages 5-7

Why reform secondary schools in Miami-Dade County?

Chronological Review of Implementation Pages 8-11

Phase I - 2004-2005Foundation Year

Phase II - 2005-2006Design Career Academies

Phase III - 2006-2007Implement Cohort I Schools

Phase IV - 2007-2008Support for Cohort I Schools/Implement Cohort II Schools

Five Year Plan Pages 12-15

Phase V - 2008-2013


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Its dangerous to assume too little when it comes to what ourchildren can accomplish. The peril comes not from the fact

that they undoubtedly will prove us wrong. The real danger isin selling short the potential of even a single student, as thatwould be an unforgivable injustice.

Dr. Rudolph F. CrewSuperintendent of Schools

Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsMaking the Right Assumptions about Students, 2005


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Executive Summary

The Secondary School Reform (SSR) Implementation Plan (approved by the Miami-Dade CountySchool Board on May, 10, 2006,) details the Miami-Dade County Public Schools roadmap forsubstantively altering the educational experience of all middle and senior high school students in thisdistrict. The compelling evidence in our examination of the latest research in secondary reform,

juxtaposed on the examination of a current course of study in our district high schools lead theSecondary School Reform Committee to understand and support the following agreements: to ensurerigorous preparation based on international standards and career preparation, to create personalizedinstructional environments designed to engage learners for longer periods of time in real worldapplications of academic concepts, and to develop and support opportunities to expand learningthrough partnerships with local businesses, colleges and universities. The Plan builds on theSecondary School Reform Framework which provided the theoretical foundation and rationale forchange.

The SSR Five Year Plan provides a review of activities conducted during Phase I and II, a report onimplementation of Phase III and IV, and a detailed plan of implementation for 2008-2013.

Phase I - 2004-2005: Activities in this Phase focused primarily on evaluating district capacity,researching nationally relevant literature, identifying supplementary funding sources, andestablishing systemic collaboration among stakeholders.

Sixteen schools were awarded the United States Department of Educations SmallerLearning Communities Grant which provides the seed money to jumpstart the SSRinitiative at each school.

A transition freshman course, Tools for Success, was developed and implemented in allsecondary schools in the Superintendents School Improvement Zone.

The Secondary School Leadership Summit with over 1,000 school site educators was heldon May 23rd and 24th, 2005, spotlighting a broad range of national and state experts onschool reform.

Phase II - 2005-2006: Activities in this Phase focused on determining the readiness and capacity

of each school site and establishing business/community support for the SSR. School Readiness surveys were completed by all secondary schools. A curriculum matrix was developed. A career academy framework was distributed to all high schools as a guide to the

development of academies at individual sites.

Secondary School Reform conferences were held by regions. Potential community partnerships were identified. A District level Secondary School Reform Committee was established. An Individual Electronic Educational Portfolio was created.

A plan for district-wide implementation of internships was drafted.

Phase III - 2006-2007: A cohort of eleven high schools (Cohort I) voted to implement an eight-

period class schedule which allows for common planning for core teachers in teams/careeracademies. An estimated budget of $977,851 per school funded additional teachers, ten days ofprofessional development, requisite materials and other pertinent costs as each school designedand implemented career academies. Each cohort of senior high schools included middle schoolswithin their feeder pattern in the reform effort, although an expanded day is not implemented at themiddle school level. The reform practices for grades six through eight included: improved focuson literacy for all students, broadened emphasis on career-path skills aligned to the feeder seniorhigh school, and expanded essentials of learning.


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Phase IV - 2007-2008: An additional nineteen high schools (Cohort II) voted to implement aneight class schedule during this Phase bringing the total to thirty high schools in the District.Funding per school continued at the same level as outlined in Phase III. Cohort I schoolsdeepened, expanded, and strengthened the implementation of their Secondary School Reformplans. Cohort II schools began the design and implementation of their career academies. Eachcohort of senior high schools included middle schools within their feeder pattern in the reformeffort.

An evaluation study of the SSR Plan was designed in consultation with the Office of Program

Evaluation. This evaluation has been developed in order to measure the effectiveness of the SSRPlan in the following areas: attendance, drop-out rates, FCAT scores, Honors and AP courseenrollment, ACT and SAT participation, and graduation rates.


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Rationale for Secondary School Reform Plan

Why reform secondary schools in Miami-Dade County?

Few institutions have a greater impact on the quality of American life than the public high school, thefoundation for adult participation in society and the workplace. Technological advances and loweredtrade barriers have paved the way for an unprecedented globalization of markets, creating intensecompetition for the US economy and increasing demands for an internationally competent workforce.

As a result, it has become increasingly evidentthat traditional high schools provide limitedpreparation for success in this new economy.

To address the need for better preparation andto ensure Americas competitive edge in thefuture, significant secondary school reform isneeded. Twenty-first century high schools mustrestructure to provide a rigorous curriculumbased on international standards and careerpreparation, a more personalized instructionalenvironment designed to engage learners inreal world applications of academic concepts,and opportunities to expand learning throughpartnerships with local businesses, collegesand universities.

The National Association of Secondary SchoolPrincipals urges reform efforts that focus onwhat we must do to allow our secondaryschools to graduate young people with theskills, habits, and convictions that are

required in the rapidly changing American culture and the global workplace. In the March 14,2005, article Our High School Diploma is no Bargain for Graduates, Dr. Rudolph F. Crew,

Superintendent of Schools, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), stated:

As educators, we strike a bargain of sorts with students when they start school: Learn what yourteachers have to offer you, master the skills on the tests we measure your progress with and, when youhave, you will be ready for the rest of your lives. Well give you a high school diploma to signify that.Unfortunately, as a society, we increasingly have failed to live up to our end of the deal. Students, whodo everything we ask of them, pass the exams we give them, still leave high school unprepared forcollege or careers. The fact is we ask too little of our students both in terms of the academic rigor andof the breadth of our expectations.

There are unmistakable signs that our secondary schools are falling short. When Miami-Dade Countyeighth graders took part in an international comparison of math achievement five years ago, theyscored well below the international average and were sandwiched between their counterparts in

developing countries such as Iran and Indonesia. When our graduates enter Miami Dade College,nearly three-quarters of them are placed into at least one remedial class before starting credit-bearingcourses, and more than a quarter of them need three or more remedial classes.

In a recent speech to governors and leading CEOs, Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, had a word todescribe schools that deliver these kinds of results obsolete. He went on to explain he did not meanflawed, broken or under-funded; he meant inadequately designed for the task of educating students inthis century.

In the 35 largest cities, fewer than 50% of 9th graders completehigh school.

69% of all high school students graduate. Of those whograduate, 53% are Hispanic; 55% are African American, 57%are Native American; 76% are white; and 79% are Asian.

More than 70% of high school students go to schools with morethan 1,000 students.

An African American male born today is twice as likely to go toprison than college.

30% of college freshmen don't make i t to sophomore year, andless than 50% receive college degrees.

29.4% of 16-24 year old Latinos dropped out of high school in1996, as compared to 13% of African Americans and 7.3% of

whites. 56% of young Hispanics who have not completed high school

have not progressed past the ninth grade. This compares to31% of white and 27% of African-American dropouts.

Only 35% of Hispanic high school seniors are enrolled incollege-preparatory programs, compared with 50% of non-Hispanic white students.

Fewer than 5% (4.67%) of the bachelor's degrees awardednationwide in 1995 went to Latino/Mexican-American students,as compared to 7.5% for African Americans, and 78.7% forEuropean Americans.

National High School Alliance 2002


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Thus began a comprehensive plan for reforming secondary public schools in Miami-Dade County. Anumber of District secondary school principals were invited to participate in a forum designed to fostercollegial interaction and introspection regarding educational environments of schools. Beyond theexisting programs within their schools, the principals involved in this think tank researched an array ofnational reform models. Each of the models reviewed has significant national research to validate itssuccessful implementation in urban secondary schools. Additionally, several principals participated innational conferences including the National Academy Foundation Leadership Summit in November2004, and the USDOE Second Annual School Summit in December 2004. The principals begandiscussions around the following questions:

What initiatives or programs have been implemented in their schools which significantlyand positively impacted student learning and achievement?

What key factors or challenges needed to be addressed? What resources were required to maximize their schools attainment of high academic

achievement?

After lengthy discussions based on the principals individual success and intrinsic understanding ofwhat was required for successful implementation of school reform, the consensus was that certainnon-negotiable indicators of success should exist regardless of the reform model the District selects.These non-negotiable indicators are: commitment to a long-term process, standardized curriculum incore courses, collaboration/training time, effective articulation between levels, varied elective offerings

for all, flexibility in the implementation for each school, small learning communities, required freshmantransition course, and career-path academies.

Following these initial discussions, the Secondary School Reform Committee was comprised to createa detailed conceptual framework. This expanded committee included school, Regional Center, andDistrict administrators. After extensive review of the literature on secondary school reform, committeemembers adopted the Advocacy Framework Model developed by the National High School Alliance(2005) because it uses high standards as the foundation for beginning the reform process. The modelidentifies six core principles to foster high academic achievement which were adopted in theSecondary School Reform Framework document approved by the Miami-Dade County School Boardon March 16, 2005. These principles are:

1. Personalized Learning Environments - Personalized learning environments support allstudents achievement in meeting high academic standards and successful quality post-secondary transitions by designing curriculum, support, structures, and a learning climatefocused on student needs and development.

2. Academic Engagement of All Students - Academic engagement is strengthened wheneducators and students co-develop learning experiences that are relevant to political,economic, and social dynamics at local, national, and global levels. It is crucial that curriculumand instruction connect learning to students cultural and linguistics contexts, especially forstudents who are most at risk for disengagement and dropping out. All students should haveaccess to academically rigorous and relevant curriculum and instruction. This rigorous andrelevant curriculum and instruction should engage students in disciplined inquiry, whichrequires problem-solving, higher order thinking, and the capacity to construct, rather thanreproduce knowledge.

3. Empowered Educators - Communities of practice are critical mechanisms for empoweringeducators and for transforming the culture of traditional, comprehensive high schools into apersonalized learning environment for all students. They are characterized by thecollaborative work of educators who continuously seek, share, and act on their learning inorder to improve their practice for the purpose of improved student outcomes. Communities ofpractice help transform school culture by providing ongoing professional development andsupport so that teachers can learn and apply new practices, and foster a sense of collectiveresponsibility for student achievement.


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4. Accountable Leaders - Leaders at all levels of the education system must be accountable to

the communities they serve. To foster ownership in the difficult process of transforming highschools, stakeholders must work together to articulate a shared vision for all high schoolstudents and to define accountability measures. Through the development of a strategic plandesigned around this common vision, leaders are held accountable for allocating resources;establishing equitable practices and policies for all students; and for using data to monitor andcommunicate student progress. Accountable leaders engage not in quick fixes, but intransforming schools and districts into systems that are responsive to and accountable for the

success of all students.

5. Engaged Community and Youth - School leaders cannot do the hard work of high schoolreform alone. All community stakeholdersparents, business, government agencies, post-secondary institutions, and youthare needed to articulate a shared vision for all high schoolstudents and to establish a network of accountability that ensures progress towards achievingthe shared vision. A network of accountability functions across several dimensions.Educators are accountable to one another as professionals and accountable to students andtheir families. Students are accountable to their schools and communities. School leaders areaccountable to the community. Community stakeholders are accountable to schools. Andfinally, school leaders and community stakeholders are accountable to government (NationalHigh School Alliance, 2005).

6. Integrated System of High Standards, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, andSupport - An integrated system of standards, curriculum, instruction, assessment, andsupports provides a critical foundation for high school reform. This integrated systemmandates common expectations for all students; clearly communicates parameters forsuccess in each successive year of school; clearly delineates parameters for successfultransition into post-secondary education and careers; and outlines how and what students willlearn, how they will be assessed, and the supports they will receive.

In an effort to transform our large, impersonal high schools, M-DCPS partnered with the NationalAcademy Foundation (NAF) because its research-based, career academy frameworks have proventrack records both locally and at the national level. NAF describes its academies as a place where"students take classes around a career theme - Finance, Travel & Tourism, or Information Technology- with the same team of teachers for two to four years. Partnerships with employers, the community,and local colleges bring resources from outside the high school to improve student motivation andachievement." NAF focuses its energy on curriculum and staff development, local advisory boardsthat link with businesses, paid student internships, and quality assurance. NAF program sites operatein 42 states.


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Chronological Review of Implementation

Phase I 2004-2005 Foundation Year:The first year of implementation for SSR included the work of the Principals Think-Tank and theSecondary School Reform Committee and was officially launched with the Miami-Dade County SchoolBoard approval of the SSR Framework on March 16th, 2005. Staff from Curriculum and Instruction

initiated the alignment of curriculum and assessment. Staff retreats, workshops, and meetings tookplace throughout this year and a timeline for three major projects that are at the heart of school reformwas developed: a three year Literacy Plan, the redesign of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC),and the development of District Progress Monitoring Assessments aligned to the CBC are three majorpieces that must be in place in order to facilitate the reform process for all our secondary schools.

In August 2005, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) was awarded the United StatesDepartment of Educations, Smaller Learning Communities Grant, Cohort 4 (2004) for $3 million overthree years (2005-2007) for six comprehensive senior high schools. The Centers for ExcellenceCareer Academies include the following senior high schools: American, Miami Beach, North MiamiBeach, B. T. Washington, Miami Jackson, and G. H. Braddock. In October 2005, M-DCPS wasawarded a second round of the Smaller Learning Communities Grant, Cohort 5 (2005) for $11 millionover five years (2005-2010) for ten comprehensive senior high schools: Barbara Goleman, Hialeah,Miami Central, Miami Coral Park, Miami Springs, Miami Senior; Felix Varela, Homestead, MiamiSouthridge, and Miami Sunset. These grants provided the seed money to jumpstart the SSR initiativein each school, approximately $800,000 per school over a five-year period.

Another crucial element of the reform effort is the smooth transition of youngsters along the K-12spectrum with particular emphasis at two critical junctures: grade 6 and grade 9. Freshman transitionactivitieshelpedto ease the difficulties students often encountered as they move from middle to highschool. Some schools placed all first-year students in their own academy or house setting,sometimes in a separate wing or even a separate building, with extra supports from adults. In othercases, freshman transition included mentoring from older students or special career explorationclasses designed to set the context for high school as a pathway to college and careers. To that end,members of the Student Services Department developed a curriculum geared at empoweringyoungsters with the skills necessary to make the transition into either middle or senior high schoolsmoother and more successful. A transition freshman course, Tools for Success, was implementedby all secondary schools in the Superintendents School Improvement Zone.

Equipping teachers with the necessary skills to successfully implement a curriculum that is rigorousand relevant was a critical action step in the academic engagement of all students and it is one of thesix principles in the SSR. To that end and in order to continue to align the reform effort with otherDistrict offices, all secondary schools were asked to develop a professional development planaddressing staff needs in this area. The professional development plans became a key element ofeach schools School Improvement Plan (SIP).

The Secondary School Leadership Summit held on May 23rd and 24th, 2005, at the Hyatt in DowntownMiami, was the official kickoff event for the SSRI. The summit brought together a host of national andstate experts on school reform. Every middle and senior high school in the District was representedby a Leadership Team composed of administrators, parents, and key staff members includingsecondary school union stewards. Schools began the conversation for reform by reflecting on thenational perspective and aligning the SSR principles to their own school culture.


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Phase II 2005-2006 Design Career Academies:The purpose of the first year of implementation of the Secondary School Reform Plan was to lay thefoundation for the restructuring efforts. The purpose of the second year of implementation (Phase II)was two-pronged. First, there was a need to determine the readiness and capacity of each schoolsite for reform. Second, community support for the SSR had to be sought.

In order to maximize resources and ensure successful implementation of the reform effort, the Plan isdesigned to include high schools in cohorts, beginning with the first set in the fall of 2006. While allschools will initiate the majority of the reform goals such as the implementation of smaller learning

communities, increased academic rigor, and the identification of career path themes, only the schoolsselected to be in Cohort I will be implementing an eight-class schedule.

All secondary schools completed a Secondary School Reform Readiness Profile, a self-assessmenttool which was used to gauge their initial readiness and capacity. The information gleaned from thissurvey as well as the Secondary School Reform Roadmap, completed by all senior high schoolsenabled a rank-ordered list to be developed. Potential schools for the first cohort were reviewed inthe following areas:

Organizational Structures: Recognition of graduates skill needs/knowledge for careers and/orpursuit of higher education, secondary schools organized around following dimensions:

Small Learning Communities;

Eight period class schedule; Transition and articulation; Professional development;

Academic engagement; and Academic teams.

Small Learning Communities: Specialized career-focused themes in grades ten through twelveprovided context to enrich a rigorous academic curriculum. Teachers had time to coordinate coursecontent and instructional strategies. Work-based learning opportunities connected classroom activitiesto job shadowing, internships, and mentoring by employer-partners. College and career counselinginformed students about options for planning for work and further education. Staff had clear directionto collect data, evaluate results, and use information to guide future planning and improve student

performance via the Continuous Improvement Model.

Eight Period Class Schedule: The additional periods allowed for: Collegial interaction/planning and professional development training; Course/credit recovery; Inclusion of elective programs (i.e., physical education, sixth or seventh grade essentials of

learning program, ninth grade freshman transition course, and career/technology explorationwheels);

Student internships and other community experiences; and Grade level scheduling requirements (i.e., an eight-course class schedule for freshmen and

sophomores, a six-course schedule for juniors, and a four-course class schedule for seniors).

Transition and Articulation: A standardized articulation plan in the areas of academic, personal-social and career readiness at every level of transition (elementary/middle/senior/postsecondary) wasdeveloped and implemented for each feeder pattern. Transition sessions implemented betweenelementary and middle schools and middle and senior high schools for parents, students, andteachers. The sessions covered the areas of academic, personal/social and career awareness andscheduled and conducted for grade five or six students transitioning to grade six or seven, and thosestudents in grade eight transitioning to grade nine. Preliminary articulation experiences targetedstudents a year earlier (in grade four or five and grade seven). These preliminary experiences helpedstudents focus their last year in elementary and middle school towards the expectations of the nextlevel. The current articulation process was primarily conducted in the last semester of their final year.


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Standards-based Student Career Development Program: Benchmarks for educational,personal/social, and citizenship skills were addressed. Activities included career planning, careerportfolios, job applications, a career fair targeting grade eight and nine students and a college fair forgrade ten and eleven students. Partnership agreements were developed with colleges, universities,and vocational centers to offer courses, advisement, and dual enrollment opportunities.

Community Support: High School reform cannot be fully realized without broad-based buy-in fromall facets of the community. The definition of community in the M-DCPS SSR plan includes: parents,teachers, union representatives, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)/Parent Teacher Student

Association (PTSA), Educational Excellence School Advisory Committee (EESAC), industry leaders,post-secondary education providers, government agencies, and intermediary organizations, includinglow-income, minority populations that have been traditionally marginalized in civic and school affairs,and the students themselves. Phase II of the SSR plan included the creation of advisory groups toconnect SSR with the various stakeholder groups.

Middle School Implementation: While the primary impetus of SSR in Phase II centered on thesenior high schools, the middle schools continued to receive information regarding the reform effortsand their potential role within it. Along with their senior high counterparts, all middle schools wereinvited to complete a readiness profile at the beginning of the school year. Using the regularlyscheduled Middle School Principals Liaison Committee as a vehicle for communication, all middleschools were encouraged to:

Institute a sixth grade foundation experience emphasizing work place literacy and academicachievement;

Increase availability of advanced course offerings for allstudents including classical literature,foreign languages, economics, and ethics;

Examine current implementation of the middle concept of teams for academic rigor andeffectiveness; and

Collaborate with the feeder high school to align team-based themes with the implementation ofthe career academies to strengthen articulation between levels.

Phase III 2006-2007 Implement Cohort I Schools:During Phase III, a cohort of eleven schools voted to implement an eight-period schedule whichallowed for common planning for core teachers on teams/career academies. This schedule provided

access to electives offered within a career academy for students who were performing below gradelevel expectations, hence affording them the equity that is missing within the present schedulingstructure. This schedule provided opportunities for more students to access honors and AdvancedPlacement (AP) courses, participate in dual enrollment classes, and engage inapprenticeship/internship activities.

2006-2007 Accomplishments: All ninth grade students were assigned to teams. These teams were composed of four core

academic teachers who worked cooperatively in the development and delivery of a relevant,rigorous curriculum. Team teachers met during common planning time to coordinateassignment/project timelines in order to avoid conflicts, discuss student work, develop andimplement progress monitoring, develop thematic units which integrated curricula, and share

best practices. All ninth grade students enrolled in a transition course during the freshman year. The purposeof this class was to familiarize students with their new setting. Course objectives addressed,among numerous other topics, study and organizational skills, career exploration of academystrands offered at the school, goal setting, time management, conflict resolution techniques,financial planning, and expectations for appropriate behavior.

Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students were assigned to a career pathway/academy.These career academies/pathways were scheduled as Small Learning Communities (SLC)within the school and included core teachers who shared common planning in order tofacilitate collaboration in the development of thematic units that integrate curricula careerthemes. The schools partnered with a cohort of local businesses worked cooperatively with


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staff in building the capacity at each site to create apprenticeship/internship opportunities forstudents.

Staff was actively engaged in professional development activities in the areas of: timeutilization, explicit instruction, curriculum mapping, literacy integration, how to build-upacademic vocabulary, development of rigorous and relevant curriculum, development ofthematic units, writing across the curriculum, content based inquiry skills, career academies,how to teach in a block, and infusion of high order thinking skills.

A detailed plan was developed cooperatively by key personnel in the Office of Curriculum andInstruction; School Improvement; and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Grants,

Marketing, and Community Services to implement and monitor a district-wide internshipprogram that began in the 2006-2007 school year. In the first year of implementation, eligibleseniors in Cohort 1 schools were provided with the opportunity to access an eighteen weekinternship experience. A total of 311 seniors participated in the Career ExperienceOpportunity (CEO) internship.

In order to establish collaboration among the various district offices and support SSRimplementation, an Implementation Task Force was created. Representatives from allCurriculum and Instruction offices, as well as School Operations, Professional Development,and Intergovernmental Affairs, Grants, Marketing, and Community Service were asked toselect staff to attend the monthly SSR Task Force meetings.

Phase IV 2007-2008: Support Cohort I Schools and Implement Cohort II Schools:

During Phase IV, an additional cohort of 19 schools voted to implement an eight period schedule bringingthe total to 30 high schools. This schedule provided access to electives offered within a careeracademy for students who were performing below grade level expectations, hence affording them theequity that is missing within the present scheduling structure. This schedule provided opportunitiesfor more students to access honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, participate in dualenrollment classes, and engage in apprenticeship/internship activities.

2007-2008 Accomplishments: In collaboration with staff from the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Grants, Marketing, and

Community Service and the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), an on-line toolwas created to facilitate the matching of students to available internship opportunities providedby certified businesses.

In order to provide sustained support to selected SSR principals, several retired M-DCPSadministrators were trained to be SSR Professional Partners. These Professional Partnersmeet often throughout the school year with principals and their SSR design teams.

Articulation meetings with local post-secondary institutions have been conducted. Thepurpose of these meetings is to establish a smooth transition for students from their academycourses to their post-secondary education.

An SSR website was unveiled that includes pertinent and relevant information about allaspects of school reform. All stakeholders can access this website athttp://ssr.dadeschools.net.

Professional development activities during this year focused on the development ofprofessional learning communities, project based learning, and academy development.

An evaluation plan has been designed to measure the effectiveness of the SSR Initiative. Thefollowing data elements will be collected and analyzed: attendance rates; drop-out rates;percentage of students meeting high levels of performance standards in the reading, writing,mathematics and science portions of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT);student participation in honors and AP courses; student participation in SAT and ACT testingprograms; parent perception; student participation in internship, dual enrollment, andapprenticeship experiences; and the documented growth by every school on the implementation ofthe six core principles.


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Professional DevelopmentDefined: Providing extensive professional development aligned to the Six Core Principles of Secondary School Reform idesign teams, academy lead teachers, and classroom teachers to be able to plan, implement, assess, and improve their s

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 20ProfessionalDevelopment

Provided

In collaboration with the Office of Schools of Choice/SLC Grants and the National Academy FProfessional Development in the following areas:

Philosophy of Small Learning Communities

Implementation of the Six Core Principles of Secondary School Reform Academy Development Capstone Projects Project-Based Learning Service Learning Professional Learning Communities/Critical Friends Groups

Cadre of School SiteTrainers

In order to build capacity andacademic leadership at schoolsites, schools will form cadres ofschool site trainers who willattend district providedprofessional development related

to the area(s) that they overseeor are involved in. They will thenprovide appropriate PD andsupport for their staff.

Continue district provided professional development to torder to strengthen and deepen the ability of schools to well as provide professional development at each schoo

Secondary SchoolReform ProfessionalPartners

Each year complete the following: Train additional SSR Professional Partners Meet quarterly with SSR Professional Partners. Include SSR Professional Partners in school site visitations.


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Community/Business PartnershipDefined: The purpose of the internship program is to offer opportunities for extended learning in real world applications.

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Internship Create strategic plan for

Career Academy internshipimplementation.

Create and implement plan totrain 30 SSR schools on howto use and maximizeClearinghouse online tool.

Implement strategic plan for CareerAcademy internships.

Revise with best practices.

Continue to assist schools tomaximize use of the Clearinghouseonline tool.

Implement strategic

Continue to assist sClearinghouse onlin

Advisory Boards Create district-wide CareerAcademy Advisory BoardStrategic Plan to strengthenexisting Advisory Boards andcreate new Advisory Boards.

Implement district-wide CareerAcademy Advisory Board StrategicPlan.

Revise with best practices.

Implement district-wStrategic Plan to addemand career clus

Post Secondary

Articulation

Coordinate meetings with allMDC and FIU campuses to

articulate Diploma Optionsand SSR Plan.

Coordinate meetings with centralFlorida colleges and universities

campuses to articulate DiplomaOptions and SSR Plan.

Coordinate meetingwith north Florida

campuses toarticulate DiplomaOptions and SSRPlan.


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Evaluation and AssessmentDefined: In order to assess the effectiveness of Secondary School Reform and the implementation of an eight class schadministrators and design teams with effective and useful feedback, on going school site visits and an evaluation study wil

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 20Rubric for Six CorePrinciples

Provide appropriateschool staff withrubric for

implementation ofthe Six CorePrinciples.

Instruct selectedschool staff how touse rubric as a self-evaluation tool.

Continue to use the rubric for implementation of the Six Core Principlethey deepen and improve the implementation of their schools reform pand cogent feedback to the SSR design teams based on the informati

School SiteVisitations

Set up school site visits with staff from District and Regional offices, SSR Professional PartneFoundation.

Use rubric for Six Core Principles as assessment tool.

Provide schools with feedback and suggestions for improving and deepening implementation

Four Year Study ofSecondary SchoolReform

Implement evaluation study developed by the Office or Program Evaluation on the impact of School Reform on high schools implementing an eight period schedule.


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APPENDIX B:

A Call to Action Transforming High School For All Youth

broad sec school reform

Documents