It Takes a VillageSeCorsicana High School Corsicana, TX

rving ALL Students and Partnering with Families and Community

Lucy Jones – LOTE Department Chair

ljones@cisd.org AP Spanish

Kimi Muldner – AVID Campus

kmuldner@cisd.org Coordinator, English and AVID Teacher

Ginger Pawlowski – Pre-AP World Geography

gpawlowski@cisd.org AP Human Geography, AVID Teacher

A little information about us…

Corsicana High School–1500 Students

–40.6% Hispanic

–22.0% African-American

–2.1% Asian/Pacific Islander

–35.1% Caucasian

–72% Free/Reduced Lunch

City of

Corsicana

•Average per capita

annual income-

17,141 (over 25% of

households make

under 15,000 a year.

•5 Elementary

Schools

•1 Intermediate

School

•1 High School

• 31% dropped out

• 32% graduated high school

• 19.5% some college classes

• 5.25% associate degree

• 7% bachelors degree

• 3.5% masters degree

• .25% doctorate degree

Educational Attainment in Corsicana

Recent Accomplishments at CHS

2007 to the Present

• Academic Recognition for TAKS scores

• Commended Performance on TAKS up over 400%

• Students in AP, Pre-AP, Dual Credit, Honors courses up over 300%

DAEP Assignments,

Discipline Referrals,

ISS, Out-of-School

Suspensions, Violent

Incidents on campus

ALL reduced a

minimum of 40%

since 2007!

Dual Credit CoursesWe went from 6 DC courses available on campus per semester to over 20!

• Create professors on your campus

• Work with local college officials to articulate a useful variety of courses

• Seek grants to fund or subsidize tuition for students on Free/Reduced Lunch

• Purchase and check-out college textbooks

• Use TAKs scores as baseline requirement for tuition benefits

• Loss of credit results in student repaying tuition

• Peer Coach requirement for tuition benefits

Encourage Enrollment in Advanced Courses

Use a Flexible Scheduling System

Pay tuition and books

Pay for AP tests

Encourage Enrollment in Advanced

Courses

Support the students in reaching high standards

Have a college-readiness program, such as AVID on campusHYPE- Hispanic Youth Promote Excellence A

service club that holds tutorials for all, but especially for English-Language learners. Math Club holds tutorials before and after

school for service hoursALL teachers required to be available before

or after school for tutorial hour in classroom

Involving Parents can be Easier Than You think!

• ATTACK Squad- advisory and communications

• Involve parents in committees

• Host parent nights to teach parents how they can support their students

• Incorporate parents as hosts, translators, and communications facilitators for activities

• Provide opportunities for them to get to know you, and you get to know them!

Create a College-Going Culture by Incorporating the Entire Village!

• Use a combination of Go Center, AVID teachers or other school personnel as well as families and community leaders and volunteers, and make use of your most valuable resource…your students!

• Host sessions that inform parents of the purpose of PSAT, SAT, ACT testing, GPA calculations, the impact of class rank and GPA, differences in course levels offered: AP, Pre-AP, Dual Credit, Honors, Regular, and graduation requirements.

Create a College-Going Culture by Incorporating the Entire Village!

• Teach families about career paths and planning effective high school degree plans

• Teach parents about the importance of study time and environment in the home

• Offer daycare at sessions

• Offer meals at sessions

• Offer sessions in both Spanish and English – all presentations and materials should be available in both

Create a College-Going Culture by Incorporating the Entire Village!

• Use community volunteers as motivational speakers, providers of resources, etc.

• Use older, trusted students and school personnel for child care

• Incorporate a time of eating and visiting prior to the start of the sessions

• Use parents to create and maintain text, email and phone trees to publicize events.

• Teach parents how they can help and then delegate responsibilities to them

Rally the Village!

• Educate parent groups, education associations,

etc. so they know HOW they can best serve the

needs of the students.

• Seek new community volunteers to revive or

originate support groups. The Chamber of

Commerce and service clubs are a great place to

start.

Rally the Village!

Use students to attract the community support.

Use area college and foundation resources.

Develop relationships with local bankers and seek the attention of those who oversee trusts

Produce and keep data that will impress business people in the community

Educate yourselves in all scholarships, programs, and opportunities for your students such as our STAR, CAP, CEF, NCEF, CARE, Open Doors

Create student

Leaders

• PAC 10- Principal’s Advisory Committee consists of top 10% GPA of each ethnicity and gender

• They advocate for student body to administration

• They serve on strategic planning committees

• They lead community service projects and build relationships within the community

Cross Curricular Cooperation

Strengthens the Village

One tool for creating the “village” mentality is communication. When students realize that teachers across subject areas are talking to one another behavior improves.

When students study theme and topics that can be tied together, they increase retention in all subject areas.

Faculty and students begin to feel like a part of the larger village family and communicate that connection at home.

Cross Curricular Cooperation

Strengthens the Village

A few activities we do at CHS:El Dia de los Muertos- Students learn language customs tied to the holiday in Spanish class. In World Geography they study the regions of the world where the holiday is celebrated and the culture surrounding it. In Art classes students study and create artwork that is customary to El Dia de los Muertos. Teachers across the content areas reinforce the learning of the holiday in their classes and participate in a viewing of the alters and artwork.

Cross Curricular Cooperation

Strengthens the Village

Global Studies Time Line- Students learn that events don’t occur in a vacuum by creating a World Time Line with teachers in a variety of classes. Artistic periods and major works are placed in perspective with political and social events. Political and social movements are better understood in a global context than they would be in isolation.

Cross Curricular Cooperation

Strengthens the Village

Spanish/World Geography Joint Research Project-Students are assigned Latin American countries to research, and they become experts on their countries. Students create power points and other media to instruct the class about different aspects of the country. Some topics to be researched are history, religion, government, social customs, music, art, economy, daily life, etc. Presentations are completed with a fiesta where traditional and contemporary music and food from the various countries is featured and enjoyed by all.

Every Village is DifferentEvery village is different, but the goal is the

same…raise and educate kids for the most

successful future possible! We hope our ideas

can serve as a springboard to success for your

villages!