School Improvement Plan (SIP)
VISION: EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY for ALL STUDENTS
INTRODUCTION
The School Improvement Planning Team began in the spring of 2005 to review areas of strength and areas of concern. They looked at graduation data, WASL data for student subgroups, and areas of concern collected from Site Council, Parent Organization, the Climate and Culture Committee, a Parent Forum, and Capital High School Teachers. From that, the Capital High School staff adopted a vision of Equity and Opportunity for All Students and developed the following four goals:
GOAL 1 - REDUCE GATEWAY PRACTICES AT THE 8 TH GRADE FOR IB
ACTION PLAN
- Heterogeneous 9 th Grade English classes with revised curriculum focused on writing skills to give all students access to rigorous curriculum for better decisions about honors and IB and to lead to greater success in high school classes in general.
- Take “Pre-IB” label off of 9 th grade social studies and open course up to all students.
- Eliminate term “Pre-IB” and substitute “Honors” for 10 th grade English and World History.
- Substitute HL Chemistry for HL Biology and eliminate Pre-IB Chem. /Bio and Pre-IB Physics for Class of 2010.
- Add IB Biology SL if enough students request.
- Create a science pathways chart to help students and families understand multiple ways to take IB science and other advanced science coursework.
- Add IB Discrete Math if enough student requests to give students entering high school at the Algebra 1 level the opportunity to take IB coursework and earn IB diploma. (Also allows advanced math students another college level math option.)
- Eliminate Pre-IB testing in the 8 th grade.
GOAL 2 - REDUCE THE GAP IN RIGOR BETWEEN PRE-IB AND REGULAR CLASSES AND INCREASE RIGOR FOR ALL STUDENTS
ACTION PLAN
- See items #1-7 listed above.
- Train staff in implementation plan for Culminating Project and in the CP rubrics
- Begin a pilot for CP
- Reinforce attendance policy
- Department Action Plans for increasing student achievement of grade level standards in reading, writing, math, and science.
GOAL 3 - INCREASE PATHWAY OPTIONS AND GIVE GREATER RECOGNITION TO ALL PATHWAYS
ACTION PLAN
- Add Career Tech programs when possible
- Increase Tech Prep opportunities available to students
- Increase number of students participating in Tech Prep through better promotion and advertisement (brochures, counselors in classroom, information shared in advisory and parent meetings, etc.)
- Create achievement awards for advanced work in the areas of the arts occupational education courses, and service courses (leadership, yearbook, newspaper, academic mentor, Link Crew)
- Create brochures to advertise pathways options
- Increase student use of Career Center
GOAL 4 - INCREASE ACADEMIC SUPPORT SO ALL STUDENTS CAN GET OVER RAISED BAR
ACTION PLAN
- Create Writing Lab after school for students who don't meet standard on classroom writing assignments across the curriculum. Hire staff to run the Writing Lab Mon.-Thurs. 2:45-3:45.
- Design Writing Lab check sheet where teachers can identify which writing standard(s) a students needs to work on in the Writing Lab
- Increase student attendance to the Homework room to get help on math and science assignments. Utilize phone calling and parent conferencing to strengthen requirement for students to attend
- Continue Reading Essentials in the 9 th grade and continue to refine curriculum and collect data on success of last year's students on the 2006 WASL.
- Expand participation of Link Crew students to make ongoing connections with freshmen throughout the year by grouping each Link Crew's “mentees” into the same advisory.
- Identify students with “Fs” and pair them with teachers who will make a special effort to connect with them on an ongoing basis.
- Communicate with families through email list serve.
- Give progress reports earlier (four and a half weeks)
- Reinforce attendance policy
- Culture and Climate Committee meets 4x per year
- Increase relationship building between students and administration
- Teachers' at door between classes, administration in halls just to greet students
NOTES
- Goals 1 and 2 are in implementation stage for 06-07
- Goals 3 and 4 are mostly still in planning stage for 06-07
These goals are reorganized below as they pertain to specific content areas. Some action items have been added to include extra interventions allowed through additional PAS funds and in response to WASL data received in June, 2006.
READING GOAL
Increase student achievement in reading so that 100% of CHS students meet standard on the 10 th grade reading WASL in 2007
ACTION PLAN
- Continue Reading Essentials in the 9th grade and continue to refine curriculum and collect data on success of last year's students on the 2006 WASL.
- Use Differentiated Instruction to meet the various reading needs of all students in a heterogeneous English classroom setting.
WRITING GOAL
Increase student achievement in writing so that 95% of CHS students meet standard on the 10 th grade writing WASL IN 2007 and 100% by graduation in 2008
ACTION PLAN
- Create Writing Lab after school for students who don't meet standard on classroom writing assignments across the curriculum. Hire staff to run the Writing Lab Mon.-Thurs. 2:45-3:45.
- Design Writing Lab check sheet where teachers can identify which writing standard(s) a student needs to work on in the Writing Lab.
- Implement heterogeneous 9th Grade English classes with revised curriculum focused on writing skills to give all students access to rigorous curriculum for better decisions about honors and IB and to lead to greater success in high school classes.
- Hire Writing TOSA (.2) to supervise and help develop 9 th grade English differentiated instructional model with emphasis in writing. TOSA to work with other departments on writing across the curriculum.
- Develop action plans within each department for incorporating more writing throughout the curriculum.
- Staff development in writing tailored to the type of writing assigned in each department.
- Department analysis of student writing samples during collaboration.
MATH GOAL
Increase student achievement in math so that 80% of students meet standard on the math WASL in the 10 th grade in 2007 and 95% meet standard by the end of 12 th grade in 2008.
ACTION PLAN
- Incorporate communication and other math process skills to help students reach standard on the Math WASL.
- Implement staff development in math communication for all math instructors.
- Hire Math TOSA (.2) to pull resources together for math staff to use to give students more targeted practice on concepts and processes embedded in math WASL.
- Analyze WASL data to determine content and process strands that are areas of strength or weakness. Add resources and instruction to target those strands that need strengthening.
- Hire Math Tutoring assistance during and after school targeted for students who did not meet standard on the 10 th grade Math WASL.
- Hire an EA to assist in math classes with the highest number of 9 th and 10 th grade students who are at risk of not passing the 10 th grade Math WASL.
- Incorporate Math Class Tools , a web based program from APEX Learning, to diagnose and remediate students' skill deficits in math.
- Follow up with students who did not meet standard on the 10 th grade math WASL to make sure they are enrolled in math in 11 th grade even though they may have passed the two year math course graduation requirement.
SCIENCE GOAL
Increase student achievement in science so that 70% of students meet standard on the science WASL in the 10 th grade in 2007.
ACTION PLAN
- Incorporate communication and other science skills to help students reach standard on the Science WASL.
- Restructure Scope and Sequence to align with GLE's and identify essential content.
- Increase expectations that students write lab processes and conclusions to standard. Assign students to Writing Lab who need extra assistance.
WORK TO BE DONE WITH AREAS IMPORTANT TO THE SCHOOL
SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOL
- Eliminate gatekeeper practices at the 8 th grade for IB with action plans as outlined in Goal #1.
- Reduce gap in rigor between pre-IB and regular classes and increase rigor for all students with action plans as outlined in Goal #2.
- Administration making greater efforts to get to know students on personal level
- Culture and Climate Committee, consisting of students, staff, and parents meeting 4 times a year.
- ASB and Leadership working on safe and inclusive activities for all students to feel welcome to participate
- Staff training on signs of student drug and alcohol use (10-10-06)
- Care Team meetings once a week.
TARGETED ASSISTANCE
- Incorporate parts of Navigation 101 curriculum in Advisory to improve student goal setting and personalization of the school environment for each student.
- Expand participation of Link Crew students to make ongoing connections with freshmen throughout the year by grouping each Link Crew's “mentees” into the same advisory.
- Crew's "mentees" into the same advisory.
- Identify students with "Fs" and pair them with teachers who will make a special effort to connect with them on an ongoing basis.
- Math tutoring assistance during and after school targeted for students who did not meet standard on the 10 th grade Math WASL or did not meet standard on the 7 th grade math WASL.
- Design Writing Lab check sheet where teachers can identify which writing standard(s) a student needs to work on in the Writing Lab.
- Identify students who did not meet standard on the 10 th grade WASL in writing and personally contact them and parents about writing lab resource.
- TOSA (.2) working with students who are on Student Learning Plans.
- Continue Reading Essentials for 9 th grade students who did not meet standard on the 7 th grade WASL in reading.
TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION
- Inspiration software using Thinking Maps graphic organizers for teaching critical thinking skills.
- Peer Coaching training to include curriculum in the classroom using technology and to incorporate teacher mentoring.
- Using the Computer on Wheels in the classroom to bring Internet access, research capabilities, science labs, etc. directly into the classroom.
- Math Class Tools Software to help students who did not pass the 7 th or 10 th grade Math WASL target individual skill deficiencies in math.
PARENT / COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING
- Increase student attendance to the Homework Room to get help on math and science assignments. Utilize phone calling and parent conferencing to strengthen requirement for students to attend.
- Increase Communication with families through email lists, letters home, use of automated phone, daily bulletin and newsletter.
- Include parents on Culture and Climate Committee.
- Parent forum for input.
- Increase teacher use of websites and email lists for communication of classroom activities and course assignments.
- Coordinate with Parent Organization to sponsor parent education nights with sessions such as “Talking to your Teen,” “Sexual Harassment,” and “Cars, Cops, and Courts.”