Returning students

More than anytime of year, we get to see “old friends” at this time of year as graduates filter through SKHS just before the Thanksgiving and Holiday breaks. It’s a great time of year for the adults in the building as we get to hear first hand about the experiences and changing perspectives of young adults, many of whom last year were focused on continuing "what worked" in their high school experience rather than searching for new ones. To a person they now feel far removed from high school; they talk about college, work and travel. The returning young adults are impacted most by those experiences which have taken them outside of their comfort zone; working as an Americorps volunteer, traveling to South Africa, going to a college in a different part of the country, competing in a sport at the college level or working a 40 hour a week job. Sometimes the challenges are academic in nature; someone confronting the realization that a specific career path is not what she really wants to do or discovering that even though he never had thought about it before, he loves the vibe of the drama department. In many cases, the failures or having to make tough choices are where the growth occurs. Coming back home can provide recent graduates perspective, having moved out of what had been their reality only four months ago. While we often hear from kids that they feel ahead of the game in many of their introductory classes at the college level, I know that we can provide more opportunities to take kids out of their comfort zone to confront their assumptions and beliefs both in and out of the classroom while they are at SKHS. We are making some progress in this area: there is an opportunity right now for students to organize a trip to Morocco a year from now, and a fledgling school-to-career program will provide some of our students an opportunity to intern at local businesses during second semester. Beyond the academic challenges, I hope we can provide other authentic experiences and opportunities for our students so they can gain additional perspective, like the ones we hear about when we chat with our visiting alumnae.

Commissioner's Review

Last Thursday, ten educators from across the state and Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) officials spent the day talking to administrators, teachers, counselors and students at South Kingstown High School about our proficiency-based diploma system. For the past four years, all high schools across the state have been required to periodically provide evidence that they are moving towards such a system. The state has been very comprehensive in laying out guidelines for all schools regarding system implementation. They have asked us to demonstrate that we are providing access and opportunity for all students, our courses are aligned to state and local standards, the system is fair, clear and understandable graduation standards have been set and articulated, and students have sufficient opportunity to achieve those standards. They want to know how we are supporting struggling readers, providing time for teachers to collaborate, and how data is utilized to inform decisions. The complete matrix of expectations can be found at: http://www.ridoe.net/highschoolreform/DOCS/Commissioner's%20Review/CR_Criteria_2010.pdf

The visit last Thursday represents an effort on the part of the state to not only examine documentation submitted by the district but to hear from the people in the building to determine if what is submitted as evidence matches up with what is actually happening in the school. The visiting committee first met with high school, middle school (many of the regulations initially targeting the high school are now required of middle schools) and district administrators to talk in more general terms about the diploma system. The visiting committee then split into two groups, one which focused on personalization and the other on assessment & proficiency. Both groups met with administrators & department chairs, teachers and school counselors, and students around these topics. In the personalization strand, students were asked to describe how they felt the school personalized their learning experience; they opened up their Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and described the process. Counselors and teachers were asked about their role in personalizing education for students and administrators were queried about the personalization structures embedded within the high school and middle school such as advisory. The visiting committee members who focused on assessment & proficiency asked students to open up their portfolios and describe the supports and processes related to the portfolio; all of the groups were asked how they knew whether or not work was proficient. Teachers were asked about the opportunities available to collaborate and the process the school utilized to identify student learning gaps and what steps were taken to address them. After meeting with each of the groups, the entire visiting team convened as a whole group to review the electronic and paper evidence we had provided. Two days ago, we received the results of the visit. The report recognized the areas where we need to improve such as creating a more developed systemic response to intervene when students are not meeting with success. At the end of the report, they commended the school in the following areas:

CPT: South Kingstown’s CPT design and structure at both the high school and middle level is focused on student learning with a high level of accountability that fosters collaborative team work to increase student achievement.

Leadership: South Kingstown demonstrates a leadership structure that clearly supports and coordinates the implementation and sustainment of their Diploma System. All key stakeholders share a common vision for the district and this vision permeates their district. The infrastructure at South Kingstown robustly promotes collegiality and school improvement within the district.

South Kingstown’s strategic thinking about their Diploma System, their systemic vision and their data analysis drives their decision making and practices for the district. Both the middle and the high school levels share common goals, communicate effectively and are actively involved in promoting best practices to ensure their student success and demonstration of proficiency.

South Kingstown has many innovative supports to parents and students (i.e. Guidance-Wednesday Nights Open to Parents; Wednesday morning tutoring; summer programming for remediation or credit recovery, etc.).

There is an unmistakable collegiality among the staff and a sense of singular purpose regarding the Diploma System: i.e. the use of content departments to validate local assessments; SK 101 classes; Guidance and Advisors working on ILP. Both students and staff are keenly aware of the graduation expectations and are working in tandem to reach these goals.

I thought the best feedback we got though came from a comment that was relayed to Kristin Klenk, our PBGR Coordinator and the architect and driving force behind our PBGR system. Kristin wrote to the faculty, Sixteen students, 4 from each class, were interviewed by a group of visiting educators yesterday, as part of the site visit. At the end of the day, one of the lead facilitators asked me to provide further information about the students. How many had IEPS, 504's or are recieving free and reduced lunch. They had wanted to meet with a diverse group of students. As it turns out 2 of the students have IEPs, 2 504's, 2 F/R lunch, and 1 takes literacy enhancement. They were amazed, and the facilitator said, "this is a good thing"! They thought we had stacked the group with all our high honors kids and they couldn't pick out the "others".

After all is said and done, the students are the ones who provide us the clearest perspective on our work and as they do more often than not, they impressed last Thursday.

While the kids had a day off . . .

Today, December 2nd, South Kingstown High School students enjoyed a middle-of-the-week vacation while teachers came to school for one of their two professional development days. Professional development (PD) days are scheduled so that teachers, administrators and support staff can have a significant chunk of time to address pressing issues in the district or building. Today’s PD day was divided into three parts: for the first part of the day, teachers met departmentally; we extended common planning time which normally takes place for 45 minutes on Wednesday mornings to 90 minutes (see the blog entry from 6/18/09 for more on CPT). After we briefly met as a group for time to review the rest of the day and provide some necessary background information, teachers spent time learning a new online grading system, one which has the capacity to allow parents to access teacher gradebooks for their child. While there are no immediate plans to implement the parent component, we wanted to give teachers a primer on the system and have them consider using it as a way to more efficiently track student performance. The final segment of the day was spent examining different sets of student achievement data such as grade distribution charts which graphed student achievement by teacher, course and department using first quarter grades. Teachers also were provided a list identifying at-risk students as defined by grades, attendance and/or discipline. Teachers also could view formative assessment data that we have gathered in the fall through assessing ninth and tenth graders using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment which provides specific data on student strengths and weaknesses in reading and math. We asked teachers to examine the data and identify trends in student achievement and develop instructional strategies to address the trends in student performance. This type of work, examining ways to improve classroom practice, is already a central component of teachers’ lives through their TLC meetings (I wrote about TLCs on 10/9/09). At the end of the day, we met to provide teachers an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the day. In reviewing the evaluations, it was clear that teachers loved the extended CPT time and most were very excited and impressed by the on-line grading software. Teachers were more critical of the module where they examined student data, identifying concerns about the efficacy of the MAP data (is it accurate data since many kids don’t try?) as well as pointing to lack of student effort on homework and attendance being major factors in student performance which makes it difficult to examine instructional strategies to push kids forward. Of course the most positive comments were reserved for our wonderful Parent Teacher Group, who served homemade soup, sandwiches and dessert for our lunch break!

First impressions

Last night, we held our annual Eighth Grade Parent Night which our Parent Teacher Group (PTG) has sponsored over the past three years to provide interested parents with information about SKHS. The night is always a positive one; each department sets up a table which provides their program of study as well as samples of student work ranging from robotics demonstrations to artwork to science projects. Parents can listen to the jazz band play as well as hear from parents, alumnae and current students. I have found over the past three years that the tone and content of the remarks have changed a bit. When the PTG first suggested the evening, it was in an effort to shine a more positive light on what was perceived as a diminishing reputation in the community. It was as if we were saying, “We’re South Kingstown High School: We’re really not that bad!” We felt compelled to talk about school safety and support programs. Last year, I think we may have gone over the top regarding all of the positives. I would say that some of that was a reaction to feedback we got from parents from the previous year’s presentation and partly because we were moving forward regarding how we perceive ourselves as a school and how the community views us.

I live in South Kingstown so at this time of year I end up having a few private conversations with anxious 8th grade parents. For those who are trying to decide if SKHS is the best fit for their child, I don’t tell them that SKHS is a superior school to any other local private or public school. All schools have strengths and weaknesses. Each set of parents knows their child best and each family has to make the best decision based on the child’s interests and needs. While in past years we have felt that we’ve had to go out of our way to de-mystify or debunk certain community attitudes about SKHS, each year that becomes less and less of an issue. Now, we simply encourage each eighth grader to shadow a freshman for the day, and for parents to check out our college admissions results, our special needs programs, co-curriculars and mechanisms to make sure each student is known well by at least one adult in the building. The merits of South Kingstown High School speak for itself. It is an excellent high school which is only getting better, in large part because the kids and teachers in the school see the improvement and know they are part of that positive change. We hope the information we provided for parents last night will serve as one part of their examination of who we are as an educational community.

Vaccination Day

There are many aspects of the principalship where the lesson is learned as you are in the midst of the event. Monday, when we vaccinated 900 students in less than 4 hours, was one of those occasions. While we thought we had a comprehensive plan in place to have the day run smoothly, within the first five minutes of the freshmen arriving in the auditorium, we quickly realized we had to make some adjustments on the fly. Fortunately, due to the efforts of clerical staff, school counselors, support staff and administrators, the problems were addressed and the day went as planned. While these events are unpredictable, I know that I can depend on the students here working with us and I can count on staff to take responsibility when there is a void that needs to be filled. There were multiple examples of the students and staff making the best of a potentially stressful morning. It is a comfort to know that no matter the best laid plans, there are adults and kids here who are flexible and responsible enough to improve the process for the good of the school. It is one more reason why high schools – and SKHS in particular – are such a great place to work.

Coming Together

I am continually reminded why working in a high school is a great job. On a daily basis, I interact with kids, in the hall or my office, who are engaging, funny, smart, quirky and provide perspectives on a variety of topics I had never considered. We also have opportunities to come together as a community quite often. Last night, Karen Murphy, one of our Health teachers extraordinaire, organized her pumpkin illumination evening which not only raises money for the Lindsay Ann Burke Memorial Fund, but unleashes kids’ creative energy and provides an opportunity for the town to come together intergenerationally. After watching the first half of the girls’ soccer team dismantling of an over-matched Barrington squad (they eventually won 7-1) to advance to the state semi-finals, I walked over to the pumpkin illumination where approximately 270 pumpkins had been carved with images ranging from Bill Cosby to Gary the Snail to your more traditional spooky images. The path was filled with SKHS students, and parents – including many faculty members – with their children. It was a great evening where our kids’ creative and athletic talents were on full display. Not many people get to work in a place where they are able to get together after “work hours” to have fun and involve their families in a community setting. Our kids and teachers allow that opportunity many times throughout the year.

Identifying "at-risk" kids

At our monthly faculty meeting yesterday afternoon, we spent the majority of our time examining data on students who we’ve identified as needing additional support regarding attendance, academics and/or behavior. First we heard from teachers from the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) group, who reviewed current disciplinary data trends such as the number of kids who have three or more disciplinary referrals (38 students), the types of disciplinary infraction which are most prevalent (cutting class) and the time of day when most disciplinary infractions occur (during the last hour of the school day). The group encouraged teachers to not only submit to the office what we identify as major infractions (for instance insubordination, abusive language, cutting classes) but minor ones as well (for instance, first time non-compliance incident, first time dress code violations). The PBIS group has provided the faculty specific set of examples detailing the differences between minor and major infractions. Most teachers are not used to submitting paperwork on issues that they address within the bounds of their classroom but the more information we can compile on student behavior, the more accurate and timely our interventions can be regarding both individual students and school-wide trends. The PBIS group promised to provide data to teachers on a monthly basis.

We spent the last 15 minutes reviewing a spreadsheet which included any student who had five or more absences or tardies combined, and/or two or more failing grades on their most recent progress report and/or three or more disciplinary referrals. The list at this time includes roughly 15% of our population. I provided the data to give teachers both a micro and macro perspective on our “at-risk” students. This information will be provided every five weeks for teachers so that they can start to make some connections with some of their students regarding how they might be performing in other classes. Unlike elementary and middle schools, there are few mechanisms in place for teachers to avail themselves of student performance outside the walls of their classroom. Hopefully, this type of data will cause some conversations to occur between teachers and students, and teachers and parents that may not have been able to take place in the past.

I was in the halls in between classes yesterday and I saw one of the students on the list I was providing to faculty later that day. I asked him what was going on and that I knew that despite decent attendance, he was in danger of failing multiple classes. I asked him if I could expect an improvement and he told me, in an exasperating tone, that he was “on it” and that I was the eighth person to talk to him about his academic performance that day. I hope that we see more of that: multiple adults approaching and encouraging students who are struggling. It is an indicator that we are moving closer towards a community that is truly supportive of all students.

Teacher Learning Center

Over the past week, I've spent a good deal of time reviewing goals generated by teachers which they'll be working on during their Teacher Learning Center (TLC) time over the course of this year. TLC is the second form of teacher common planning time we have at SKHS. It is different than the common planning time that occurs on Wednesday mornings which is organized departmentally in that it is composed of teachers from different disciplines. The purpose of TLC is for teachers to pursue common school-wide goals during the time in the school day when many teachers in other districts are required to perform duties such as cafeteria supervision or hall monitoring. There are seven different TLC groups (one that meets for each period of the day) that are run by two teacher-facilitators that are trained and supported throughout the year. These facilitators are truly teacher-leaders at SKHS.

This is our third year of TLC; we altered the structure this year to provide teachers more opportunities to pursue personal professional growth with the common theme being that goals needed to be connected to their classroom and supporting student learning. Each teacher - or a small group of teachers who were working together - submitted their goals to me last week. It's been a real pleasure to read the goals which range from identifying and implementing instructional strategies to improve expository writing for ninth grade students to creating specific lessons to increase students’ ability to discuss, create and evaluate artwork to incorporating effective strategies for engaging families and students in order to improve home/school communication. We’ve posted many of the goals on our internal communication system to provide faculty an opportunity to see the variety of goals their colleagues are pursuing.

All teachers submit a detailed plan of action as well as a methodology for data collection and analysis. Each TLC meets a few times a week collectively to report out on progress and engage in a variety of structured activities designed to elicit feedback from colleagues to provide critical feedback and perspective on the goal. They use their remaining TLC time during the week to pursue their identified goals. While the goals and group protocols vary, they all are one more way we try to structure supporting SKHS students.

Freshmen

Because of state testing this week, we had a day where we separated lunches mostly by grade level. At fourth lunch, when all of the freshmen were gathered, a sophomore came up to me and Mr. Young, sighed, and said, “do I really have to eat with these freshmen? They are sooo immature!” What a difference three months makes from when she was one of those "annoying" freshmen!

I’ve spent the last few weeks meeting with freshmen in their SK 101 class, asking them what they think of SKHS four weeks into their career and soliciting their opinion on what they enjoy and don’t like. I have not found them to be annoying in the least – though of course the classroom is a bit different than the cafeteria. There’s a lot of similarities in their likes (more freedom, more sports and activities, more people to meet) dislikes (22 minute lunches, clogged hallways, more homework), and surprises (lack of bullying, one adapts to the size of the school quickly) about SKHS. I point out to them that students can take a direct role in influencing the culture of the school. I describe the student-led processes that have led to more clubs, a senior final exam exemption policy, and girls’ bathrooms that are cleaner and usable. I tell them that more than any other student group, they have the most to gain by making SKHS a culture of positive success. I point out that the successes of SKHS have as much to do with the student body as any other school stakeholder.

Of course it’s not that simple to change educational institutions. It’s incumbent upon the adults to set our students up for success. We’ve been pro-active in the measures we’ve taken to provide a smooth transition for freshmen, for example beginning a summer school program, teaming pilot and mentoring program this past year. As we head into October, we want to focus our efforts on kids who are struggling academically. The school counselors play a key role in this process, having identified – in partnership with their colleagues at the middle schools – a “watch list” of kids who may require additional support. The ninth grade team of four teachers, has identified and contacted homes where they are already noting some signs of struggle and frustration with the group so students they share. The increased communication and early intervention – and encouragement – are important factors when examining the trajectory of a student’s high school career. These are small steps but designed to be expandable so that we can more effectively and efficiently monitor kids’ progress, intervening when necessary and of course celebrating accomplishments which at times may go unnoticed. Hopefully, when these freshmen eventually become graduates, they will be able to think back upon their time at SKHS and recognize the contributions they made as well as the adults who provided the conditions for their individual and school wide successes.

Science NECAP scores

The state released the results of the science NECAP scores that were administered to last year’s juniors. The results for grades 4, 8, & 11 can be found at: http://www.ride.ri.gov/assessment/DOCS/NECAP/Science/RI_NECAP_Science_Results_for_Students_in_Grades_4_8_11_May_2008_vs_May_2009_Testing.pdf

Rhode Island lags behind New Hampshire and Vermont regarding student performance on the NECAP. Students in those two states are administered the same assessments as Rhode Island students in the fall (math, reading & writing) and the spring (science). The good news for SKHS is that we continue to make progress in moving kids from being nearly proficient to proficient. We saw an 8.2% increase for a total of 43.9% students achieving proficiency. That number represents the fourth highest proficiency rate in the state (Barrington is first with 55.7% of their students attaining proficiency). We expect the number of proficient students to continue to rise. I am concerned that the number of students who “achieved” a 1 on the test remained stable. While we are moving more kids from nearly proficient (2) to proficient (3), we are still struggling with moving approximately 15% of our students from the lowest score. We have observed a similar patter in our math NECAP scores. Through the collaborative structures we have developed for teachers and professional development facilitated by Assistant Superintendent, Mary Kelley and Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Judy Saccardo, our expectation is that our increases in the future will ripple throughout our entire student population. That being said, we are headed in the right direction; in large part due to the work of our outstanding science department and the focus and effort of our wonderful students!

New math homework policy

Each SKHS parent will be receiving a letter from the math department in the next week or so. The letter will be explaining a change in homework policy which the math department will enact beginning in late September. One of the struggles in sequential content areas like math is that the further a student falls behind, the harder it is for him or her to catch up. We know there is a direct correlation between completing homework and academic success. Homework is an effective way for students to re-acquaint themselves with material or raise questions that can be addressed in the next class. In most every math class I have observed, a portion of the lesson has focused on reviewing specific problems from the homework that gave students trouble. As we have examined how other schools have addressed supporting students, one of the recurring themes we have seen is increased expectations around students getting their work done. For instance in some schools, there are no Ds; if at the end of a marking period you have not earned a 70 or above, you have two weeks to raise your grade to that level to a "proficient" level or you receive an F.

The math department’s new homework policy provides clear expectations and the support to make it happen. While all homework assignments are due on the date that a teacher requires, students will be allowed to show the teacher an assignment the following day (including any additional assignments that may be expected). But, if any student does not complete homework by day two, the student will stay after school with a math teacher on that day to complete all work not done. We expect when we compare homework completion rates we will see a rise in students both completing assignments and learning the material which will be demonstrated through their grades.

I see this as another way we can increase our expectations for all students while also providing each student an opportunity to get the support they may need.

Speaking the language

One challenge for a principal is communicating similar messages to different audiences. Each stakeholder has a specific perspective that needs to be taken into account. For instance, when I was asked a question about the portfolio at freshman orientation last week, I described the basic process for the parents. After my explanation, Anne Hathaway, one of our teachers, told the parents to make sure that their children saved everything. While my background information may have been helpful, Anne’s message was more immediate and direct providing an important action step for that audience.

When we meet as a group of faculty on the first day, I try to provide connections and context to the work we will continue to work on as a professional learning community as well as show how we can get there. So when I say to students that we want all of them to succeed, I frame that in more specific terms to our faculty. One of the graphics I showed to the staff examined how we can continue to improve the effectiveness of our instruction to improve student achievement. The graphic I shared with them laid out how the work we do as professionals connects to the work we've done and how we need to move forward. Most departments have achieved consensus on what kids need to know and be able to do. Some of that is dictated by our state grade-span expectations and/or national content-area standards. Most departments have also created common summative assessments, reaching consensus on how we assess if kids are learning what we want them to learn over the course of a unit or entire year. In education this is called assessment of learning. The next step for us as a school is to use that assessment data to determine where kids are excelling and where they need more help. Once we determine that, we can more effectively address the areas where we need to re-emphasize or differentiate our instruction. I believe when we start using assessments not as an end point to a unit but an entry point to understanding what students know, we will be able to systemically support all students. That is to say, assessment for learning is as valuable as assessment of learning.

So while the message to parents and students is to commit to supporting all students, my communication to teachers, much like Anne's suggestion to parents about the portfolio, needs to be prescriptive regarding how we can achieve that goal. Let me know if you'd like a copy of the graphic.

First year at SKHS

Last night, we invited our freshmen and new students to an orientation to give them a jump start on some of the basics of life in a new school like finding their classrooms and opening their lockers (As I was leaving the building last night, a sole freshman mentor was working with a freshman who was practicing opening her locker, perhaps the most immediately stressful issue a new student has to encounter.). Teachers and some sophomores spent time with me in the auditorium with parents answering questions and providing what we hope were helpful tidbits about life at SKHS. These orientations are important but I think in reality are only worthwhile if they are one piece of our efforts to integrate new students, whether from middle school or another high school, to SKHS.

We have taken some steps to specifically address the freshman year as one which can build a foundation of support and success for a student’s remaining career here. Earlier yesterday afternoon, about 50 juniors and seniors participated in an initial training to serve as freshman mentors. They greeted the freshmen last night and showed them around the school. We are hoping to partner with the URI student leadership arm to provide more training for these students. This summer was our first foray into providing a summer school experience which was not solely focused on credit recovery but more directed towards getting a head start on the school year. Approximately 40 freshmen received support in classes that they’ll be enrolled in this fall as part of our Summer Success Program. My vision for such a program is to offer an array of classes to freshman and upperclassmen who are interested in getting a head start on classes they know will be particularly challenging for them. I’m pursuing funding for this as we speak.

This coming year, about 60 ninth grade students will be taking classes with the same four content area teachers; those teachers will also have common planning time to discuss common students and create links between their curricula for students. Contrary to what was written in the Independent yesterday, this is not a program for kids who require additional support. It is a program where students were randomly selected based on student course selection. Teaming, a common practice in middle schools, it designed to support all kids and we think it is especially important as students enter high school. We will also be continuing our efforts, starting later in the fall, of identifying freshmen who are struggling and offering them academic support in those specific classes on Wednesday mornings from 7:37 – 8:20.

The guidance department deserves a lot of credit for their work in all facets of our freshmen transition. They have been catalysts in creating the Wednesday morning academic support program and the freshman mentoring program while supporting all of our other endeavors to support freshmen and new students. They also have created a new student transition program which takes place throughout the year. Later in the year, we will survey students and parents who have participated in these programs, along with reviewing academic, attendance and disciplinary data to examine if these programs have had a positive impact on entering new students. Our hope is that the results will be seen not just with a specific sub-group but with all of the students who enter SKHS during their first year.

A time to reflect and grow

As we do each summer, we try to utilize this time to engage in some professional development for either ongoing initiatives or programs that we are embedding to further fulfill our vision of how we can best support all students at SKHS. This coming year, we will have one team of ninth grade teachers from the four core content areas who will be sharing their students and common planning time. That group of teachers met with a consultant in July to map out a structure for their planning time as well as to begin to identify common expectations for all of the students. I’m very excited at the prospect of being able to replicate the middle school model of teaming to provide a third of our freshmen with additional support in the form of a common team of teachers. In the next few weeks, a group of teachers will be meeting to continue to assess the portfolio system, reviewing student data from last year and making recommendations to improve the structure and communication of the portfolio. Our Teacher Learning Center (TLC) facilitators will also be meeting to further define the structure and process teachers will utilize to grow as teachers so they can better support students in their classroom (more on TLC and how it works later).

Students are also in the building. We are in the middle of our Summer Success Program, an opportunity we provided for all incoming ninth graders to get a head start on their high school experience. 38 students are receiving support in reading or writing, math, study skills as well as an orientation of the building. These same students will be leading the student tours at our Freshman & New Student Orientation later this month. Unlike many summer school programs that solely focus on remediation, we are hoping to establish a summer school program which will empower and support students who want to take more challenging classes, for instance, a student who wants to get a head start on an AP class they will be taking in the fall. Finally, we also will be providing training for a group of upperclassmen who will be serving as freshman mentors so they can also help in transitioning this year’s freshmen class to SKHS. So while there is plenty of time to play, we’ll continue to offer opportunities for students and teachers to grow during their summer vacation as well.

What happens in Common Planning Time (CPT)

Two years ago, South Kingstown High School began the practice of establishing common planning time (CPT) on Wednesday mornings. The day starts about 50 minutes later and while kids are utilizing the time to sleep, linger over breakfast, meet at the school to work on assignments or simply socialize, teachers are meeting departmentally to answer the following questions:

-What do students need to know and be able to do?
-How will we know if they know it?
-What will we do if the student does not get it?
-What will we do if the student already knows it?

Department chairs facilitate the conversations that for the past few years, have focused on establishing common curricular goals and creating common assessments matched to those curricular goals and the state’s grade span expectations (GSEs). By creating common assessments and then reviewing student performance, teachers can more effectively determine what students are and are not understanding. The practice also provides opportunities for teachers to share instructional strategies since those common assessments will provide a class performance snapshot. For instance, the math department created a common midterm and then graded tests blindly, that is, they did not know whose student they were assessing. They discovered that for certain teachers, some students excelled in some areas compared to other sections taught by other teachers. That type of data provides opportunities for teachers to share instructional strategies that have been particularly effective. While it can be intimidating for teachers to have their students’ performance made public, it does provide a growth opportunity and strengthen the goal that no matter the teacher, students are going to cover the same material eliminating the potential issue of some students having gaps as they move forward in a specific content area..

As it is the end of the year, I asked the department chairs to reflect on their department’s progress over the past year in relation to working together to improve curriculum, instruction and assessment. Neile DiNitto, our science department chair answered the questions, “what is your vision for the science department and what has been done to support it? What do you plan to accomplish next year,” by saying the following:

We, the science department, have been working on “Establishing a Culture of Improvement” over the past few years. The science department faculty has been working diligently to meet the vision set forth by the state; to improve student learning through improved curriculum alignment. We are working to tightly align our curriculum to the state Science Grade Span Expectations (GSE’s) and South Kingstown High School’s 8 Student Learning Expectations (SLE’s). During the 2007-2008 school year departmental Common Planning Time focused on modifying comprehensive course exams (midterms/finals) by linking them more closely to the Science GSE’s for each course. We also spent time creating additional validated tasks or modifying past tasks linked to Science GSE’s for the portfolio system. Time during Teacher Learning Center and Faculty meetings was used for the task validation process as well. The science department also determined that ALL juniors must take a chemical science course to meet the requirements for the NECAP exam in their junior year. Therefore, we created a new set of courses, Chemical Science (1 semester) and Physical Science (1 semester), to meet this need.

During the 2008-2009 school year we reexamined our alignment to the Science GSE’s by looking at the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) and priority standards put out by the state in the fall of 2008. This work was done for the core NECAP courses during our Departmental Common Planning Time. Six teachers in the department spent 2 extra days of professional development time to realign the Earth Systems course with this new information. This work was done to provide a comprehensive curriculum that is tightly aligned to the Science GSE’s while providing a smooth flow of the content throughout the year. In April of 2009 I went to a conference on Common Formative Assessments put on by Ainsworth. The book “Common Formative Assessments” by Ainsworth has guided much of our work this year with “unwrapping” the standards and curriculum alignment. The science department also worked on creating a common “flow” of the curriculum (a pacing guide) for all teachers within each core content area, including designing common assessments (labs) and revising/modifying our Comprehensive Course Assessments (CCAs). This ensures that all students have access to the same instructional & learning opportunities.

Next year the science department will be participating in the Math and Science Initiative Open Sessions, put on by the state of RI and the Dana Center, to further strengthen our curriculum alignment. We will also be working on creating common formative assessments for each GSE of the core NECAP science courses (ESS, Biology, and Chemistry) using the Ainsworth method. Our long-term vision is to maximize student learning by continuing to improve common tasks, formative assessments, CCA’s and research-based teaching strategies. There is understanding in the department that this will be an on-going collaborative process.

Much of what Neile and the science department accomplished took place during CPT. It provides context – and I think validity - to one of my basic assumptions about schools which is that the more time we provide teachers to collaborate, the better the instruction and the greater the increase in student achievement.

Retirements

The end of the school year brings with it a mixture of relief, satisfaction and sadness. The end of this year is particularly bittersweet since nine of our finest faculty are retiring. At our last faculty meeting, we went around the room and called out different adjectives and phrases that best described each retiree. While many of the words were specific to individuals (luminous, gregarious, fiery), there were some words that were repeated for all of the retirees such as student-centered, professional, compassionate and leader. I know that for most of them, if they had their choice, they’d be returning to SKHS next year but the economic situation has forced them to re-examine their future. As they embark upon their second careers, we wish the best of luck to Jim Buxton, Karen Windley, Joe Wojciechowski, Jan Lamagna, Mary McSally, Lori Jeremiah, Beth Casagrande, Randy Dimock and Charlie Faella. Their institutional wisdom will not be replaced and more importantly, their impact on kids and families will not be forgotten.

Stone Soup

Many of you may be familiar with the story, Stone Soup, where a stranger comes to a village and succeeds, with a little help from everyone, to make a delicious soup which he starts with a stone. It is an apt analogy for our Extreme Makeover Day which was a positive event on a variety of levels. Throughout the day, items such as plants, mulch and machinery from families, crushed stone and paint from local businesses, even a chipper from the highway department appeared to support the efforts of over 1,000 students and adults who worked to refurbish South Kingstown High School.
Gary Brierty of Narragansett Rubbish Removal, who donated dumpsters that would have cost over $900, told us that he hauled away nine tons of trash! Sheds were emptied, re-organized and painted, beds were weeded and mulched, rooms were painted and much of the school was scrubbed.
I told the students Wednesday morning that while there is a referendum which is the talk of the town scheduled for June 9th, in many ways the Extreme Makeover day was a referendum on their growth, maturity and school pride as students at SKHS. And they responded. We had over a 90% attendance rate (it usually runs around 95%) and only 17 tardies – much lower than most days. All but 19 out of 300 seniors arrived on time. It was truly an impressive effort.
In de-briefing with the students afterwards, we know there are some organizational issues we need to address; there is some talk of expanding the day beyond the high school and its surrounding environs to local families and/or businesses who could use some help. Based on the overall comments from teachers, students and parents, this will not be a one-time event but something we can build on for the future.
One local official told me an individual had questioned whether the event was appropriate because it was difficult to directly link it to student achievement. If our main goal is truly to prepare students to function in a participatory democracy, then perhaps we need to think of such events as ones that reinforce the concept that working together, we can accomplish great things: as a school, a community, a nation. Extreme Makeover may not improve our math scores but it does remind us that ultimately, schools are inhabited by people who are more than student achievement numbers.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have comments or suggestions.

Extreme Makeover

Last night, I attended the South Kingstown Partnership for Prevention’s (SKPP) Outstanding Youth Award event, which celebrated the community service efforts of South Kingstown students. As I was leaving, I congratulated Eileen Stone, one of the directors of SKPP, on the success of the event and she said to me, “I want to see more events like this. There is plenty to celebrate!” I would agree.

This coming Thursday, an event similar in spirit will take place at SKHS. The brainchild of a few inspired faculty members, the entire school will be utilizing Thursday, May 28th (weather permitting) for an entirely different learning experience, spending the majority of the day cleaning the school and the surrounding neighborhood. Students and staff, organized by advisory, will have specific areas to attack. For instance, my advisory is in charge of the center stairwell, the front parking lot, and re-painting the courtyard benches (partnering with a few other advisories). For a detailed version of the scope of the endeavor, you can click on http://www.honorsir.net/HIR/THE_CLEAN_TEAM/THE_CLEAN_TEAM.html

There are inherent risks to such a noble idea: some students may see this as a “free day” where they don’t have to come to school. Others may come for a few hours and then leave. Some may not take the work seriously. But I think the rewards are worth the risk. Over the past four years, I think we’ve seen a change in students’ attitudes about their learning and about SKHS as an institution. There is quantitative (the reduced number of physical altercations) and qualitative (students picking up after themselves in the cafeteria) data to support this. I often hear from faculty members about a time when SKHS was considered the top high school in the state and there was tremendous pride within the student body. I think Thursday will serve as a litmus test regarding the pride that students take in our school and their level of maturity.

I have told the faculty to take this day as seriously as they would any other day; we will be communicating that message to students as well. I hope that parents, who will hear more about the day via phone calls and the listserv, will do the same. This event has the potential to be an incredibly positive event that drives home the message that community is not something we just talk about but something we actively value. What better lesson is there we can teach?

High Expectations and support

One of the tensions we often struggle with in public schools is how high expectations can be interwoven with systems for student support. The state has embarked on the somewhat hypocritical path of ratcheting up expectations for all students (a good thing) but eliminating study halls which for most schools, is a time when students could receive extra support or even dare we allow it, a breather.

This question of rigor and recognizing that kids like adults need additional support and timely breaks is a constant tension that manifests itself in schools. Our recent decision to set as policy that only long-term projects can be assigned during extended vacation is one way we have attempted to set some parameters around school life and family life.

Teachers are constantly caught in this bind between for lack of a better term, rigor and reality. For instance, some teachers have to struggle with a policy that forbids them to assign extra reading over a break with the demands of an AP curriculum which expects that a tremendous amount of material needs to be covered. Teachers want to provide more time for students to understand material but know that they must cover certain concepts in a timely manner if students are to get adequate exposure before taking state tests in their junior year.

There are no easy answers to this conundrum; much of what this space will be dedicated to is detailing how we are trying to provide those systems of support (for teachers and students) so that rigor across the curriculum can be achieved in a manner that does not lead to teacher or student burnout . Can we support kids and provide teachers the opportunity to explore certain concepts in depth, and at a clip which is fast-paced but not overwhelming? What trade-offs are we willing to make? More student support time means less time for direct instruction. There are no clear-cut, easy solutions.

Hidden victories

Over the April break, I noticed that the boy’s tennis team had a match vs. Barrington scheduled to begin at 11:00. Since I do not do a good enough job of leaving the office and enjoying our kids participating in co-curricular activities, I saw this as an opportunity to see our juggernaut tennis team in action (they won convincingly). When I was there, I fell into conversation with a few seniors - who were there to support their friends - and we started talking about the boys’ volleyball game vs. North Kingstown the previous night. It was described by all of them as an amazing back and forth match, where our boys fed off of the emotion of the crowd during the fifth and deciding game to defeat NK. Those moments, like the girls’ basketball team’s comeback victory over LaSalle this winter, are the memories that for many will serve as indelible high school memories.

High schools are filled with those moments of personal and group triumph that can be as special for those who witnessed the event as for those who participated directly. There are a variety of ways that SKHS students and staff create those opportunities of accomplishment: it might be through painting a door to a classroom, or revising a paper so that it becomes an “A” paper or figuring out a difficult formula. While we try to celebrate those accomplishments, we often overlook or forget to celebrate them. How many community members know about our state championship gymnastics squad or the performance of our band at local festivals or the students who picked up the back parking lot a few weekends ago?

It’s important to remember that while the “news” we often read about connects to issues around budget, conflict and accusation, there is plenty to celebrate regarding the personal and group triumphs of young men and women in and out of the classroom.

Have a great weekend!

Welcome to the SKHS Principal's blog

When I was reviewing our revamped website with our Multi-media/AV tech guru, Diane Kroll, she pointed out that there was a place on the website for postings from the principal. It reminded me that I have been toying with the idea of blogging about SKHS for quite some time. While my admitted bias towards blogs has been circumspect given the plethora of Seinfeldian (blogs about nothing) blogs out there, I have grown more appreciative of their use in schools as I have observed the benefits of blogging from teachers like Kimball, J. Johnson, Buxton and Matteson. I do see it as a vehicle for providing some context to how we make decisions at SKHS, as well as describing some of the wonderful stories that occur here on a daily basis which rarely get shared to a wider audience than those who are directly impacted. While I still have some concerns, I do view my conversation with Diane as a signal that I need to discipline myself to post something once a week and take it from there. I hope you find the subject matters of interest and my writing at least tolerable. In generating topics this morning, I quickly brainstormed a list varying from the boys’ volleyball team’s thrilling victory over NK a few weeks ago to ninth grade transition programs to explaining what happens on Wednesday mornings during Common Planning Time. The topics are endless; I hope I pick some that resonate with you.