# Presentation: 855012

## Transforming High Schools

- Linda Clarke
- Executive Director
- Houston A+ Challenge

- October 8, 2003

**Archived Information**

## Project Partners

- Houston Schools for a New Society
- Carnegie Corporation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Houston A+ Challenge
- Houston ISD
- Regional Initiative
- Five Houston metro area school districts
- Aldine ISD
- Alief ISD
- Houston ISD
- Humble ISD
- Spring Branch ISD
- Houston A+ Challenge

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Key Elements

- Reconstruct large, comprehensive, traditional high schools into small, personalized learning communities
- Develop and implement new small high schools

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools

- Regroup into small, semi-autonomous, theme-based academies with no more than 300 students each
- Examples
- Fine Arts, Business and Technology, Health Science Technology, Industrial and Engineering Technology, Magnet Technology

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Add adult advocate for each student for academic and social support from 9th grade through graduation
- Examples
- Meet 35 minutes per week one-on-one with students
- Multi-grade advisory groups that allow teachers to keep the same group of students for four years regardless of retention or change in grade status

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Teacher professional development that improves the quality of instruction
- Teachers identify need
- Small group delivery model
- 90-minute weekly meeting outside of instructional time
- Examples
- CO-Nect
- Kagan Cooperative Learning
- All teachers gifted/talented certified

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Develop teachers as leaders
- Teacher-led action teams
- American Leadership Forum

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Literacy instruction is embedded in all core subjects
- Literacy coach
- Work with content teachers in the classroom
- Each core-subject department outlines strategies to identify and address areas of weakness

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Curriculum is aligned, rigorous and based on standards essential for successful entry into college or the workplace
- Curriculum provides authentic, real-world experiences
- Example
- Service Learning

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Internships for students
- Externships for teachers
- Faculty shadow professionals in businesses related to their academy

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Each school develops a school-wide, systemic set of interventions for one-on-one student remediation
- Students' strengths and weaknesses are pinpointed with data
- Teachers focus on problem areas
- Academy structure allows teachers to quickly address issues: struggling academics, excessive tardies & absences, behavior
- Utilize community programs
- Communities in Schools

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- All teachers belong to professional learning communities that regularly meet to examine student work, then analyze how to alter curriculum and instruction to improve student achievement
- Example
- Critical Friends Group protocols

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Large Schools (cont.)

- Community involvement
- Parent academies
- Town hall forums
- Community advisory councils
- Free media
- Business oversight committee
- Community based organizations

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Status

- As of fall 2003, 18 of 24 comprehensive HISD high schools have begun restructuring
- 11 regional high schools begun restructuring
- 6 more HISD schools expected to begin in fall 2004

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Model

- Reagan HS
- Process model for large school transformation in Houston
- Met Adequate Yearly Progress for NCLB
- Achieved significant student progress
- Began work in 1999

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## New Small Schools 

- Open three early college high schools by 2005
- Five-year program
- Housed on community college campus
- Students graduate with a high school degree and two-year college degree

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## New Small Schools (cont.)

- Schools limited to 400 students
- Service Learning
- Authentic assessment
- Adult advocate

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## New Small Schools (cont.)

- Use time differently
- Students complete curriculum at own pace
- Start classes one hour later on Mondays
- Teachers use hour for peer-group meeting to assess students’ progress

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## New Small Schools (cont.)

- Personalized academic plan for each student
- Tutoring/mentoring
- One day week students chose content-teacher to visit for one-on-one instruction in the morning

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## New Small Schools (cont.)

- Students take ownership
- Design extracurricular clubs
- Outdoor chess
- Gamesters
- Rap band
- Voice in other decision making

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## New Small Schools (cont.)

- Teachers certified in content area
- Teachers have masters degree
- Will become adjunct professors at community college

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Status

- First early college opened fall 2003 by Houston Community College, Houston ISD and Houston A+ Challenge

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Design

- Comprehensive, three-pronged approach
- Restructure schools
- Align district to new work
- Engage community

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Leadership

- New Visions in Leadership Academy
- All principals (new schools and large schools) participate
- District superintendents (five districts)

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## Accountability

- Peer Review by community
- State of Texas standards
- No Child Left Behind

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003

## 1415 Louisiana, Box 9

- Houston, Texas 77002
- www.houstonaplus.org

- Houston A+ Challenge

- April 26, 2003