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EL CERRITO HIGH SCHOOL
EL CERRITO, CALIFORNIA
FOCUS ON LEARNING
A REPORT BY THE VISITING COMMITTEE
PREPARED FOR THE WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR SCHOOLS
March 5 – 7, 2007
West Contra Costa Unified School District
El Cerrito High School
540 Ashbury Avenue El Cerrito, CA 94530
Members of the Visiting Committee
Dr. Jill Baker Science Teacher, San Rafael, CA Mr. Patrick Flattley, Director Alternative Education/Career Education, Visalia, CA Dr. Barbara G. Nemko, Napa County Supt. Of Schools, Napa County Office of Education, Napa, Mr. Chad Sweitzer, Co-Principal, John F. Kennedy High School, Sacramento, CA Mr. Chris Vanden Heuvel, Asst. Principal, Windsor High School, Windsor, CA Dr. Samuel Butscher, Principal, Oceana High School, Pacifica, CA, Chairperson of the Visiting Committee
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CHAPTER I STUDENT/COMMUNITY PROFILE AND SUPPORTING DATA
PROFILE FROM SCHOOL DOCUMENT Background El Cerrito High School is one of six comprehensive schools serving grades 9 through 12, in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD). The original campus was established in 1938 and demolition began in spring 2005. Due to complete demolition of the campus and construction of the new campus, El Cerrito High School was relocated to the south portion of the existing site, and completely housed in portable classrooms. Passing a construction bond in 2004 has resulted in the state-of-the-art currently under construction. The area served by the school is primarily residential with small businesses and shopping centers. Students are comprised of families from a wide cross-section of the socioeconomic status. El Cerrito High School serves students from El Cerrito as well as from Richmond, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington and Pinole. WCCUSD allocates $7,756 per student based on the Average Daily Attendance (ADA). The demolition and reconstruction efforts have generated an increase in participation resulting in an active School Site Council, PTSA, support from local civic leaders, and parents. The following partnerships reflect that renewed sense of community: Contra Costa Community College maintains a presence on the campus by partnering with the school to provide college courses and serve on the school Leadership Team. Social resources and family counseling, via the El Cerrito Community Project, and the provision of police services through the El Cerrito Police Department are integral toward the formation of a positive school culture and climate. The “Ivy League Connection,” which sends economically disadvantaged El Cerrito High School students to summer experiences at Brown University, Dartmouth University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University. Student Indicators 1. Enrollment:
A new El Cerrito High School campus is currently under construction and the scheduled to open in January 2009. Due to site limitations, the school district minimized student enrollment, the current student body is 1237. The student body is made up of the following, 321 9th graders, 293 10th graders, 325 11th graders, and 298 12th graders.
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The District worked with staff and school administration to limit the number of incoming 9th grade students. The reduction of intra and inter district transfers resulted in reducing the enrollment for the site. The decrease in enrollment has enabled students and staff to adjust to the physical limitations of the campus far more proactively. El Cerrito High School is a closed campus, and all students and staff are required to wear appropriate identification on campus. Visitors must check in and present appropriate identification. They are issued temporary identification badges to wear while on campus. Upon a thorough examination of enrollment trends, it should also be noted that 91 students attend the high school on a Declaration of Residence and 95 students have enrolled under a Caregiver Affidavit. 2. Enrollment – Demographic Trends
El Cerrito High School has a diverse student body population and in recent years the school has experienced some changes in the ethnic distribution of its student body. 1. The African American population has increased steadily from 1999 to 2005 with a slight reduction this school year. This year African American students comprise 39% of the school population; a reduction of 4% based on past enrollment figures. 2. The white population has decreased from 26% in 2001-2002. This year the white population composes 20% of the student population. 3. The Asian population is 22% compared to 17% the previous year. 4. The Hispanic/Latino student population has increased progressively since 2001. 3. English Language Learners
The English Learners (ELs) are served by a variety of programs. The latest data indicates that approximately 11% of the student body are classified English Learners (ELs). These students are enrolled in ELD and SDAIE classes in the core curriculum. English Learners are placed in English courses classes based on their CELDT level. 4. Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
El Cerrito High School has 198 students in the Gifted and Talented Education program this year. The GATE population comprises approximately 15% of the student body. When possible, identified GATE students are clustered in core academic subjects in grades 9 and 10.
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5.
Special Education
The Special Education department has 10 full time teachers and 15 instructional aides who serve 145 students. There are also 2 interpreters for the hearing impaired. This year, SAIT required that intervention courses for reading and mathematics be implemented school wide for students who scored below basic, including the students identified under Special Education provisions. The SRA Corrective Reading program is in place for all students reading below grade level 4 and Read 180 for students reading between grade level 4 and 6. Both reading programs form integral parts of the school’s attempt to address the learning needs of the Special Education population. The RSP students may be mainstreamed into curriculum areas as per the child’s IEP. 6. Advanced Academic Program
Currently, there are 25 Advanced Placement sections and 18 Honor sections in varied subjects across the curriculum. At the onset of the 2004-2005 school year, all advanced placement and honors classes were open to students desiring a rigorous and enriching curriculum. In the 2005-2006 school year, thirteen advanced placement courses were added to augment the existing instructional program. Currently, there are 750 students enrolled in advanced placement course sections and 540 students enrolled in Honors courses. 7. Attendance
Between 2003 and 2006, attendance fluctuated from 92.5 to 95%. During the first 5 months of attendance reporting this school year 2006-2007, the school is on target to achieve its’ ADA growth goal of 94.5%. The growth rate is reportedly up a full percentage point from the previous school year, 2005-2006. The staff is also required to complete a weekly attendance monitoring sheet. These weekly monitoring sheets are used to assess truancy issues and ensure that individual students and parents have been contacted accordingly. 8. Suspension/Expulsion Data
El Cerrito High School has a formal progressive discipline program based upon school board policy and the California Education Code. The data shows 9th graders experience a larger number of behavioral issues as compared with other grade levels. The Suspension Alternative Center was brought back to the site as a result of the data. The school expects the number of suspensions to decrease substantially with this reestablishment. It is reported that the number of suspensions for physical altercations decreased by 60% during the 2005-2006 school year and that the trend is expected to continue this year. At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the staff defined a code of conduct that is being implemented in all classrooms and campus wide.
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Performance Indicators School-wide Data on Student Academic Performance and Analysis El Cerrito High School was designated an IIUSP school when it did not meet its target growth in any area on the spring 2004 administration of the STAR test. The school is currently in its third year of the State Assistance and Intervention Team (SAIT) program. In 2004-2005, the Contra Costa County Office of Education acted thee SAIT providers and completed the Academic Program Survey and the Action Plan to reach full implementation. In the summer of 2005, the CCCOE withdrew as the SAIT providers. The Educational Systems Support (TESS) become the SAIT provider and the transition proceeded smoothly. The 2005-06 STAR results show a significant improvement on its CST performance and a 48-point gain on its Academic Performance Index (API). However, El Cerrito High did not meet its growth targets and remain in the SAIT program. The CST and CAHSEE data shows there is an achievement gap with African American, Hispanic scoring below their whit classmates. The STAR test results from spring 2006 show a 30-point growth in overall scores for the Hispanic sub-group, they are behind in grade point average, and the number of upper-level and Advanced Placement courses taken. The White sub-group exceeded the growth target by one point and makes up a majority of the GATE program. Many are enrolled in Honors and AP classes. The Asian sub-group missed the growth target by 4 points. The African American sub-group missed their target by 18 points, and the socio-economically disadvantaged students missed their growth target by 39 points. Based on the school’s analysis of the data, the faculty and staff have identified the most prominent academic need to be the achievement gap between African American and Hispanic/Latino students. In order to address the achievement gap, the faculty and staff have identified 3 critical academic commitments to be pursued: 1. Identify critical reading, writing and thinking skills to be taught across the content areas. 2. Implement targeted professional development to improve the delivery of instruction in order to raise all student achievement. 3. Actively engage all students in learning. The faculty has emphasized two Expected School Wide Learning Results (ESLR’s) to the students this year: 1. Be Independent Learners 2. Communicate effectively in reading, writing, speaking and listening
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The faculty also identified “school wide critical skills” necessary to address the achievement gap and came to agreement on 5 instructional strategies that would be implemented across the curriculum: 1. Systematic Vocabulary Development 2. Writing clear, coherent, and focused essays with a clear audience and purpose in mind 3. Oral presentation skills with a clear audience and purpose in mind 4. Summarizing, organizing, analyzing and connecting facts, ideas and concepts 5. Metacognition skills The core academic departments are in the process of identifying strategies to teach these skills and are beginning to implement those strategies. The Mathematics and English Departments have been meeting weekly, analyzing student work, developing strategies and analyzing data to formulate and revise instruction. Social Science and Science Departments will follow these models as the year progresses. The March 2006 administration of the CAHSEE revealed that the achievement gap narrowed some. Out of the 10th graders that took the CAHSEE Math test for the first time, 90% of White students and, 91% of Asian students passed but only 68% of Hispanic/Latino students, and only 59% of African American students passed. The socio-economically disadvantaged group had a 60% passing rate. The ELA CAHSEE scores showed some improvement especially for Hispanic/ Latinos. They had an 83% passing rate. The CAHSEE scores reflect the rise in their STAR scores where they experienced a 30-point growth. 96% of White 10th graders passed, 91% of Asians passed but only 70% of African American students passed and 73% of the SES students passed. The percentage of passing scores in both English and Math improved substantially in each sub-group in comparison with the March 2005 Math and ELA CAHSEE results. The improved results validate the importance of the Math and English support classes. The peer observations and teacher collaboration revealed that there are still some classrooms in which the students are not engaged and the block is not used effectively. The principal and the Instructional Leadership Team have emphasized the need to “Engage All Students in Learning” and on “Planned Instruction”. The school wide student survey revealed that many students were still unclear as to what the ESLRs were. The 9th grade had the lowest percentage of “yes” answers per question and it could be due to the fact that it is unclear to them what is expected at El Cerrito High as incoming freshman. The Freshman Foundation class that was removed four years ago taught students skills for
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success and gave 9th graders a direction and purpose. There is no course in place for freshman that does that this year. Faculty members are working with the district to reinstate it. Advanced Placement exams are also good indicators of student achievement. The data indicate that between 2004-2005 and 2006-2007, El Cerrito increased the number of AP offerings by adding AP World History and AP US Government. However, the passing rate is decreasing. In the spring of 2006, 246 students took 356 various AP exams. Out of the 356 exams taken, 177 passed the AP exams with a score of 3 or better, which is a 49% passing rate. The previous year, 2004-2005, 117 test takers took 174 AP exams. Of these 174 exams, 112 were passed with a score of 3 or better – a 66% passing rate. This passing rate was higher than that of the succeeding year, even though there were fewer test takers. In the 2003-2004 school year, 148 test takers took 294 exams and passed 185 of them with a score of 3 or better a 60% passing rate. The data show that offering a larger number of AP courses does not necessarily mean that students will get the knowledge or skills they need to succeed on the AP exams. In some courses, the passing rate is better than others. The European History course consistently has a very high passing rate of 90%. Table 1 SAT Scores El Cerrito High Average score African American Asian Hispanic White 2004-2005 Verbal and Math 511 526 416 410 496 490 583 584 473 553 2003-2004 Verbal and Math 498 518 416 441 521 448 541 574 494 558
According to the school out of the 333 seniors enrolled, 236 took the SAT test about 70% of the seniors. In 2004-2005, of the 304 seniors enrolled, 159 took the SAT. 52% of the students in the senior class took the test. The average verbal and math scores were higher in the 2005 graduating class. The 20052006 school year was also the first year that the College Board added the writing component to the SAT. The average verbal score was 495 and the average math score was 500. The writing score was 488 for a total average of 483, slightly down from the previous year’s scores. Graduation Statistics The self-study indicated that 51% of the graduating class of 2006 met the UC/CSU requirements, up from 33% the year before - a substantial gain. According to the California High School Performance Report, the 4-year completion rate for ECHS at the end of the 2004-2005 school year was 94% and
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95% for the 2005-2006 school year. In the graduating class of 2004, 287 students out of a class of 304 graduated successfully. 17 either dropped out or did not meet the graduation requirements. Out of the 287 who graduated, 94 or 32.8% met the UC/CSU requirements. 59% of Asians met the requirements and 53% of Caucasians while only 19% of Latinos and 11.5% of African Americans met the UC/CSU requirements as posted on the CDE website. Looking back to 1996-1998, the number of graduates that met these requirements totaled 230 (75%) in 1997 and 227 (75%) in 1998. Since those years the number of students meeting the UC/CSU requirements has been under 40% with the exception of the graduating class of 2002 and the most recent graduating class of 2006. This corresponds with the district’s mandate to eliminate the Freshman Foundation class that had a school to career component. The elimination of this course is not the full reason these requirements are not being met, but the faculty sees it as a big enough problem that some faculty members are talking with the district now to reinstate it with a sense of urgency. The Cultural Geography course has proved inefficient in preparing incoming freshman for their educational and career futures.
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Table 2
Student Performance Data -API
900
800
700
600
500
API
400
School African American Asian Hispanic White SES Disadv
300
200
100
0 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 School Year 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006
The 2006 STAR test results upon which the API scores were based are shown in this graph, disaggregated by ethnicity. The school API is represented from 20002006 and the achievement gap is apparent in the graph. The African American API has increased in the last two years but went down slightly in 2006. In 2005, the API for the African American subgroup was the highest it has been since 1996. The Hispanic/Latino population dipped down in 2003, but has consistently gone up in performance since then, surpassing the API score of 2001. It should be noted that there is now a 19% Hispanic/Latino population at the school compared to only 11% in 2001. As the Latino population at the school increases, so do their test scores. It appears as though the El Cerrito faculty is indeed serving this subgroup. The faculty needs to analyze what it is doing successfully with Latino
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students and use some of the strategies with the African American subgroup, the largest subgroup on campus.
Table 3
STAR Test Results - Proficiency Levels 2003-2004 2004-2005 ELA 9th 10th 11th 12th 9th 10th 11th 12th 9th Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic Far Below Basic 18% 19% 27% 22% 13% 11% 24% 35% 17% 15% 15% 24% 35% 15% 11% 19% 23% 22% 19% 17% 17% 23% 29% 22% 9% 16% 23% 27% 20% 15% 29% 23% 28% 10% 10% 21% 22% 26% 19% 12% 22% 18% 29% 21% 10% 2005-2006 10th 11th 12th 22% 20% 22% 19% 17% 23% 20% 27% 16% 14% 24% 15% 18% 18% 25%
Table 4 Star Results-Proficiency levels: Mathematics 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 9th 10th 11th 9th 10th 11th 9th 10th 11th Advanced 16 10 5 12 5 6 10 3 4 Proficient 18 21 14 20 18 16 12 20 13 Basic 29 19 22 26 21 23 24 30 22 Below basic 31 34 36 25 36 40 33 27 34 Far below basic 6 16 23 17 19 15 20 21 26 Table 5 ELA Proficiency by All Ethnicity 2005-2006 Grades # FFB BB B% Pro Adv % % % % African 429 26 29 26 14 5 American White 217 8 6 12 20 55 Hispanic 199 16 18 34 21 13 Chinese 11 27 9 9 45 9 Other Asian 193 8 11 21 23 37 Special Ed 115 46 31 13 6 3 ELD 114 32 35 30 3 0 SES 366 23 25 32 13 8 GATE 177 1 2 2 14 81
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Table 6 Math Proficiency by All Grades Ethnicity 2005-2006 # FFB BB% B% % African 377 38 43 15 American White 207 17 27 20 Hispanic 189 25 34 23 Chinese 11 9 9 36 Other Asian 188 13 26 29 Special Ed 95 41 51 6 ELD 111 40 37 17 SES 336 33 40 19 GATE 175 6 13 21
Pro% Adv% 4 24 16 27 20 2 5 7 36 0 12 1 18 13 0 2 1 25
The State of California Academic Performance Index (API) ranking is based on student performance on the STAR test. In 2006, El Cerrito received an API ranking of 4 out of 10, with a raw score of 648 out of 1000. The API target for 2007 is a raw score of 656. A comparison of El Cerrito’s API ranking to other high schools in the district is shown in Tables 7 and 8. Table 7 WCCUSD High Schools El Cerrito H. S. Pinole Vally H.S. De Anza H.S. Hercules H.S. Kennedy H.S. Richmond H.S.
# of Students Tested 949 1106 749 871 533 1167
State Rank
4 3 2 5 1 1
Rank Among Similar High Schools 5 4 1 3 5 4
API Score in 2006 648 655 611 696 554 532
Growth Target
API target for 2007 656 662 620 701 566 545
8 points 7 points 9 points 5 points 12 points 13 points
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Table 8 School Ranking El Cerrito High 2005-2006 2004-2005 2003-2004 2002-2003 2001-2002 2000-2001
Statewide Rank 4 3 4 5 5 5
Similar Schools 5 1 3 4 4 3
El Cerrito would like to regain the number 5 statewide rank it once had in 20002003 and move up from there. El Cerrito is the highest ranking school in the district, apart from Hercules. Disaggregated API scores reflected differences in STAR test results among ethnic groups. White non-Hispanic and Asian students scored higher than African American and Hispanic students. However, the Hispanic subgroup was the only targeted group to reach their growth target. In fact, they exceeded it by 24 points. (See tables 9 and 10) Table 9 STAR RESULTS SPRING 2006 Total Students African American Asian Hispanic White Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Number 949 347 173 137 181 252 API Score 648 528 758 622 795 553 API Target 660 552 762 598 794 598
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API Scores by Ethnicity
900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
02 2 20 -20 03 03 20 20 04 04 20 20 05 05 -2 00 6 1 -2 -2 00 00
API Scores at El Cerrito High All Students API Scores at El Cerrito High Afr.AM API Scores at El Cerrito High Asian API Scores at El Cerrito High Hisp API Scores at El Cerrito High White API Scores at El Cerrito High Socioecon disad
Score
00 20
20
20
01
Yearr
Table 10 The API of the African American subgroup and the API of the Socioeconomically Disadvantaged subgroup almost follow the same line. El Cerrito needs to investigate how many socioeconomically disadvantaged students are African American. One of the glaring conclusions of analyzing the STAR test scores is the enormous disparity in achievement between African American students and White students. (See tables 5 and 6) The African American student population comprising 39% of the student body, and the White population comprising 21% of the student body, no African American scored in the advanced column in Math. 81% of African Americans scored Below Basic or Far Below Basic on the math section. In English Language Arts, 55% of Whites are in advanced column while only 5% of African Americans scored in the advanced column. 55% of African Americans scored Below Basic or Far Below Basic while 87% of Whites scored at Basic or above. The SAIT intervention team is assisting in the academic disparity between the student achievement in the math and English intervention and support classes and that of those in regular grade-level classes. CAHSEE Results Based on March Administration 2006 Table 2 clearly shows an improvement in scores for the targeted subgroups. Part of the improvement is due to the CAHSEE prep classes that were state13
mandated during the 2005-2006 school year. The Hispanic subgroup has made great gains in English and math in the last two years. The Socioeconomically Disadvantaged also made significant progress in the ELA scores. The best year for ELA scores was last year, March 2005. The increased pass rate in math is directly attributed to the intervention math classes (Fundamentals of Advanced Math) that were mandated by SAIT for grades 9 and 10 in 2004-2005. Table 11 GROUP
African American Asian Hispanic White Socioeconomic Disadv. ELD Special Needs Overall
MATH 02-03 03-04 04-05 Pass Pass Pass 26% 53% 44% 47 71 60 70% 97% 90% 54 57 69 42% 75% 61% 19 43 28 68% 94% 79% 60 81 59 14% 73% 71% 6 16 80 30% 71% 56% 16 30 19 13% 47% 18% 7 16 9 46% 75% 64% 186 264 221
ELA 05-06 02-03 03-04 04-05 Pass Pass Pass Pass 59% 60% 62% 64% 140 89 89 79 93% 78% 81% 86% 51 61 50 65 68% 71% 65% 79% 32 30 37 33 91% 88% 91% 92% 63 68 79 70 64% 33% 52% 79% 50 14 13 88 54% 40% 49% 68% 14 20 21 23 27% 30% 35% 42% 9 17 19 15 73% 71% 73% 78% 238 255 267 254
05-06 Pass 72% 100 91% 49 85% 39 96% 67 73% 57 63% 15 31% 10 82% 264
Out of the 74 Juniors who took the CAHSEE in March 2006 and who had not passed with the first two administrations, 27 failed the ELA section and 49 failed the Math section. 66% of the students failed the Math section and 37% failed the ELA. By comparing the success rate, the school will be able to determine to what extent the SAIT recommended reading and math intervention classes and the CAHSEE prep classes have helped the students. Incoming juniors and seniors also retook the CAHSEE in November 2006. The results of this test left 89 juniors who still had not passed either the English or the math section. 49 juniors did not pass the ELA portion and 77 did not pass the math portion. There were 53 seniors who did not pass either the ELA or the math section of the CAHSEE. There were 26 seniors who didn’t pass either the math or ELA portions, 30 who did not pass the ELA portion and 49 who did not pass the math portion. Many of these students are in the ELD program or in the Special Education program.
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These results indicate that the intervention and support classes benefit the 10th graders, since more are passing the first time they take the test. However, for the students who do not pass the first time, and who have not had access to these intervention classes because they were put in place last year in 20052006, they are taking the CAHSEE multiple times with no guarantee of passing. More direct intervention is required for these students. Saturday preparation CAHSEE classes are offered to help the students pass the test, but few students take advantage of them. The school reform office is looking into how many students take advantage of these preparatory classes and how parents and students are contacted about the urgency of the CAHSEE for graduation. CST Mean Subject Scores Table 12
2005-2006 STAR – Mean Subject Scores ELA ELA ELA th th th 9 10 11 All 338.16 335.99 337.78 African American 299.28 309.3 307.36 Other Asian 370.03 373.32 362.42 Chinese 307.4 270.5 386.5 Hispanic 335.06 321.95 317.84 White 402.86 379.67 392.35 SES 314.3 308.58 308.69 ELD 288.18 276 287.11 Special Ed 289.2 278.88 285.61 ELA th 12 329.28 281.32 357.15 397.5 326.78 379.8 289.06 268.96 253.09 Math th 9 314.16 275.53 366.97 369.2 299.28 362.79 269.67 273.18 271.32 Math th 10 306.98 288.14 329.29 356.5 305.42 323.11 293.09 286.89 257.67 Math th 11 296.38 259.11 324.68 361.5 286.33 325.68 274.78 272.62 259.36 Math th 12 282.44 248.44 315.86 321 272.59 308.1 255.52 265.2 256.37
The African American subgroup had the highest mean scores in the 10th grade. The intervention courses could be making a difference for the students who have been identified for the intervention/support classes. Advanced Math and Science Course Enrollment – 2005-2006 The overall percentage of students who take upper-level math and science courses total a little less than 50% of the student body. The following are the available advanced math and science courses: MATH Algebra 2/Trig Pre-Calculus AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC Chemistry Physics Physiology AP Biology AP Chemistry SCIENCE
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The trends for enrollment in upper-level science and math courses are as follows based on data found on the CDE website: At the advanced math level, 71% of Asians take Advanced Math, 63% of White students take advanced math, 33% of Hispanics and 31% of African Americans take an upper-level math class. At the advanced science level, 35% of Asians take an upper-level science course, 33% of White students, 19% of Hispanics, and 13% of African Americans took an advanced science class such as chemistry. According to the CDE website, for the 2005-2006 school year not one Hispanic/Latino female took Physics and only one Hispanic/Latino male took Physics. 10% of the Asian subgroup took Physics, 8% of Whites, 2% of African Americans, and 1% of the Hispanic/Latino subgroup. 27% of the student population enrolls in upper level science. More emphasis should be put on pursuing the advanced sciences, particularly Physics.
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CHAPTER II PROGRESS REPORT
Since the 2000 accreditation, significant changes have occurred in the district and at El Cerrito High School campus. In that time frame, El Cerrito High School has had administrative team changes and collaborative partnership changes. The community has also supported the district and El Cerrito High School by passing the bond measure that totally demolished the school building, temporarily moved the school to the south portion of the existing site, and completely housed the classrooms and offices in portables to make way for the construction of a new building and campus to be completed by 2009. In response to the major recommendations made by the previous Visiting Committee, the El Cerrito High School educational community has made efforts in attempting to effectively address the issues as follows: 1. The school needs to develop as soon as possible a plan for systematic communication throughout the faculty, staff and the community about the school vision, the ESLR’s and the action plans for equity, access and high standards for all students. The plan should provide consistent opportunity for faculty, staff and parents to engage in discourse about what it takes to fulfill the vision and to assess together the progress being made. Response The El Cerrito High School educational community has attempted to address this concern in a number of ways. At the end of the 3-year midterm WASC review, the Instructional Leadership Team wrote the ECHS Record of Agreements 20032006 and based on the School Wide Action Plan from 2000. First, special attention needed to be given to new ways to communicate effectively with the parents of under-represented students. In order to recruit parents for the Leadership Committee the faculty, administrators and counselors would make at least five parent/guardian contacts per week for under-performing or under-represented students. A Student-Parent-Teacher contract for students receiving at C- or lower was also in the planning stage. The Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC) was also supporting ECHS by holding Community Accountability Meetings. When BASRC’s contract expired in 2003, there was no system in place to continue this work and it collapsed.
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Teachers are given a copy of the California State Standards for each subject area in order to articulate the standards to the students in the syllabi and with every unit. Departments are also aligning academic content standards with the ESLR’s and developing curricular goals based on them. The annual Single Plan for Student Achievement and the long-range WASC School Wide Action Plan are both based on the School Vision, the District graduation requirements, UC and CSU entrance requirements, student’s academic support needs, and on student interest. Both are supported by an analysis of data, and the identification of research-based strategies to improve student achievement of the content standards. ELD teacher Pat Chandler and Assistant Principal Dr. Watson communicate on a daily basis with the Spanish-speaking community by phone in order to ensure academic success for the Hispanic/Latino students. SAIT money was also used for an educational, leadership and management Coach for the 2005-2006 school year. She coached the administrative staff on how to implement procedures, run meetings, and communicate with faculty and the community and other leadership needs. This year, SAIT is paying for a third of release time for three teachers to coach their fellow colleagues in Math and English. 2. The school needs to develop a focused and coherent staff development plan which helps teachers to develop the pedagogical skills and knowledge necessary to teach effectively the heterogeneously arranged classes and to apply the teaching strategies which are called for in the time frame of block scheduling. Response Since the last WASC three-year review visit, the El Cerrito High faculty has focused their attention on professional development to better serve the low achieving students and the African American and Hispanic/Latino sub groups. The Wednesday collaboration day was approved at a faculty meeting in June 2002. The faculty realized that they needed time to develop curriculum and teaching strategies to deliver the standards based curriculum, analyze student work, and work on professional development. Previously, BASRC, II/USP and Digital High monies paid for staff development. SAIT monies are now paying for English and Math staff development and curriculum training but not for other academic subject areas. Extensive staff development is now a focus since the last WASC visit with particular emphasis on collection and analysis of data and continuous
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instructional improvement as indicated in the ECHS Record of Agreements 2003-2004. Department protocols and norms have been put into place with the help of the TESS Consulting team to support student achievement goals.
The collaboration Wednesdays allow teachers in their departments to share best practices, select strategies to teach the school wide critical reading, writing and thinking skills, and analyze student work to improve student achievement of the standards and ESLR’s. The last Wednesday of the month is dedicated to cross-curricular training. Faculty members present professional development workshops to their colleagues. Workshops on PowerPoint presentation, on how to take Cornell notes, on differentiated instruction, on how to use the 90 minute block effectively and on tolerance training on transgender and queer youth. Working with the TESS Consulting Group under SAIT and the ECHS in-house staff, the English and Math departments regularly use their collaboration time to analyze student work, plan strategies, and plan intervention tactics and resources for students who are not mastering standards. The site has also moved to document this work, which also provides the departments with a roadmap of their efforts and will help them continue to analyze their practices and successes. Currently, the Math department is leading this effort school wide. After identifying the critical reading, writing and thinking skills, a comprehensive two-page document of teaching strategies for diverse learners was developed and distributed to the faculty as a support for differentiated instruction. The strategies also provide support with effective delivery of their instruction in heterogeneous classrooms on the 95 minute block. The TESS Consulting group under SAIT, has implemented teacher coaching. For the last year, regular observation and coaching of teachers has been taking place in the English and Math departments, particularly at the ninth and tenth grade level. An observation form was developed collectively by the staff and by the TESS consulting group. Practice observations/coaching sessions were scheduled and carried out. New teachers were particularly targeted for this help. An internal coach for both English and Math (the Dept. chairs), were also trained in the strategies so they may carry on the activity when the SAIT process is completed. 3. The faculty and staff should continue the establishment of both content and performance standards for every course and enumerate the assessment data to be collected within each department which will assist in communicating to the school and community and the public how students are doing in relation to the standards and the ESLR’s.
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Response The El Cerrito High School educational community had set the achievement of high standards as a top priority in the 2000 School Wide Action Plan. The low scores in the African American and Hispanic/Latino subgroups continue to make the implementation of content and performance standards, in a more rigorous and systematic way, a top priority for El Cerrito High School, and was again recommended as a top priority by the 2003 midterm WASC Visiting Committee. Since the last WASC visit, content and performance standards are articulated through course syllabi and course assignments and rubrics. The next step will be to plan a Standards- based report card for each student. This idea was in place in 2003 after the WASC visit. Once again, when BASRC’s contract expired, so did the support to implement the idea of Standards-based report cards. Based on the BASRC work, the Cycle of Inquiry was a regular part of department collaboration until their contract expired. El Cerrito High School community believes that the next step is to reintroduce the practice of the Cycle of Inquiry within departments and exercise it schoolwide. The school can then take its data analysis to a higher level where data would be regularly collected and analyzed by teachers working together to improve their instructional practice. In the areas of Math and English, SAIT has been the support for departmental work where BASRC once was. Instructional coaches for the support of the intervention and support classes have been funded by SAIT. Three on- site teachers have a block off, paid by SAIT to coach new math, English and intervention teachers literacy skills and standards –based lesson design. Departments are working together to align content and performance standards. The Math and English departments are leading the reform directed by SAIT. Articulation between Portola Middle School and El Cerrito has begun again. The Math Department has developed common assessments in their intervention classes to measure student achievement. The English department is developing common assessment tools for the intervention and support classes. Both departments also administer the district level writing and benchmark assessments. The Math and English Departments have common assessments for incoming freshman and the placement of students. The English and Math departments have developed pacing guides for all 9th grade English courses. They have also created pacing guides for the English and Math intervention classes under the SAIT recommendations. The content and performance standards information and data are conveyed to students, parents and the community, through a number of ways:
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Back to School Night and Progress Report Night are considered ideal times to communicate with parents. The parent email tree, the Gaucho Corral and the school newspaper, El Caballero, in school notices and most teachers include that information and their own contact information on the course syllabi and letter to parents. Many teachers use a computer generated grade book and some have their own website that parents and students alike can access.
Currently, El Cerrito High, in conjunction with Tech Futures, is creating a high school website that will be able to post information on Standards and State Testing results for the community. In addition, the website will post the WASC report so it can be explained and made available to the community for public knowledge. There are approximately 10 faculty members who speak Spanish and communicate academic information to Spanish-speaking families who don’t speak English. All district communications go out in English and Spanish. 4. The school, with district assistance, should implement connections with the feeder middle schools for the distinct purpose of beginning the process of improving reading writing skills and test scores as early as possible. Response In 2003, the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC) assisted El Cerrito in articulating with its feeder schools, Castro Elementary and Portola Middle School. The three-year grant ended in 02-03 but there was carry- over money for 2003–2004. Since the late SAIT identification in November 2004, the following have occurred: The first assessments in math and English were administered to 8th grade students in the spring of 2005 to identify students who needed intervention in math and English. Improved math and English assessments were given to 8th graders last spring, 2006 at Portola to continue the intervention process. An initial meeting has been held at Portola to begin math articulation and English articulation. The goal is to align the math and English middle school curriculum with the High School curriculum and build a summer “Bridge” program for students who don’t have the skills they will need in order to be successful in Algebra 1 and English 1. The low STAR and CAHSEE math results underscore the need for vertical articulation, beginning with the elementary schools. 5. The faculty within each department should implement a plan to collect and analyze data systematically, which will enable them to decide together on modifications of curriculum, instructional strategies and the scheduling model of the school.
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Response SAIT requires the site to analyze the data in the AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) and the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) system. Many staff members now know how to look at disaggregated data regarding the students, particularly African American and Hispanic students at El Cerrito and plan for correctives and interventions. The Western Contra Costa Unified School District has also stepped up its use of data for informing the schools in the District. The District has invested in EduSoft as a student database and the staff is being trained in its use. Department collaboration allows the development of assessments, the analysis of student work, and the development of instructional strategies on a weekly basis. 6. There is a need for special programs for students reading below grade level and support programs for African American and Latino students in advanced level classes. Response El Cerrito High has made strides in addressing the issue of the achievement gap in English and Math. Reading development programs were an urgent matter at ECHS in 2003 and the SAIT intervention has helped to address those needs. The SAIT intervention process has forced El Cerrito to look at its practices and develop curriculum for Math and English intervention classes. SAIT requires the site to confront the data in the AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) and the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) system. Many staff members now know how to look at disaggregated data regarding the students, particularly African American and Hispanic students at El Cerrito and plan for correctives and interventions. TESS consultants and in-house staff have assisted the English and math departments to analyze student work, plan strategies, and plan intervention tactics and resources for students who are not mastering standards. The site has also moved to document this work. A majority of the students who tested in to the Math and English intervention classes are African American although there are many Hispanic/Latino students as well. The faculty also identified “school wide critical skills” necessary to address this achievement gap and came to agreement on 5 instructional strategies that would be implemented across the curriculum: 1. Systematic Vocabulary Development 2. Writing clear, coherent, and focused essays with a clear audience and purpose in mind 3. Oral presentation skills with a clear audience and purpose in mind
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4. Summarizing, organizing, analyzing and connecting facts, ideas and concepts 5. Meta-cognition skills At El Cerrito High School the departments meet weekly to share best practices and strategies and analyze student work to determine which strategies work best with certain populations such as the African American and Hispanic/Latino subgroups. Fall semester, the math department had five classes of math intervention. These students were tested and 38 students were moved to Algebra with support and the remaining students were moved to Algebra 1A, which is preparation for Algebra with support. Regular assessment is being done in the intervention classes. Students who test out can advance mid year to the next level. The English Department has six SRA Reach Reading classes for students reading below grade level four, which is mainly the Special Education population. Three Read 180 classes are offered for students reading between grade level 4 and 6 and are mainly general education students. All reading intervention students were assessed for placement. Thirteen of 50 Read 180 students were moved to English 9 and 3 SRA Reach students were moved to Read 180. A majority of students who haven’t passed the CAHSEE are also African American. Saturday CAHSEE classes for grades 11 and 12 for students who have not passed the EXIT exam are in place. These classes are taught by qualified ECHS faculty. Since the last WASC visit, a support system for African American and Latino students in upper level classes has not yet been developed, although it has been discussed. The percentage of African American and Latino students participating in upper level math and science and AP classes is lower than it has been in three years. The vision of equity at ECHS involves acquiring a proportional representation of all student groups in advanced college preparatory subjects. The effort to reach this goal involves the expansion of AVID. The AVID program was very successful during the 2002-2005 school years. Unfortunately, lack of support in identifying students and giving staff the proper training to carry out the program successfully, has seen the program decline. Data show that the school needs to revive and expand AVID as soon as possible. This could account for the drop in African American and Hispanic/Latino students in upper level and advanced placement classes. This year, after reviewing the data, the administration, led by Assistant Principal Dr. Watson, has decided to target Hispanic and African American students with behavior and truancy issues.
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For Hispanic/Latino students, Assistant Principal Dr. Watson has decided to make a direct, targeted effort to work on parental involvement, especially with those parents whose only language is Spanish or Portuguese. This involvement has included parent conferences to initiate parent contact, student conferences, educational contracts to decrease absenteeism, daily or weekly progress reports between students, teachers, parents and administrators, and active and continued communication between all stakeholders involved. The school now has more Hispanic/Latino students on campus than El Cerrito High has ever had (19%) and their STAR test results went up substantially. The efforts to contact parents personally are impacting the Hispanic/Latino student population in a positive way. The administration also identified a group of 55 African American male students with truancy or low grade point averages to help give them a vision and a purpose to their education. ECHS held an Affirmation Day where respected African American male members of the community came to talk to these students about their lives and to guide students towards a more positive life track. The students must accept the challenge to build character, self-esteem, pride, responsibility to themselves and others. They must also vow to stay in school. As a follow-up to this event, a “Man to Man Luncheon” is held. Every fifteen days, the students who attended Affirmation Day reunite to discuss issues on growing up, peer pressure, drugs, school and goal setting. In addition, a group called Connect Youth has been formed with students from Affirmation Day and with other interested students during 4th block to work on goal setting, anger management, skills to handle stress, study skills and any other topics relevant to their success. The results of these programs for African American and Hispanic/Latino students have been very positive. These students are now less likely to be tardy, absent, or involved in disciplinary referrals. At the same time, these students are more aware of the importance of their grades and the credits they need in order to graduate. Communication between students, teachers, administrators and parents has facilitated the support needed for these students to improve their attendance, and thus, their academics. Furthermore, some student’s parents have volunteered and are offering support for the lunch program. The evaluation of these support programs is ongoing. So far, the results demonstrate that the school can close the achievement gap by providing academic as well as emotional support for these students. El Cerrito High school also offers four different university summer programs that are free for the students. The programs are paid by the Ivy League Connection fund. The university summer program to Dartmouth University targets
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economically disadvantaged students. The program includes an initial two-week academic session in the summer, two weekend reunions in academic years one and two, a second two-week academic session the following summer and a final, three-week session the third and final summer of the program. The first summer ECHS students participated was summer 2006. After a rigorous selection process, the committee selected 6 students to attend the program, four of which were African American. The program seeks to recruit socioeconomically disadvantaged students to give them the experience of college life at a top, fouryear university. The Community Project oversees an umbrella of services and a variety of community providers that serve a large portion of the African American student community. The Social Justice Group, Peer Counseling and Mediation, Health Education and a group called Community Violence Solutions all serve students to solve issues that are interfering with their education. Familias Unidas is a support group for Hispanic/Latino students that meets every Monday at lunch to discuss teen and family issues. Lunch is provided. 7. The administration and faculty should clarify the academic goals of the block schedule and with collected data evaluate regularly whether those goals are being accomplished. Response No formal study or survey on the effectiveness of the block schedule has been done since the last WASC visit in 2003, although there have been discussions about its effectiveness in department meetings, Instructional Leadership Team meetings, Academic Senate meetings and Faculty meetings. The first year of block schedule implementation was the academic school year 1996-1997. The block schedule was designed and implemented in order to create smaller class sizes; fewer classes per semester; possibilities for teacher collaboration, tutorials, parent contact, improved student outcomes and programs for students at risk. In other words, the block schedule was intended to fulfill the school vision and develop a school community in which the achievement of high standards is a reality for all students. The faculty agreed that a ninety minute block allows teachers to go more in depth in the content area and spend much needed time developing the critical reading, writing and thinking skills emphasized in the ESLRs. Initially, the block system meant: Lower class sizes, e.g. from 35 to 30 students, since six classes are taught instead of five. Teachers also have more time to integrate labs and simulations into the curriculum. Teachers can vary activities and assessments in the same class period. A reduced student load means teachers can deliver more individual instruction and get to know their students better.
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Teachers have more time to re-teach or improve their instructional strategies since many teachers teach the same course twice in one year.
A majority of the faculty, at El Cerrito High School, agrees that the block schedule prepares students better for college classes and work place time frames because it requires sitting still and concentrating for 90 minutes (instead of 50) and demands more work in a shorter space of time. It is reported that the block system is beneficial to students who need to catch up or accelerate in a subject e.g. Spanish 1 in the fall and Spanish 2 in the spring. Students can take more AP courses, both Fall and Spring semester. Conversely, a student who fails Geometry the first semester can retake it in the spring without being set back a year. The system works for high achieving students as well as underachieving students. The graduation rate improves with the possibility of earning 80 credits per year. At El Cerrito High School professional development on Differentiated Instruction and using the block system effectively have been held this year, and there is a need for ongoing professional development in order to make instruction during the 90 minute block effective for all students. Despite professional development for teachers on Differentiated Instruction and how to use the block effectively, some students are not achieving. Many students cannot concentrate for 90 minutes or handle the workload that a block schedule demands without the proper support. Some teachers are struggling to utilize the block effectively and engage their students in their own learning process. The State and AP testing schedule in the spring is a challenge since second semester courses still have much material to cover when the testing takes place. Therefore, student knowledge is not complete in the subject area. This year an extra week of instructional time was added to the spring semester to accommodate the testing schedule and to make up for the time spent testing the students. Another disadvantage of the block is that students have a longer break between subjects. If a student takes Algebra 1 Fall semester and has to wait until the Spring semester of the following year to take geometry, a lot of the subject matter is forgotten and requires a lot of extra review. Taking languages is difficult also unless you take Spanish 1 in the fall and Spanish 2 in the spring. Finally, with only three classes, students are unintentionally tracked. For example, a student who takes honors and AP classes won’t be in any of the same classes as the student who is in an intervention class. There aren’t enough classes in three blocks to assure heterogeneous grouping of the student body.
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A formal analysis of the block schedule is being planned based on the collection of hard data and teacher and student surveys and will be conducted between spring of 2007 and the following academic year, 2007-2008.
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CHAPTER III SELF-STUDY PROCESS Expected School wide Learning Results
Upon graduation from El Cerrito High School, all students will: BE INDEPENDENT LEARNERS Indicators (we will know this when students): • utilize modern technology and access information critically • are able to set goals, develop and utilize a plan to achieve those goals • seek and evaluate appropriate resources • have strategies for organizing information • extend personal abilities to meet challenges BE PROBLEM SOLVERS Indicators (we will know this when students): • interpret, analyze, and evaluate data • identify an academic or social problem and develop and analyze potential solutions BE PREPARED TO DEVELOP A CAREER PATHWAY Indicators (we will know this when students): • explore a range of careers • have a career action plan • have essential skills to pursue a career • relate academic experiences to the world of work COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY IN WRITING, SPEAKING, LISTENING, READING Indicators (we will know this when students): • express themselves appropriately in various settings • use concise, logical language coherently • participate in cooperative dialogue using interpersonal skills • comprehend written and aural material BE SELF-DIRECTED, RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS Indicators (we will know this when students): • demonstrate a commitment to school, community and environment • conduct themselves with personal and ethical integrity with respect for the rights of others • appreciate and understand diversity in a multicultural society. 1. The involvement and collaboration of all staff and other stakeholders to support student achievement.
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The School Vision and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results were determined with the input of all shareholders: students, parents, teachers administration and staff, and the EC community through a series of community meetings in 1999. A weekly bulletin is distributed to all teachers and is posted on the parent email tree. These bulletins always have the ESLRs and School Vision posted on them. 2. The clarification and measurement of what all students should know, understand, and be able to do through expected schoolwide learning results and academic standards. Originally developed in 1999, the Schoolwide Outcomes (ESLRs) have recently been reviewed and are in the process of being revised and updated not just due to the last 2003 visiting committee report but as a result of students’ initiatives. In the Fall of 2006, it was later recommended that a student-friendly version be created due to student confusion as to what the ESLRs were. The ESLR’s were last reviewed by the faculty in Fall 2006. The ESLR’s express the schoolwide goals of what all students should know and be able to do upon graduation. The ESLRs are posted in every classroom and articulated to the students. The ESLRs are also clearly stated in the Student Handbook on page two. This handbook is distributed to all faculty and student body. The El Cerrito High School Vision and ESLRs are also aligned with the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) Mission, Core Values, Strategic Priorities, and Equity Statement.
3. The gathering and analyzing of data about students and student achievement. The process of development and refinement of El Cerrito’s Schoolwide Outcomes (ESLRs) as well as identification and clarification of the school’s growth areas and critical needs has been interdisciplinary and ongoing. The Academic Senate is a new school governing body established in Fall 2005 to review academic concerns and its members are different than the Leadership team. Most members of the Academic Senate are department chairs so every department is represented. Both the Instructional Leadership Team and the Academic Senate communicate with administration, teachers, parents the community and the district, allowing for more participation and input from stakeholders. The Instructional Leadership Team represents all stakeholders involved in the El Cerrito community: administrators, teachers from each department, a representative from Contra Costa College for the ROP program, a representative from TechFutures and students.
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4. The assessment of the entire school program and its impact on student learning in relation to expected schoolwide learning results, academic standards, and WASC criteria. The discussions engaged in by the members of the interdisciplinary School-wide Focus Groups encouraged a comparison of the school’s programs to appropriate WASC rubrics. These discussions assisted the school and its community in evaluating the success or failure of El Cerrito’s various programs, particularly as they relate to attainment of the ESLRs and to the achievement of California State Content Standards. The student voice is a valuable part of the process. For example, it became clear through the schoolwide student survey given in the Fall, that many students didn’t really know what the ESLR’s were even though they are posted in all classrooms. The students on the Leadership Team suggested the ESLR’s were written in academic language and that they needed to be more student accessible. The student representatives on the Instructional Leadership Team then took their idea back to the students in the Leadership Class and Student Council. They are now rewriting the ESLR’s in student-friendly language so all student body has access to them. A weekly bulletin is also distributed to all teachers and is posted on the parent email tree. These bulletins always have the ESLRs and School Vision posted on them. The School Site Council and the PTSA are two other groups who are very active in keeping the El Cerrito High community informed about instructional and architectural issues. The rebuilding of the school has caused renewed interest in El Cerrito High School in the community and is a positive force. District representatives report periodically to both groups on construction progress and setbacks. 5. The alignment of a long-range action plan to the school’s areas of need; the development and implementation of an accountability system for monitoring the accomplishment of the plan. The long-range action plan is too ambitious and staff development heavy. Both the Action Plan and the current Single Plan for Student Achievement should be under review by all stakeholder groups. Notably, the Academic Senate/Leadership Team, the department chairs, Site Council and student leadership plus other key stakeholders will develop programmatic infrastructure necessary to promote increased student success as well as narrowing the achievement gap. Students in the Leadership Class are reviewing the wording of the ESLR’s and creating “student friendly” language that teachers can use to explain the ESLR’s more effectively to students. This year, work has started on
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two ESLR’s that were identified as critical ESLR’s for the students, based on the schools low test scores and the SAIT team’s recommendation: Be Independent Learners Communicate effectively in Writing, Speaking, Listening and Reading The El Cerrito High School Website is under reconstruction. The El Cerrito High website will become an ideal place to convey news, grades, course offerings and school-sponsored events to the school community. They hope to have it up and running by the end of February, 2007. The school vision will be posted along with the ESLR’s, information on courses, teachers and the recent 2007 WASC Report. Along with posting the WASC report on the ECHS website, the findings and the critical areas of need documented in the WASC Report will be presented to the WCCUSD School Board at the monthly board meeting, Wed. February 7, 2007. All school board meetings are televised and accessible to the public and the board meeting agendas can be found on the District website. The ECHS administration will also be holding a community meeting to explain the WASC process, the findings and the areas of critical need that must be addressed on February 13, 2007. The details of this meeting and many other meetings go out on the Parent Email Tree and to the Gaucho Corral news letter which is mailed out to all families with students at El Cerrito High School. So far, the WASC process is more publicly accessible than in previous years.
CHAPTER IV SELF-STUDY FINDINGS
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A.
Organization: Vision and Purpose, Governance, Leadership and Staff, and Resources.
School Vision and Purpose
A1. To what extent does the school have a clearly stated vision or purpose based on its student needs, current educational research and the belief that all students can achieve high levels? To what extent is the school’s purpose supported by the governing board and the central administration and further defined by expected schoolwide learning results and the academic standards? El Cerrito High School has an established vision and purpose: “To develop a school community in which the achievement of high standards is a reality for all students”. This vision is further supported and defined by the school’s ESLR’s, which are posted in every classroom and disseminated to all students through student handbooks and daily bulletins. The vision and ESLR’s serve as the foundation for the school’s single plan for student achievement and WASC action plan. Furthermore, they are compatible with the West Contra Costa Unified School District’s overall vision. The ESLR’s are also integrated with state content standards and addressed through daily instruction. The practice of focusing on specific ESLR’s for the school year and explaining them more transparently to students has begun and will continue in the future. . The ESLR’s were developed in 1998 through various meetings with all stakeholder groups. They have been reviewed periodically and were most recently affirmed in the fall of 2007 as school wide goals.
Governance
A2. To what extent does the governing board have policies and bylaws that are aligned with the school’s purpose and support the achievement of the Expected School wide Learning Results and academic standards based on data-driven instructional decisions for the school? The West Contra Costa Unified School District governing board policies and bylaws are in alignment with and support the school’s vision and ESLR’s. The Governing board employs numerous vehicles to assure that decisions are aligned. First, the board approves high school course offerings, which are kept on file at each school site. Secondly, they have allotted faculty a common planning time on Wednesdays to align content standards and ESLR’s and
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address other school business. Thirdly, they have instituted a policy that directs that the development of the single plan for student achievement be divided by department heads serving on an Academic Senate with input from their department members. Finally, the district has committed itself to using Edusoft software and concurrent professional development to aid in disaggregating student achievement data. To what extent does the governing board delegate implementation of these policies to the professional staff? The Governing board delegates the implementation of policy to the staff through the districts organizational structure and the school through the following bodies/individuals: • • • • • Site Council Academic Senate Leadership Team Site Administrators School Reform Coordinator
To what extent does the governing board regularly monitor results and approve the single school wide action plan and its relationship to the Local Educational Association (LEA) plan? The Governing Board directs district updates of High School Course Offerings and maintains policy on the development of the SPSA. Furthermore, the SPSA is annually reviewed and approved by the Board. Finally, it should be noted that the visiting team found that the members of the Governing Board have a vested interest in El Cerrito High School that translates into numerous site visits and direct involvement of Board members in site programs.
School Leadership
A3. To what extent based on student achievement data, does the school leadership and staff make decisions and initiate activities that focus on all students achieving the expected schoolwide learning results and academic standards? The Single Plan for Student Achievement and site resource allocations are developed and reviewed yearly by the numerous stakeholders: the Academic Senate, Site Administrators, Site Council, ELAC and the Gate committee. The Academic Senate meets twice monthly and collect data from their departments to be used in analyzing effective instruction and encourage cross-curricular collaboration. Faculty meet regularly both as a staff and in departments to analyze data, establish school wide instructional strategies and take part in professional growth opportunities. Finally, the visiting team found that the staff
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and administration have a strong relationship, based on trust and respect, that facilitates a campus wide culture that is open to honesty and change. To what extent does the school leadership and staff annually monitor and refine the single schoolwide action plan based on analysis of data to ensure alignment with student needs? The SPSA is developed through a thorough process involving all staff. The entire staff reviews student data and critical areas of need and strategies are established. It is then cycled through the SSC, ELAC, GATE for review and approval. The plan is reviewed at the beginning of each year and progress monitored each spring.
Staff
A4. To what extent does a qualified staff facilitate achievement of the academic standards and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results through a system of preparation, induction, and ongoing professional development? The majority of El Cerrito High School staff teach in their areas of expertise and qualification. Only four of sixty-four teachers are not HQT through NCLB and teach on emergency credentials. ECHS site administrators continuously carry out teacher evaluation and monitoring. There are numerous district and site supported opportunities for professional development. Student achievement data, staff surveys, and the WASC action plan drive staff development decisions. Wednesday Collaboration time has been institutionalized and is highly valued. During this time, Department leads facilitate instructionally oriented discussion, professional development, and reflection. This time has become highly valued by the entire staff and serves as a vehicle for instructional improvement and positive change. Furthermore, departments regularly share best practices and literacy has been targeted across curricular areas. Given student achievement, a commitment to professional development in remedial reading and math programs, differentiated instruction and multiple intelligences has been established. The visiting team found that all teachers have posted the ELRS in their rooms and that some are directly addressing them in relation to content standards. Finally, there are peer-coaching opportunities for math and English teachers, funded partially through SAIT, with new teachers also being supported by qualified BTSA providers.
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A5. To what extent are leadership and staff involved in ongoing research or data-based correlated professional development that focuses on identified student learning needs? Many staff at ECHS is involved in numerous ongoing, data based, professional development activities. The WCCUSD provides training in math support, literacy, AP institute, and data analysis. Furthermore, departmentally, as part of the SAIT process, the English and Math Departments have taken part in curriculum pacing and design provided by the TESS consulting group. Collaboration time on Wednesdays has been specifically set aside for curricular and instructional issues. Faculty meetings targeting instruction have been ongoing, with one day a month is dedicated to cross-curricular collaboration. SAIT has funded two levels of reading intervention and the development required for its implementation. However, only 4 of 6 teachers have attended trainings. ECHS has also provided funding for staff development through special grants for numerous seminars and workshops. Finally, the school has compiled staff surveys and followed up with professional development opportunities based on teacher-identified areas of need.
Resources
A6. To what extent are the human, material, physical, and financial resources sufficient and utilized effectively and appropriately in accordance with the legal intent of the program(s) to support students in accomplishing the academic standards and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results? ECHS has established policies and protocol for purchasing instructional materials and textbooks. All materials must be aligned with state content standards and frameworks, and, in the case of novels, be adopted by CDE. The WCCUSD Course Offerings and Related Procedures clearly delineate how materials are to be purchased and aligned with the SPSA. All categorical programs are given individual budgets and monies used to address the unique needs of the students they serve. All departments meet address instructional needs, best practices, and identify and purchase materials. Each department has a budget from the site’s Block Grant. The school is under construction and thus the physical plant is temporary. As a result, infrastructure and proliferation of technology is not as widespread as desired. This is particularly apparent in the area of student discipline, attendance, and achievement data being readily available to all staff. While this data is collected, teachers do not have immediate daily access due to a lack of technological infrastructure. Nevertheless, all the school’s stakeholders have shown great perseverance and ingenuity in addressing needs with a very limited
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campus. There are plans for a digital library system and improved technological opportunities when the permanent campus is complete. The visiting team also found that, while the counseling staff is extremely effective given their allotted FTE, that more human resources should be added to provide equity and access to all students. Finally, anecdotal evidence from students and staff suggests that reimplementation of the Freshman Foundations course would aid in issues of achievement by providing a common skills base and unity for all incoming ninth grade students.
Strengths • The school vision and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results were determined with the input of all shareholder groups, were based on student achievement data, and continue to be relevant. • Curricular and instructional goals are aligned with the El Cerrito High School Vision and Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, WCCUSD and CDE content standards. • The integrity with which parents are recruited and encouraged to become involved in school programs and decision-making opportunities. • Standards-based instruction is in place in the curriculum in all courses. • The Single Plan was developed with more staff collaboration than ever before, has been reviewed by the SSC and procedures to monitor its implementation established. • Coordinated district-level instructional leadership teams align materials with district curriculum. • The Leadership Team meets monthly to monitor progress on schoolwide action plans and to periodically review data in order to make recommendations. • The Academic Senate meets monthly to review targeted instructional strategies and acts as instructional leads for their departments. • District is funding a wide variety of professional development workshops • SAIT funding is providing coaching and professional development for math and English teachers. • Majority of textbooks are aligned with state standards for respective subject areas. • Input and articulation from all departmental members relative to the master schedule and programming. • The physical plant has appropriate financial resources to function efficiently. • Strong and experienced faculty that meets the NCLB compliance. • School Board support and involvement in the school’s operations and programs.
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Areas of Growth • The ESLR’s need to be more universally integrated into academic standards, accurately measured, and periodically reviewed. • The Single Plan for Student Achievement could be developed more collaboratively with parents from traditionally underrepresented subgroups and its progress more formally monitored. • Professional Development as a whole needs to be more singularly focused on learning needs based on student data. • Professional Development should be more accurately measured to determine how learning is applied and how it impacts student achievement. • Coaching and mentoring both new and veteran teachers should be improved and become a school-wide effort. • An evaluation process should be instituted to assess how instructional resources have been utilized in all subject areas. • The district should commit more resources to guidance counseling services to provide more access and support student achievement. • The district and site administration should collaborate and work to reinstitute the Freshman Foundations class to aid in unifying the student body and increasing the disparity of skills between sub-groups.
B.
Standards-based Student Learning: Curriculum
B-1: To what extent do all students participate in a rigorous relevant and coherent standards-based curriculum that supports achievement of the academic standards and the expected school wide learning results? El Cerrito High School has a strong comprehensive College Preparatory program, which all students are expected to take students are expected to take, excepting those in handicapped classes. Courses are aligned with state standards. ESLRs and Standards are posted in some classrooms. There is a generous selection of AP classes. Tutoring is extensively offered for specific courses, CAHSEE, ELD, and intervention purposes on campus. They are well attended. AP students are being used in History to tutor other students. Block scheduling offers many positive aspects: classes are smaller because teachers teach 6 classes per year (3 per semester) rather than five, it gives teachers time to prepare, teach and close activities within a single day, there is a greater student to teacher ratio with resulting closer relationships. It allows for a repeat of classes without losing a year, and it is believed that students can take more electives. The SAIT process has allowed for the formation of intervention classes in math and English to better serve lower achieving students. The students are tested regularly, and all students have access to these classes.
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The Media Academy and The Technology Academy are innovative and allow students to express their intelligence in an alternative manner. The primary focus of each academy is to reach out to students who are not successful in a larger high school environment. B2: To what extent do all students have access to the school’s entire program and assistance with personal learning plan to prepare them for their pursuit of their academic personal and school to career goals? Information is provided for incoming 9th graders on graduation and college requirements. Back to School Night and a Progress Report Night are offered in both the fall and winter semesters to provide information on high school graduation and college entrance requirements for all grade levels. Colleges come to campus to recruit students and college tours are organized. Students speak highly of the College-Career Center. An innovative collaboration has been established between the school and Dartmouth or other Ivy League colleges. Additionally, three ROP classes are offered to provide school to career training. The College and Career Center is highly though of by students. Announcements, meetings, scholarship opportunities are personally sent to students. B3: To what extent are all students able to meet all the requirements of graduation on completion of the high school program? Students meet with counselors in tenth grade and on appointment basis to sign up for classes. However, there are only two counselors for all the students and not all students have an adequate time with their counselor to achieve effective school or career counseling. Students in English and Math intervention classes are assessed regularly and moved to a grade level class in Session Two when they have learned the necessary skills. Strengths • Most teachers are committed to teaching all students. The students are serious, well-behaved and committed to learning within the block periods. Many innovative, highly interactive and well-taught standards based lessons were observed. The students, parents and faculty are enthusiastically and totally committed to El Cerrito High School and the community within. • • The Safety Staff insures that all students get to class and do not wander and that students feel safe and are able to learn. The commitment to tutoring and intervention programs is impressive.
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•
The 4 X 4 block schedule allows students who fail a class to retake it within the same school year, thus, not setting them back in their academic progress. Extensive tutoring for all sectors of the community is present. Vertical articulation has begun with Portola Middle School about English and Math. Introduction to Chemistry has been started to allow students to take a physical science course, which will give them the skills to take a college prep level Chemistry class. Counselors meet with every student evey year and with 10th grade student to plan their high school pathways. Students have a great deal of control over their plans.
• •
•
Areas of Growth • Many science classes do not need to be math based and could be offered in an alternative manner to satisfy the requirements, e.g Biology or Chemistry given over a 2 semester slower pace. Block scheduling appears to work for many of the faculty. AP teachers find it difficult to fit all of the material needed within the 9-week semester and AP scores have decreased in the last year. Some teachers complained that the continuity between courses was weak and significant time was needed from the next semester for review. Additionally, Biology and Chemistry classes felt that the classes were too rushed for the content-rich subjects. There is a discrepancy in the teaching practices among the staff in all subject areas. A rigorous, relevant and coherent standard-based curriculum is not available to all students in all classes and the delivery of these standards is uneven. Some teachers standout as a shining examples of their profession and others do not. The District and school administration say that all students are in college preparatory classes, but there still is a discrepancy between pathways that higher achieving students take versus the lower achieving students. The academic discrepancy between socioeconomic and racial groups necessitates intervention classes, but the discrepancy still exists and readiness for college or other pursuits is still evident. Because of the lack of direct access by teachers and students to testing data, attendance, student progress, the quality and timely intervention to student progress is slow.
•
•
•
•
•
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• •
Classroom supplies and books are limited. In some classes, the textbooks are out of date and should be replaced in a timely manner. Vertical articulation and closer collaboration needs to be led by the district to coordinate Math and English progress in all feeder elementary and middle schools, so that intervention is received at earlier levels. There are only two counselors for all the students and not all students have an adequate time with their counselor to achieve effective school or career counseling. The higher achieving students have more access than lower achieving students. Continuation and strengthening of the Wednesday collaboration period among faculty needs to be maintained. The purpose should be reinstated so that departments can confer among themselves and with other departments about student learning. Data needs to analyzed about the effectiveness of the Reading Intervention Program. Students are mainstreamed to college-prep classes after achieving a fifth grade reading level. It is questioned whether this is a sufficient level for college prep level classes. Data analysis of the block system is necessary to see if it increases student learning. The block system has been in place enough years to assess whether it increases standardized testing scores. The district should work with site administration to find ways to reinstate the Foundation for Freshman course to help 9th graders develop their personal learning plan in relationship to their career goals.
•
•
•
•
•
C.
Standards-based Student Learning: Instruction
C1. To what extent are all students involved in challenging learning experiences to achieve the academic standards and the expected schoolwide results? The staff has taken the task of including all students when designing master schedule and meeting the needs of every students on the campus. The addition of support/intervention course in Mathematics and English strongly suggest that the staff is aware of the needs of the entire student body. The low student to teacher ration in the support/intervention courses should help in accelerating the student’s basic skills and getting them to grade level. Staff participation is evident when reviewing who teaches these support/ intervention courses. Teachers of advanced math and English courses teach support classes which is powerful and
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demonstrates “doing whatever it takes” to see students succeed. Tutoring, CAHSEE support and Inclusion also assist in student success and meeting the schools ESLRs. There are two coaches who work with staff in using best practices in the classroom and collaborate with departments regarding closing the achievement gap. Many incoming 9th grade students arrive to school not meeting standards in mathematics and English and the staff is addressing this issue through 9th and 10th grade pacing guides in English and Math. The Media Communication Academy is a small learning community that begins with 10th grade and students will remain in the academy until gradation. The master schedule shows a variety of courses to challenge students in subject areas that prepare them for college or a career after graduation. Students may enroll in Honor, AP, Fine Arts courses and the wide variety of electives offered. The master schedule is another example of the staff commitment to offer a challenging learning experience for all students and increase higher order thinking skills in and out of the classroom The use of data validates the need to connect students to the school upon enrolling. The support for low performing subgroups groups are a priority in closing the achievement gap and improving the graduation rate. Programs are in place and the end of year data will be used to improve such programs. C2. To what extent do all teachers use a variety of strategies and resources, technology and experiences beyond the textbook and the classroom, that actively engage students, emphasize higher orders thinking skills and help them succeed at high levels? A variety of strategies is required by staff to meet then needs of all students. The strategies used in an AP Chemistry class may differ from those in an English support class. The data shows that differentiate of instruction is essential due to more than 35% of the 9th -11th graders scored Below Basic or Far Below Basic. Each department has selected specific strategies to use in all courses. Choosing specific strategies narrows the focus during collaboration between staff. The course offerings provide a wide selection of courses that students may choose due to personal interest and a post high school pathway. Technology is accessible for all students to research, create projects and search for education and career pathways after high school. Strengths: • Support and Intervention classes in English and Mathematics. • Implementation of English departments critical reading, writing and higher order thinking skills.
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• • • • • • • • • •
Staff assumes responsibility of education all students. This is evident by the multiple teachers who teach support and intervention courses. Many teachers offer tutoring during their lunch time. Tutoring offered after school. Collaboration in Mathematics and English departments have made “closing the achievement gap” a high priority. Wide variety of electives allows students opportunity to explore areas outside core content. Multiple teaching strategies indicate staff will do “anything to see students succeed”. Many instructional practices include, projects and assignments that challenge students in being creative and forming conclusions based on facts. Collaborative time is used to review data, discuss instructional strategies and sharing projects that may be used across the curriculum. Mr. Mason’s passion as he teaches Diversity using Spanish Standards and higher order thinking skills. Support from Principal, Administrative staff is strong.
Areas of Growth: • Begin implementation of Pacing Guides in Social Science and Science. • Review all course syllabi, update to reflect standards. • Explore peer observation across curriculum allowing best practices in classroom to be shared. • Data accessible to staff in their classroom. • On going staff development in EduSoft.
D.
Standards-based Accountability
Student
Learning:
Assessment
and
D1. To what extent does the school use a professionally acceptable assessment process to collect, disaggregate, and analyze and report student performance data to parents and other stakeholders in the community? The self-study indicated that the school has made multiple efforts to collect, disaggregate, analyze and report student performance data to parents and other interested shareholders in the community. Some of the ways that they have made the results of the California Standards Tests available to parents and community members include via the Internet, by visiting either the Counselor’s or Student Services Offices, mailing CAHSEE score results directly to students, and sharing aggregate scores through the Main Office. In addition, parents may request the results of classroom assessments from individual teachers. In an effort to improve learning, the district has started Benchmark tests, and is working on getting the results to teachers in time for the teachers to modify
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instruction based on this information. The Mathematical Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) has been started, so that teachers can make decisions about the instructional readiness of students. Plans are ongoing to ensure greater acceptance and correct administration of District Benchmarks, as well as greater utilization of the results to inform instruction. Efforts are ongoing to rewrite the standards and ESLR’s in student-friendly language. It is acknowledged that the district website needs updating to provide greater parental access to assessment data, as well as to present the data in language that is understandable to students and parents. D2a. To what extent to teachers employ a variety of assessment strategies to evaluate student learning? D2b. To what extent do students and teachers use these finding to modify the teaching/learning process for the enhancement of the educational process of every student? Although most teachers utilize a wide variety of assessments, such as oral exams, portfolios, teacher-made tests, report, and presentations, there is variation across teachers as to what extent the results of these tests actually inform instruction. There appears to be a need for more extensive professional development, including collaborative time with peers, emphasizing the use of Edusoft, so that teachers are more comfortable in their ability to analyze and utilize data. Teachers have expressed the need to continue monthly collaboration to discuss instructional strategies that are effective when student assessments indicate a lack of understanding of specific standards. Training is also needed on how to explain complex data results to parents. D3. To what extent does the school, with the support of the district and community, have an assessment and monitoring system to determine student progress toward achievement of the academic standards and the expected schoolwide learning results? The self study indicates that student progress is monitored through a variety of assessments such as the standards-based Benchmark assessment in English Language Arts and Math, as well as a standards-based assessment in Writing. Special education and ELD students are monitored as well. Parents were involved in the development of the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, and every teacher was given a copy to incorporate the ESLR’s into their instructional program. Teachers have developed common assessments to use in their intervention classes, and students can test-out of intervention classes and progress to the next level. However, there needs to be additional professional development around standards-based instruction in every department within the school, as well as a structured process that administrators can use when evaluating the effectiveness of standards-based instruction.
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As part of the self study, questions were raised about the validity of test results of the District’s benchmark assessments. Attention needs to be paid to how the tests are graded, and whether or not the reported data is faulty. Additionally, although all teachers have received the ESLR’s, there is a need for professional development on how to explicitly incorporate the ESLR’s into classroom instruction. D4. To what extent does the assessment of student achievement in relation to the academic standards and the expected schoolwide learning results drive the school’s program, its’ regular evaluation, and improvement and usage resources? The self study indicates that assessments are used by most of the faculty to plan modifications in classroom instruction and to make textbook choices, and was the driving force in the creation of English and Math Support classes. The data is also used to identify students who need Intervention classes. Assessment data has led staff to establish an extensive tutoring system, which is accessible to students at lunchtime, after school, and during passing time. Many students take advantage of this service, although more of them are highachieving college bound students who want to ensure that they are on top of their most difficult courses. It is more difficult to motivate under-achieving students to utilize this opportunity, despite the fact that it is provided at no cost to the students, and that food is available as an incentive for students to attend. The importance of using assessment date to make instructional decisions has led to the faculty working on creating common, departmental assessments, discussing data during collaboration time, and using data to assist placement for special education students. There is a need to formalize the process of making instructional and program changes based on data, as the practice is not yet schoolwide. There is also a need to provide more time for staff to evaluate data and make decisions as a faculty, in collaboration with administration. Also, there seems to be little assessment done of how well students are achieving the ESLR’s. Strengths: • • • Most teachers have standards and/or ESLR’s visible in the classroom. There is an extensive tutoring system in place to assist students who are having difficulty in their classes, or in passing the CAHSEE. Tutoring is available during lunch, after-school, and on Saturdays. Teachers are meeting collaboratively to discuss data, and to make instructional decisions that are data-driven.
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• • • •
•
The staff is committed to continuing Wednesday collaboration meetings to become better informed about incorporating the results of assessment data into classroom instruction. There are no barriers to students enrolling in AP or Honors classes. Any student with the motivation to do advanced work can participate. Teachers use a wide variety of informal and formal assessments to determine student progress. Assessment data is used to place students in appropriately leveled reading intervention programs. For the lowest achievers in reading, approximately one-third of the students test proficient after 1 semester in Read 180. Both school and district personnel have recognized the importance of giving AP tests on the school campus, rather than in a centralized location, to maximize student success.
Areas of Growth:
• Like most schools, El Cerrito High School has yet to close a persistent
achievement gap. • Additional schoolwide professional development is needed in the area of standards-based and differentiated instruction. • Schoolwide professional development is needed in how to access and use the data available through EduSoft. • A schoolwide system of assessment needs to be developed to monitor the achievement of ESLR’s.
E: School Culture and Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth
E1: To what extent does the school leadership employ a wide range of strategies to encourage parental and community involvement, especially with the teaching and learning process? El Cerrito High School currently has twenty-three committees, including participation on the leadership team, Safety Committee and Community Project, on campus that involves parent groups. ECHS incorporates several strategies to involve non-English speaking parents including sending home correspondence in English and Spanish, utilizing foreign language radio stations and providing workshops in both Spanish and English. ECHS also utilizes strategies to support parents and encourage them to be active partners in their student’s high school career. ECHS conducts Report Card Nights, and ensure that bilingual staff and aides are participants at student IEP’s, to assist parents to understand the proceedings. ECHS has also started a web-based grade and homework book and a Mix-It-Up Multicultural Day on campus. El Cerrito has planned to have information nights with athletic coaches and fundraising efforts in an attempt to fund lunchtime and after school tutoring. El Cerrito realizes the need for more
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diversified parental support in classrooms and that communication needs to be improved via the web-based program. Findings from the WASC Committee show there is a need for more communication between home and school. The web-based grading and homework book is underused by both staff and parents and the ECHS web-page is also outdated. E2: To what extent is the school a safe, clean and orderly place that nurtures learning? To what extent is the culture of the school characterized by trust, professionalism, high expectations for all students and a focus on continuous school improvement? The staff and parent groups of El Cerrito High School have made a commitment to improving school safety, and this has been successful, as all students reported feeling safe on campus. The school utilizes two School Resource Officers (SRO) on campus, the PTSA has donated funding for additional lighting on campus, a Safety Committee was formed in 2005 after safety concerns were voiced, parents volunteer time on campus during lunch and after school, staff consistently enforce school-wide rules, and utilize the services of the Community Project. The Community Project is a program that supports students and staff by offering conflict resolution, peer counseling, professional counseling and information on social issues. Many teachers and other staff members offer students tutoring and a quiet room during lunchtime. Custodial staff is now working more efficiently to keep the campus clean and students have enhanced the appearance of the school by painting murals on walls and installing street signs throughout the temporary campus. ECHS teachers have started handing in weekly attendance reports to monitor truancy and their SRO’s are involved in the orientation process at the beginning of the school year. The students greatly appreciate having the School Resource Officers, parents and community members on campus to offer assistance with safety. Future plans for the new campus involves more support for the school via additional teachers, counselors and custodial staff and professional multicultural development for staff to assist with school safety and cleanliness. Findings from the WASC Committee show not all students participate in school and classroom activities. Some parents and students feel that there are two types of education at ECHS, one for the advanced GATE population and one for the non-GATE population. There is a need for more electives, such as a choir and orchestra, and after-school programs. E3: To what extent to all students receive appropriate support along with an individualized learning plan to help ensure academic success?
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El Cerrito High School uses block scheduling to allow students to take additional classes each year, to offer freshman and sophomore intervention classes in English and math and to improve graduation rates. Counselors encourage concurrent enrollment at local colleges and assist with summer school applications for remediation. Counselors also meet with each student to assist with scheduling for the following year, utilize SB813 Sophomore Counseling to begin Individualized Learning Plans and promote tutoring for interventions. Although ECHS has the AVID program and conducts SST’s for at-risk students, parents and the staff feel that both programs are underutilized. The certificated staff feels there is a sound process in place for referring students to the Community Project and counseling staff. The school’s library allows access to computers, where students can connect to live homework assistance, newspapers and a career inventory program. Although the Math, English and Science Departments conduct school-wide tutoring, the school has seen a need for more ELD tutoring and adult programs on campus. Attendance at afterschool tutoring has declined and ECHS is looking for additional motivators, such as the Professional Development Program through UC Berkeley, which feeds students after school, to increase participation in tutoring. Many teachers and students would like to see the return of the Freshman Foundations Course, which assists in creating the Individualized Education Plan for students and improves the transition process from middle to high school. ECHS also sees a need for raising enrollment in the AVID program and a centralized location for the tutoring programs in place. A small number of socio-economically disadvantaged students have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Enrichment program in which they spend time on an Ivy League College campus each summer, from their sophomore to their senior year in high school. They are also visited by a mentor from the college each year. This encourages students who might not have considered a four-year college as part of their future to enroll. E4: To what extent do students have access to a system of personal support services, activities and opportunities at the school and in the community? El Cerrito High School utilizes a Community Project program that oversees a variety of counseling services on and off campus. The project serves the students with individual counseling needs, conflict resolution, health education and peer counseling. The Community Project and school counselors also make student referrals to a variety of community agencies including, the Y Team, Planned Parenthood, Familias Unidas, Asian Pacific Islander and several other health care agencies to provide support for the students and their families. A school psychologist is on campus 60% of the time to assist with special education needs and crisis counseling. ECHS has a career center which provides career and college information for students and families. There are also 22 student clubs, 13 outreach programs and 13 athletic teams on campus to offer students a variety of activities to be involved with. The school has started a sophomore Media Academy and a junior Information Technology Academy to
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provide internships and enrichment activities for 10th and 11th grade students. MSW interns and interns from other colleges and universities are on campus to provide additional emotional and academic supports. The school is planning on incorporating additional counselors with state funding and working with local churches for grief counseling. ECHS feels that the counselor to student ratio is still too high at 1:620 and they need to reinstate the ninth grade High School Foundations classes to start academic and career plans for incoming 9th graders. Electives such as jazz dance and jazz band provide an opportunity for interested students to participate in performances for the larger community. Strengths: • Strong parent group on campus to support students and staff. • Staff, students, and parents all report that the campus seems like a safe place. • Addition of School Resource Officers and parent volunteers has added to school safety. • Staff, students, and parents all report that diversity is a major strength of ECHS. • Community Project serves a variety of students on a variety of issues including mental health and social services. • Partnerships with University and College outreach programs. • School to College / Career Center offers positive transitional services. • Students and PTSA groups have added to the aesthetics of the campus by adding street signs, murals, lights and a covered eating area. • Wide variety of after school programs in place. • Block scheduling allows students to take more classes towards graduation requirements. Areas of Growth: • There’s a need for a transitional class for incoming freshman students for technical, career and academic pathways. This course needs to be in addition to the current class of Cultural Geography and taught as a 7th block. • School to home communication for all students including an updated school web-page. • Multiple levels of instruction and counseling services between GATE and non-GATE students. • Web-based grading / attendance system in place for parent / student access. • Improved attendance in and a centralized process for tutoring programs for at-risk students.
CHAPTER IV Part B SCHOOL-WIDE STRENGTHS / CRITICAL AREAS FOR FOLLOW-UP
AREAS OF STRENGTH:
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1. An innovative caring school staff, committed to improving the academic achievement of all students. 2. A staff that has dedicated itself to creating and maintaining a safe, calm and orderly learning environment even with reconstruction. 3. A supportive and well organized school site administrative team that is committed to school improvement and to the enhanced academic success of all students. 4. A student body that is well behaved, focused and receptive to instruction. 5. A school culture that values learning, celebrates student achievement and encourages inquiry, analysis and the development of other higher order skills. 6. A staff, administration and student body that work together to promote mutual respect and personal responsibility. 7. A curricular program that is moving towards standards-based, and will be reflective of El Cerrito's Schoolwide Outcomes and will regularly be evaluated by staff and administration as to its effectiveness in improving the academic success of all students. 8. A standards based special education program that encourages placement in the least restrictive environment to the greatest degree possible. 9. The 9th grade support structures that serve to further promote student connection to the school and academic success. 10. Collaboration and vertical articulation with middle schools to promote the academic success of students and narrow the achievement gap. 11. Extensive work is being done to disaggregate data and train teachers in how to analyze data. 12. The effort to improve communication with all stake holders is an on-going issue. With a new climate of openness and the Wednesday time for collaboration, the staff meets together regularly which has opened communication, training opportunities and cross-curricular development.
CRITICAL AREAS FOR FOCUS:
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1. In order to ensure the academic success of all students, the staff is encouraged to continue the development of those programs designed to bridge the "achievement gap that exists between El Cerrito's Asian and white students and their Hispanic and African American peers. 2. Because effective school improvement relies on the analysis of schoolwide and disaggregated data, the timely dissemination of this type of information to the El Cerrito school staff is critical. A Data Team whose purpose to make informed instructional decisions based on data. 3. Keeping in mind the mandates of No Child Left Behind, the District and schoolsite administrative teams are encouraged to continue to address certificated staff credentialing issues. 4. In order to provide the support necessary to the continued success of El Cerrito’s cross-curricular efforts and the cycle of inquiry, the maintenance of Wednesday collegial planning time is essential. 5. Given the current budgetary concerns, the District and school-site administration are encouraged to work together in order to provide the resources necessary to sustain vital school reform efforts and site positions such as the Reform Coordinator, Math and Literacy Coaches, the Data Collection Specialist and/or Data. 6. A formal, structured, staff development plan needs to be established and implemented. 7. The data indicated that students reading below grade level and Far Below Basic are receiving interventions. However, insufficient progress results. This demonstrates the need to find additional or alternative remediation programs. After read 180 data needs to be collected on the progress and follow-up on the students. 8. The data show that a large population of entering ninth graders is Far Below Basic in math skills. This demonstrates the need to find additional or alternative remediation programs and to strengthen connections with middle schools. 9. Reduce the high percentage of students who fail the math section of the CAHSEE on the first attempt. 10. Additional electives need to be developed and offered.
CHAPTER V ONGOING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF SCHOOLWIDE ACTION PLANS The Schoolwide Action Plan was developed as a part of the self-study and focuses on six major goals, rationales, and growth targets: Goal # 1: Provide targeted professional development to improve student achievement and measure the effect of professional development on student achievement in all sub-groups and in each performance level of the California Standards Tests (CST). Rationale: There needs to be a school wide Professional Development Plan that is based on school wide learning goals, the school vision, and an assessment of teacher needs. An analysis of the effect of professional development on students, improving the achievement of the content standards and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) needs to be put in place. Growth Target : There will be increased evidence of the implementation of research-based strategies that improve student achievement in all courses. There will be a measurable improvement in the CST scores of all sub-groups scoring Far Below Basic and Below Basic. Goal # 2: Teachers will systematically use a variety of strategies to assess student learning, collect data from the assessments, and use it to inform instruction. Rationale: Teachers use a variety of strategies to assess student learning but there is not a system in place to collect data and analyze the effectiveness of the various strategies. Growth Target: By June of 2007, 92% of the seniors (except Special Education students exempted by law) will pass the English and Math sections of the CAHSEE. Grade 11 and 12 students who have not passed the CAHSEE will be enrolled in CAHSEE prep classes to ensure they acquire specific learning concepts to pass both sections of the exam. Goal # 3 Students will be given equal access to challenging learning experiences and to rigorous, relevant curriculum so that they can master the academic standards and achieve the ESLRs. Rationale: African American, Latino, and Socio-economically disadvantaged students score significantly lower than White and Asian students in all subject areas on the California Standards Tests (CST) and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Growth Target: On the CST in English-Language Arts, each of the sub-groups will decrease the percentage of students in Far Below Basic by at least 15 % and will increase the percentage of students in Basic by at least 15 % by 2008. The
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goal over time will be to have the sub-group population percentages of El Cerrito High School reflected in the scores at each level. Goal # 4: Students will develop, regularly review and update a personal learning plan and will be provided with the resources to implement the learning plan during all four years at ECHS. Rationale (self-study findings): Individual Learning Plans are not in place for general education students until term 2 or 3 in grade 10 Growth Target: All ninth grade students will explore career options, college admission information, and develop a course of study for high school. Goal # 5: By increasing parent involvement in on-campus activities to support student learning, parents will have a stronger involvement in their child’s achievement of the content standards and the ESLRs. Teachers and staff will have an ongoing dialogue with parents by being provided with the means to communicate easily. Rationale: Self-study findings indicate a need to improve overall student achievement and to improve connections and communication between parents and school. Growth Target: There will be an increase by 25% of parents who become members of PTSA or other active parent organizations. There will be an increase of 25% of the parents who attend Back-to-School and Progress Report Nights or who make personal contact with one or more teachers via e-mail or phone calls. Goal # 6: Regular reviews of progress of the WASC action plan and the Single Plan for Student Achievement will be conducted by all members of the El Cerrito High School community. Annual reviews of intervention programs for intensive and strategic students will continue to be held and revised based on data. Part of the regular reviews will include accountability reports to the community. Rationale (self-study findings): Many stakeholders aren’t aware of student achievement gaps and challenges. There is no formalized procedure for accountability reports to stakeholders. Growth Target: To improve communications by holding annual community meetings with stakeholders and by recruiting parents who live beyond the immediate El Cerrito school site to join school parent groups. To increase the percentage of participating parents from each major sub-group at all parent events and in all parent groups.
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ONGOING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Adequacy of the schoolwide action plan in addressing the identified critical areas for follow-up Do the action plans address the critical areas for follow-up? The Visiting Committee finds that the action plan proposed by El Cerrito High School is appropriately directed toward the improvement of the school’s performance, particularly as it relates to the identified critical growth areas. The general themes of the Action Plan correlate appropriately to those growth areas and to the critical school wide areas for follow-up identified by both the school staff and the Visiting Committee. During the visit, the Leadership Team and the Visiting Committee had several in depth discussions concerning methods by which the school was planning to implement and sustain proposed changes. The Visiting Committee found that the plan though detailed was not appropriately focused in a way that would address the achievement gap between the academic performance of African American and Latino students when compared with White and Asian students. Will the action plan steps enhance student learning? The Visiting Committee is confident that pursuing the Action Plan will likely lead to improved student performance, both in the classroom and on state wide assessments. Continued efforts to integrate the ESLR’s into the curriculum and to align El Cerrito’s curriculum to the California State Standards will assist in the enhancement of student learning and achievement. Is the action plan feasible within existing resources? Although the school does not have any large grants it has continued to fulfill its mission and vision with the assistance of SAIT. The district office and the board of education are solidly behind the school in its reform and reconstruction efforts and are committed to its success. Therefore, with the support and the commitment of the El Cerrito High School staff to its mission, the action plan is feasible within its existing resources. Is there sufficient commitment to the action plan schoolwide and systemwide? All stakeholders at El Cerrito High School actively participate in moving the school toward its stated mission and vision. Parents and students are proud of their school and support its goals. A strong culture of improvement and assessment, embraced by all stakeholders, enable the school to focus on student learning and the attainment of the schoolwide goals. This strong
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commitment of all stakeholders, with guidance by the SAIT and TESS will ensure that the action plan is implemented. Impediments to improvement that the school will need to overcome. The action plan incorporates important schoolwide issues and relates them to the concepts of the Focus on Learning criteria. There is enough commitment to begin implementation of the action plan sections. The key to successful implementation of the action plan and the recommendations of the visiting committee will be wide acceptance on an individual basis from all school community members. In addition the school must be sensitive to the time commitment necessary to implement the various action plan sections. Soundness of the follow-up process that the school intends to use for monitoring the accomplishment of the schoolwide action plan. Overall, school community members are committed to a follow-up process. WASC findings and recommendations will be reported to the parents, the school board, student body, and staff in March, 2007. Staff development planning based on WASC recommendations will occur between March-June, 2007. The school Leadership Team will be the central facilitating body.
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Attachment
Size
WASC_Final_Midterm_Progress_Report_2010x.pdf
575.5 KB
WASC Action Plan 2007-2012.pdf
286.14 KB
WASC Self-Study March 2007.pdf
142.3 KB
WASC Visting Comm Findings & Recommend.pdf
696.68 KB
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