1. Brockton High School Brockton, Massachusetts “City of Champions”

2. Brockton High School Who are we?
What have we done and how have we done it?
What have we accomplished so far?
Questions

3. Who are we? City of Brockton Location: Southeastern Massachusetts
Population: approximately 95,000
Median Income: $31, 712.
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%
Major Industry: Health Services

4. Who are we? BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL Comprehensive 9 – 12
Enrollment: over 4,300
Poverty Level: 71.5%
30 different languages represented
1/3 do not speak English as their primary language
Approximately 12% enrolled in Transitional Bilingual Education Program
Approximately 11% receive Special Education Services

5. Who are we? Brockton High School Student Population
54.5% Black - includes African-American, Cape Verdean, Haitian, Dominican, Jamaican, and others
29.3% White
13% Hispanic
2.7% Asian
.5% American Indian

6. HOW FAR WE’VE COME: DATA: TEST SCORES
MCAS 1998
Failure
ELA – 44%
MATH – 75%
MCAS 2007
Failure
ELA – 9%
MATH – 19%

7. HOW FAR WE’VE COME: DATA: TEST SCORES
MCAS 1998
Advanced
ELA – 2%
MATH – 1%
Proficient
ELA – 20%
MATH – 6%
MCAS 2007
Advanced
ELA – 20%
MATH – 27%
Proficient
ELA – 42%
MATH – 24%

8. HOW FAR WE’VE COME: HONOR ROLL
1998
TERM 1
859 STUDENTS
2007
TERM 1
1299 STUDENTS

9. HOW FAR WE’VE COME: THEN “Students have a right to fail.” NOW
BHS Principal
NOW
“There is no such right!
High Standards,
High expectations.
No excuses!”
BHS Principal

10. What have we done and how have we done it?
Our Restructuring Goals:
To improve student academic achievement
Core Academic Learning
Stretch Learning
To personalize the educational experience for every student
Student Engagement
Personal Skill Development

11. What have we done and how have we done it?
Essential Groups
Restructuring Committee, our “think tank”
Administrative Leadership Team
Data analysis team

12. What have we done and how have we done it?
Structural Changes
Changing the schedule
Changing the curriculum – emphasis on English and Math
Changing the ability levels

13. What have we done and how have we done it?
Changing Attitudes:
Everyone is responsible for every student
Believing that every student
CAN and MUST
Our responsibility: to figure out how to help

14. What have we done and how have we done it?
Improving Student
Academic Achievement
Analyzing data to target needs
Identified Core Learning
Development of Literacy Initiative
Restructuring Committee identified essential literacy skills
Literacy Charts posted in every classroom

15. What have we done and how have we done it? Core Learning

16. What have we done and how have we done it? Core Learning

17. What have we done and how have we done it? Core Learning
MATH

18. What have we done and how have we done it? Core Learning

19. What have we done and how have we done it?
Our Professional Development Model:
Development of Scripts
Train the Trainer
Interdisciplinary and Department Workshops
Implementation
Follow-up/ Monitoring

20. What have we done and how have we done it?
Improving Student
Academic Achievement
Professional Development Literacy Workshops:
Open Response - Revised with new rubric to reflect stretch learning
Graphing - Revised to reflect stretch learning
Teaching Multiple Choice Strategies
Using Visuals to Preview a Chapter
Previewing the Table of Contents
Speaking Skills – Graded Discussions
Oral Presentation Rubric
Vocabulary in Context
Thinking About Words
Non-Fiction Reading Strategies
ELL Training
School-wide active reading strategies
Summarizing
Assessment

21. What have we done and how have we done it? Stretch Learning
SAMPLE QUESTIONS: 2006 MCAS
Life of Henry V: Act IV, Scene III (ll. 1-80)
Open Response question
Explain how the excerpt shows that the king is an effective leader. Use relevant and specific information from the excerpt to support your answer.
(Question is looking for language and style analysis, not simply content).

22. What have we done and how have we done it? Stretch Learning
SAMPLE QUESTIONS: 2006 MCAS
Excerpt from Don Quixote (pp 58-60)
Open Response Question
Explain how the author creates a humorous tone in the excerpt. Use relevant and specific information from the excerpt to support your answer.
(Question is looking for language analysis, not simply content).

23. What have we done and how have we done it? Stretch Learning
Improving Student
Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of
special populations
Advanced Placement
A+ Certification
International Baccalaureate Programme
Medical Translation Program

24. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations:
“Struggling Learners” Special Education
Putting Programs in Place
Inclusion
Provides specialized instruction as part of an inclusive model within regular education classes
Students access the general education curriculum
Special Education teachers provide accommodations to meet IEP

25. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations:
“Struggling Learners” Special Education
Putting Programs in Place
Intervention Strategies:
MCAS Preparation and Remediation Classes
Portfolios for Special Education students – designed to demonstrate the student’s development of skills, strategies for test-taking, and reflective thinking
After-school program for Special Education Students

26. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations:
“Struggling Learners” Special Education
Putting Programs in Place
Monitoring
Students: Portfolios
Faculty: Assessment based on rubrics
Department Heads: Collect, assess, and assist teacher
Associate Principal: Collect, assess, make necessary adjustments

27. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
House Plan
School is divided into 4 color coded houses, each one includes 9-12
Student remains in-house for nearly all classes, all four years (Scheduling is challenging, seniors more likely to travel throughout school due to electives)

28. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Freshman Academy
Approx. 100 at-risk Freshmen identified for academic deficiencies.
Blocked together for 3 out of 5 periods to include English, Algebra, and return for the last period of the day for a tutorial with the same teachers/senior mentors.
Flexible scheduling, teacher teams, seniors as tutors/mentors, focus on academic remediation.
40 – 50 in each academy (we have 2)

29. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Academic Support Contracts
Early intervention for 9th graders who are failing major subjects and/or having behavioral issues
Student support teams include housemaster, assistant housemaster, guidance counselor, teacher, parent, student
Team meets to develop Academic Support Contract

30. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
STUDY SKILLS LESSONS FOLLOWING LITERACY OBJECTIVES
Reading: Active Reading Strategies- Previewing a text – Using visuals to preview a chapter
Writing: Note-taking – Summarizing
Speaking: Street talk vs. school talk – speaking in complete sentences - Listening
Reasoning – Time management, Organizational strategies, Study strategies

31. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Stacking and Re-grouping
Scheduling Plan that places 3 of the same level English or Algebra classes during the same period
End of Semester 1 students are regrouped:
Those at appropriate skill level
Those needing additional support
Those who need to restart

32. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Five Key Orientation Programs
Early March – “High School Expectations & Choices” – 8th grade parents
Spring – “What to Expect at BHS” – 8th grade students at their Middle Schools
Summer – “ Welcome to BHS” – incoming 9th grade (voluntary) run by teachers and high school students
Fall – “The Road to Success”: - 9th grade in their English class, writing assignment follows
Mid-Year – “It’s Not Too Late” – all 9th grade students, small groups, focus on getting back on course, writing assignment follows

33. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
CREDIT RECOVERY
Goals:
To help those students who have failed the first two terms gain the skills and meet the learning standards they did not master the first semester.
To keep students engaged so that they have a chance to pass, or at least attend summer school.
To address the academic failure and negative behaviors that often occur after the ninth grade student has failed the firt two terms

34. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
CREDIT RECOVERY
Classes conducted eight weeks after school
Two sessions for each subject per week
Classes are no larger than 12 students
Curriculum is developed by departments and follows identified skills and standards
Lessons are prepared in advance; focus on instruction
Grading – pass or fail

35. What have we done and how have we done it
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Handbook Course
assigned in place of the first detention that a freshman
might get after-school
course conducted by the Assistant Housemasters
helps students become more familiar with handbook
student identifies specific infraction(s)
identifies ways to avoid repeating infraction(s)

36. What have we done and how have we done it
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Peer Advisory
Students who are trained Peer Mediators work with freshmen who are referred to the office for disciplinary reasons
Coordinated at the time of infraction(s) by Assistant Housemaster

37. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Access Center
Tutorial Center open during the day and after school
Tutorial support provided by teachers and students

38. Improving Student Academic Achievement:
What have we done and how have we done it? Personalization and Personal Skill Development
Improving Student Academic Achievement:
Addressing needs of special populations: 9TH Grade
Club Boxer
After School extended day Program focusing on academic support (MCAS) and enrichment activities ( GOALS Program for Career Planning) for 9th and 10th grade students
1- 5 teacher to student ratio (Grant Funded)

39. What have we done and how have we done it? Personal skill development
Personalization
Rewards for good things
Senior Good Citizenship ID’s with privileges
Honor Roll Assemblies
Boxer of the Month
Recognition at School Committee Meetings
Faculty Recognition

42. Performance Level Data- BHS What have we accomplished so far?

43. What have we accomplished so far?
JOHN& ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP – 2008
249 Recipients – 25%
62 African American – 25%
21 Asian – 8%
20 Hispanic – 8%
9 Multi- Race / Non-Hispanic - 4%
3 Native American – 1%
136 White – 54 %
101 Low Income – 40%
9 LEP/FLEP – 4%
4 Students w/ Disability – 2%

44. What have we accomplished so far?
External Recognition
Massachusetts Compass School Designation
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory – Schools Making Progress
International Center for Leadership in Education – Model School
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
U.S. Department of Education National High School Summit
National School Change Award

45. Brockton School District Plymouth County
Brockton High School
Brockton School District Plymouth County
470 Forest Avenue Brockton, Massachusetts (508)

46. ??????? Questions ??????

47. Brockton High School Dr. Susan E. Szachowicz, Principal
470 Forest Avenue
Brockton, MA 02301
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