1. Connections Project 3/25/04 Kevin Burr High Schools That Work SREB

2. GCHS Mission: Making the Best Better “Where we do what we love; Love what we do; And deliver more than is promised.”

3. District-Wide Vision Statement Demonstrating Excellence: Preparing for Tomorrow.

4. GCHS Student Population

6. GCHS Student Population Ethnic Disaggregating

8. In-Out Information (Transience) within the school year.

9. GCHS Dropout Rates 1992-1996

10. Key Events 1985-00=GC grows by 65% (33,000) Fastest growing community in Kansas. 1994=18 different gangs identified in the school and community. 1995=15 Different foreign languages/dialects spoken in GC schools. (25+ Nationalities) 1996=Racial Tension at its highest. 1996=Homecoming Canceled (CNN, NBC, CBS).

11. Did GCHS provide a safe and drug-free environment? (1996)

12. Students: Do you feel safe at GCHS?

13. ?

14. Implemented High Schools That Work philosophies. Key Practice #1: Set high expectations and get students to meet them.

15. Eight things that matter most in raising student achievement. (HSTW) It matters that students take the right academic courses. It matters that schools offer quality career/technical courses. It matters that more students meet curriculum and performance standards It matters that teachers engage students in completing challenging assignments. It matters that everyone supports high expectations. It matters that students get extra help in meeting higher standards. It matters that schools offer a supportive guidance system. It matters that teachers work together.

16. Challenge 1 Unify all of the GCHS community to begin instilling a culture for high expectations and increased student achievement for ALL students. “What’s good enough for the best ought to be good enough for the rest.”

17. Challenge 1: Action Steps For School Principals: Hold classroom time sacred. Hold monthly interviews with students. Identify Master teachers to serve as coaches. Restructure faculty meetings. Require teachers to observe other staff. Make frequent classroom visits. Curricular decisions become data-driven. Tie staff development to raising student achievement in your school.

18. Challenge 1: Action Steps For Teachers: Hold students accountable. Establish the “culture” of success. Require effective homework in ALL classes. School-wide initiatives (Writing, Reading, Math). Detailed course syllabus for ALL classes. Curriculum mapping/pacing guides. Standards-Based/Assessment Driven Curriculum.

19. Challenge 1: Action Steps For Students: Mandatory extra help. Coordinated achievement reminders. Require minimum standards of acceptable work (Essential Skills).

20. Eight things that matter most in raising student achievement. (HSTW) It matters that students take the right academic courses. It matters that schools offer quality career/technical courses. It matters that more students meet curriculum and performance standards It matters that teachers engage students in completing challenging assignments. It matters that everyone supports high expectations. It matters that students get extra help in meeting higher standards. It matters that schools offer a supportive guidance system. It matters that teachers work together.

21. Upgrading Academic Requirements for All Students 1997-2002 Increased graduation requirements  total credits from 21 to 26.5 (1998-2001)  math credits from 2 to 3  science credits from 2 to 3  oral communications credit from.5 to 1  computer technology credits from 0 to 1 Required algebra mastery of all students Core Standards and Benchmarks (competency-based structure). Restructured math curricular alignment. Double-blocked math. Required Senior Project (high stakes).

22. GCHS Dropout Rates 1996-2003

23. GCHS Graduation Rates

24. Grade Distribution “A’s and B’s” 1996-2003

25. Grade Distribution “F’s” 1996-03

26. Enrollment Shifts in Upper Level Science Courses 1999-03

27. Enrollment Shifts in Upper Level Math Courses 1999-03

28. NAEP Results (GCHS) Reading 1996-2002

29. Reading Results (GCHS) Percent Reaching HSTW Goal

30. NAEP Results (GCHS) Math 1996-2002

31. Math Results (GCHS) Percent Reaching HSTW Goal

32. NAEP Results (GCHS) Science 1996-2002

33. Science Results (GCHS) Percent Reaching HSTW Goal

34. 2002 HSTW/NAEP CTE students vs. non-CTE CTE students score higher than total student population All students above HSTW goal Programmed study seems to make a difference in student achievement.

35. Kansas Assessment Tests Math 1996-2003

36. KS Assessment Math – Proficient or Above 2000-2003

37. Kansas Assessment Tests Reading 1996-2003

38. KS Assessment Reading – Proficient or Above 2000-03

39. 2001-03 PLAN Test Reading Results

40. 2001-03 PLAN Test Science Reasoning Results

41. 2001-03 PLAN Test Math Results

42. PLAN Test Results: Math (Alg/Geom/Alg II)

43. School Climate/ Student and Parental Perceptions

44. Did GCHS provide you with a positive learning experience?

45. Did GCHS improve your ability to solve problems?

46. Did GCHS teachers generally hold high standards and demand high quality work from you?

47. Did GCHS provide a safe and drug-free environment?

48. Did GCHS increase your ability to be responsible?

49. Students: Do you feel safe at GCHS?

50. Parents: Do you believe that GCHS is a safe environment for your child?

51. Recognitions Named a BEST schools by FES. HSTW Pacesetter School HSTW Silver Award winner. USDE Showcase site (ELL/After school Programs/School Improvement) KSDE Showcase site (school improvement) 1999 Milken Educator Award winner 1999 National Superintendent of the year finalist 1999 Kansas Teacher of the Year finalist 2000 KASSP Principal of the Year (National Finalist) 2001 KASSP Assistant Principal of the year 100+ National teacher presentations. 5 appointments to Service Academies 100% AP Spanish Completion 2 nd /3 rd place finishers in the national Spanish exam (96,000) Multiple NM semi-finalists and finalists.

52. Our Next Steps Require Math the Senior Year Change the Science Requirement to specify one Physical Science, one Life Science and one elective. Smaller Learning Communities. 9 th grade academy (center). Raise Expectations again for the Senior Project