Status Report on High School Reform San Diego City Schools

Why High School Reform? Parent Congress, December 12, 2001

Introduction Highlights of the Current Efforts What are our expectations? What are we doing? How are we doing it?

Expectations We believe that high schools will produce students who are able to: Meet rigorous graduation requirements Pass the high school exit exam (CAHSEE) Meet UC/CSU “a-g” requirements  Make a successful transition to postsecondary education or a career of their choice  Become productive and contributing citizens

What are we doing? Three key areas have been identified from the high school reform research that will drive the mission for high schools: Academic Press School Leadership Personalization

What’s New this Year Academic Press: Benchmarks for student success Summer bridging program Course of study work in core areas End-of-course exams in core areas Professional development infrastructure What are we doing?

What’s New this Year School Leadership: Professional development conferences Site subject administrators What are we doing?

What’s New this Year Personalization: Four year planning guide Mentoring-Link Crew Smaller class size School-to-Career opportunities Lincoln/Gompers redevelopment committee Smaller Learning Community Proposal What are we doing?

What’s New this Year Engagement: Teacher dialogue Focus groups with parents and students Focus groups with community members Focus groups with teachers and peer coaches How are we doing it?

General Comments From Teachers When asked to describe their ideal school and classroom, most frequently teachers commented on the school and classroom environment, asking for a clean, safe and supportive environment with lower class size. They want schools to have a positive culture, one in which students and teachers learn together, and have the facilities to support that. Engagement

What’s New this Year Partnerships: UCSD/CREATE Engagement