Two Strategies to Increase High School Success: Freshmen Success Curriculum and Academic Seminar Mimi McGrath Kato, University of Oregon Jessica Swain-Bradway Illinois PBIS Network

Agenda  Introductions and cheering  Multi-tiered systems of support that explicitly address academic and social needs.  School retention literature  Components of universal and secondary tier supports for high school students  Systems features of multi-tiered supports  Targeting freshmen  Freshmen Success Model:  Defined, example, data  Academic Seminar Curriculum:  Defined, example, data  Q & A

Engagement Time!

Learning Objectives  Describe rationale for multi-tiered systems of support that explicitly address academic and social needs.  Identify recommendations from school retention literature that increase likelihood a student will graduate.  List major components of universal and secondary tier supports for high school students.  List 3-5 systems features of multi-tiered supports.  Describe rationale for targeting freshman for school-based supports.

Questions to consider  Where are we in our implementation?  What do I hope to learn?  What did I learn?  What will I do with what I learned?

Blending Multi-Tiered Support Academic and social supports in concert

Academic failure (Allensworth & Easton, 2005; Balfanz, & Herzog, 2005), Problem behavior (e.g. disruption, disrespect, etc.) (Sweeten, 2006; Tobin & Sugai, 1999 Poor teacher relationships (Barber & Olson, 1997) History of grade retention (Allensworth et al, 2005), Low attendance (Balfanz, & Herzog, 2005; Jerald, 2006; Neild & Balfanz, 2006), and Diagnosed with a disability (NTLS-2, ; Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Levine, Garza, 2006).

Supporting Graduation  ABCs  Attendance  Behavior  Completion of Work  Multi-pronged approach beginning with universal climate of support

Supportive Climates  Adult feedback or interaction (Croninger & Lee, 2001; Dynarski, 2001; Fashola & Slavin, 1998; Hayward & Tallmadge, 1995; Kerr & Legters; Lee & Burkham, 2003; McPartland, 1994; Schargle & Smink, 2001; Sinclair, Christenson, Lehr, & Anderson, 2003; Thurlow, Christenson, Sinclair, Evelo, & Thornton, 1995)  Increase home / school connection (Dynarski, 2001; Fashol & Slavin, 1998; Sinclair, Christenson, Lehr, & Anderson, 2003; Thurlow, Christenson, Sinclair, Evelo, & Thornton, 1995)

Supportive Climates  Increase structure and predictability (Dynarski, 2000; Fashola and Slavin, 1998; Hayward and Tallmadge, 1995; Lee and Burkham, 2003; Sinclair, Christenson, Lehr, and Anderson, 2003)  Both academic and social supports (Dynarski, 2001; Fashol & Slavin, 1998; Hayward & Tallmadge, 1995; Kemple, Herlihy, & Smith, 2005; McPartland, 1994; Schargle & Smink, 2001; Thurlow, Christenson, Sinclair, Evelo, & Thornton, 1995).

Supportive Climates  High Expectations  Coupled with High Supports  Adult positive interactions  Home school connection  Predictable, structured day /activities  Social and Academic supports  Fewer “basic” level classes  More advanced classes, with adequate support (Jerald, 2006)

Supportive Climates  Have classes that reflect the level of achievement we want to see NOT  Where student “begin”  Universal Design  Differentiation of Instruction  Routines, activities, environment, encouragement = academic self management and achievement

Questions? Comments?  Is your team / school already engaging in social emotional supports as a means to academic achievement?  How close / far are you?  How is this view of supporting adolescents different from tradition?  Would your staff buy into this approach?  Why / Why not?

Yes!!!

Components of Universal and Secondary Tier Supports for High School Students 3-5 Systems features of multi-tiered supports.

in order to meet benchmarks. = These students get these tiers of support + The goal of the tiers is student success, not labeling. Three tiered model for student supports

Effective School Climate for Success Core Features of Implementation School Engagement and Success SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: ATTENDANCE, BULLYING, DISRESPECT ACADEMIC SUCCESS: ACADEMIC ENABLERS, LITERACY PERSONALIZA- TION / SCHOOL BELONGING FRESHMEN SUPPORT

Size Culture Developmental Level Contextual Influences

Size

Culture

Developmental Level

Core Features of Implementation Key HS Focus Areas School Engagement and Success SOCIAL BEHAVIOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS PERSONALIZA- TION / SCHOOL BELONGING FRESHMEN SUPPORT High School Implementation of SWPBIS HS Contextual Influences Key Foundational Systems Communication Leadership Data

Secondary Supports  Increase structure and consistency  Increase positive adult interactions  Link academic and social supports  Increase home engagement  Are readily and continuously available  Increase progress monitoring

ALL High School Supports  Universal, Secondary, Tertiary:  Sufficient to support engagement and work completion  BY supporting academic enablers Organizational skills Prioritizing Responsibility

Support in the classroom…  Tier 2 isn’t “stuck” in the Academic Seminar Classroom  Or CICO Coordinator’s office…  Tier 2 in the classroom  START PBIS in middle and high school in the classroom  Differentiated instruction

Freshmen Success: Building a Solid Foundation for Success Rationale and Research

Current Supports Targeting Freshmen?  What is in place explicitly for freshman in your school?  Is this aligned with the school-wide climate components/ (expectations, acknowledgements, consequences, etc.)?  Please share

Why Freshmen?  A research study in the Chicago Public Schools found that students who fell behind in credit accumulation during their 9 th grade year had a 22% graduation rate, as compared to an 81% graduation rate for students who were “on track” in 9 th grade (Allensworth & Easton, 2005).  The most powerful predictors of whether a student will complete high school include course performance and attendance during the first year of high school (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).  In fact, according to Jerald (2006), low attendance during the first 30 days of the freshman year is a stronger indicator that a student will drop out than any 8 th grade predictor, including test scores, other indicators of academic achievement, and age.

Freshmen Success: Universal Support Systems Embedded into school structure and culture Preventative MTSS Freshmen-wide Leadership Team Data-based Decision Making Curriculum Engagement-focused Content Acquisition and Application Peer Navigator Support

Freshmen Success Curriculum  12 lessons  Approximately 45 minutes  Delivered by Teacher & Peer Navigators  Lessons w/ Exit Tickets  Check-Ins  Front-loaded in year

FS Curriculum DomainCurriculum Units and Learning Objectives Behavioral Engagement (academic enablers and school rules) Getting Work Done  Use a planner or similar device  Prioritize tasks and develop plans to accomplish them  Develop a study plan for test preparation  Demonstrate test taking strategies for various test types Getting Along  State schoolwide expectations  Demonstrate classroom expectations and routines  Demonstrate classroom participation strategies Cognitive Engagement (motivation, work tasks, self-regulation) Getting to Graduation  Identify a direction for the future – career goal, school relevance  Know graduation is attainable  Identify what graduation requirements are and where to locate  Identify if on track and how to get/stay on track for graduation  Develop an action plan to improve current academic status Emotional Engagement (school belonging, connection to and support by peers and teachers) Getting Connected  Identify school resources/supports: academic and social  Identify how and when to ask for help  Identify extracurricular opportunities in school and community that align with interest areas and describe how to get involved  Identify and practice how to get teachers on your side

Freshmen Success Systems  Leadership  Expectations  Communication  Data  Consequence Acknowledgement Discipline

FS: Leadership System  Freshmen Leadership Team  Separate team or subteam of SW Leadership Team  Regular meetings  Use Data for Decision Making  Focus in on Freshmen-wide efforts – a scaffolded approach to SWPBIS

FS: Communication Systems The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW  Agreements and dialogue among all Freshmen Teachers  Utilize similar systems as SW efforts

FS: Data Systems  Attention to Behavior AND Academics  Complicated by need to integrate multiple data sources BEHAVIOR ACADEMICS

Why Freshmen?  A research study in the Chicago Public Schools found that students who fell behind in credit accumulation during their 9 th grade year had a 22% graduation rate, as compared to an 81% graduation rate for students who were “on track” in 9 th grade (Allensworth & Easton, 2005).  The most powerful predictors of whether a student will complete high school include course performance and attendance during the first year of high school (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).  In fact, according to Jerald (2006), low attendance during the first 30 days of the freshman year is a stronger indicator that a student will drop out than any 8 th grade predictor, including test scores, other indicators of academic achievement, and age.

Early Warning Indicators Course Performance in Core Subjects GPA Credits State Tests Attendance Office Discipline Referrals Additional Factors On-Track Indicators On-Track Meeting all graduation requirements Cs or better in all areas 2.5 or moreMeeting credit graduation requirement for grad plan year Level 3 or above or concordant scores within the same school year 4% or less absences per quarter or semester 3 or less Level I and/or minor referrals Disengagement No extra curricular involvement Substance Abuse High Mobility Mental health issues Free/Reduced lunch Foster/group home Transient/Homele ss Parent unemployment Student employment Changes in behavior/ appearance More recent traumatic event Missed guidance appointments No show for yearbook picture At-Risk for Off Track Lacking 1 graduation requirement 2.0 to 2.49Behind 1 Credits Level 2 on State Tests 5% or more absences per quarter or semester 4 or less Level I and/or minor referrals Level II ODRs per semester Off-Track Lacking 2 graduation requirements Failing 1-3 classes Less than 2.0Behind 3 credits Not passed both sections of 10 th grade State Tests or retakes No concordant scores 10% absences per quarter or semester 5 or more Level I and/or Level II ODRs per semester Highly Off- Track Lacking 2 or more graduation requirements Currently failing 3 or more classes Less than or equal to 1.5 Behind 4 or more credits Not passed 10 th grade State Tests or retakes No concordant scores 15% or more absences per quarter or semester 5 or more Level II ODRs for fighting/ profanity/ disruption per semester Extremely Off-Track Meeting no graduation requirements 2-3 Years Behind Less than or equal to 1.0 Not meeting cohort graduation plan Not passed 10 th grade State Tests or retakes No concordant scores 20% or more absences per quarter or semester Established pattern of severe behavior Level II & III ODRs

Curriculum Knowledge Test Grade System Graduation Req Pers Resources Credits Math/LA Acad ResourceExtracurricular Off Track 9 th Credits Teacher CreditsTask Breakdown Task IDPriority Levels Test Strategies Study Plan

Academic Seminar Curriculum: Defined, example, data

Academic Seminar  Tier 2 Support  Class 45 minutes Meets every day 5 -7 minute entry task to orient student to tasks / skills minutes of explicit instruction and practice in organizational skills minutes in homework completion- applying organizational skills – Curriculum ( search HS-BEP)  More complex than CICO  Additional “layer” of T2  Addresses work avoidance

Academic Seminar  Class functions as:  Extension of & Intensified Universal Tier : Expectations Acknowledgements  Addition of Organization Skill Set  Explicit instruction  Frequent practice opportunities  Explicit, frequent acknowledgement for demonstration of organization skills

Conceptual Framework  Kansas University Learning Strategies  Teaching organizational skills to students with learning disabilities results in significant gains in grades without re-teaching or supplementing content skills.  Best practices in teaching tell us to:  Increasing scaffolding  Increase opportunities to practice correctly  Increase reinforcement of skill fluency  PBIS tells us to:  Create systems of support to maximize efficiency and effectiveness

Brain Development  Prefrontal Cortex- You’ve got one and you use it!  Responsibility, organization, prioritization center  Amygdala- Kicking it Teen Style!  Between years old (approximate) brain is undergoing massive restructuring Infant / Toddler: massive “fixing” of neurological pathways Adolescence: realignment of pathways, white matter development, amygdala over compensating

Organization Skill Set  Student Guided Supports  Goal Setting  Tracking Progress  Planner  Notebook  Graduation Plan  Test Taking  Study Skills Utility across content areas Immediate access to classroom reinforcers

How Are Schools Doing This?  Freshman Seminar  Junior / Senior Transition Course  Revamped Study Hall  Elective  In conjunction with CICO:  To address work avoidance

Academic Engagement Data, Participants and Peers

School Successes School Demographics # students per term % successful each term % “Repeaters” % requiring additional supports SchoolTotal Enrollment Academic Seminar Archibald %25%6-10% Ingenuity %30%6-10% World * %30%N/A Canter **1, %25%3-5% Percentages represent average over the past 4 years. * World High School is an international baccalaureate school. ** Exceptionally good at in-classroom differentiation of content

Questions / Discussion Time General Questions and Let’s think back …

Thinking back  Where are we in our implementation?  Is your universal implementation robust?  Are you ready and able to provide supports to all freshman?  Do you have a plan for addressing Tier 2?  What do I hope to learn?  Did we provide relevant information?  What did I learn?  Examples?  What will I do with what I learned?  Share how this is applicable in the short and long term.

Thank you!  We appreciate your time and attention.  Mimi McGrath Kato   Jessica Swain-Bradway 