Dartmouth High School District Goals Update 1

Need: Approximately 1/3 of the students entering Dartmouth High School read below grade level while 1/4 of our junior students would not qualify for a credit- bearing college English course. 2 Goal: Dartmouth High School students will read and write at a level to meet minimum college entrance expectations.

Dartmouth High School students will read and write at a level to meet minimum college entrance expectations. 3 Year Plan Specifics ◦ Offer 9 week reading course to freshmen. ◦ Develop school-wide writing rubrics to establish common standards and achievement levels. ◦ Increase awareness and use of effective reading and writing strategies in the content areas. Fall 2009 Update ◦ 9 week reading course being offered to 9 th graders. ◦ Literacy Committee has outlined some possible rubrics for school-wide literacy measures. ◦ Provided professional development to all faculty on developing summative assessments with an emphasis on writing and reading. 3

Dartmouth High School students will read and write to meet minimum college entrance expectations. Next Steps ◦ Develop a profile to place all 8 th graders who need content reading support into the class during their first semester and monitor their progress. ◦ Create a writing task force in the spring of 2010 to develop a more structured writing program. ◦ Use data such as SAT essay scores to drive the development of the writing program. ◦ Continue work with Literacy Committee to embed writing and reading expectations in all content areas. 4 Data 71%

Need: Dartmouth High School has a drop- out rate of 1.4% and sends approximately 21 students to an evening diploma program each year. 5 Goal: Dartmouth High School will provide timely intervention to academically at- risk students.

Dartmouth High School will provide timely intervention to academically at-risk students. 3 Year Plan Specifics ◦ Students who need support will be identified and encouraged to enroll in a DHS summer or school-year program. ◦ The on-line Plato system will be utilized as an in-school resource. ◦ Counselors will meet with students who have failed to review available supports and to make a plan for improvement. ◦ Each student who scores NI on the MCAS test will have an Educational Proficiency Plan developed for him/her. Fall 2009 Update ◦ Smart Start program in its second year. ◦ Creation of a Building Based Student Support Team to implement the RTI model. ◦ Growth of the inclusion model in English and history classes with professional development provided. ◦ Plato Power Pack license purchased for remediating students. ◦ DHS counseling department meets with students at risk. 6

Dartmouth High School will provide timely intervention to academically at-risk students. Data ◦ First Semester Failure Rate: % First Term %. ◦ Guidance Department has met with every student at least once this school year. ◦ Total credits recovered summer school and evening school in 2009: 147. Next Steps ◦ Investigate ways to improve math inclusion and study other successful instructional models (focused school visit on 12/10 to Old Rochester Regional High School). ◦ ILT is structuring course offerings and course selection process to enhance rigor and ensure consistency and equity. ◦ A consultant from the Bradley School is working with the SST to improve programming in order to be more responsive to individual student needs. ◦ Assistant Principals are building a Buy-Back Program for credit recovery due to absences. 7

Need: “The ability to imagine new services and new ways to recruit work, those who have some interpersonal skills…They are the new untouchables.” (Thomas L. Friedman) 8 Goal: Dartmouth High School will provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum which will result in student mastery of 21 st century skills.

Dartmouth High School will provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum which will result in student mastery of 21 st century skills. 3 Year Plan Specifics ◦ Identify power (priority) standards. ◦ Create formative and summative assessments to revise instruction. ◦ Increase enrollment in honors and AP courses by 10% over the three year plan period. ◦ More students will take advantage of post-secondary credit options. Fall 2009 Update ◦ Faculty are working each release day and two curriculum work days per month to create units with summative assessments. All faculty will review student work on March 4 th. ◦ The leadership team is currently looking at AP enrollment data to determine which courses should be added for next year. 9

Dartmouth High School will provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum which will result in student mastery of 21 st century skills. Data ◦ AP Enrollment/Scores both up. Please see Appendix B. ◦ Honors enrollment remained steady from to ◦ The Early Childhood Education program added two new articulation agreements with BCC. ◦ Power Standards 57% complete building- wide. Please see Appendix A. ◦ Common assessments 72% complete building-wide. Please see Appendix A. ◦ Dual Enrollment:  school year: 28 students  school year: 40 students (there were summer opportunities during summer ‘09) Next Steps ◦ The ILT will agree upon the best way to use the AP Potential Report and apply that to help students and families in the course selection process. ◦ The DHS faculty will look at their own student data, cross reference it with MCAS and SAT data to determine which instructional and assessment goals to establish for ◦ The faculty will begin to outline student competencies that reflect NEASC’s 21 st century learning expectations. 10

Need: “The High School of the 21 st century must be much more student centered and above all much more personalized in programs, support services, and intellectual rigor.” (Breaking Ranks) 11 Goal: Dartmouth High School will create a positive learning climate and increased personalization.

Dartmouth High School will create a positive learning climate and increased personalization. 3 Year Plan Specifics ◦ Implement a Freshman Academy. ◦ Implement Advisory. ◦ Increase the number of students participating in co-curricular opportunities. ◦ Increase the number of students achieving the baseline gpa (3.0) for state college admission. ◦ Continue the Freshman Kick-Off mentoring program. ◦ Reduce violent/safety incidents. Fall 2009 Update ◦ All freshmen are on teams. Freshmen team teachers are receiving structured programs of professional development to support their work. ◦ The Freshman Kick-Off program has successfully connected juniors and seniors with freshmen. ◦ Project Upgrade provides peer tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. ◦ School to Career Counselor is expanding the program. ◦ Full time SRO on campus. 12

Dartmouth High School will create a positive learning climate and increased personalization. Data ◦ Kick off Mentoring Program  % freshmen participation  % freshmen participation  mentor nominees from teachers  mentor nominees from teachers ◦ Violence/Safety Incidents  st term 8 fights  st term 5 fights ◦ 72 students enrolled in internships Next Steps ◦ Review the current strategy to engage students in DHS clubs. ◦ Review the current college advising format and planning for freshmen and sophomores. ◦ Continue to enhance and expand Kick-Off Program. 13

Need: Dartmouth per pupil spending is in the bottom 15% of districts state- wide and below 10 other districts with comparable demographics thus necessitating the need for additional funds. 14 Goal: Dartmouth High School will encourage a grant-seeking culture to support our initiatives.

Dartmouth High School will encourage a grant- seeking culture to support our initiatives. 3 Year Plan Specifics ◦ Notify faculty of grants available. Fall 2009 Update ◦ SLC Supplemental Grant (data collection on postsecondary enrollment and success). ◦ Academic Support Services Grant (MCAS). ◦ 8 proposals for DEF grants. 15

Dartmouth High School will encourage a grant- seeking culture to support our initiatives. Data ◦ 20 local grants awarded ◦ 1 yellow school bus grant awarded ◦ Grant $ received since last fall, $276, 000 ($14, 000 faculty initiated) Next Steps ◦ Look into grants to build a “best practices” Physical Education and Health program. ◦ Prepare documents to show progress for the Smaller Learning Communities Grant continuation funding. 16

Need: Education is constantly improving and changing. We need to “prepare kids for their future, not our past.” (Daniel Pink) 17 Goal: All DHS staff will be provided opportunities to participate in high quality professional development.

All DHS staff will be provided opportunities to participate in high quality professional development. 3 Year Plan Specifics ◦ Coaching the Reluctant Learner. ◦ Formative assessment. ◦ Targeted workshops in content area groups. ◦ Differentiated instruction/inclusion. ◦ SLC initiatives. ◦ ILT coaching to develop power (primary) standards. ◦ Rigor/Relevance Framework. Fall 2009 Update ◦ Workshops held in the following areas:  Inclusion  Formative/Summative Assessment  Freshman Teaming  Personal Plans for Progress 18

All DHS staff will be provided opportunities to participate in high quality professional development. Data ◦ 100% participation in assessment workshop; 100% participation expected in inclusion presentation 12/16. ◦ 16 faculty participated in inclusion workshop. ◦ 19 faculty participated in freshman teaming workshop. ◦ High school faculty were reimbursed $27, for courses/workshops taken on their own. Next Steps ◦ Create comprehensive professional development plan tying it to the school mission statement and goals as well as the NEASC standards. ◦ Provide an appropriate forum for sharing lessons learned at workshops/conferences. ◦ Strengthen the PLC’s (Professional Learning Communities) by continued training in best practices. 19