Dartmouth High SchoolDartmouth High School

2008-2011 District Goals Update

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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.

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Goal:Dartmouth High School students will read and write at a level to meet minimum college entrance expectations.

Dartmouth High School students will read Dartmouth High School students will read and write at a level to meet minimum and write at a level to meet minimum

college entrance expectations.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 9th 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.

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Dartmouth High School students will read Dartmouth High School students will read and write to meet minimum college and write to meet minimum college

entrance expectations.entrance expectations.Next Steps

◦ Develop a profile to place all 8th 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.

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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.

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Goal:Dartmouth High School will provide timely intervention to academically at-risk students.

Dartmouth High School will provide Dartmouth High School will provide timely intervention to academically timely intervention to academically

at-risk students.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.

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Dartmouth High School will provide Dartmouth High School will provide timely intervention to academically timely intervention to academically

at-risk students.at-risk students.Data

◦ First Semester Failure Rate: 2008 14%

First Term 2009 13.5%.

◦ 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.

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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)

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Goal:Dartmouth High School will provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum which will result in student mastery of 21st century skills.

Dartmouth High School will provide a Dartmouth High School will provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum which rigorous and relevant curriculum which

will result in student mastery of 21will result in student mastery of 21stst century skills. 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 4th.

◦ The leadership team is currently looking at AP enrollment data to determine which courses should be added for next year.

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Dartmouth High School will provide a Dartmouth High School will provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum which rigorous and relevant curriculum which

will result in student mastery of 21will result in student mastery of 21stst century skills. century skills.

Data◦ AP Enrollment/Scores both up.

Please see Appendix B.◦ Honors enrollment remained steady

from 2008-2009 to 2009-2010.◦ 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: 2008-09 school year: 28 students 2009-10 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 2010-11.

◦ The faculty will begin to outline student competencies that reflect NEASC’s 21st century learning expectations.

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Need:“The High School of the 21st century must be much more student centered and above all much more personalized in programs, support services, and intellectual rigor.” (Breaking Ranks)

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Goal:Dartmouth High School will create a positive learning climate and increased personalization.

Dartmouth High School will create a Dartmouth High School will create a positive learning climate and increased positive learning climate and increased

personalization.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.

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Dartmouth High School will create a Dartmouth High School will create a positive learning climate and increased positive learning climate and increased

personalization.personalization.Data

◦ Kick off Mentoring Program 2008 80% freshmen participation 2009 84% freshmen participation 2008 74 mentor nominees from

teachers 2009 135 mentor nominees from

teachers

◦ Violence/Safety Incidents 2008 1st term 8 fights 2009 1st 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.

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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.

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Goal:Dartmouth High School will encourage a grant-seeking culture to support our initiatives.

Dartmouth High School will encourage a Dartmouth High School will encourage a grant-seeking culture to support our grant-seeking culture to support our

initiatives.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.

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Dartmouth High School will encourage a Dartmouth High School will encourage a grant-seeking culture to support our grant-seeking culture to support our

initiatives.initiatives.Data

◦20 local grants awarded 2008-09.

◦1 yellow school bus grant awarded 2009-10.

◦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.

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Need:Education is constantly improving and changing. We need to “prepare kids for their future, not our past.” (Daniel Pink)

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Goal:All DHS staff will be provided opportunities to participate in high quality professional development.

All DHS staff will be provided opportunities All DHS staff will be provided opportunities to participate in high quality professional to participate in high quality professional

development.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

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All DHS staff will be provided opportunities All DHS staff will be provided opportunities to participate in high quality professional to participate in high quality professional

development.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, 506.86 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.

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