Overcoming Barriers to Ensure College Readiness

Bridgeport High School

Bridgeport, Washington

Presented by:

Tamra Jackson, High School Principal & College Instructor

Jeff Jackson, High School & AP Teacher

Photo by Al Dezutter

Bridgeport, Washington

Bridgeport, Washington

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2011

White House, Department of Education Announce 2011 Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge Finalists

Six Public High Schools Selected to Compete for Presidential Commencement Address; Finalists Enter Next Phase of Competition Led by the Get Schooled Foundation

WASHINGTON – Today, the White House and the U.S. Department of Education announced the six high schools selected as finalists for this year’s Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. As part of the next step of the Commencement Challenge, the Get Schooled Foundation will now work with each school to produce a video for the online voting portion of the challenge.

The President set a goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020 and the Commencement Challenge invited the nation’s public high schools to submit applications that demonstrate their commitment to preparing students for college and a career. Hundreds of applications were received and were judged based on the schools’ performance, essay questions and supplemental data. The six finalists were selected for their creativity in engaging and supporting students, academic results, and progress in preparing students to graduate college and career ready. Finalists:

Bridgeport High School (Bridgeport, Washington)

Wayne Early Middle College High School (Goldsboro, North Carolina)

Booker T. Washington High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

Science Park High School (Newark, New Jersey)

Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, School for Creative and Performing Arts (Pittsburgh, PA)

High Tech High International (San Diego, CA)

Bridgeport High School Class of 2011

Bridgeport High School Class of 2011 Commencement Left to Right: Principal Tamra L. Jackson, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis,

Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire, Washington State Senator Linda Evans Parlette

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis

delivers Keynote Address

The mission – “A Legacy of Life-Long Learners”

Formula for success - rigorous preparation and persistence are fundamental building blocks for student achievement.

Methods to achieve this include: -strong teacher-student relationships -sharing of alumni college success stories -increasing number of students enrolling in college courses and AP courses -expanding number of college and AP course offerings -developing partnerships between Bridgeport High School

and Wenatchee Valley College -student-to-student mentoring

Bridgeport’s Long-term Plan Slide 1 of 2

Demographics Enrollment 2012-13 9-12 Student count 213

Male 49.5%

Female 50.5%

Ethnicity

Hispanic 90.1%

White 7.9%

Other 2.0%

Special Programs

Free or Reduced-Price Meals 100%

Special Education 9.1%

Transitional Bilingual 27.4%

Migrant 19.3%

Other Information

Estimated Annual On-time Graduation Rate (2012) 95%

High school graduation is an accurate assessment of whether

the nation’s public school system is adequately enrolling, retaining, and successfully graduating an educated populace to be productive citizens in society. In today’s increasingly competitive global economy, graduating from high school is more critical than ever to securing a good job and a promising future.

Nationally, the factors that have attributed to the low

graduation rate of Hispanics include: -lack of cultural understanding -inadequate academic advising - non-supportive school climate -fewer rigorous courses available Nevarez, C. and Rico, T. (2007). Latino Education: A Synthesis of Recurring Recommendations and Solutions in P-16

Education. The College Board.

Barriers Slide 1 of 2

Over 90% of the students attending school come from families whose income qualifies them for the federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program.

90.1% of our students are Hispanic. In summary, Bridgeport is a financially

depressed, isolated community without the resources to provide additional experiences for our students.

Barriers Slide 2 of 2

“The true discrimination that comes out of poverty is the lack of cognitive strategies. The lack of these unseen attributes handicaps in every aspect of life the individual who does not have them.”

Payne, Ruby K. (2005). A Framework for Understanding Poverty: fourth revised edition. Highlands,Texas: aha! Process, Inc.

Overcoming Poverty

Hispanic Assessment Scores

Graduation Rate

Limited Access

to Rigor

Problem

Scores Reading Writing Math

2007-8 78.8% (80) 78.8% (82.5) 18.2% (22.5)

2008-9 81.4% (80.4) 72.7% (72.3) 30.2% (30.4)

Graduation Rate

2007-8 76.4%

2008-9 86.3%

Courses Offered 2007-8 2008-9

College Course 2 4

Advanced Placement 3 5

Increase the number of rigorous course opportunities . . .

Provide ongoing support to ensure student success in rigorous courses . . .

Continue to cultivate an academic and college-going culture . . .

Goals

The following spells out specific interventions that Bridgeport School District uses to address barriers and achievement gaps:

translators for parents at all event (high school students are trained to translate) babysitting for families at all events ALL 9th, 10th & 11th graders take PSAT all assessments District pays for: -all educational materials -AP exam fees -college tuition -all assessments

Closing the Achievement Gap Slide 1 of 2

Additional specific interventions that Bridgeport School District uses to address barriers and achievement gaps:

professional development for college-in-the-high-school

and Advanced Placement teachers computer lab for student use available before and after

school and at lunch open enrollment policy for all Advanced Placement

courses after-school state assessment test preparation courses summer school AVID courses for 7th, 8th and 9th graders

Closing the Achievement Gap Slide 2 of 2

Goal #1 – Increase Rigorous Course Opportunities

Goal #2 - Provide ongoing support to ensure student success

Support for Success Measured By (2011-12)

Students Passing College & AP Courses 95%

Students Remaining in College & AP Courses 99%

Courses Offered 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

College 6 8 12 12

Advanced Placement 8 10 10 11

Goal #3 - Continue to cultivate an academic and college-going culture Increased Graduation

Rates

Improved State Assessment Scores

Applied & Accepted

to College

Graduation Rate

2009-10 90.7%

2010-11 100%

2011-12 95%

2009 2010 2011 2012

68% 80% 100% 100%

Scores Reading Writing Math

2009-10 73.0% (69) 64.7% (64.3) 22.2% (24.4)

2010-11 80.0% (81.8) 83.7% (85.2) 61.7% (61.5)

2011-12 77.3% (76.4) 88.4% (86.3) 65.8% (64.2)

Offer an Associates of Arts Degree through Wenatchee Valley College on the campus of Bridgeport High School

Continued expansion of AP and College-in-the-High School courses – math & science

Expand academic support systems through an increased number of AVID classes

Increase staff collaboration time to review student achievement data

Explore ways to increase male participation in AP and college classes

Increase the accessibility to college and career advising

Include parents in more college fairs, college visits, and outreach activities

Next Steps

Bridgeport and AVID

Advancement Via Individual Determination: a system that utilizes the AVID program to empower students with academic skills, individual determination, and social adaptability leading to college graduation.

AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society.

Student-led Parent Conferences Students present citizenship goals, academic goals, educational

goals, and career goals using the Navigation 101 model.

Students present an electronic portfolio which outlines and discusses these goals.

Parents receive current student grades.

Back-to-School Open Houses -Parents learn about programs and upcoming events at

these functions. -Teachers, counselors, advisors, and administrators are

available at these events for parents to ask questions and address concerns.

Grade Reports Report cards are mailed home to parents every three weeks

showing student progress.

Family Involvement Slide 1 of 3

Parent Action Committee (PAC) and Migrant Meetings

Parents learn about the educational system and opportunities they have available to them to become involved in their students’ education.

Parents are given tools to become more proactive in the school system.

Parents learn about local adult education opportunities where they can take evening courses concerning parenting skills, learning English and pursue a GED for both Washington and Mexico.

Family Leadership Institute

Based on a program by Consuelo Castillo-Kickbusch, retired Army Colonel and President and CEO of Educational Achievement Services, Inc.

The class is taught in English and Spanish and meets twice monthly. The modules cover

Home, self identity, living in two worlds, storytelling and journaling, education, college field trip, improving relationships, facing challenges at home, creating a family action plan, and celebrating academic excellence

The class teaches parents the skills to become better parents and lessons to become better people.

Family Involvement Slide 2 of 3

Parent/Family Nights

Parents learn about:

-specific programs and graduation requirements

-requirements for graduation, state testing requirements, college-in-the-high-school, and Advanced Placement courses

-activities, clubs, and extra curricular opportunities available to their students.

Freshman Orientation

9th grade students attend an orientation in the evening and are required to bring at least one guardian.

Parents & students learn about credits, expectations, opportunities, class offerings, and the 5-year plan

Family Involvement Slide 3 of 3

Bridgeport’s 10th Grade Hispanic WASL/HSPE Scores:

Reading Writing

2011-2012HSPE 77.3% ↑ 88.4% ↑

State Hispanic Average 71.5% 82.0%

2010-2011HSPE 80.0% ↑ 83.7% ↑

State Hispanic Average 69.5% 77.6% 2009-2010HSPE 73.0% ↑ 64.7% ↓

State Hispanic Average 62.1% 75.1%

2008-2009 81.4%↑ 72.7% ↓

State Hispanic Average 71.2% 78.2%

2007-2008 78.8%↑ 78.8% ↑

State Hispanic Average 68.7% 76.1%

2006-2007 80.0% ↑ 80.0% ↑

State Hispanic Average 66.1% 68.6%

2005-2006 56.4%↓ 38.5% ↓

State Hispanic Average 62.6% 59.9%

2004-2005 63.2% ↑ 57.9% ↑

State Hispanic Average 53.1% 43.7%

Hispanic WASL/HSPE Scores

College Course Offerings Bridgeport’s College-in-the-High-School Program in cooperation

with Wenatchee Valley College:

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013

English 101 English 101 English 101 English 101 English 101

English 203 English 203 English 203 English 203 English 203

English 226 English 226 English 226 English 226 English 250 English 250 English 250 English 250

U.S. History 146 U.S. History 146 U.S. History 146

U.S. History 147 U.S. History 147 U.S. History 147

Biology 100 Biology 100

Biology 127 Biology 127

Kinesiology 288 Kinesiology 288

Fitness Lab 262 Fitness Lab 262

Political Science 101 Political Science 101

Political Science 202 Political Science 202

AP Course Offerings

Bridgeport’s Advanced Placement & AVID Program:

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 AP Psychology AP Psychology AP Psychology AP Psychology AP Psychology

AP U.S. History AP U.S. History AP U.S. History AP U.S. History AP U.S. History

AP Spanish Lang. AP Spanish Lang. AP Spanish Lang. AP Spanish Lang. AP Spanish Lang.

AP Biology AP Biology AP Biology AP US Government AP US Government

AP US Government AP US Government AP US Government AP World History AP World History

AP World History AP World History AP Human Geography AP Human Geography

AP Human Geography AP Human Geography AP Calculus AP Calculus

Middle School AVID AP Statistics AP Statistics AP Statistics

Middle School AVID Middle School AVID AP Biology

9th Grade AVID 9th Grade AVID AP Art Studio

AP Microeconomics

Middle School AVID

9th & 10th Grade AVID

Bridgeport Students Taking AP and

College-in-the-High-School Classes

• 2012-2013 Bridgeport High School had 213 students enrolled 9th-12th grades

• 111 individual students took college and/or Advanced Placement classes (52%):

53 students are taking 1 class

35 students are taking 2 classes

22 students are taking 3 classes

8 students are taking 4 classes

2 students are taking 5 classes

*

Vocational Credits Available through

Wenatchee Valley College Bridgeport High School students are able to earn college credit

through Wenatchee Valley College in various vocational courses.

Vocational college credit is awarded through WVC if a student earns a “B” grade or higher in the following courses:

Accounting Digitools

Micro-Computers Intro to Agriculture

Horticulture Welding/ Metals

Small Engines & Automotives *These credits are in addition to the college and AP courses already

listed.

2011 AP® Participation 36 Washington districts had over 30% participating

darkest green indicatesover 30% participationred little or no AP exams

PerformanceScores 3,4,5BainbridgeBellevueBridgeportLake Washington

Mercer IslandOrcasSan Juan IslandShorelineSnoqualmie Valley

Performance

Overall Class Spread

Graduation Year

Number of Graduates

Working Community College

Technical Armed Services

Four Year University

2012 28 12 8 3 1 4

2011 37 3 24 1 0 9

2010 34 12 9 - 1 12

2009 34 9 6 2 4 13

2008 29 14 5 1 3 6

2007 21 8 2 - - 11

Total 183 58 54 7 9 54

63% are attending either a technical school, community college or

four-year university (most students at community colleges are

transferring to four-year universities)

37% are working or in the military

All participating partners share with Bridgeport students that to be successful in life, 21st century students must engage in a higher educational rigor to compete in the global job market.

Guidance Counselor and Advisory Teachers work directly with students in the areas of:

-high school graduation requirements -college & university admissions requirements -student-led conferences -reading and math strategies in Advisory period -creating a 5-year plan (9th grade through post

graduation)

Encouraging Participation Slide 1 of 2

Bridgeport High School College-in-the-High-School and Advanced Placement Alumni:

-speak with students about their experiences as college-in-the-high-school and Advanced Placement students at Bridgeport High School and discuss how these experiences are now benefiting them at the college and university levels

-talk with students about their college experiences and the

importance of grades and studying while still in high school -participate in parent orientation and family nights by

discussing how their high school experience prepared them for higher education and the benefits they have experienced because of their participation in the college-in-the-high-school and Advanced Placement programs

Encouraging Participation Slide 2 of 2

Advisory periods have been implemented to create continuity throughout the school. Students are exposed to skills necessary for their success in more rigorous and challenging courses.

Each student is assigned an advisory teacher who continually monitors students’ academic and graduation goals for all four years.

Progress is reviewed every three weeks with each student to assure progress toward and achievement of goals in these areas. Students are required to keep an electronic portfolio where Navigation 101 curriculum is stored to be shared in student-led parent conferences.

Slide 1 of 2 Advisories

Students attend a daily 25 minute advisory period where all students at each grade level (9-12) cover the same information and the same curriculum.

On Mondays and Wednesdays all students work on a “reading strategy”. On Tuesdays and Thursdays all students are working with the same “math problems”. Fridays are spent reading the newspaper while students meet individually with the advisor.

Reading Strategies: 5W’s

QARs

SQ2R

CSR

Paragraph Shrinking

Slide 2 of 2

Advisories

Newspaper

Day in

Advisory

The

Wenatchee

World

Open-Enrollment is encouraged “to anyone who is willing to take on the challenge and has even a slight chance of being successful. The only thing a student has to do to qualify for Advanced Placement English, for example, is to sign up.”

Westerberg, Tim. (2007). Creating the High Schools of Our Choice. Larchmont N.Y.: Eye on

Education.

Bridgeport ensures that all students interested in taking Advanced Placement courses have every opportunity to enroll in the courses of their choice.

Open Enrollment

Family Information Night –explains benefits of taking college-in-

the-high-school and Advanced Placement courses

College Fairs – on and off campus

College Visits – students visit various college and university campuses

Class Visits –8th and 9th grade students sit-in on various college-in-the-high-school and Advanced Placement courses

AVID Students Shadow - Middle school students are paired with juniors and seniors who follow a rigorous schedule.

Presentations to Middle School – High school students with rigorous course loads give presentations to AVID middle school classes

Recruitment Activities Slide 1 of 2

Alumni Visits – BHS alumni currently enrolled in college speak to groups of students about the benefits of being enrolled in college-in-the-high-school and Advanced Placement courses

College Fridays – Staff and students wear college attire on Fridays to promote higher education.

Advanced Placement T-Shirts – students who complete an Advanced Placement course receive an AP t-shirt to wear the day of the AP exam

Imagine U @ WSU – Bridgeport High School becomes Washington State University for a day (professors, presentations, activities, school spirit)

Recruitment Activities Slide 2 of 2

Alumni Visit

AP U.S. History & AP Biology

AP U.S. Government &

AP Spanish Language

AP World History & AP Psychology

AP Human

Geography

Imagine U @ WSU

On January 9, 2009, in his article “New Data on AP’s Impact” Jay Mathews of the Washington Post quoted two separate studies supporting the idea that taking Advanced Placement courses in high school helps prepare students to be successful in college.

“A study of 78,000 students found college graduation rates much higher for those who, while in high school, took Advanced Placement exams – but failed them – than those who took no AP exams at all.”

Do What Works: How Proven Practices Can Improve America’s Public Schools by Tom Luce and Lee Thompson (2005)

“The (College Board) study compared the college outcomes of AP students who had low SAT scores with the outcomes of non-AP students with low SAT scores, and found the AP students did better. Similarly, AP students from low-income families, who often struggle in college, did better than non-AP students from low-income families.”

College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP high School Experiences by Linda Hargrove, Donn Godin and Barbara Dodd (2008)

Participation in AP and other advanced courses is increasingly being considered formally and informally in college admissions decisions.

College Success Predictors

Dougherty, Mellor, and Jian (2006) explored the effects of AP course participation and AP Examination performance on college completion. They found that students who earned a 3 or better on one or more AP Examinations in the areas of English, mathematics, science, or social studies were more likely to graduate from college in five years or less compared to non-AP students, even after controlling for prior academic achievement and other student-level (e.g., free or reduced price lunch status) and school-level demographic characteristics (e.g., percentage of low income students, district dropout rate).

The same was true for students who earned a 1 or 2 on AP

Examinations and for students who took an AP course but not an exam, although the size of the effect was smaller.

Dougherty, C., Mellor, L., & Jian, S. (2006). The relationship between Advanced Placement and college graduation. (National Center for Educational Accountability: 2005 AP Study Series, Report 1). Austin, Texas: National Center for Educational Accountability.

College Completion

Two studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that the academic intensity of a student’s high school curriculum was highly predictive of college completion.

Adelman, C. (1999). Answers in the tool box: Academic intensity, attendance patterns, and bachelor’s

degree attainment. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.

Adelman, C. (2006). The tool box revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school through

college. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.

Students who take an AP Examination may earn college credit or course exemption if they receive satisfactory exam grades. The American Council on Education recommends that students who earn a grade of 3 or higher on an AP Exam should be awarded credit placement into higher-level courses.

Dodd, B.G., Fitzpatrick, S.J., De Ayala, R.J., & Jennings, J.A. (2002). An investigation of the validity

of AP grades of 3 and a comparison of AP and non-AP student groups. (College Board

Research Report No. 2002-9). New York: The College Board.

AP Rigor

Wenatchee Valley College as a partner in learning to: work in conjunction with Bridgeport High School to award credit for

actual college courses offered on site. conduct Compass assessments for admission into college-in-the-high-

school courses coordinate college visitation experiences maintain articulation agreements between BHS and WVC

The College Board as a partner in learning to: training and professional development for Advanced Placement teachers support through resources and online services

AVID staff development training across the curriculum program monitoring for growth and success of program

Professionals in various fields will:

guest speakers

job shadows

work study opportunities

Partners in Success

Bridgeport High School Awards & Recognition

2011-12 Reward School for Washington State – high progress

school in Top 10% of Title I schools

2011-12 U.S. News & World Report “Best High Schools” Gold Medal Award - Ranked 8th in State of Washington, 233rd in nation, Top 1% in nation

2010, 2011 & 2012 Washington Achievement Award: Extended Graduation Rate

2011 WSASCD State Team Award: Bridgeport HS & Wenatchee Valley College

2011 President Obama’s Race to the Top Commencement Challenge Top 3 Finalist

2009 Washington State Achievement Award: Overall Excellence and Language Art

Contact Information

Bridgeport School District – www.bridgeport.wednet.edu

Tamra Jackson, HS Principal/College Instructor– tjackson@bridgeport.wednet.edu

Jeff Jackson, High School & AP teacher– jjackson@bridgeport.wednet.edu