Central High SchoolA place of change and growth

By Sally Slater

The Mission

StatementIn cooperation with

students, parents, staff, and the community is to guarantee a high

quality education in a safe and orderly environment for all students, inspiring them to

become life-long learners and responsible, productive citizens.

•The first High School in Wyoming (wikipedia, n.d.)

•Founded in 1868 (wikipedia, n.d.)

•Accredited in 1909 (wikipedia, n.d.)

•Central is found in the state capital; Cheyenne

•Enrollment 1100 Students

•Average ACT Composite Score: 21.5

•162 Employees

The History & Facts of

CHS

Structure of Central High

School’s Organization

Professional Learning Community

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) shift the focus of school reform from restructuring to reculturing (Louis, 2006). A PLC is an ongoing process used to establish a school wide culture that develops teacher leadership explicitly focused on building and sustaining school improvement efforts (CCSRI, n.d.).Each department is broken down into sub groups that collaborate on a specific discipline. These sub groups compare data, work on new strategies, develop common assessments, and develop guarantee viable curriculums.

Culture of Central High

SchoolExpectations of Teachers:•Building and sustaining school improvementCall parents if students have a “D” or “F”Report to duty in hallway dailyDress appropriatelyTreat students fairlyUpdate grades regularlyKeep community log and parent contact logTreat students with respectLearning new strategies and techniques

Expectations of Students:Use academic support time when needed

Dress appropriately

Comply with school rules

Treat teachers with respect

Attend school and be on time

Come to school prepared

Culture of Central High

School

A Change at Central High

School

Traditional Schedule vs. Block Schedule

Block Schedule Traditional Schedule

Reduces truancy Daily teacher /student contact

Make school less stressful Make school less stressful

Improves teacher-student relationships

150

Provide time for off-site work experiences

201

Q1 2010 175

A Change at Central High

SchoolBlock Schedule vs. Traditional Schedule

Unified & Fragmented CulturesA unified culture that becomes rigid will resistchange, but trying to change a fragmented cultureIs like trying to herd cats (Beach, 2006).

Video - Interview

Mr. Strannigan, Principal

Curtis, A., (2011, March 17). LCCC to schools: Let’s talk about preparation. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, pg. A3.

Laramie County School District Number One, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.laramie1.org/?sessionid=637ce310f881365db8666a0cf22057d4&t.

Louis, K. S. (2006). Changing the culture of schools: Professional community, organizational learning, and trust. Journal of School Leadership, 16(5), 477-489.

Wikipedia, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_Central_High_School.

References