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800 Magnolia Avenue Piedmont, CA 94611 510.594.2630 www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/phs Table of Contents
1) Preface – Letter from the Principal
2) Chapter I: Student/ Community Profile-Data and Findings i) Demographic Data (a) Community ……………………………………………………. pg. 6-7 (b) WASC History ………………………………………………… pg. 8 (c) School Purpose- Mission Statement and ESLRS ……………... pg. 9-10 (d) Status of school in terms of school performance- AYP ………. pg. 11 (e) Enrollment – grade, gender, ethnicity, special needs: special … pg. 12-13 education, ELL, 504, and MHS (f) Attendance – ADR ……………………………………………. pg. 13-14 (g) Expulsion Rates ………………………………………………. pg. 14 (h) Parent Education Level ……………………………………….. pg. 14 (i) Description of safety conditions ……………………………… pg. 14-15 (j) Staff - number of certified and classified, counselors and …... pg. 15-17 pupil support, percent of highly qualified teachers (NCLB), percent of teachers with emergency permits, number of advanced degrees, years in education within the district and total, CLAD or BTSA teachers, gender, ethnicity, number and assigned paraprofessional meeting NCLB (k) Staff Development ……………………………………………. pg. 17 (l) Student Participation in co-Curricular activities and extra …… pg. 17-18 curricular activities (m) District Policies- Expenditure per pupil ……………………… pg. 18 ii) Student Performance Data (a) API – include subgroups, ethnic groups, school ranking …….. pg. 19 (b) CST – by year and grade level ……………………………….. pg. 20-24 (c) CAHSEE – and progressive numbers of students passing …… pg. 25-26 11th and 12th grade levels including SPED (d) CELDT – result numbers and percent of students at each …… pg. 27 proficiency level. (e) SAT …………………………………………………………... pg. 28 (f) AP – number enrolled percentage taking the exam and ……... pg. 29 percentage passing the exam (g) Meeting U.C. requirements A-G – number of student ………. pg. 30 meeting the requirement (h) Algebra by grade level – number of student taking algebra … pg. 30 by grade level (at least 3 years of data) (i) Exception Report ……………………………………………. pg. 31 (j) Completion Rate- Graduation rates, drop-out rate, post- …… pg. 32-33 enrollment data, Matriculation list (k) Faculty average G.P.A. ……………………………………... pg. 34 (l) Discipline: Suspensions and Referrals …………………….... pg. 35-36
1 3) Chapter II: Student/ Community Profile- Overall summary from Analysis of Profile Data i) Implications of the data with respect to student performance ……… pg. 38 ii) Questions Raised by the analysis of the student performance ……... pg. 38-40 and demographic data iii) Critical Academic Needs correlated to the Expected Schoolwide …. pg. 40 Learning Results 4) Chapter III: Progress Report i) Significant development that have had a major impact on the …….. pg. 42 school or specific curricular programs since the last full visit ii) School procedures for the implication and monitoring of the ……… pg. 43-44 schoolwide action plan iii) Report on accomplishment of each of the schoolwide action plan … pg. 44-55 (a) Collaboration Theme ………………………………………. pg. 45-49 (b) Staff Development Theme ………………………………… pg. 49-51 (c) Outreach Theme …………………………………………… pg. 51-53 (d) Environment Theme ………………………………………. pg. 53-55
5) Chapter IV: Self-Study Findings i) Organization: Vision and Purpose, Governance, Leadership …….. pg. 57-62 and Staff, and Resources ii) Standards-Based Student Learning: Curriculum …………………. pg. 63-67 iii) Standards-Based Student Learning: Instruction ………………….. pg. 68-72 iv) Standards-Based Student Learning: Assessment and ……………. pg. 73-76 Accountability v) School Culture and Support for Student and Personal and ……… pg. 77-83 Academic Growth
6) Chapter V: Schoolwide Action Plan i) Action Plan Themes …………………………………………….. pg. 85 ii) Action Plan ……………………………………………………… pg. 86-104 iii) Follow-up Process ……………………………………………… pg. 105
7) Appendix i) Year at a glance ……………………………………………….. pg. 106 ii) Bell Schedule ………………………………………………….. pg. 107 iii) Graduation Requirements ……………………………………... pg. 108 iv) Results of Student Survey …………………………………….. pg. 109-132 v) Summary of Parent Survey …………………………………… pg. 133-140
2 Preface
“The merger (that of Disney & Pixar) is interesting and potentially a source of radical change. It reminds us that we carve the future into predictable chunks not because the past suggests that is accurate or a rationale projection of the past into the future, but because we cannot help trying to create predictability in an otherwise unpredictable world. So, this has mostly challenged people’s sense of predictability of the future and then returned them to an appreciation for the stark unknowableness of what is coming. And once again, people comfortable with shaping the present should not fear what the future will bring, because they are the bringers.” – Randy Nelson, Dean of Education, Pixar University.
From predictability to “unknowableness,” Piedmont Unified School District has undergone an enormous amount of administrative change over the past six years. As we face the opportunity to shape the present, I am reminded of the pillars that secure Piedmont’s foundation: community, collaboration, respect, and honor.
When I arrived in the Fall of 2003, I replaced 15-year veteran, Assistant Principal, Mr. Dennis Creek. He, along with 15-year veteran, Principal, Ms. Pamela Bradford, shaped Piedmont High School’s academic and extra-curricular standards and culture. They hired nearly 99% of the teaching and classified staff and over the years presented nearly 3000 diplomas to a remarkably high achieving student body. That Fall, as I donned my purple and white, Ms. Constance Hubbard was selected to replace retiring 16-year veteran, superintendent, Ms. Gail Uilkema. At the same time, Mr. Michael Brady was hired to replace Mr. Kenneth Yale as the Principal at Millennium High School (Alternative Education) and Dr. Richard Green was named Assistant Superintendent. The Fall of 2003 brought four new administrators to support students, faculty, and staff of Piedmont.
Now fast-forward to the Spring of 2005. Ms. Pamela Bradford, 17-year veteran Principal of PHS, announced her retirement. Mr. Michael Brady transitioned to the role of Adult School Principal and Ms. Jamie Adams became the new Millennium High School Principal. To begin the 2005-2006 school year, PHS Assistant Principal Ms. Karen Gnusti took a 40% leave, I was named the new PHS Principal, and Ms. Terry Georgeson was hired to fill my vacancy as the new full-time Assistant Principal. Also, 27-year veteran teacher, Mr. Richard Kitchens was hired as a 20% Assistant Principal at PHS.
As we enter into the final stages of the 2005-2006 school year, we again face the unpredictability of change. Superintendent Ms. Constance Hubbard initiated District Administrative Reorganization beginning in the Fall of 2006. Two assistant superintendent positions are established with the announced retirement of 36-year veteran Piedmont Educator and Administrator, Dr. Richard Green: Assistant Superintendent of Business Services (Mr. Michael Brady, current Adult School Principal) and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services (Mr. David Roth, current Director of Special Education). Two Directorships are established: Director of Student Services (Ms. Brooke Zimmerman, current Piedmont Middle School Assistant Principal) and Director of Alternative Education (Ms. Karen Gnusti, current PHS Assistant Principal). With the vacancy left by Ms. Gnusti, we named Mr. Richard Kitchens as 100% PHS Assistant Principal. As we enter into the 2006-2007 school year, the PHS
3 administrative team is comprised of Mr. Randall Booker, Principal, and Ms. Terry Georgeson, Mr. Richard Kitchens, Assistant Principals. Although these changes affect the high school administrative staffing, they ultimately better support our students and the high school community.
Despite the numerous changes, student achievement at PHS has remained consistent. We continue to send over 95% of our students to post-secondary education and average over 900 on the API ranking. Our students and staff continue to excel amongst the sea of change.
Looking forward, the key to our success lies in our ability to actively listen to the needs of our community and effectively communicate the appropriate steps to achieve what is best for all students. As the educational leader, I believe we must focus our efforts to improve the way we collaborate and communicate as a community. Our Self-Study essentially highlights this need both in process and in outcome. Although our collaboration during the Self-Study process could have been more comprehensive, I believe that it is not a reflection of interest, rather a symptom of the difficulties we have faced during this time of extreme change.
With many years of educating students in the Piedmont Community ahead of me, I am consistently reminded that our strength lies within our ability to collaborate. Whether this comes in the form of teachers meeting with parents or students sharing ideas with the administration, we will value their voice and the academic wealth that is accumulated though our dialogue.
I am proud of the accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff and am thankful for the support of our parent community. Piedmont High School is an excellent educational institution where students come to learn and teachers practice their vocation. As a community we “achieve the honorable.”
“The goal of collaboration is not merely to get the cooperation needed to do something that intuition tells us might be easier if only my collaborators would go away. The real heart of collaboration is really co-leader-ation, where the goal of leadership is not to lead but to arrive at shared goals based on a well-articulated shared vision. The goal of collaboration is to enable leadership throughout the organization, through richly shared information, goals, and vision.
Each one leads while still requiring the “real” leader’s voice in setting destination and purpose, while individual collaborators craft appropriate responses to the everyday problem, conditioned by the leader’s articulation of vision.” – Randy Nelson, Dean of Education, Pixar University.
Sincerely,
Randall Booker, Principal
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5 Chapter 1 Student/ Community Profile and Supporting Data and Findings
i) Demographic Data
(a) Community Profile Piedmont High School is a small comprehensive high school located in the East Bay hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. The single high school in the Piedmont Unified School District, it has one feeder middle school located on an adjoining campus. Millennium High School, an alternative school program, shares the campus as do the district administrative offices. The facility itself was constructed in 1921, was reconstructed in 1976, weathered building closure over a period of a year due to structural damage discovered in 1986 and underwent significant reconstruction to address growth between 1995 and 1998. The city of Piedmont sustains a strong sense of community. Primarily residential in character the community supports a few small businesses; the residents are principally professional and business executives. The population earns a high per capita income and is stable.
City residents as well as the school parent population have a history of raising funds through special campaigns and regular passage of both tax and bond measures. The community, during the June 2005 election, passed two separate parcel taxes to support the schools by the largest margin in the history of California.
There is a steady priority to maintain educational programs and services and to upgrade or expand school facilities. Parent participation in school activities is extensive; parents and community members have developed a variety of support organizations for academics, athletics, visual arts, performing arts, Special Education and a community-wide educational foundation:
The Parent’s Club - supports staff development, student activity programs, the college and career center, and a variety of course offerings. CHIME (Citizens Highly Interested in Music Education) - actively funds and supports performing arts education, including instrumental, vocal, dramatic, and dance for Piedmont’s students. PAINTS (Promote Art in the Schools) - a non-profit membership organization of parents and community members whose mission is to promote visual arts by providing a forum for parents, teachers, and administrators to focus a coordinated art curriculum throughout the district. PAAC (Piedmont Asian American Club) - a non-profit membership organization of parents and community members whose mission is to sponsor educational programs aimed at promoting cultural awareness, encouraging diversity, and providing a forum for Asian American issues in Piedmont. The Athletic Boosters Club - supports the interscholastic athletic program with finances and parent volunteers. The Piedmont Diversity Committee - promotes awareness, understanding, and appreciation of both differences and commonalities among students, staff, and community. The committee offers grants to
6 teachers, students, and staff for school programs and produces free community events and a bi-monthly film series. PRAISE (Piedmonters for Resources, Advocacy, Information in Special Education) - actively supports and funds education for students, parents, teachers, and specialists involved with special education. Their mission is to promote awareness, understanding, and appreciation of learning differences among students, educators, administrators, parents, and the community. The Piedmont Educational Foundation - promotes educational excellence in schools through grants made by the Board in response to requests from individual teachers, school sites, and the District using individual donations, income from the Endowment Fund, corporate matches, and Dress Best for Less. College & Career Center - The College & Career Center is an information resource center of Piedmont High School's Counseling Office. Created in the late 1960’s by a volunteer group of interested parents, the Center Director and supplies are funded by the PHS Parents Club. Beginning in 1997, the Piedmont City parcel tax funds the College & Career Center Coordinator.
The PHS College & Career Center is located next to the Counseling Office adjacent to the library. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during school days.
Students and parents are encouraged to use the many resources at the Center. The Center offers information and resources in the following areas:
1. Colleges & universities 2. Career interests 3. College selection guidelines 4. Financial aid and scholarship opportunities 5. Testing registration 6. Community service opportunities 7. Job listings 8. Local, national & international summer programs
The Center hosts visits by college admissions officers who meet with junior and senior students. On-campus information programs such as annual College Orientation Night, case study night, returning grad night, and Parents Panel are offered by the College & Career Center to PHS students and parents.
Volunteerism extends to the daily staffing of the College and Career Center and the Food Service Program. Parents voice high expectations for a college preparatory education program and a wide range of extra-curricular programs, particularly including the performing and visual arts, athletics, and community service.
7 (b) WASC Accreditation History
Piedmont High School received a six-year accreditation in the Spring of 1994 and followed with a six-year accreditation in the Spring 2000. PHS received a special visit that occurred in the Spring of 2001 and a midterm visit during the 2002-2003 school year.
PHS submitted a Special Visit Report describing the school’s follow-up process. This report was written by the Principal based on input from the School Advisory Board (SAC). This council was composed of department chairpersons, area leaders, and administrators. After the WASC visit in 2000, the SAC identified issues in the visiting team report that would show progress and made recommendations seen as pivotal in creating a climate and a level of morale that would spur further productive follow-up. The Visiting Committee was pleased to see evidence of a concerted effort on part of the school to address the recommendations left by the previous visiting team.
8 (c) School Purpose- Mission Statement and ESLR’s
PUSD Mission Statement
Piedmont Unified, an exemplary school district committed to public education, is dedicated to developing independent learners who are responsible, competent, collaborative, compassionate, and intellectually curious with a strong sense of self and community. Through quality instruction and shared leadership, the district will impart knowledge and promote creative and critical thinking in a safe, nurturing, and challenging environment.
PHS Mission Statement
It is the mission of Piedmont High School to provide quality preparation that challenges students to achieve honorably and realize their present and future potential. Four assets support this mission and high academic standards:
¾ A qualified, inventive and student-oriented staff; ¾ A generous, involved and supportive parent community; ¾ A K-8 program that prepares students effectively for the rigors of high school; ¾ A bright and motivated student body of high schoolers who are diverse in their talents and their contributions to our educational setting.
PHS School Motto
“Achieve the Honorable,” the long-standing motto of Piedmont High school means that all students demonstrate academic and personal integrity in their work. Being honest in all situations promotes learning, supports growth in intellect as well as character, and signifies each student’s responsibility to respect peers, teachers, staff, and the administration.
9 Expected Schoolwide Learning Results – ESLRs
Piedmont High School will prepare graduates to be:
1) Able communicators who: a) convey information and ideas to others integrating oral, written and research skills b) listen objectively and empathetically to the ideas of others c) use a variety of means and resources to structure and present logical arguments d) demonstrate thoughtful applications of current technologies
2) Complex and creative thinkers who: a) apply a wide range of problem-solving skills to real life situations b) access information from a variety of sources, evaluate it and use it to produce quality work c) analyze, evaluate, interpret, and synthesize information suitably in various contexts, applying new technologies when appropriate d) integrate information into a finished piece of quality work e) express themselves creatively and artistically f) develop original solutions and ideas in response to questions or circumstances
3) Collaborative workers who: a) use appropriate leadership skills to foster, develop, and maintain relations within diverse settings b) establish and achieve challenging but realistic common goals with others c) appreciate various viewpoints and belief systems d) solve problems successfully within a group process
4) Self-directed life-long learners who: a) effectively understand themselves, assess their needs, and apply appropriate strategies including technology to learn new concepts and skills b) demonstrate self-discipline and perseverance in accomplishing challenging but realistic goals for themselves c) evaluate and improve upon their own work and continually maintain high standards d) set priorities, organize themselves and their work, and use time effectively e) demonstrate a strong sense of self-worth and confidence
5) Contributors to their community who: a) demonstrate a global knowledge that fosters tolerance and appreciation for individual differences b) volunteer their time, energies, and talents to improve the quality of life in local and global communities c) act with personal integrity and compassion, and show an appreciation of social ethics in diverse settings d) respect diversity including gender, culture, race, sexual orientation, religion, and socioeconomic status e) act responsibly and accept responsibility for their own actions f) practice ethical behavior in regard to the use of information and information technology
6) Capable citizens who: a) demonstrate a common core of knowledge in mathematics, science, language arts, social science, foreign language, fine arts, and computer applications that promotes their ability to understand, participate in, and enhance the community in which they live demonstrate achievement of district and state standards
10 (d) Status of school in terms of school performance-Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
Under the federal government’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Accountability system, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Piedmont High School met all ten of the 2005 AYP criteria targets: CAHSEE participation rates, Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO), API, and graduation rate. Over the first four years of federal AYP accountability, Piedmont High School has met all of its targets.
AYP Components Met 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 AYP Criteria Participation Rate ………………Yes Yes Yes Yes Percent Proficient (AMOs) ………Yes Yes Yes Yes API as additional indicator ………Yes Yes Yes Yes Graduation Rate ………………Yes Yes Yes Yes
Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) English Language Arts Percent Proficient
100 98 96.4 95.2 95.3 95 94.3 94.2 92.9 92.4 92.7 2005 90.9 91.5 90 2004 87.5 2003 85 2002 80
75 Schoolwide Asian White
Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) Math Percent Proficient
100 98 95.1 95 92.5 92.8 93.3 2005 90 89.2 88.6 88.6 2004 87.3 85.9 85.3 85.4 2003 85 2002 80
75 Schoolwide Asian White
11 (e) Enrollment Data – gender, grade, ethnicity, special need: special education, ELL, 504, MHS and AP/ honors
Piedmont High School is a college preparatory public school with approximately 864 students. The student body is comprised of 69% white, 23% Asian, 3% Hispanic, 3% African-American, and 1% Pacific Islander, and 1% Filipino students. In 1994, the enrollment at PHS was 584; the 2000 enrollment was 851. The student population has remained consistently divided by gender at approximately 50% male and female.
Student Enrollment by Gender and Grade – 2005 - 2006
70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% Males 30.0% Females 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Class of 2006 Class of 2007 Class of 2008 Class of 2009
Student Ethnicity – 2005 - 2006
70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% PHS 30.0% PUSD 20.0% County 10.0% State 0.0% Amer. Asian Pacific Filipino Hispanic African White Indian Islander Amer.
Students with special needs include those with learning disabilities and a small population of English Learners. The Learning Center serves 90 students with active IEPs due to diagnosed disabilities. All of these students are mainstreamed and enrolled primarily in one Learning Center period for academic support; a small percentage of students have two classes of the Learning Center. The Resource Specialist staffing has increased by three sections to 4.0 FTE since the 2000 accreditation and three classrooms are dedicated to the Learning Center Program. Fifteen students qualify for regular education accommodations under Section 504 and 5 students were designated English Learners. While English Learners are mostly mainstreamed there is one period of instruction for English Learners.
12 Special Education Enrollment Percentages (10% of the total population)
14%
12% PHS 10% PUSD 8% Alameda County 6% California 4%
2%
0% SPED '05 - '06 SPED '04 - '05 SPED '03 - '04 SPED '01 - '02
Millennium High School
The district's alternative high school, Millennium High School (MHS), is housed on the Piedmont High School campus. Approximately 27 of the 65 MHS students are enrolled from PHS. This is a drop from 2003-2004 when 45 students where enrolled. These students are in grades 10-12; occasionally a 9th grade student is enrolled, under special circumstances. MHS students may concurrently enroll in classes at PHS.
(f) Attendance
The school population is non-transient. The daily student attendance rate remains stable at approximately 97%. While absences due to illness or family affairs are in the normal range, Independent Study Contracts are used significantly for college visits and family trips.
Comparing Attendance Reports #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10 for the ’04-’05 school year
100 #1 99.5 #2 99 98.7 98.698.7 98.5 98.4 98.5 #3 98.2 98.2 98.3 98 97.9 97.9 98 97.8 97.7 97.8 97.7 #4 97.5 97.6 97.5 97.497.3 97.2 97.1 97.1 97 97 96.9 97 96.9 #5 96.7 96.6 96.6 96.5 96.496.4 96.596.4 #6 96.1 96 96 95.8 #7 95.5 95.4 95 95 94.8 #8 94.5 #9 94 92.3 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade #10
13 Comparing Average Attendance Percentage Rates
100 99 97.4 '04 - '05 98 96.8 96.9 '03 - '04 97 '02 - '03 96 95 Average Positive Attendance Percentage
(g) Expulsion rate disaggregated- Piedmont Unified School District has not expelled a student in the last 6 years.
(h) Parent Education Level 3% 3% 1% Graduate School 22% College Graduate 68% Some College High School Graduate Not a High School Graduate Declined to State
(i) Description of safety conditions and cleanliness and facilities
Over four years ago, citizens requested that the District conduct a Tier I screening of our school buildings, applying current standards to evaluate how school buildings would perform in a major earthquake. Since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, there have been major advancements in building engineering and an increased understanding about how buildings behave in major earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater. The findings from the initial screening were presented to the PUSD Board of Education in 2004 by community volunteers Janiele Maffei-Yovani and John Sumnicht. Based on the report, the PUSD Board of Education made a decision to develop a multi-year plan to improve identified weaknesses in our District’s facilities. Out of fourteen buildings or areas on school campuses that were screened, eight were recommended for further study (three of which are PHS facilities).
Guided by input from the Division of the State Architects (DSA) during the Summer of 2005, the PUSD Board of Education entered into a contract with ATI Architects and Engineers and Vila Construction to conduct a more detailed and comprehensive district-wide seismic evaluation of the buildings identified in the initial screening, and a review of all school buildings and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Law (ADA).
At the beginning of the 2005 – 2006 school year, the seismic evaluation (now called the Seismic Risk Reduction Program [SRRP]) identified the Piedmont High School 30’s Building Complex (30’s Classrooms, Library, Counseling Offices), the Alan Harvey Theatre, and the Student Center as needing significant seismic strengthening and ADA attention. Although all of the high school buildings are currently in legal compliance, problems have been identified to the tune of
14 over 15 million dollars. The cost reflects both the work needed to bring our buildings to a state of “life-safe” and the accessibility improvements that would be required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. If the Board of Education moves forward to make improvements, the seismic fixes would not make the buildings earthquake-proof, rather deem them “life-safe” (the ability to exit the building after a major [7.0+]) earthquake). Again, the preliminary total cost opinion for the work at Piedmont High School tops over 15 million dollars, while the total project for the district soars to over 46 million dollars.
Much of the seismic deficiencies in the 30’s building and the Alan Harvey Theatre have to do with the construction of the support pillars and roof. Although at the time, these were constructed within the parameters of the legal specifications, today engineers simply understand more about the effects of earthquakes to major facilities.
Concerned Piedmont Citizens have placed Measure E on the March 7, 2006 ballot in order to float bonds to pay for such an enormous facility upgrade. If voters approve a local general obligation bond measure, the district will apply for state-matching funds to complete the work in stages over the next 3-5 years.
(j) Staff Information
Piedmont High School has 30 full-time teachers and 27 part-time teachers, 3 full-time counselors, a full-time librarian and a technology coordinator. The administrative team consists of the principal and 1.8 assistant principals (1 full-time and 2 part-time, 60% and 20% respectively).
Teacher Credential – (41 teachers hold CLAD or SB395 Certificate)
60 56 52 50 45 '04 - '05 40 '03 - '04 30 '02 - '03 20 10 1 0 3 002 0 2 3 0 Full Credential Univ. Intern Pre-Intern Emergency The majority of the teachers are Caucasian; 2 teachers are Asian.
Number of Faculty Members by Ethnicity
60 54 53 51
40 '04 - '05 '03 - '04 20 '02 - '03
1 2 1 110 110 0 Asian Filipino Hispanic White
15 In each of the last three years, there has been approximately 20% change-over in the teaching staff, due chiefly to increasing enrollment but also as a result of attrition. 21 members of the certificated staff hold Master's Degrees and 4 teachers hold a Doctorate.
Staff Education
30 28 25 24 '04 - '05 20 17 17 18 15 15 '03 - '04 10 10 8 '02 - '03 7 6 5 444 4 1 0 Doctorate Master's Master's Bachelor's Bachelor's Degree +30 Degree Degree +30 Degree
All probationary and tenured teachers are fully credentialed in their subject areas. Only one is working under an emergency credential. The district's staffing ratio is 28:1 but there are certain differentials applied. Class Size Reduction funds provide for a 20:1 ratio in 9th Grade English and in Algebra I for 9th graders. City Parcel Tax allocations provide for a 24:1 ratio in all other English classes Grades 10 to 12.
Avg. Years Teaching Avg. Years in District # of First Yr # of Second Yr Teachers Teachers ’04 – ‘05 13.2 9 4 1 ’03 – ‘04 12.7 8.6 1 1 ’02 – ‘03 12.3 8.5 1 4
The staff has 49 NCLB qualified teachers with the Counselors, Computer, Physical Education and Social Psychology faculty not in need to qualify (5 Teachers are enrolled in the BTSA Program). Four Special Education teachers, we qualified through the “House” process. The counseling ratio has remained constant between 277-303 students per counselor over the last three years. Instructional periods are available for the Activities Director and the Women's and Men's Athletic Directors. The district provides a part-time Nurse, a full-time Psychologist and part-time Speech/Language and Hearing Specialists to support 6 sites. The classified support staff is comprised of a College/Career Center Coordinator, 7 Instructional Aides for Special Education, a full-time Registrar, a full-time Attendance Clerk, two part-time main office secretaries, a part-time Data Processing Secretary, a full-time campus supervisor, 5 FTE Custodians and one full-time Library Clerk. All paraprofessionals meet NCLB requirements. The ethnicity of the classified support staff is predominantly Caucasian; among the secretarial and custodial staff, there are two staff members who are African-American, two who are Asian and three who are Hispanic.
16 Staff Education Number of Classified Members by Ethnicity
15 12 11 11 10 '04 - '05 9 '03 - '04 6 4 '02 - '03 3 3 22 222 22 0 Asian Hispanic African American White
(k) Staff development – Annual schoolwide staff development is included in chapter 3 in order to demonstrate its relevance to school wide themes. Through Parent’s Club funding, whole departments have been allowed to take release time to work on curriculum development. Examples would be English, Science, Foreign Language, and Computers. Parent’s Club funding also offered support for individual teachers to attend subject matter workshops. Again examples would be California Music Educators conference, Asilomar Math conference, FLANC conference in Foreign Language, Guidance counselor workshops for CSU and UC systems, AP Workshops, California Council for Social Studies Conference, Model Arts programs workshops, California Science Teachers Association conference, BTSA training workshops, California Schools Library Association conference, American Association of Theatre Educators conference and CLAD training
(l) Student Participation in Co-Curricular activities and extra curricular activities
Piedmont High School students participate in a wide range of extra curricular activities for a relatively small student body. Opportunities include vocal and instrumental music performing groups, drama, dance, speech and debate, athletics, and community service. Athletes participate on 45 teams supervised by both a Men's Athletic Director and a Women's Athletic Director. Many students participate in club sports out of season or sports not offered by the school including crew, rugby, fencing, and gymnastics.
Athletic Programs
Fall Sports Winter Sports Spring Sports Football - 90 Boy’s Basketball - 38 Baseball - 38 Cheerleading - 20 Girl’s Basketball - 21 Softball - 30 Cross Country -51 Boy’s Soccer - 37 Track & Field 115 Boy’s Waterpolo - 28 Girl’s Soccer - 32 Swimming 40 Girl’s Waterpolo - 26 Boy’s Golf 21 Girl’s Golf - 9 Boy’s Tennis 29 Girl’s Tennis - 30 Girl’s Lacrosse - 21 Girl’s Volleyball - 24 Boy’s Lacrosse - 42
17 Slightly more than two hundred students per year report community service hours through the community service recognition program maintained by the College Center and Guidance Department. Students maintain several service clubs on campus annually in addition to participating in school-wide service projects. The School Climate Committee sponsors a Peer Tutor Program; volunteers tutor students from PHS and Piedmont Middle School. Outside of the service clubs, the Asian Student Union, the Gay Straight Alliance, and the Key Club are the most active of the student managed school clubs.
Active Student Clubs
Anime Club Guitar Player’s Club Troubadours Asian Student Union Junior State of America YES Club Berkeley Rep Teen Council Key Club Youth & Gov. Book Club Live Music Club Venturing Club Black Student Union Mathletes Breakerz Club Community Service Motor Sport Club Club Music Club Current Events Club PAWS Debate Society Piedmont Film Club Gay Straight Alliance Reading Buddies Green Club Sunday Sandwiches
(m) District Policies- Expenditure per pupil
CURRENT EXPENSE OF EDUCATION PER ADA (Per Educat ion Code Section 41372) Piedmont City Unified, 2003-04
By law, the "current expense of education" must be calculated annually for every district; it is a measure of the cost of direct educational services to students. This figure is then matched with average daily attendance(ADA) for the district to arrive at an expenditure per pupil figure. Since the Current Expense figure excludes food services, facilities acquisition and construction, and certain other expenditures, the current expense per ADA amount is lower than the total expenditure per ADA shown in the table above.
Statewide Avg Statewide Avg Piedmont City Unified All Unified Districts All Districts
Average Daily Total Dollars Attendance $ / Student (ADA) $ / Student (ADA) $ / Student (ADA)
$22,302,064 2,542 $8,772 $6,983 $6,919
Pop-trends Source: California Department of Education, School Fiscal Services Division - J200/SACS Reports.
18 (ii) Student Perform ance Data
(a) Academic Performa nce Index (API) School Report
Piedmont High School’s API growth score has increased by 23 points over the past four years with scores of 902 (2002), 900 (2003), 894 (2004), and 925 (2005). Both Statewide Rank and the Similar School Rank have remained 10 and 10 respectively.
Base Reports
2005 API: 925 2004 API: 894 2003 API: 900 2002 API: 902
Ranks Targets 2005 Statewide Rank 10 ’05 – ’06 Growth Target A 2005 Similar School Rank 10 ’05 – ’06 API Target A 2004 Statewide Rank 10 ’04 – ’05 Growth Targ e t A 2004 Similar School Rank 10 ‘04 – ’05 API Target A
2003 Statewide Rank 10 ’03 – ’04 Growth Target A 2003 Similar School Rank 10 ’03 – ’04 API Target A 2002 Statewide Rank 10 ’02 – ’03 Growth Target A 2002 Similar School Rank 10 ’02 – ’03 API Target A (A: means the school scored at or above the statewide performance target of 800)
API S ubgro ups
950 942 940 932 930 925 2005 920 915 2004 910 909 2003 900902 900 902 900 899 897 2002 894 890 880 Schoolwide Asian White
19 (b) California Standards Test 2004-2005, 2003-2004, 2002 – 2003 CST – English Language Arts For 2005, 2004, and 2003 STAR, approximately 86% of students scored proficient or advanced on the California Standards-based Tests (CST) in English Language Arts.
English Language Arts – Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 9th: 220(96.1%) 9th: 232 (95.5%) 9th: 217(95%) 10th: 213(92.2%) 10th: 206 (91.2%) 10th: 200(90%) 11th: 188(83.6%) 11th: 104 (47.3%) 11th: 139(62%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
9th grade
100 % Advanced 80 69 % Proficient 63 60 56 % Basic 40 31 27 % Below Basic 21 20 7 9 10 % Far Below Basic 11 3 1 1 0 0 2005-9th 2004-9th 2003-9th
10th grade
100 % Advanced 80 67 % Proficient 59 60 55 % Basic 40 % Below Basic 24 23 24 20 14 6 8 % Far Below Basic 11 1 3 3 0 0 2005-10th 2004-10th 2003-10th 11th grade
100 % Advanced 80 % Proficient 60 56 58 49 % Basic 36 40 31 25 % Below Basic 20 13 11 7 % Far Below Basic 2 3 2 5 1 3 0 2005 - 11th 2004 - 11th 2003 - 11th
20 CST – Geometry For 2005, 2004, and 2003 STAR, approximately 81% of 9th grade students scored proficient or advanced on the California Standards-based Tests (CST) in Geometry. Approximately 25% of 10th grade students scored proficient or advanced.
2005 2004 2003 9th: 119(52%) 9th: 135 (55.6%) 9th: 135(59%) 10th: 77(33.3%) 10th: 63 (27.9%) 10th: 57(26%) (above perce n tages indicate participation rate)
100 % Advanced 80 % Proficient
60 55 56 49 % Basic 4244 40 40 38 31 % Below Basic 27 29 26 29 27 22 20 20 13 16 11 8 % Far Below Basic 2 4 3 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2005 - 9th 2004 - 9th 2003 - 9th 2005 - 10th 2004 - 10th 2003 - 10th
CST – Algebra I & II For 2005, 2004, and 2003 STAR, approximately 32% of 9th grade students scored proficient or advanced on the California Standards-based Tests (CST) in Algebra I. Approximately 52% of 10th grade students scored proficient or advanced in Algebra II, while approximately 11% of 11th grade students scored proficient or advanced in Algebra II.
Algebra 1 Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 9th: 89(38.9%) 9th: 86 (35.4%) 9th: 70(31%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
100 % Advanced 80 % Proficient 60 51 47 47 % Basic 40 31 30 30 % Below Basic 18 19 20 14 % Far Below Basic 1 2 2 2 1 3 0 2005 - 9th 2004 - 9th 2003 - 9th
21 Algebra II Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 10th: 129(55.8%) 10th : 129 (57.1%) 10th: 117(53%) 11th: 47(20.9%) 11th : 26 (11.8%) 11th: 38(17%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
100 % Advanced 80 % Proficient 60 47 47 50 % Basic 4243 43 45 40 35 29 28 27 % Below Basic 23 20 19 19 18 21 11 11 11 9 6 % Far Below Basic 5 5 2 5 0 0 0 0 00 2005 - 10th 2004 - 10th 2003 - 10th 2005 - 11th 2004 - 11th 2003 - 11th
CST – Summative Mathematics For 2003 STAR, 85% of 10th grade students scored proficient or advanced in Summative Mathematics, while in 2003,2004, and 2005 approximately 68% of 11th grade students proficient or advanced.
High School (Summative) Mathematics Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 10th: 0 10th: 0 10th: 13(6%) 11th: 121(53.8%) 11th: 62 (28.2%) 11th: 81(36%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
100 % Advanced 80 % Proficient 62 60 55 49 % Basic 45 40 % Below Basic 23 25 24 23 25 20 15 18 10 % Far Below Basic 8 8 6 2 3 0 00 0 2005 - 10th 2004 - 10th 2003 - 10th 2005 - 11th 2004 - 11th 2003 - 11th
22 CST – Integrated Science I & II For 2003, 2004, and 2005 STAR, 62% of 9th grade students scored proficient or advanced in Integrated Science I, while in 2003, 2004, and 2005 approximately 72% of 10th grade students proficient or advanced in Integrated Science II.
Integrated Science I (’03, ’04) & Earth Science (’05) - Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 9th: 220(96.1%) 9th: 229 (94.2%) 9th: 213(93%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
% Advanced 60 46 45 43 40 44 41 % Proficient 40 % Basic 20 14 6 10 % Below Basic 2 1 4 0 22 0 % Far Below Basic 2005 - 9th 2004 - 9th 2003 - 9th
Integrated Science II (’03,’04) & Life Sciences (’05) - Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 10th: 207(89.6%) 10th: 195 (86.3%) 10th: 186(84%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
% Advanced 60 49 51 43 42 % Proficient 40 35 % Basic 21 23 20 14 11 % Below Basic 00 33 22 0 % Far Below Basic 2005 - 10th 2004 - 10th 2003 - 10th
CST – Chemistry For 2003, 2004, and 2005 STAR, 72% of 11th grade students scored proficient or advanced in Chemistry. Chemistry Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 11th: 142(63.1%) 11th: 76 (34.5%) 11th: 100(44%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
% Advanced 60 43 % Proficient 37 41 40 32 34 35 27 % Basic 20 16 15 7 % Below Basic 1 1 5 3 4 0 % Far Below Basic 2005 - 11th 2004 - 11th 2003 - 11th
23 CST – U.S. History For 2003, 2004, and 2005 STAR, 86% of 11th grade students scored proficient or advanced in U.S. History.
. United States History Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 11th: 180(80%) 11th: 100 (45.5%) 11th: 149(66%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
70 63 60 58 56 % Advanced 50 % Proficient 40 % Basic 30 28 29 24 20 % Below Basic 10 11 10 10 3 1 11 3 2 % Far Below Basic 0 2005 - 11th 2004 - 11th 2003 - 11th
CST – World History For 2003, 2004, and 2005 STAR, 86% of 10th grade students scored proficient or advanced in World History.
. World History Students Tested 2005 2004 2003 10th: 211(91.3%) 10th : 205 (90.7%) 10th: 192(86%) (above percentages indicate participation rate)
70 66 60 60 55 % Advanced 50 % Proficient 40 % Basic 30 29 27 21 20 % Below Basic 12 9 9 10 % Far Below Basic 2 1 1 2 3 2 0 2005 - 10th 2004 - 10th 2003 - 10th
24 (c) California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)
For the 2002, 2003, 2004. and 2005 CAHSEE, 98% of PHS students passed on the first attempt. Although Alameda County and the State of California’s passing averages have been on the rise, PHS students are passing the CAHSEE consistently with at least a 22% margin as compared to the rest of the state.
Perce ntage of Students Passing (C AHS E E) Mathematics
100 98 98 95 97 90 80 76 74 70 63 PHS 60 60 Alameda County 50 49 State 43 40 38 32 30 20 2005 2004 2003 2002
Percentage of Students Passing (CAHSEE) English Language Arts
100 98 99 98 100 90 80 76 75 69 70 68 66 65 PHS 60 58 54 Alameda County 50 State 40 30 20 2005 2004 2003 2002
25 California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) – Special Education Students
For the 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 CAHSEE, 87% of PHS students designated as Special Education passed on the first attempt. Although Alameda County and the State of California’s passing averages have been on the rise, PHS students designated as Special Education are passing the CAHSEE consistently with at least a 50% margin as compared to the rest of the state.
Percentage of SPED Students Passing (CAHSEE) Mathematics
100 90 84 85 85 80 76 70 60 PHS 50 Alameda County State 40 35 30 30 25 23 20 19 14 17 11 10 2005 2004 2003 2002
Percentage of SPED Students Passing (CAHSEE) English Language Arts
100 100 93 94 90 82 80 70 60 PHS 50 Alameda County State 40 36 33 34 28 30 28 30 25 25 20 10 2005 2004 2003 2002
26 (d) CELDT Results
2004-05 Overall Proficiency Levels
9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade Advanced 1 Early Advanced 2 4 Intermediate 1 1 Early Intermediate Beginning Number of 2 5 1 1 Students Mean Scale Score 549.0 561.6 504.0 509.0 Standard 19.8 15.4 Deviation
2003-04 Overall Proficiency Levels
9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade Advanced 1 Early Advanced 2 1 1 Intermediate 1 1 1 Early 1 1 1 Intermediate Beginning Number of 4 2 4 1 Students Mean Scale Score 513.0 507.0 549.8 508.0 Standard 32.9 80.6 70.9 Deviation
2002-03 Overall Proficiency Levels
9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade Advanced Early Advanced 1 Intermediate 1 1 Early Intermediate Beginning Number of 1 1 1 Students Mean Scale Score 517.0 555.0 491.0 Standard Deviation
27 (e) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Generally 90% or above of the graduating seniors take the SAT; the number of students taking the SAT has increased in a pattern consistent with the increase in school-wide enrollment. Performance in the Verbal and Math categories has consistently advanced; scores remain well above Alameda County and California performance rates as shown by the following c harts:
Percentage of 12th Grade Students Tested 99.50% 99% 100.00% 95% 87% 80.00% PHS 60.00% Alameda County 40.00% California 20.00% 0.00% '04-'05 '03-'04 '02-'03 '01-'02
Average Verbal Scores
800 750 700 PHS 650 615 615 603 Alameda County 600 588 550 California 500 450 400 '04-'05 '03-'04 '02-'03 '01-'02
Average Math Scores
800 750 700 PHS 637 631 650 626 604 600 Alameda County 550 California 500 450 400 '04-'05 '03- '04 '02-'03 '01-'02
Average Verbal/Math Scores
1600 1500 1400 PHS 1300 1252 1246 1229 1192 Alameda County 1200 California 1100 1000 900 '04-'05 '03-'04 '02-'03 '01-'02
28 (f) Advanced Placement Exams
As part of the college preparatory course offerings, students have the opportunity to select from fourteen (14) Advanced Placement and Honors courses during the 2005 – 2006 school year. AP Art 2D-Design, AP Art 3-D Design, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP English Literature, AP French Language, AP Computer Science, AP Music Theory, AP Spanish Language, AP United States History, AP Environmental Science, Mandarin V Honors, Physics Honors, Chemistry Honors.
2005-2006 2004-2005 2003-2004 Number of 362 321 324 AP/Honors students Number AP/Honors 788 683 565 classes taken
AP Exam Percentage of 11th & 12th Grade Students Tested
100%
80% PHS 60% 58% 57% 53% 49% Alameda County 40% California 20% 19% 23% 21% 21% 21% 19% 20% 18%
0% '04-'05 '03-'04 '02-'03 '01-'02
AP Exam Percentage of 11th & 12th Grade Students Who Scored 3 or greater on their Exam(s)
100% 90% 88% 80% 77% 65% PHS 60% Alameda County 40% 28% 26% 24% California 21% 20% 19% 22% 19% 20%
0% '04 - '05 '03 - '04 '02 - '03 '01 - '02
29 (g) Meeting U.C. Requirements
Approximately 95% of our graduates complete the necessary courses to meet and exceed the University of California and the California State University entrance requirements.
Percentage of Graduates Completing all Courses Required for U.C. / C.S.U. Entrance
96 95 95 93 92 88 85 PHS 75 65 County 55 State 45 35 25 2004-2005 2003-2004 2002-200 3 2001-2002 2000-2001
(h) Algebra by grade level
Between 37% and 41% of the freshman are enrolling in Algebra I over the last three years.
Algebra I Enrollment by Grade Level
100 90 92
80 72 '05 - '06 60 '04 - '05 '03 - '04 40
20 7 5 0 1 0 1 001 0 Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors
30 (i) Exception Report
Number of Students who Appear on the D/F List for Consecutive Semesters 2002 - 2005
Spanning over the past 6 semesters (2002 – 2005), Piedmont High School has witnessed 57 students, ranging from grades 9 -12, appear on the D/F list for 2 or more consecutive times. That is approximately 5% of our student population.
2 1 5 2 semesters 3 semesters 11 4 semesters 5 semesters 6 semesters
38
Number of Students who appear on the Ineligibility Lists 2003 – 2006
Infraction 2nd qtr 3rd qtr 4th qtr 1st qtr 2nd qtr 3rd qtr 4th qtr 1st qtr 2nd qtr 3rd qtr ’03-‘04 ’03-‘04 ’03-‘04 ’04-‘05 ’04-‘05 ’04-‘05 ’04-05 ’05-06 ’05-06 ’05-‘06 Below 2.0 Grade 11 13 15 6 9 14 29 16 23 20 Point Average 2+ Unsatisfactory 3 1 1 4 0 5 0 4 1 2 Marks 2+ cuts in one class 7 8 12 0 5 14 58 0 5 12 or 6+ cuts in all classes Failure to achieve a 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 passing grade in at least 4 courses
31 (j) Completion rate
Piedmont High School Students graduate at a rate of almost 99% since 2000. Our drop-out rate is below 1% on average per year. The district's alternative high school is Millennium High School. 100% of PHS students who enroll in MHS graduate or take the High School Proficiency exam.
Graduation Percentages
100 100 100 100 99
95
90 PHS County 85 State 80
75 Grad. % '03-'04 Grad. % '02-'03 Grad. % '01-'02 Grad. % '00-'01
Dropout Percentage
14 12 10 8 PHS 6 County 4 State 2 1 0 0 0 0 Dropout % '03-'04Drop out % '02 -'0 3Dropo ut % '01 -'0 2Dropo ut % '00-'0 1
Post-enrollment data
There has been a pattern of 95-99% of graduates pursuing education immediately following high school since the class of 2001.
Graduating Class 4-year College 2-year College Work/Travel/Other 2005 91% 5% 4% 2004 92% 6% 2% 2003 92% 6% 2% 2002 90% 9% 1% 2001 90% 9% 1%
32
2004-2005 MATRICULATIONS WEST Academy of Art University 2 Arizona State University 2 California College of the Arts 1 SOUTH California Institute of the Arts 2 College of William & Mary 1 California Institute of Technology 1 Duke 2 California Lutheran University 1 Emory 1 California State University: Louisiana College 1 Chico 7 Lynn University 1 East Bay 1 Tulane University 1 Humboldt 1 University of Alabama 1 Long Beach 1 University of Florida/Gainesville 1 Monterey Bay 2 University of Kentucky 1 Sacramento 2 University of Miami 1 San Diego 1 University of Virginia 1 San Francisco 8 San Jose 1 EAST San Luis Obispo 4 American 2 Sonoma 2 Bard 1 Chapman College 2 Bryn Mawr 2 Claremont McKenna 1 Bucknell 3 Colorado College 2 Columbia University 5 Dominican University 1 Cornell University 2 Lewis and Clark 2 Culinary Institute of New York 1 Loyola Marymount 4 George Washington University 2 Marymount 2 Georgetown 1 Occidental 9 Hamilton College 1 Pitzer 1 Johns Hopkins 3 Pomona 2 Manhattan College 1 San Francisco Conservatory of Music 1 Maryland Institute of Art 4 Santa Clara University 3 New York University 5 St. Mary’s College 1 Parsons School of Design 1 Seattle University 1 Pennsylvania State University 1 Stanford 3 Princeton 3 University of Arizona 5 Sarah Lawrence College 1 University of California: Skidmore 1 Berkeley 30 Swarthmore 1 Davis 30 Syracuse University 1 Irvine 4 University of Pennsylvania 3 Los Angeles 18 Villanova 2 Riverside 3 San Diego 11 NEW ENGLAND Santa Barbara 5 Amherst 2 Santa Cruz 29 Babson College 1 University of Colorado/Boulder 8 Bates College 1 University of Hawaii 1 Boston College 2 University of Montana 1 Boston University 4 University of Northern Colorado 1 Brown 4 University of Oregon 4 Dartmouth 2 University of Puget Sound 8 Hampshire College 1 University of Redlands 1 Harvard 3 University of Southern California 5 Landmark College 1 University of the Pacific 9 Massachusetts Institute of Tech. 3 University of Washington 2 Middlebury 5 Western Washington University 1 Mt. Holyoke 1 Whitman College 1 Rhode Island School of Design 1 Whittier College 1 Salve Regina 1 Willamette College 1 Smith 3 Trinity College 1 SOUTHWEST Tufts 5 Sam Houston 1 University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1 Southern Methodist University 1 University of Vermont 1 MIDWEST Wesleyan 1 Art Institute of Chicago 2 Yale 3 Case Western Reserve 1 Cincinnati Conservatory of Music 1 CANADA DePaul 2 University of British Columbia 2 Earlham 1 ABROAD Grinell 1 Parsons School of Design, Paris, France 1 Hillsdale College 1 Voss Folkehogskulen, Norway 1 Macalester 1 Northwestern University 7 TWO YR. COMMUNITY COLLEGE 21 Purdue 2 WORK / TRAVEL / OTHER
University of Chicago 1 University of Cincinnati 1 University of Michigan 1 University of Wiscon sin 4 Wheaton College 2
33 (k) Faculty Average GPA
2nd Semester ’04-‘05 vs. ’03-’04
Teacher 49
Teacher 47
Teacher 45
Teacher 43
Teacher 41
Teacher 39
Teacher 37
Teache r 35
Teacher 33
Teacher 31
Teacher 29
Teacher 27
Teache r 25 '04-'05 Teache r 23 '03-'04 Teache r 21
Teacher 19
Teacher 17
Teacher 15
Teache r 13
Teacher 11
Teacher 9
Teacher 7
Teacher 5
Teac he r 3
Teacher 1 2.52.72.93.13.33.53.73.94.1
34 (l) Discipline
Piedmont High School utilizes a progressive system of discipline. A detailed database is maintained to keep record of past disciplinary issues and consequences. The Assistant Principal in charge of discipline meets regularly with teachers, students, and families to communicate and uphold policies and consequences. A detention hall is monitored by the Campus Supervisor and the Assistant Principal. Teachers refer students to the Assistant Principal or Campus Supervisor with the use of a detention form. PHS has a cooperative relationship with the district office, middle school, Millennium high school, and Piedmont Police Department with regard to disciplinary actions.
Total Referrals 2002 – 2005
Tardies
Stealing
Sex. Harr.
Fight '04-'05 Class B. '03-'04 Cheating '02-'03
Campus B.
Attendance
Alcohol
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
Suspensions 2002 – 2005
Drugs
Imit. Firearm
Sex. Harr.
Defy Authority
Robbery '04-'05 Damage to Property '03-'04
Fight '02-'03
Campus B.
Attendance
Alcohol
0246810
35 Detentions Issued by Teachers/Administrators August 2003 – November 2005
140 120 PHS Teachers & Administration 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52
36 Chapter II
Student/Community Profile-Overall Summary from Analysis of Profile Data
37 Chapter II Student/Community Profile Overall Summary for Analysis of Profile Data
Even with all the success stories at Piedmont High, staff and community believe there is always room for self-evaluation and improvement. In the spring of 2005, the faculty was given demographic and student performance data during a faculty meeting. The faculty met in department groups to discuss the implications drawn from the data. Notes were submitted to the WASC coordinator and administrators to draw conclusions from the faculty concerns. The faculty was then presented with broad topics of concern: consistency in practice and policies that affect academic outcomes and low-performing students. The faculty brainstormed to narrow the focus into specific areas. The faculty reached consensus that one Critical Academic Need is to promote school-wide consistency in the areas of student assessment and behavior expectations. This Critical Academic Need addresses types of assessments (i.e. multiple-choice, essay, portfolio, and notebook) and rubrics (i.e. ability benchmarks, content vs. effort, and assigning of value). It also encompasses consistency in behavior expectations and consequences in the classroom (amongst departments and grade levels) and throughout the school.
A second critical academic need for Piedmont High school is to evaluate the identification procedures, the intervention practices and support services employed for students who are earning below average grades and are otherwise at-risk in a highly academic environment. This Critical Academic Need addresses how and when students are identified and the procedures to initiate the support services. It also encompasses the success and areas of improvement needed for the current internal classroom support by teachers, as well as external intervention by teachers, counselors, resource specialists, administrators, and outside agencies. Based on these identified Critical Academic Needs, the Home Groups developed comments and questions to drive discussions in the Home and Focus Groups.
A key set of student performance data is student discipline records such as detentions, suspensions, school policies, attendance records, department policies, class policies, and teacher policies. The faculty raises concerns as to how policies are developed and enforced in all areas. The faculty expresses lack of clarity as to how the standards and expectations are held for them as well as the administration. The faculty acknowledges the need to examine student behavior and expectations also with respect to turnover in our administration and staff since the last WASC visit. Correlating ESLR’s = 5A, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F
Questions raised: ¾ What is the scope of teachers’ policies? ¾ What are the different strategies to deal with discipline issues? ¾ Should discipline issues affect students’ academic participation grade? ¾ Should there be some standard schoolwide policies that all staff upholds or should discipline be handled by individual teachers, by class, or by department? ¾ How does the administration handle discipline? What strategies do they use? ¾ Is the administration consistent with its discipline?
38 ¾ Do teachers or when should teachers report discipline to administration? ¾ What do teachers consider the most critical yet standard discipline issues? (Tardiness, language, dress, attendance, trash, behavior, plagiarism, eating in classrooms?) ¾ Can verification of unexcused versus excused absences be distributed to teachers more frequently? ¾ If consensus is reached regarding policies will teachers enforce them or why won’t they?
Data around grades is another area of concern. Inconsistent practices in assigning grades are of concern at the various grade levels, in like classes, in similar subject areas, and teacher to teacher due to the inconsistency of the teachers. How a teacher decides to grade and the perception of inconsistency around what quality work looks like is a concern. Since assessment is a key factor in the determination of a student’s grades, consistency in how students are assessed in class is a second critical academic need. Students, parents, and teachers all expect educational opportunities to be fair and reasonable for the student body. A strategy to find where the inconsistencies may be is to review differing rationales and to then build consensus. Correlating ESLR’s = 1A, 1C, 2A, 2C, 2D, 6A, 6B
Questions raised: ¾ How do teachers maintain individuality while sustaining consistency? ¾ Why do we have to be consistent? ¾ Does desire for the highest GPA influence what courses the students choose? ¾ Should a point system be used for grading in Special Education courses or possibly a pass/fail mark? ¾ If department rubrics are available why are they and why aren’t they used? ¾ Should extra credit be offered, and how much? ¾ Are late work policies acceptable and how should they affect the grade? ¾ How much should assignments be weighted within the overall grade? (Ex. Should the final be 10% or 30% of a semester grade? Should participation in class be 5% or 50%?) ¾ Do we diversify the type of assessment enough? ¾ Do we expect the same quality work from all of our students? ¾ Should assessment be diversified across campus, by department, or by course?
Although Piedmont High is a highly successful academic school, our concern is the achievement of all students at Piedmont High. After studying the data (i.e. Grade Exception reports, “D” and “F” repeater list, and STAR scores that rank basic and below) we discussed students who are not achieving and realized we have not developed a way to identify struggling students early enough to positively affect their academic success. Once a student is identified, there is not sufficient standard policy or protocol in which to adequately intervene. Surveys were administered to ascertain how the faculty currently provides assistance to students who are falling behind. The respon s es were extremely varied, with no one person feeling like their process was more successful than any of the others. Piedmont High realized the need to develop a more standardized plan to identify students early in a student’s high school career as well as design and implement a process that will help those individual students come closer to achieving their personal best. Correlating ESLR’s = 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E
39 Questions raised: ¾ What is below average? ¾ What if parents don’t respond to progress reports? ¾ Why does a Student Study Team take so much time to schedule, plan, and enact? ¾ Do teachers have current grade reports available throughout the year for their own students? ¾ How often should grade data be available? ¾ In-house Blue Progress Reports every two weeks help the Special Education students but what about the rest of the student body that doesn’t receive such attention? ¾ Should the faculty see the list of students receiving progress reports or the “D” and “F” list so the faculty may better coordinate their efforts? ¾ Should the faculty see the results of the STAR exams for students who are basic and below and how our students are performing on certain areas of the tests? ¾ Most importantly, which group of students struggle most often at Piedmont High and what data can we use to identify those struggling students early?
Critical Academic Needs
1) Onene critical academic need for Piedmont high school is to promote school-wide consistency in the areas of student assessment and behavior expectations.
i) This critical academic need addresses types of assessments (i.e. multiple-choice, essay, portfolio, notebook) and rubrics (i.e. ability benchmarks, content vs. effort, and assigning of value). ii) This critical academic need also addresses consistency in behavior expectations and consequences in the classroom (amongst departments and grade levels) and throughout the school.
2) Anonotther critical academic need for Piedmont High school is to evaluate the identification procedures and support services being used for students who are earning below average grades.
i) This critical academic need addresses how and when we identify students who are earning below average grades and the procedures to initiate the support services. ii) This critical academic need also addresses the success and areas of improvement needed for the current internal classroom support by teachers, as well as external intervention by teachers, counselors, resource specialists, administrators, and outside agencies.
40 Chapter III
PProgressrogress RReporteport
41
CHAPTER III PROGRESS REPORT
i) Significant developments that have had a major impact on the school or specific curricular programs since the last full visit:
(A) Increase in enrollment from 855 to 906 (consistent with projections), accompanied by adjustments in staffing; the number of fulltime staff members is approximately the same but there is an increase in part-time teachers who have assignments ranging from 20% to 80%. (B) Different configuration in the Guidance Department staffing: a fourth counselor assigned to 9th grade only is eliminated, two senior counselors with 30 years experience each retired, an assistant principal is assigned to administer counseling and guidance functions. (C) Shifts in enrollment and staffing continue to cause congested classroom use; a number of teachers travel from room-to-room and do not necessarily have their own rooms for planning during preparation periods. (D) Upgrade to SASIXP for school data manageme nt, in 02-03, resulting in greater flexibility and increased options for managing and producing student data information. (E) Site administration increased from two to three administrators; a 15-year assistant principal retired and a 17-year principal retired. (F) Reorganized district administration and improved support in curriculum development, personnel and financial operations; the superintendent of 16 years retired. (G) A renewed parcel tax by the community sustains added funding to the district; the Piedmont Educational Foundation established an endowment with the specific purpose of providing financial support to the Piedmont schools; other support groups, such as the Piedmont Parents' Club make direct contributions to the district to augment the general fund budget. (H) Department chairperson positions eliminated for 04-05 as a district cost savings measure; impact resulted in suspension of the School Advisory Council as a recommending leadership body for the staff; SAC expected to return in 05-06 (I) English Language Learners class added in 02-03; district sponsored CLAD training in 03-04 for staff without certification. (J) Campus Supervisor hired as a support staff position beginning 01-02. (K) Algebra I shifted in the district math curriculum to 8th grade out of the 9th grade in 01-02 school year; resultant impact includes: growing enrollment impact on upper level math offerings (AP Calculus and Statistics), new entering students without Algebra I experience find a challenge in the transition; need for added sections of Algebra I(B) for incoming middle school students who need a two-year paced Algebra. (enrolled in Algebra IA) (L) Elimination of SB1882 Professional Development and Digital High School state funding sources; Piedmont Parents' Club provides substantial annual grants to mitigate loss and sustain support for staff development opportunities and computer upgrades and maintenance. (M) Enrollments in Mandarin have fluctuated causing course offerings in combined levels; procurement of a 3-year federal grant of $245,000 ensures course offerings at middle and high school, teacher training and computer support.
42 (N) AP 3-Dimensional Art added in 02-03' students combine with a Ceramics and Visual Design course until enrollment supports a stand-alone section. (O) State funding for Small Class Size is sustained for the English 1-2 at 9th grade; decision made to shift support from Integrated Science 1 at 9th grade to Algebra 1 at 9th grade as an alternative. (P) Electronic communication of parent newsletters and bulletins. (Q) New librarian: The focus is to collaborate with teachers and bridge the resources with the curriculum. (R) Model Art Program: Grants secured in 02-03, 03-04, 04-05 totaling $75,000 and used district wide to enhance all the Visual and Performing Arts curriculum.
ii) School's procedures for the implementation and monitoring of the schoolwide action plan:
A first-year progress report was prepared for a special visit by a 2-member team in the first year of implementation of the PHS 2000 Action Plan; the visit was requested by the chairperson of the 1999-2000 Visiting Team. Previous to the visit, the initial progress was validated by the Superintendent and the Governing Board. The special Visiting Team reported: "All but one of the ten recommendations have been addressed to some extent and significant progress has been achieved in many areas. The Visiting Committee commends the staff and administration for their commitment to the process and the results they have achieved in such a short period of time."
A third-year progress report was prepared for the standard mid-term visitation by a 2-member visiting team. Although the 2000 Leadership Team was not reconstituted, the School Advisory Council contributed to the reports summarizing progress and reached consensus on the final report. The Visiting Team reported: "The visit to Piedmont High School on May 8, 2003 validated the school's work toward achieving the goals of the Action Plan. The Committee was impressed with the significant amount of work that had taken place. The Principal should be credited with moving the staff forward on this long and intensive list of reforms. The Visiting Committee commends the staff and administration for their commitment to the change process, and for the successes that have resulted from their efforts." Three additional recommendations were made:
1. Work on the ESLRs so they might become more measurable 2. Consider how data might be collected to best inform continuous improvement efforts since standardized test data might not be helpful for these purposes 3. Continue to identify those students in the "middle" who are "at-risk" in an intensely competitive climate before they enter Piedmont
(Not e: The following is inclusive of the 3-year progress report and also shows updates through the spring of 2005.)
In general, the School Advisory Council, composed of department chairpersons, area leaders and administrators is the focal group for monitoring the Schoolwide Action Plan, using the plan as the basis for emphasis in projects and activities. The SAC found it to be more effective to
43 delegate responsibilities for particular components of the plan to standing committees or task forces rather than the range of different committees recommended in the 2000 Action Plan. SAC and administration recommendations for collaboration periods, staff development days, faculty meeting agendas and the SAC agendas are guided by the updated 2003 Action Plan which integrates recommendations from the 2000 Visiting Committee and the 2001 Special Visiting Committee. In its May meetings, the School Advisory Committee completes a review of the full plan and sets targets for the following school year. A separate report is not made to the Board of Education, but rather updates have been provided through reported related to the implementation of the district's 5-year Strategic Plan and the ensuing annual district goal-setting processes. In the 2004-05 school year, due to the suspension of department chairperson positions as a district cost-savings measure, the School Advisory Council did not function as a recommending body, but departments provided input through liaisons to the administration. The faculty functioned as a committee-of-the-whole with respect to Action Plan tasks.
iii) Report on accomplishment of each of the schoolwide action plan sections:
The Schoolwide Action Plan developed during the 1999-2000 self-study includes four major themes for improvement: collaboration, staff development, outreach and the environment for learning and teaching. Most of the identified tasks for each of the themes have been accomplished to date, some continue to provide direction and some have been abandoned for particular reasons. It is the general view of the staff that the guiding themes sustained validity but the cited tasks and activities proved to be intensive and somewhat fractured. The first and third year reviews reaffirmed that the staff was using the Action Plan for defined direction; the focus in the remaining two years has been to build on those initial activities, bringing new staff to the school along with the themes. The two most driving themes addressed by the staff overall have been collaboration and learning/teaching environment. It has been the staff’s belief that a change in the approach to collaboration is the best channel to addressing the other growth areas. These two themes are where the Visiting Committee’s recommendations most directly aligned with the school’s identified areas of growth. The Visiting Committee's cited critical areas of growth were as follows (and indicated by number in the review): 1. Finding the resources to ensure sustained opportunities for system-wide dialogue and collaboration focused on creating uniform grading standards and articulating content and performance expectations across grade levels and subject areas. 2. Defining and articulating the school's vision to all stakeholders as a means to achieving better communication among stakeholders, and enhancing the staff's sense that they are valued, respected and treated as professionals. 3. Developing, communicating and enforcing school-wide expectations for student behavior and conduct, and establishing appropriate protocols for interactions between community and staff, thereby helping students become responsible individuals who treat each other and everyone else in the community with respect while showing tolerance for, and appreciation of, diversity. 4. Finding ways to unite the community, staff, students and administration through recognition and celebration of the efforts and achievements at Piedmont High School. 5. Sustaining the collaboration among staff to support the development of powerful and meaningful interdisciplinary learning experiences for students, the use of varied instructional strategies aimed at enhancing achievement of students with different
44 learning styles, and the development of a variety of authentic and alternative assessments to measure student learning. 6. Working with all stakeholders to help students redirect their focus away from pursuing a grade as an end-all, be-all, to valuing learning for is own sake and as a lifelong pursuit. 7. Recognizing the FOL process as a means to achieve the goals the school has identified in its action plan. 8. Continued attention to meeting the diverse and often competing interests of students and community which include a desire for additional offerings in Honors and AP; more elective offerings for students in the middle, and appropriate courses for students with learning challenges who aspire to vocational directions. 9. Exploring and pursuing resources in the community and the surrounding area to establish partnerships with business, industry and the professional world, to enhance students' opportunities to learn about the real world and the career opportunities that await them. 10. Exploring different strategies to strengthen student support services with equal attention given to preparing students for college and assisting them in becoming healthy, well-adjusted, balanced, thoughtful, respectful and contributing members of society.
All but one of the Visiting Committee's recommendations for growth have been formally integrated into the schoolwide action plan and implemented. There has not been formal action or achievement with respect to #9 above, pursuing the resources to enhance opportunities to learn about career opportunities. The staff believes #7, “recognizing the FOL process” was validated as having been addressed in the first and third year progress report review visits.
(Note: Activities and projects recent in the last two years are newly cited, otherwise actions are continuing as previously reported in 3-year Progress Report.)
a) Collaboration theme: Enhance collaboration between staff to improve school programs (addresses critical areas of follow-up #1,2,6,8,10)
Task 1: Relegate more time for staff collaboration
The F-day schedule in the block schedule rotation is now clearly delineated such that the staff may anticipate collaboration time; the school organizer reflects the calendar for the year. The School Advisory Council establishes the specific use of the collaboration days for the year in its opening meeting so that departments know which dates for collaboration will be dedicated to department collaboration (nearly 75%) or faculty meetings. With advance warning, occasional changes are made for special purposes but the SAC or department liaisons are generally involved in such a decision. Department chairpersons determine the agendas for department collaboration periods although there are times when staff input is needed so that the SAC can conduct its business at regular meetings. Department elective time is infringed upon in that way or chairpersons may determine how to solicit needed information in some way other than giving up the collaboration period. By chairperson report, the department agendas are dedicated to curriculum review and alignment, development of assessments, articulation for grade level
45 purposes or with other departments or the middle school, update of the Technology Plan, department business such as awards selection, textbook review, department organizational mat ters, etc. Departments are at liberty to request professional development funding to extend collaboration periods into longer department meetings for particular purpose, such as designing assessments. There are continuing discussions between departments and the administration as to how to effectively provide department collaboration and still accomplish staff-wide business without infringing on department time. High demands are placed on department chairpersons for leadership of department activities. An anticipated outcome of increased collaboration was the possibility of greater collaboration with faculty member in other departments. To date that has not been accomplished to a high degree but the staff has not delineated goals in this arena either.
The administration in particular has worked to ensure that staff meetings are focused on schoolwide issues or topics of a staff development nature rather than an opportunity to simply disseminate information. The SAC provides input on a more regular basis for the agenda at staff meetings and has opportunity to suggest the format of various discussions. Teachers present new projects, such as Peer Listeners or Graffiti Project; there are fishbowl discussions for topics such as academic integrity or grading standards or meetings for sharing techniques, driven by a theme such as examples of authentic assessment. There is genuine impetus to hold voluntary workshops on critical topics such as accommodations for special needs students, current drug use education for teachers or strategy sessions on how to address make-up work and grading. Administrators and teachers make suggestions for workshops. Information meetings are held when specifically needed, such as to define Section 504 accommodations and responsibilities or to outline instructions for STAR testing but input is more regularly sought by administrators for the format of such meetings.
Departments that have taken advantage of funding from SB1882, the Parents' Club or the Educational Foundation for conference attendance, articulation or retreat experiences by the whole department include English, Social Studies, Science, Special Education, Visual Arts and Foreign Language. Such opportunities extend collaboration opportunities.
Since the 2000 visit, there is more regular communication to parents about the ways in which collaboration time is used by the PHS staff. Reports are made to the Parents' Club Executive Board at monthly meetings and the principal outlines collaboration topics and projects to the parents generally through articles in the monthly newsletter Highlander Highlights.
Update 03-05: • Continued higher proportion of department collaboration periods than faculty business meetings but department chairpersons eliminated in 04-05 and staff members function in role voluntarily but School Advisory Council does not meet; administrators meet with departments as a whole to conduct liaison business. • Two different year-long task forces were developed, supported by professional development funds, to study and make recommendations to the staff; one theme was Special Education Communications and the other a Block Schedule Review. • Staff participated in a variety of theme-based collaborations; topics included update on teen culture by a professional psychologist, organizational culture (PIXAR presenter), classroom questioning and discussion strategies, creating a climate of respect within a high school.
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Task 2: Coordination and articulation of curricula
The expectation by departments is that staff collaboration periods are primarily for the purpose of curriculum development, coordination and alignment where appropriate, specific instructional matters and mentoring of newer teachers. For core subjects such as Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies, work has been dictated by the state standards initiatives; review of standards and alignment requirements are coordinated by the district's curriculum office. The standards alignment and curriculum revision completed in core subjects is consistent also with the District's Strategic Plan objectives and has been reported out through that process. From benefit of a $25,000 grant received by the Model Arts Program Coordinator, the district is involved in the State’s Model Arts Program curriculum project for the visual and performing arts, initiated in the 2002-2003 school year. The Foreign Language Department had representation on the district's Foreign Language Committee for the purpose of curriculum review and has specifically initiated articulation with the middle school for more effective transition of 8th grade Spanish I and French I students into the high school program at the 2nd level. Spanish instructors are also completing textbook review and adoption for levels 1-3.
Each department checks curriculum and activities against the ESLRs in a general way, chiefly when prompted by the administration. The English department continues to review and revise its handbook where the grade-level writing skills and literature analysis skills are clearly defined for reference by teachers, students and parents. The administration encourages teachers at the opening of each school year to define, as specifically as possible, course content as well as performance expectations for review by students and parents as they specifically address the ESLRs.
A staff committee conducted a survey across departments in the first semester following the school's 2000 self-study. There was no clear consensus as to how to support interdisciplinary collaboration or what would be the purpose of interdisciplinary work. Anything that has been tackled connecting disciplines, such as English and Art or Foreign Language and Art or English to Social Studies, has been initiated by interested teachers individually. There has been discussion of eliminating emphasis on interdisciplinary curriculum in the Action Plan.
The recommendation of the 2000 FOL visit to institute reminders from the principal on a regular basis to teachers in order to allow them to analyze grade data began. Teachers utilize their GPA reminders in many ways particularly it is way for each department to discuss consistency, standards and the nature of assessments. As teachers receive the reports each quarter on the distribution of their grades, departments are asked to have pertinent discussions. No specific outcomes are requested of teachers but discussions are occurring more regularly and they prove particularly helpful to new staff members.
As a result of expected attention to curricular consistency and alignment, teachers are making a concerted effort to update and clarify the course information that is both printed and presented to parents at Back-To-School Night. In the intervening 3 years, there have been more articles in the Highlander Highlights parent newsletter explaining programs, courses or particular teachers and
47 their approaches to certain subjects; articles are submitted by teachers, the principal and sometimes are written by parents following their interviews with teachers. A supportive partnership has developed between the parents in the Parents' Club Executive Board and the staff to keep this communication active. To date there is no specified staff project addressing this task. When Parents' Club grant monies are expended on curricular projects, the teachers are asked to make presentations to the Parents' Club Executive Board regarding the outcomes of their projects and the specific use of the funds; the Parents' Club President makes a concerted effort to include teacher presentations on the monthly agenda for meetings.
Update 03-05: • Procurement of a federal grant to further the development of the Mandarin program and to refine the articulation between the levels, middle school through high school. • Review and revision of the Integrated Science 1 and Integrated Science 2 curriculums. • Textbook adoption for 9th grade World Cultures and Geography course consistent with a curriculum review and update. • Continuation of the $25,000 MAP grant and collaboration meetings.
Task 3: Provide assistance to Learning Center and low-achieving students
The college preparatory emphasis in the school and the competitive academic environment continue to underscore the need to formulate special assistance to Learning Center, English Learners, Section 504 and low-achieving students. The objective of the Action Plan has been to expand collaboration around the prevalent issues; this objective is being accomplished. Along with reminders in the principal's newsletter regarding how and when to consider Student Study Team referrals, teachers can request released time to attend the meetings for their specific students; consistently there is the expectation for teachers to provide written documentation for review during Student Study Team meetings. The ongoing challenge is finding common time for all teachers of a student to meet. In addition to Passport information about students with active IEPs, an annual fall meeting has been instituted for teachers with identified Section 504 students; a checklist of responsibilities, strategies for accommodations and updated accommodations plans for their particular students are reviewed. In the intervening 3 years, a special education theme or a topic related to accommodations or support of students with learning challenges has been put on the agenda for buy-back staff development days. Some of this specific inservice has been organized and presented by PHS Resource Specialists. There have also been presenters at district-wide inservice meetings for teachers on learning styles theory and at-risk student support in conjunction with objectives in the district's 5-year Strategic Plan. As mentioned elsewhere in this report, there have been specific voluntary staff workshops related to accommodations and modifications strategies for working with special needs students. (ESLR #6: capable citizens who demonstrate core knowledge and achievement of district and state standards)
Update 03-05: • A Special Education Communications task force functioned with representatives from all departments; intent was to examine communications between the Resource Specialists and the general education staff and to redefine as well as standardize approaches to accommodations and modifications in an effort to relieve tension around serving special
48 needs students. Informal reports indicate implementation of new strategies is generally successful and a more formal review is scheduled for 05-06. • In the 2003-04 school year, the district implemented a program to bring all staff members into compliance with CLAD certification requirements.
Task 4: Encourage learning for its own sake
There has been no specific collaboration among the staff to augment or change student recognition programs as a strategy to address this objective. Departments and individual teachers regularly consider those activities and assignments that integrate real world applications as the means to encourage learning for its own sake. Evidence is found in the nature of grant proposals made to the Parents' Club and the Educational Foundation which specifically request mat erials, equipment or opportunities such as speakers or fieldtrips to augment the classroom experience. Additional effort by teachers is seen in the range of professional development activities pursued; a list of participation in development activities is updated each year. The effort expended to develop a workable Academic Integrity Policy addresses this task to a certain degree as well. Since the last self-study, Finding Community is an elective offering well recognized by students based on their requests to enroll for the past 2 years. Advanced Placement 3-D Art is in its second year of implementation. Student enrollment is high for the newest course offering in Advanced Placement Environmental Science scheduled for implementation in the fall of 2003. Weighing student interests and the balance of offerings is part of the regular protocol for designing and approving new courses. Based on research about comparable high schools as well as college-level expectations, the Counseling Department, in conjunction with the school's administration, successfully encouraged a policy to Board approval to stop the practice of recording courses students take at the community college level on the PHS transcript. It has been a long-time concern of staff, some students and some parents that this former practice encouraged students to take courses in order to raise grade point averages rather than for enrichment purposes. (ESLR #4: self-directed life-long learners)
Update 03-05: • Continued efforts to highlight curricular programs as well as work with parents around school-to-home and home-to-school communications so that there is reasonable emphasis on grades and effort to lower the stress related to competitive academics and college admissions. • AP Environmental Science and AP 3D Art experience solid enrollments; Finding Community no longer draws adequate enrollment to remain as a viable course.
b) Staff development theme: With ongoing peer teacher support, all staff members will employ a variety of assessment strategies and demonstrate technological competencies (addresses critical areas of follow-up # 1, 3, 5)
Task 1: Develop and share assessment strategies including student self-assessment
Staff members in all departments take advantage of SB1882 Professional Development funds, Parents’ Club grants and Educational Foundation grants for a wide variety of inservice and development activities, including attendance at conferences in subject-matter areas, department collaborative projects, review of assessments of student work and participation in theme-based
49 workshops. When the expanse and the future of SB1882 funds became tenuous in the fall of 2002-03 year because of state budget restrictions, the PHS Parents’ Club provided a block grant for continued development activities as a recognition of the importance credited to the improvement efforts sought by staff members. The School Advisory Council determines general criteria for how funds may be used and there is an expectation that staff members will share their experiences with colleagues; occasionally teachers are asked to formally record and/or present information although this expectation has not been consistent. By request of all sites in the district, annual buy-back staff development days are primarily dedicated to site-developed activities although some professional presenters including Michael Pritchard and associates of Mel Levine promoting his theories have also provided inservice for all district staff.
As previously cited, departments are encouraged to use the regular collaboration periods for a wide range of activities, including sharing about new strategies or techniques learned. Cross- curricular sharing occurs occasionally between departments and is topic-specific.
To date, the attention given to the further development of authentic assessment is still at the informal level for all departments.
Update 03-05: • Absent SB1882 Professional Development funding, the Piedmont Parents' Club supports staff development opportunities for teachers and counselors through a standing grant. • Task forces designed around special education communications and block schedule reviews were formulated as cross-departmental activities.
Task 2: Create a staff development plan which provides all staff members the basic knowledge of integrating technology into the curriculum
Consistent with the school’s Action Plan, the district’s Strategic Plan, the district’s Technology Plan and the requirements associated with the Digital High School Grant, the site Technology Coordinator works with staff members annually to update the school’s technology plan. Of particular emphasis is the teachers’ use and modeling of technology unique to each subject area; students and parents have also been surveyed. The PHS Technology Committee developed a set of 5 competencies that are the standard expectations for all staff members. The Technology Coordinator or other technically proficient staff members provide support for colleagues who request mentoring or specific modeling for ways to integrate technology into their instruction. There have been regular offerings of pre-school workshops to train teachers in the use of grade management software, Power Point presentations and research skills. The Librarian is consistently available to train teachers on research skills that students should use in the development of major projects and provides direct instruction to classes in the Library around the use of library resources, particularly the software applications. Currently the Librarian is working closely with the Science Department to further develop a student orientation unit for all 9th graders through Integrated Science I classes. The Technology Coordinator advertises opportunities for technology training that becomes available outside the district; the DHS funds available in the present phase of the grant support professional development activities. It should be noted that most of the newer teachers hired in the intervening 3 years are particularly proficient in the use of technology in the classroom or to support their grade management or
50 preparation. One of the computer labs is available for use by classroom teachers from other subject-areas on a regular basis; designing projects for the computer lab is now a more regular teaching strategy. (ESLR #2: competent and creative thinkers who access information and apply new technologies when appropriate)
Update 03-05: • The main computer laboratory was upgraded with new hardware and software; the computer instructor revised the curriculum for all computer courses. • The librarian works closely with teachers in training on use of the library online resources; library computers will be upgraded in 05-06.
Task 3: Create an ongoing teacher support system for temporary, probationary, and tenured teachers
As cited earlier in this report, there has been considerable transition of new staff into the school because of the progressive increase in enrollment. The first line of support for either new teachers or teachers coming from others schools has been collegial in departments with extra time supported by professional development funds. As part of the district’s Peer Assistance and Review Program, the high school each year in the last 3 has had the higher percentage of teachers in the district who are consulting teachers providing mentor assistance and who are volunteer participants. The focus of the district’s PAR Program continues to be new teacher support. This year, 4 pairs of staff members are participating in the BTSA Program. Colleague- to-colleague workshops are cited in other parts of this report.
Update 03-05: • New teacher mentoring is currently provided specifically within departments and via the BTSA Program. The district PAR Program no longer exists.
c) Outreach theme: Integrate the wider community in charting the future direction for PHS (addresses critical areas of follow up #2, 3, 6,9)
Task 1: Write a concise vision statement for PHS consistent with the ESLRs and the PUSD Strategic Plan
There is now a PHS mission statement which was created with input from staff, parents and students. It is communicated to parents and the community via a variety of documents, including the Programming Bulletin, the School Accountability Report Card and the Highlander Highlights.
Task 2: Establish a graduate survey
A graduate survey developed with the input of staff, particularly the Counseling Department, is in its third year of data collection. Technical assistance is provided by the district’s Communications Coordinator and a former PHS parent who is professionally associated with a college and was extensively involved with the schools’ College Career Center before her
51 students graduated. Surveys have been collected from immediate graduates as well as those who have one and two years of college experience thus far. This year, the initial results were reviewed by school departments and suggestions were made for refinements. Staff members feel there is not yet enough data from which to draw conclusions or to make program changes.
Update 03-05: • When the results of the 2005 graduate survey are compiled, there will be 5 years of data for the staff to review, enough longitudinal data from which to draw conclusions as a component of the accreditation review process.
Task 3: Integrate real-life experiences into the learning process
The staff has taken no formal action in this area; absent a formal inventory, reference can be made to many examples of real-life experiences that extend the classroom experience. While the Parents' Club continues to sponsor a wide variety of fieldtrips, speakers and schoolwide assemblies or programs, there has been no formal partnership on developing a standing committee for outreach. This task will be revisited for viability and the likelihood it would actually address a current need. For the past 2 years there has been a concerted partnership between staff members and the parent community on the presentation of a Diversity Day. All PHS students had the opportunity to hear both a keynote speaker and individual presentations by community members who address a wide range of topics related to an appreciating diversity theme. The previous format for a schoolwide Career Day in alternating years has been examined. A committee this year crafted a plan fo r a job-shadowing program which will be implemented in the 2003-2004 school year through the collaboration of the school, the Boy Scouts and interested community members. AP 2-D and 3-D Art students already have a job- shadowing experience that can serve as a model.
Update 03-05: • To date there continues to be no formal activity in this theme area. Although initially planned, there was no implementation of a job-shadowing program in 2003-04.
Task 4: Enhance parent-teacher communication
The PHS goal to improve parent-teacher communications is echoed in the district's Strategic Plan. On the parent-side of this challenge, the Parents' Club Executive Board and the Parents' Club Presidents in particular have worked with the staff, primarily through the SAC, to address some of the concerns. There is pretty steady publicity about school programs. The principal communicates the protocol for parents contacting teachers about concerns via the Parents' Club newsletter. Our staff has had input into new documents created by the district's Communications Coordinator for circulation to the parent community; information spans facts about the schools as well as guidance for parents as to who handles which services. The School Accountability Report Card has been reformulated into a comprehensive document that is used for communication purposes. A Parent Education committee works closely with the principal to generate ideas for educational evening programs. In the past two years there have been presentations by New Bridges around alcohol and drug issues as well as a program by Dr.
52 Michael Riera on adolescent issues and the related parenting skills. A committee is working out the details for implementation of email communications to all parents for the 2003-2004 school year. The Technology Coordinator updates the website for the school and the district on a regular basis, which many parents find useful
On the teacher-side of this challenge, the PAR Coordinating Teachers provide workshops for new teachers on interfaces with parents. In a pre-school staff development workshop in the fall of 2002, teachers developed guidelines for parent/teacher conferences and practiced ideas through role-plays. The principal highlights teacher expectations around conferencing, particularly at the time of receipt of report cards, on a pretty regular basis.
Update 03-05: • In addition to a regularly updated web site, most school communications are made available to parents through electronic mailing and it has become a popular, time-sensitive means of communication.
d) Learning and teaching environment theme: The school climate supports academic and personal growth (addresses critical areas for follow-up # 2,3,8,10)
Task 1: Equitable distribution of special education students in general education classes
It has been the practice since the spring of 2000 to more randomly schedule special education students in general education classrooms. Any exceptions are generally made through consultation with teachers, counselors or administrators. Through inservice programs and targeted meetings, it is the expectation that all staff members continually build the skills necessary to provide accommodations for special needs students such that "special assigning" is not required. Providing ongoing appropriate accommodations and modifications as well as staying abreast of the many communications associated with special needs students continues to be a demanding challenge for the PHS staff.
Task 2: Provide additional student support services in health, social, and personal areas
So that the core concepts related to a students' ability to appreciate the diversity on our campus and in their world, the Finding Community elective class has been taught for the last 2 years and is fully enrolled for the 2003-2004 school year. One of the events organized by this class was school retreats. Specific training was also provided this year for students in the Finding Community to become Peer Listeners; the Peer Listener Program is being implemented in the spring of 2003. While there is a district Diversity Committee to continue the efforts of PHS and other district staff members in this area, our school has not had benefit of a Diversity Mentor position for the past 2 years. The former Diversity Mentor worked closely with community members to produce a Diversity Day experience for all high school students during the past 2 school years. This group provided funding for film grants and sponsored forums. The School Climate Committee continues to function as a student-organized student support program and has sponsored health-related programs focusing on drug/alcohol issues, eating disorders, etc. We also provided four years of Aids Awareness weeks, and the Graffiti forum in 02-03. In the
53 intervening 3 years, there has been the benefit of a 4th counselor who has been assigned to work with just freshmen. The counselor for 9th graders implemented a LINKS program this year for more effective transition of 8th graders to the 9th grade; training was extensive for the LINK Leaders and opened up a new opportunity for student leadership as well as aided the freshman transition issues. A 3rd administrator has been able to support counselors and provide additional intervention around attendance, academic and social issues for students. (ESLR #5: contributors to their community)
There has been no effort to investigate the possibilities for a student resource center.
Update 03-05: • As part of a cost savings, there is no longer a counselor dedicated to 9th grade students but the student-to-counselor ratio continues to be quite favorable. Counselors connect families with a variety of additional support agencies when situations dictate and are knowledgeable of a range of resources. • The Peer Listener Program is well established and recognized as a support mechanism. The Finding Community elective class is no longer available, nor is the LINKS program or Diversity Leaders.
Task 3: Establish schoolwi de behavior expectations
Staff, students and parents have worked together steadily to heighten awareness of the needs to raise the standards in a variety of behavior areas. The key outcomes include a well-recognized Detention System, a process for staff and students to address inappropriate dress with students, newly formulated Associated Student Body leadership program, standards around eating the in classrooms, cell phones, and the use of listening devices during class time and a well-defined Academic Integrity Code with discipline guidelines clearly stated and communicated. While there may not have been broad-based student input into each of these movements, student committees were selected to assist with brainstorming through implementation of new practices. Information about changes in expectations have been communicated to parents through letters in the Highlander Highlights and in direct discussion with the Parents' Club Executive Board. Direction for change was initiated by a variety of "Respect Committees" created immediately following the accreditation in the spring of 2000. While these committees are not still intact, the concern for discerning those respect issues that dictate action is examined by the School Advisory Council on an as-needed basis. (ESLR #5: contributors to their community)
Update 03-05: • The district currently is sponsoring a district-wide Respect Committee that initiated goal- setting in the 04-05 school year and will continue to examine issues K-12 in a coordinated district and city wide effort during the 05-06 school year. The committee consists of representatives of staff from each grade level, from the district administration, students at the middle and high school, Recreation Department members and city officials. • The Student Senate established in the 2004-05 school year as an arm of the ASB addresses a wide range of topics, including behavior and respect issues; Senators serve as liaisons to all grade levels.
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Task 4: Explore ways to incorporate student-feedback regarding teaching methods and activities, course offerings and campus rules
While there has been no formulation of a student-staff committee to develop strategies in this regard, the administration especially has invited adhoc student groups with selected representatives from the various leadership and publication groups on campus to participate in discussions when new policies or approaches are instituted, as noted above particularly. The ASB Leadership Class is contacted on a regular basis by the administration to weigh-in on issues of school-wide concern. Recent examples include discussion and development of a debate on the war with Iraq and consultation regarding impending budget cuts in the district as they might relate to the high school. There has been no formal assessment to determine if students feel more integrated into decision-making processes but those selected have been eager participants in various groups and forums, contributing strong and helpful points of view. An example of a real-world activity and opportunity for student feedback is the assignment made by the civics teacher for students to attend a public meeting. Seniors attending the PUSD School Board meetings have offered genuine and revealing input as they have addressed both agendized and non-agendized topics. In particular during the intervening 3 years, the school newspaper staff for The Piedmont Highlander has assisted in providing key information to the student body in a quality way and has worked with the administration to solicit student views and clarify information for everyone. (ESLR #1 and 5: able communicators and contributors to their community)
Update 03-05: • In the 04-05 school year, the Assistant Principal worked with the Associated Student Body representatives and their advisor to develop a Student Senate which meets regularly to examine campus issues and provide input from all grade levels of students. The Student Senate meets on a monthly basis and serves as liaison between their peers, the administration and the student leadership group.
Task 5: Respond to safety concerns of staff and students
There is now a comprehensive School Safety Plan for reference by staff, students and parents which contains updated information regarding a range of procedures and practices. Fire drills, duck-and-cover drills, intruder drills and evacuation drills are implemented on a regular basis each year. Updates on sexual harassment policies and reporting procedures have been provided to staff during staff development day workshops. As much as seems appropriate, the administration shares information about discipline issues and responses either in personal contact, during staff meetings and through the weekly newsletter or special bulletins. The timeliness and the depth of information reporting continues to be a regular topic of discussion between staff and administration; judgments and perspectives differ but there is ample opportunity to discuss interests or concerns.
(Note: ESLRs) With respect to achievement of the expected schoolwide learning results, it is acknowledged by the staff that the ESLRS for Piedmont High are overarching in nature. While it is believed that the activities pursued to meet the goals of the Schoolwide Action Plan directly bring about
55 better achievement of the learning results, there is no structure for objectively measuring attainment of the ESLRS or for monitoring attainment along the way. Chapter IV
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Chapter IV Self-Study Findings i) Organization: Vision and Purpose, Governance, Leadership and Staff, and Resources
A1: To what extent does the school have a clearly stated vision or purpose based on its student needs, current educational research, and the belief that all students can achieve high levels?
The PHS Mission Statement clearly states the school’s purpose, encompassing four key assets: (1) an impassioned student-centered staff; (2) an active and supportive parent community; (3) a K-8 educational program that prepares students well for high school; (4) a motivated and talented student body. These concepts are echoed in a variety of school publications, including the Student Planner, Principal’s Opening Letter, PHS Profile (distributed to students, parents, and colleges/universities), and the School Accountability Report Card. It also is communicated to other community support groups such as CHIME, PRAISE, Piedmont Educational Foundation, Parents’ Club, Diversity Committee, PAINTS, and Athletic Boosters. Although this vision is regularly communicated and widely distributed, it is not clear to what extent people derive meaning and inspiration from them. An insightful question was raised by the Special Education Home Group, who observed: “In this community there are a lot of vehicles for articulating the vision statement. The community seems to buy into it, but not necessarily the students. How does PHS make it more real to the students?”
Piedmont High School has the expectation that the graduates will achieve the outcomes outlined in the Expected School wide Learning Results. These outcomes were developed by PHS staff with the belief that all students can achieve at a high level. Components of these learning results are evident in each teacher’s class policies given to students at the beginning of the school year and reiterated to parents at Back to School Night.
Central to the Mission Statement is the fact that the educational staff strongly believes all students can achieve at high academic levels. The high school decision to change to a block schedule was motivated by student and staff needs. This schedule provides tutorial time for students and collaborative time for staff to evaluate and improve upon both learning and teaching strategies. Another way teachers support student achievement, is through collaboration with the Special Education staff. For example, in the 2003-2004 school year the Special Education Task Force (a group of regular and special education teachers) was formed to explore ways to help make the district’s high achievement standards more accessible to special education students. One outcome visible in classrooms today is that students who participate in Special Education are supported well enough through this program to be on a college preparatory track.
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To what extent is the school’s purpose supported by the governing board and the central administration and further defined by expected school wide learning results and the academic standards?
The District’s Mission Statement supports the school’s vision and Expected School wide Learning Results (ESLR’s). Similar to the discussion above regarding awareness of the school’s vision, even though the ESLR’s are clearly stated, there is less awareness among students, staff, and parents of the meaning behind “learning results” in regards to curriculum and instruction. It was learned from Home Group survey responses that “the ESLR’s are not frequently consulted even though teachers recognize that they are reflective of good teaching and “what we do.” If the ESLR’s are seldom emphasized, then promoting discussion with staff on how to connect the school’s vision to ESLR’s might cultivate a more focused culture of continuous professional development in the school.
Based on communications between the superintendent, principal, teaching staff, and the governing board, the superintendent works with the school board to develop the District’s Annual Goals. In 2005-2006 and in response to perceived changing student needs, the following goals were developed:
(1) “It is important for all students to experience success in school. Encourage interactions and collaboration between students, parents, school personnel and the community at large so that every student is inspired to learn and every student finds the necessary support to excel.” (2) “The District is a lead collaborator in the engagement of the entire community’s focus on the theme of promoting respect, which supports our mission to help students develop a strong sense of self and community in a safe, nurturing environment.”
Board policy on instruction gives teaching staff the flexibility to implement the instructional techniques needed to teach to the diverse learning needs of all students. Teachers further develop their skills through staff and professional development opportunities, both on and off campus. To encourage participation, the board provides a professional hourly rate of pay for on-site meetings. Each year the Parents’ Club and Piedmont Educational Foundation also offer teachers the opportunity to apply for grants that promote the school’s mission and the school wide learning expectations and results.
A2: To what extent does the governing board have policies and bylaws that are aligned with the school’s purpose and support the achievement for the expected school wide learning results and academic standards based on data-driven instructional decisions for the school?
The PUSD’s school board policies and by-laws are generally aligned with and supportive of the school’s purpose (vision), the ESLR’s, and academic standards. Board policies on curriculum and instruction are aligned with District standards. In order to implement these policies, the PUSD School Board supports the following practices: first, the Board policies strongly support faculty involvement in the decision making process with regard to academic standards and student achievement. Policies (i.e. Board Policy on Instruction 6000, 6011, 6141) are written
58 giving the teaching staff flexibility to determine the best instructional methods for making learning accessible to all students. Second, Board and school site policies are crafted through a formal and informal exchange among school, district and board members. Third, the Board allocates funds in a manner that reinforces student success of the ESLR’s. For example, it provides funding for staff development, targeted funding for tutoring for students who are earning below average academic grades, and district support for library services.
The extent to which Board policies are data driven is limited. Piedmont High School’s strong test scores on standardized tests such as the STAR, and the school’s mainly homogeneous population, make it challenging to adequately determine areas of improvement from the disaggregated data alone. Because of this, there is reliance on perception data, anecdotes, and experiences. The School and District facilitate frequent discussions focusing on this informal data in order to build consensus concerning instructional direction for the school.
The District leaders are readily accessible to school administrators and faculty. They have promoted the discussion/consensus model for decision making. This has served as an adequate means for viewing, disaggregating, and using information and experience to identify areas for improvement. One of the major concerns about this model for decision making is reliance so heavily on the collective experience of the most senior staff. While this can be a strength, there is concern about the loss of this body of knowledge when these staff members leave the district. There should be exploration of formal ways of collecting, examining, and sharing data, without losing the benefit of the small school dialogue and reliance on the professional knowledge and skills of senior staff.
To what extent does the governing board delegate implementation of these policies to the professional staff?
There is a direct chain of communication in the district. Policies are communicated from the Board to the superintendent and assistant superintendent who then pass the information on to the principal who conveys it to the staff. This leads to ongoing dialogue between site administrators and department chairs that will result in an implementation procedure.
The Board delegates implementation of policy on instruction, curriculum development, and evaluation to the Superintendent. Board Policy on Curriculum Development and Evaluation (BP 6141) states that, “The Board shall adopt a district curriculum which reflects district philosophy, responds to student needs and abilities, and is consistent with the requirements of the law. The Board considers curriculum improvement to be a top priority for the district.” This policy further delegates to the Superintendent the responsibility of ensuring that a process is followed that ensures “input from teachers, administrators, students and parents/guardians” in the curriculum development and evaluation process.
To what extent does the governing board regularly monitor results and approve the single school wide action plan and its relationship to the local education association (LEA) plan?
The results of Board policy implementation are monitored informally through communications between the Board, Superintendent, and Principal. The School Advisory Council (SAC) could be
59 formalized into a site council which would be responsible for developing a Single School-wide Action Plan that would be submitted to the Board each year for review. This plan would then be integrated into the District’s Local Education Association (LEA) plan. There is currently no single school-wide action plan. Piedmont’s past WASC action plan has been the goals for the school and now would be the basis for our single school-wide action plan.
A3: To what extent, based on student achievement data, does the school leadership and staff make decisions and initiate activities that focus on all students achieving the expected school-wide learning results and academic standards?
The school leadership and staff make decisions based on several sources of data. For example, the administration has identified a sub-group of students who consistently are earning below average grades of “D” and “F”. The staff reviews AP, STAR and SAT results in addition to individualize class assessments so as to inform the areas of emphasis and curriculum modifications. A Graduate Survey is administered to each senior class shortly after graduation, and then again after their first year at college. Due to past WASC recommendations, this data has been collected for 5 years.
Because PHS is a small and academically successful school with typically strong standardized test scores; however there is a need to systematically improve ways to uncover the areas in which we need to grow. To supplement the test data, PHS relies heavily on anecdotal, perceptual, experiential data derived through communication to make decisions and initiate activities that focus on all students achieving the ESLR’s and academic standards. Conversations are frequently initiated due to the personal relationships between students and staff and come out of concern about the achievement and well being of each student. Because PHS has a small population, the staff is able to have discussions about how to best support individual student needs. The staff have both formal (Student Study Teams, Special Education blue sheets) reviews and informal discussions to make decisions and initiate activities in response to the ongoing issues. One example of an activity a few of the staff undertook recently was the creation of the Special Education Task Force. This body examined the needs and procedures for Special Education students, teachers and other involved parties. One outcome from this task force was a consensus around quiz and testing procedures where students begin tests in the general education classroom and then are given more support and time when needed in the Learning Center. Another example of a data-based decision making is the policy concerning Geometry in summer school, which took place four years ago. Algebra 2 teachers noticed a pattern of below average performance by Algebra 2 students who had taken Geometry in summer school. Informal discussion progressed into a formal analysis of grades of Algebra 2 students. There was a clear correlation between those who took Geometry in summer school and below average performance in the course. This formal analysis resulted in the current policy which requires students to take a year-long Geometry course as a prerequisite to Algebra 2.
Generally the students are academically successful, but there is a need for more formalized procedures on the achievement of the ESLR's and academic standards by all students to focus the decision making process. The reinstatement of department chairs in 2005-2006 will provide a regular forum in which disaggregated data can be viewed and used to identify areas of improvement to support all students. At both S.A.C. meetings and Site Counsel meetings, the
60 staff and interested parties will need to develop better ways to communicate the decision making process to the community.
To what extent does the school leadership and staff annually monitor and refine the single school wide action plan based on analysis of data to ensure alignment with student needs?
There is currently no Single School-wide Action Plan; however, there are systems in place, which attempt to meet the same objectives. For instance, the School Advisory Counsel or SAC serves as a decision making/review forum for items such as course proposals, expenditures, and policies. The SAC was defunct in 2004-2005 due to the lack of funding for the department chairpersons. This spring, the SAC will be reinstated. In addition, individual topics are addressed by specific committees such as the Block Scheduling Committee that reviewed the current rotating block schedule, researched alternatives, and brought proposals to the staff. The Special Education Task Force followed the same process resulting in several policy changes for the school.
The staff sees the need for a more rigorous articulation so that the work and vision of various committees are not made in isolation. A Single School-wide Action Plan will address these needs.
A4: To what extent does a qualified staff facilitate achievement of the academic standards and expected school wide learning results through a system of preparation, induction, and ongoing professional development?
A qualified staff is central in supporting all students achieving to their fullest potential. The PHS staff realizes the importance in participating in ongoing professional development to maintain high academic standards. In 2004, 22 teachers participated in CLAD certification training. At present, 42 teachers hold English Learner certification. The new-teacher induction process – whether through BTSA or not - involves both learning for the new teacher and the experienced teacher. Through classroom observation and feedback, and ongoing dialogue and coaching, both teachers have the opportunity to come away feeling like they have gained new skills to help them in their teaching. We have compensated for the reduction of state and federal staff development funding through scheduled collaboration time, contracting with outside consultants, supporting new teachers with PAR and BTSA, and funding from the Piedmont Education Foundation and the Parent’s Club. During Focus Group discussions, the staff identified the importance of experienced staff sharing their departmental wisdom and teaching experiences with staff new to the school. This is critical given the percentage of staff who may retire over the next 5 - 10 years.
A5: To what extent are leadership and staff involved in ongoing research or data-based correlated professional development that focuses on identified student learning needs?
Staff participates in professional and staff development that is driven by “ongoing research or data-based correlated student learning needs.” According to Home Group Survey responses, staff are exposed to current research and best practices through Master Teacher articles from the principal in the weekly staff bulletin, topic specific site staff development, individual
61 professional development, participation in district-wide staff development, and mandated CLAD training. In addition, staff provides input in staff development topics of interest by responding annually to school administration surveys. Staff evaluations encourage both assessment of self, teaching practice, and student progress. Discussions during the WASC process have clarified the need for the school to develop a more formal process that uses concrete data to identify students who need more help succeeding in school.
The Organization Focus Group posed the following survey question to each Home Group: Should the staff be sharing professional development/research experiences with one another? Home Groups consistently said yes. One of the driving forces behind changing to a block schedule was to allow for regular opportunities for staff collaboration. However, for a variety of different reasons, these blocks of time often have been used to discuss administrative or school- wide issues. Without consistent opportunities for staff collaboration, it is difficult to build a culture of continuous and thematic thoughtful topics for discussion.
A6: To what extent are the human, material, physical, and financial resources sufficient and utilized effectively and appropriately in accordance with the legal intent of the program(s) to support students in accomplishing the academic standards and the expected school-wide learning results?
The community values its educational system. The school district is well-supported financially through a variety of sources including a parcel tax, bond measures, Educational Foundation funding, Parent's Club funding and other support group funding. We have a very favorable student to staff ratio compared to other public school districts in the Bay Area and in California. The district’s Budget Advisory Committee has been instrumental in advising the Board in allocating its financial resources to support the district’s major priorities of supporting fair and competitive compensation to staff to competitively attract quality teachers, and to provide the materials and classroom support.
Although the District has a 5-year Maintenance Plan, there is a lack of adequate financial resources to address certain areas of the school’s physical plant that are subject to intense use by the school and the community. For example, some classrooms are used each period of the school day, after school, and in the evening; the athletic fields are showing wear due to intensive use by both the high school, middle school, elementary school and the community; and there is a desire for an additional functioning computer lab. In addition, based on a recently released seismic evaluation of the district’s facilities, the high school’s Student Center, 30’s classroom/Library building, and theatre all present safety risks because they do not meet current engineering and building code standards to withstand a major earthquake. Seismic strengthening of these structures will require State and local bond funds.
62 ii) Standards-based Student Learning: Curriculum
B1: To what extent do all students participate in a rigorous, relevant, and coherent standards-based curriculum that supports the achievement of the academic standards and the expected schoolwide learning results? [Through standards-based learning (i.e., what is taught and how it is taught), the expected schoolwide learning results are accomplished.]
The faculty is in agreement that the courses are rigorous, relevant, and coherent. In a survey done by the parents, the following was revealed: while a majority of parents agree that their child’s work is sufficiently challenging, 20% felt that their child’s work was not rigorous enough. (This survey was completed by 225 parents.) The college preparatory curriculum at Piedmont High School is based on state and national standards, California framework, UC requirements, as well as the ESLRS. The faculty is credentialed in the areas in which they teach and regularly continue their professional development through conferences, seminars, coursework, and membership in professional organizations; 74% of the staff is certificated in or is pursuing credentialing in ELD. The staff is mindful of differing learning styles, multiple intelligences, varying language proficiencies, and maturing stages of cognitive and social development when designing the curriculum. Teachers regularly present and revise curriculum, and use a variety of strategies including, but not limited to, direct instruction, Socratic seminars, simulation, group work, debate, demonstration, student presentations, audio-visual tools, guest speakers, and field trips. The block schedule facilitates in-depth learning and high-level thinking by allowing students expanded periods of time to engage with their subject matter, teachers, and peers. Even so, due to a desire for one to one and collaboration time, the faculty would like to refine and improve the block schedule to ensure an optimal teaching and learning experience. The school offers electives and AP and/or honors classes in all departments and all students have access to these courses. The faculty believes that students demonstrate engagement because they complete a high percentage of the assignments, perform well on assessments, attend school regularly, take larger course loads than is required for graduation, and give positive feedback in student and graduate surveys.
Despite the many areas of strength, the faculty recognizes PHS has areas in which it could grow. One of these is the extent to which there is integration among disciplines. Teachers currently enjoy a collaborative environment within their departments, with the Special Education department, and with the librarian. However, the process which exists for articulation among and between grade levels and other departments needs improvement. For example, much work could be done to further the alignment of related fields, such as American history with American literature in order to increase student understanding of material and to help students make better “big picture” connections. And, although math is needed for understanding much of science, more could be done to build collaborative projects in both departments. Therefore, the faculty needs more opportunities for interdepartmental collaboration, perhaps designed by the departments themselves.
The same should be said for more articulation with the Piedmont Middle School. Back to School Night offers parents an opportunity to learn about the classes and the course requirements at PHS. Further development of this event could offer parents an opportunity to understand the difference in curriculum expectations between PMS and PHS. The counselors and special
63 education department communicate regularly with the middle school, but the students’ needs and goals could be better met by increasing the communication between other departments as well. By increasing the understanding of the middle school curriculum, the faculty can better help the students bridge gaps in their knowledge and skill sets so they will be equipped to succeed at the next level.
PHS provides substantial support for students as they pursue their curricular goals. Regular monitoring of student progress is offered by counselor meetings, teacher tutorials, student study teams, and the learning resource program. A variety of interventions are available for students who need additional assistance including IEPs, 504 plans, modified grades, peer listening, peer tutoring, and this year’s piloted referral program for students who are dealing with eating disorders or cutting (self-mutilation). Communication between teachers, counselors, Learning Center teachers, and parents, as well as supplementary grade reports, help ensure the success of the majority of the students. However, it is recognized that the school does fall short in some ways. The faculty is concerned that there is a need to focus more attention on those students who are performing below average, which can include new students who sometimes struggle to adjust to the academic expectations. The support of these students has been identified as an area of critical academic need. As seen in the parent survey, parents with students earning below average grades feel that progress needs to be made in meeting their students’ needs.
Finally, graduate surveys suggest three areas in which former students would like to see greater emphasis: public speaking, critical analysis, writing skills and study skills. Conversations with teachers suggest these areas are addressed within courses. There is acknowledgement that students’ mastery of these skills can be increased during class by reiterating their application in a variety of situations. The parent survey showed that the parents felt strongly that PHS needed to incorporate more writing across the curriculum. Even so, the faculty believes further emphasis needs to be placed on developing a study skills curriculum for freshmen in response to the recent graduate survey.
B2: To what extent do all students have access to the school’s entire program and assistance with a personal learning plan to prepare them for the pursuit of their academic, personal and school-to-career goals?
Classes available to students are chiefly college preparatory. The only exceptions are subject area Learning Center courses (LC Math) which are available only to Special Education students. These classes are typically taken for one year, as a foundation class, and then students are moved to college prep classes with or without modifications. Advanced Placement courses are available to all students with appropriate pre-requisites. The college prep curriculum provides strong preparation for post-secondary education.
Millennium High School, PUSD’s alternative high school, is another option for those students who desire or need a different structure. Millennium High students share some PHS classes, are located on the PHS campus, enjoy the same social events, and play PHS sports. However, MHS has a more holistic approach to each student’s well being and a subject integrated yet independent learning model for their students. This alternative provides more access to support
64 for academics and helps student pursue avenues other than college when they earn their high school diploma.
At PHS, students are given ample opportunity to explore the world beyond their classrooms. Besides yearbook and newspaper classes, most of the students participate in community service, and many are involved in peer tutoring and peer listening programs, mock trial debates, and multiple clubs. The Science, Art, and Computer departments all offer career exploration. For example, the science curriculum involves students in a science fair and the art curriculum involves a job shadowing program. Some of our courses, such as AP Art, Environmental Science, and Anatomy are natural links to learning about real, tangible, and worldly issues. Approximately five students each semester take a directed study course to investigate fields of personal interest beyond the classroom.
The PHS educational program has changed course offerings to accommodate student interest. For example, courses were able to be proposed to the school board via our S.A.C. leadership team each year; in the last three years one course made it through the process and was brought to PHS, at first as two sections, and now as three sections. This course, AP Environmental Science, was a course heavily sought after by students. At the time that this course was adopted we had a clear plan and clear procedures for adopting a course and, at that, the process took almost two years. Now, several years later, and with the 2004 - 2005 budgetary dismantlement of our S.A.C. leadership team, we have found that we are in need of a new process for changing, adding or deleting courses.
One area of growth would be to systematically investigate the opportunities for developing additional electives (such as advanced courses), non-academic offerings (such as career interest courses) and both UC approved and non-UC approved ROP courses that match student interests and needs. The parent community would like PHS to investigate ways to incorporate other electives that would be high interest classes for the older students. Another area of possible curricular interest currently includes changing the sequencing of the social studies classes. And again, yet another area of interest is a re-evaluation and re-alignment of the science curriculum in light of 2006-2007 being a “science adoption year.” An additional topic up for discussion is opening up enough dance sections to accommodate all grade levels. Each of these curricular topics has come to PHS through different routes: some are from interested parents, others are from dedicated teachers, and still others are student driven.
Counseling is available to prepare students for the pursuit of their academic, personal and school to career goals. The College and Career center provides extensive information on college admissions, help with college applications, and planning for academic testing, as well as provides hundreds of college presentations to our students each year. Through the Counseling Office and throughout the year, counselors are available on a drop-in basis and for scheduled appointments. They meet with seniors to prepare their college applications and provide counseling services for students who have below average grades, who are depressed, and/or who may be experiencing behavioral difficulties in the classroom. They give the school’s Planning Guide to students each spring which provides a description of courses and graduation requirements. In addition, the College Center and Counseling Office put on multiple lunch, afternoon, and evening programs related to all of these topics over the course of each year.
65 When a student appears to be struggling either academically or emotionally, the school counselors consult with teachers and administrators using a Student Study Team process. A student study team is comprised of teachers, administrators, counselors, special education specialists and parents. After gathering information they come together to decide what course of action is necessary to improve student performance and school experience. Despite the attempts to engage and support all students, PHS has students who are earning adequate grades, but may not be achieving their potential. Unfortunately, these students do not attract the attention of a student study team. PHS should revisit the student study team process to see whether it can be developed to better address the needs of these students.
Special Education is another service that is provided to PHS students. Once a special education student has a plan, progress is monitored for the student by bi-weekly “blue sheets” which are individual progress reports from the teachers to the students Resource teacher. Special Education services provide academic flexibility through accommodations and modifications, when necessary. 504, another program to help support students, is monitored by an administrator. Information and accommodations are clarified to teachers through meetings and memos. Even with all of these types of support systems in place the staff continues to struggle with the balance of delivering a rigorous academic curriculum along side of developing and delivering modified curriculum for those students who struggle. PHS needs to work on a continuous staff development plan that supports curriculum development for the above-mentioned students.
B3: To what extent are students able to meet all the requirements of graduation upon completion of the high school program?
Piedmont High School students meet the graduation requirements and consistently maintain a graduation rate of 99%-100%. Information about the curriculum is communicated to the students through the PHS planning guide and the master schedule is determined in part by students’ preliminary sign-ups. There is high participation in planning meetings and in funding of specific programs, by such organizations as the Parents’ Club, PAINTS (visual arts), and CHIME (vocal, instrumental, drama, and dance). The course pre-requisites are designed to ensure students have the skills and knowledge needed to further their studies to meet the graduation requirements. The school counselors are vigilant about meeting with students and parents and reviewing transcripts several times a year in order to be certain all students are “on track.”
PHS has a number of systems in place to support students in their attempt to meet all graduation requirements. As stated above, counselors schedule regular appointments with students to monitor progress toward graduation and are available to meet with students to discuss individual learning plans. Along side the planning, and through progress reports, parents and students are informed when a student is receiving a “D” or an “F” in a class, under achieving in class, or exhibiting behavioral problem in class. Some teachers use mygradebook.com or similar websites to allow students and parents internet access to student grades. Annually, one of our faculty members offers training in how to use mygradebook.com
When students are identified by parents or staff, they have many options available to support them. Tutorials are offered once every seven school days as part of the block schedule. The counseling office arranges peer tutoring, in which interested students are paired with volunteer
66 student tutors. The Resource Program addresses the needs of 11% of the student population; student goals are established through Individual Education Plans, and their progress in individual classes is monitored through the use of blue sheets, a fortnightly report issued by each general education teacher for each Learning Center student. Section 504 qualified students receive specialized support through meetings between teachers, parents, and the administration. Students, who are struggling academically or behaviorally, but do not qualify for 504 status or for resource classes, are monitored in voice mail and e-mail contact, parent teacher conferences, and discussed in student study team meetings, which may be initiated by teachers, parents, or the administration. Each year, Millennium High School accepts 6-12 students from PHS. These students previously struggled at PHS for a variety of reasons such as academics, tardiness, behavior, or emotional issues. By transferring to MHS the students have found an atmosphere better suited for their curricular needs. Even with all that we do, we clearly are not identifying and helping every student who needs more services.
67 iii) Standards-Based Student Learning: Instruction
C1: To what extent are all students involved in challenging learning experiences to achieve the academic standards and the expected schoolwide learning results?
The great majority of students at Piedmont High School are achieving at a very high level academically—with exceptional API and STAR scores, excellent CAHSE results, and high enrollment and high scores in AP classes. A high percentage of our graduates enroll in four-year colleges, including Stanford, UCB, Harvard, etc. Teacher confidence that students are successfully meeting high academic expectations is reflected in the schoolwide GPA of 3.4; The staff believes that this level of student achievement reflects the faculty’s belief in providing challenging learning experiences for our students, based both on established academic standards, as seen in each department’s Content Standards Worksheet, and on our own ESLR’s. Parents believe that the high GPA reflects a high achieving community that sets high expectations for their students.
One of Piedmont High’s greatest strengths is the energy our teachers devote to designing classroom activities which are both intellectually stimulating for, and accessible to, students with different learning styles, needs, and strengths. As evidenced by individual teacher surveys on the use of varied instructional techniques, and also by the Leadership Committee classroom observations, we rarely “teach from the textbook,” and instead put our emphasis on active, student-directed learning. Across the curriculum, our students are regularly engaged in such activities as debates, mock trials, Socratic seminars, student performances and presentations and work in cooperative learning groups. In Math, for instance, higher-achieving and lower- achieving students regularly work in pairs or small groups to assist one another with comprehension. In English and Art, students offer one another mutual feedback via writers’ workshops and critique groups; also, students have opportunities to work on long-term, student- driven projects together, including Design Teams in Visual Design, and Student Companies in Economics.
In a recent Student Survey, the great majority of students confirmed that the learning experiences offered at PHS help them achieve academically. When asked to rate how they were doing at PHS in terms of their “success at learning,” the great majority of students reported that feel they are doing “reasonably well” or “extremely well” in school. When asked how often they have difficulty comprehending material, are confused, or feel they are falling behind, the great majority said they have this experience “never” or “only occasionally.” A series of questions on the survey asked students about specific instructional strategies used by PHS teachers (traditional lecture, whole-group discussion, small group work, debates, fishbowl discussions, student presentations, hands-on activities, and visual projects), and asked students to rate the degree to which each strategy “increases my engagement with the material and my ability to learn.” For every strategy except “traditional lecture,” the preponderance of students answered that these activities “somewhat” or “significantly increase” their engagement and learning. Subsequently, students were asked whether each strategy was used too much, too little, or just the right amount at PHS; for all except traditional lecture, the most common student answer was “just the right amount.”
68 Despite these strengths, the staff does recognize some significant areas in which to grow. While the great majority of the students are clearly succeeding at school, concern remains that some students still need more support, or could benefit from some “fine-tuning,” in the staffs’ instructional approach. On the student survey, while the large majority of students felt they were doing well and had adequate support for learning, a few students reported difficulty. These students answered that they had difficulty with comprehending course material, were confused, or were falling behind “about half the time,” with a smaller number saying they felt that way “more than half the time,” and a very few answering, “Almost always.” When asked about the adequacy of the support resources, a small but significant number said that these resources are inadequate. Perhaps most alarmingly, when asked whether they thought their teachers were aware when students were having difficulty in class, an overall majority of students, seem to feel that teachers are not adequately aware. Some felt that teachers are only sometimes aware, some said that teachers are “almost never aware,” and some said teachers are “never aware” when the student is having trouble comprehending material or is falling behind in a class. Teachers clearly need to look at whether or not they are doing enough to identify students’ problems, and whether they are doing enough to help students when they become aware. At the very least, the staff needs to communicate more clearly with students when they suspect students are having difficulty, and make clear, personal offers of support.
One section of our population in particular who need our special attention is students who are performing below-average. An indicator of problems for a student often shows in the discrepancy between being a high achiever on standardized tests while earning low grades. The Culture committee has passed on their findings that such students are often experiencing personal crises that may be causing, or at least exacerbating, their academic status; but the staff may need to do more to give time and attention to their needs. According to observations made by one of our Assistant Principals, who shadowed several such students throughout their classes to try to identify the nature of their difficulties, these students generally try to avoid calling attention to themselves during class discussions and are often visibly disengaged or even putting their heads down in class. However, during more “active” instructional activities, these students are visibly more engaged.
On the section of the student survey dealing with student response to specific instructional techniques, a small number of students did say that certain techniques, such as hands-on activities and visual projects were used “not quite often enough” or even “much too rarely.” Overall students answered that traditional lecture is used a bit too much. Teachers could build on the successes we’ve already had with our varied instructional techniques by offering even more “hands-on,” visual, and kinesthetic activities. We would then have to determine whether or not students who experience difficulty would improve there performance if the staff simply altered our presentation of academic material.
It is a concern that the ability to help under-achieving students—and the ability to maintain the success of our many students who are achieving at high levels—face some challenges. Although the PHS staff acknowledges that the PHS class sizes are lower than many public schools in California, the PHS staff feels that smaller class sizes would benefit all students by allowing for more innovative instructional techniques and more one to one time with students. A majority of students admitted in our Student Survey that they notice more “goofing off” by students when
69 classes are larger, that their own ability to pay attention “decreases somewhat” or “decreases significantly,” and that individual attention from teachers “decreases somewhat” or “decreases significantly.” In the teacher survey, a majority of instructors reported that they have to modify instructional strategies in larger classes solely for the sake of classroom management, and that student performance overall is somewhat or significantly higher in smaller classes. From a teacher’s perspective, having more students to attend to increases the difficulty of identifying and giving more attention to students who are falling behind. For all of these reasons, the PHS staff would like to continually re-evaluate the possibility of reducing class sizes.
One of Piedmont High’s strengths in instruction is giving detailed feedback to students. Both the fact that the staff gives students complex and challenging assignments, and the fact that the majority of students complete and turn in these assignments makes the grading loads high. Many teachers who have come to Piedmont from other school districts report that the grading time is much heavier here. In many departments, this is only exacerbated by the high percentage of our students taking AP classes, in which they must complete more work than in regular classes. As seen in the student and teacher surveys, teachers feel that timely feedback is a crucial piece of instruction. Although the teachers spend many hours outside of the school day grading, most report that they cannot get as much work back as quickly as they should or in as much depth as they would like for the feedback to support student learning.
C2: To what extent do all teachers use a variety of strategies and resources, including technology and experiences beyond the textbook and the classroom, that actively engage students, emphasize higher order thinking skills, and help them succeed at high levels?
At PHS, as affirmed by the teacher survey on instructional strategies and by Leadership Team’s classroom observations, teachers use a variety of strategies and resources in their teaching. The staff offers varied, creative instruction with an emphasis on student-centered learning: an approach which challenges students to become complex and independent thinkers. Teachers across all departments enrich instruction with innovative and effective classroom activities which appeal to many different learning styles. In addition to the solid use of traditional instructional techniques like lecture and note-taking, problem sets, reading comprehension activities, science labs, and classroom discussion, students are up on their feet, engaged in mock trials, debates, impromptu performances, problem-solving activities, and hands-on experimentation.
In addition, students are regularly involved in projects which appeal to learning modes other than the verbal-mathematical, including activities like role-playing, tableaux vivants, art- or music- based projects, and other “hands-on” activities ranging from cutting conic sections out of cupcakes in Geometry, to making papier-mâché masks of the “ego” in Psychology, to doing plant identification in neighboring Bushy Dell Creek for AP Environmental Science. As well as all those mentioned above, many activities extend beyond the PHS campus entirely. These include a great variety of field trips. Students learn locally—with U.S. History classes going on a Black Panther Tour of Oakland, English classes attending theatrical performances at the Berkeley Repertory and California Shakespeare Festival theatres, and AP Biology students going on the “Mushroom Trip” for hands-on field study with expert mycologists. Students learn globally, with regular A Capella class tours across Europe, and the Mandarin class trip to China. Some classes require students to take part in larger community activities on their own time, as
70 with the Gallery Critiques requirement in Art, and the volunteering requirement in Civics, for which all students must attend some form of public meeting and volunteer several hours for a political campaign of their choice. This strong focus on student-centered learning and learning beyond the textbook, and even beyond the classroom, encourages achievement of the ESLR's by asking students to take responsibility for their own learning. Our instructional practices give them experience as successful collaborative workers, invite them to understand and participate in the larger community and world in which they live, and give them a clear start as self-directed life-long learners.
In addition to the learning experiences offered in classrooms, PHS provides many support structures outside of regular classroom hours to help ensure that students are achieving academically. Teachers offer extra review sessions outside of class, including a variety of times when they are available to help students and a variety of ways in which students can reach them. Parents expect availability from teachers along with quick responses to their questions. For Special Education students, the Learning Center program is well-integrated into instruction at the school, with regular “blue sheet” reports used to ensure communication between General Ed and Resource teachers. Student-to-student assistance is also available through the Peer Tutoring program. In the student survey, students were asked to rate the helpfulness of the support structures when they want “more help with course material.” The great majority answered either that the support structures are “extremely helpful; these resources are all I need to get caught up,” or called them “Reasonably helpful; with these resources, I can do reasonably well.” A solid minority answered that they did not feel the need to use these supports.
The emphasis on higher order thinking skills, and on meta-cognitive self-reflection, can be seen as a regular feature throughout the departments. English and Social Studies courses, for instance, make frequent use of Socratic Seminars, in which students develop complex questions to ask one another about their reading, and are subsequently asked to critique the depth and quality of the conversation that has just taken place. In AP Calculus, students are not simply shown how to solve increasingly difficult problems; instead, they are asked to reason out potential strategies for themselves. In Science classes students are required to do research projects which go beyond simple fact-finding—for instance, researching and comparing alternative energy sources, and arguing for the advantages of a particular source. In all Visual and Performing Arts classes students analyze professional performances and exhibitions and apply the concepts they learn to expand the boundaries of their own creative work. The Foreign Language students improvise dialogues as they take on the roles of characters from films they have just seen, or practice conversation with prop telephones. The Civics or AP U.S. History class may very likely be engaged in a spirited formal debate, over anything from the merits of ballot issues during election time to historical controversy, such as whether or not Reconstruction was too radical, or whether or not the American colonists were justified in starting the Revolution. The Senior English class might be writing and performing “post-colonial” retellings of a scene from The Tempest, while the Anatomy class makes posters illustrating weird questions they’ve always wanted to ask about the workings of the human body. Geometry students might be using math to create workable designs for space stations, while members of the Ceramics class plan a trip to Dillon Beach to build a pit-fire for their latest clay pieces. PHS works hard to create engaging classroom activities that let students be active learners who can make the material their own.
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The staff believes there are still areas of growth—specifically, making better use of technology in the classroom, and creating more opportunities for meaningful staff development. Some teachers at PHS already make excellent use of technology in their teaching, creating PowerPoint slideshows, building class websites, and acquiring site licenses for instructional websites such as hotmath.com. However, as reflected in the teacher survey, many feel they are missing out on some excellent resources for teaching students. In some cases, there is physically no access to technology, such as a readily accessible computer projector screen in every room, which would enable more use of PowerPoint, engage classes in collaborative writing, or allow a large group to work with an interactive website. Teachers who have recently come to Piedmont from other districts often express surprise at the thinness of technological resources at PHS. The second aspect of the problem has to do with limited technical support. The Tech Coordinator is kept so busy doing maintenance of existing computers, installation of new equipment is a slow process. Work on a larger “vision” of what technology might be at PHS seems perpetually to be on a back burner. Parents feel that technology – new hardware, software and training - is essential to PHS and needs to be reevaluated in order to keep up with current technological trends. For Piedmont to make real progress in use of technology, substantial teacher training is needed, both in operation of new equipment and software, and in effective teaching practices. Teachers would need to commit considerable time and energy into improving their technological skills.
As for staff development more generally, the teacher survey underscored the deeply felt need for more time for collaboration. PHS wants more time for communication within departments, between departments, and between teachers at the high school and the middle school. Despite the many committed, creative teachers here, many teachers feel they are working in isolation, insufficiently aware of what other instructional techniques are being used at PHS. With more collaboration time, more could be done to share good teaching ideas and effective strategies, including effective instructional use of technology. Parents are in full agreement that collaboration can provide richness in curriculum and instruction. Along with this, teachers would like to find more time for peer-to-peer mentoring of newer teachers, as well as more venues for classroom observations and feedback from subject-area peers in addition to administrators.
72 iv) Standards-Based Student Learning: Assessment and Accountability
D1: To what extent does the school use a professionally acceptable assessment process to collect, disaggregate, analyze and report student performance data to the parents and other shareholders of the community?
Through conversation, observation, research, and survey, the staff concluded that PHS implements a variety of assessment strategies for all shareholders of the community to review. These include standardized tests, an on-line school accountability report card, school board reports to the community regarding student progress, lists of academically ineligible students, newsletters from the principal regarding Exit Exam and Star Test scores, student showcases and outside performances, and grade reports by teachers.
The Counseling Department compiles a test card for each student which includes student performance data on the Exit Exam, PSAT, SAT, ACT, Star Test, and AP exams taken. These cards are accessible for viewing by school staff, parents, and students. The counseling department also maintains the Piedmont High School Profile which provides colleges and other interested parties the necessary information about the school, average GPA, range of SAT scores, a list of colleges that past graduates have attended and other pertinent information. Each June, the counseling office conducts an exiting senior survey requesting information on their post high school plans. The results of where each student is attending school the next year makes up the matriculation list and is reported in the local newspaper.
Piedmont Unified School District maintains a website showing the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), Academic Performance Index (API) score, district-wide AP Exam results, and district-wide Star Test results. Piedmont students consistently demonstrate high performance on all standardized tests. The SARC disaggregates test-score data by ethnicity, gender, and grade level. The SARC information is also presented at a locally televised school board meeting. One area of growth identified is that the online school information needs to be updated more frequently.
The school site sends grade reports from individual teachers four times per year and progress reports for below average students five weeks into each grading period. Based on grade reports, teachers are given a list of students who are academically ineligible for the reporting period which helps teachers see how their individual students are performing as a whole. The list is distributed among the instructional staff and individual notification is sent home. In addition to grade reports, the principal and the parents club sends The Highlander Highlights, a monthly newsletter about school activities and student accomplishments, to all high school families. Two additional newsletters go out to families: the High School Bulletin and the College Center Bulletin. Both of these go out to families who sign up for them at walkthrough registration.
Although we have many ways of showing the strengths of Piedmont High School, we have not spent time disaggregating information from standardized tests for data that could help us better serve our students.
73 D2: To what extent do teachers employ a variety of assessment strategies to evaluate student learning?
Based on a collection of rubrics from different assignments throughout the school, course outlines, sample assessments and results of a teacher survey on types of assessments used, we have evidence of varying assessments. While all teachers do not employ all assessment methods, teachers use logical choices of assessments to match their course content in order to allow students to demonstrate skills specific to that subject.
The teacher survey shows a variety of assessments that include compositions, journals, tests, quizzes, individual and group projects, group discussions, oral presentations, debates, performances, teacher observation data, notebooks, portfolios, brochures, lab practicals, gallery reports, and reflective writing. As the assessment focus group closely examined each teacher’s responses to the Assessment Group Survey, the focus group did find that most teachers strive to include different assessment strategies to gauge students’ mastery of material and demonstration of the school’s ESLR’s. Our classroom observation data supported the survey in terms of class participation.
To what extent do students and teachers use these findings to modify the teaching/learning process for the enhancement of the educational process of every student?
Teachers are willing to share and discuss grading criteria and grading policy in order to evaluate and modify the teaching/learning process. Teachers informally share course expectations with one another and use this information to align curriculum between like courses and course levels, establish rubrics, and share evaluation criteria. Based on the performance abilities and individual talents or interest of students, the Performing Arts department, for example, modifies the course content of each level of acting from year to year to keep students’ learning relevant and current. In order to improve musicianship for individuals and the group, the Music Department changes the teaching process for sight-reading with the introduction of new systems from year to year. The English Department evaluates writing across the grade level on a yearly basis and reports the strengths and weaknesses of the students to the next year's English teachers to continue to build skills. However, the staff needs to continue to work to formalize and fine-tune the grading process within similar courses to improve consistency. The faculty needs to examine the percentage allotted to certain grading categories within different sections of the same course because the staff found, through the teacher survey, that the faculty lacks consistency in this area. Departments need to discuss how to assess writing skills regarding content and grammar in a consistent cross-curricular way. In terms of student writing, the staff discussed in detail the question of the weight of content vs. grammar, importance of spelling and punctuation and other ways of assessing the different elements of a composition. The staff realized there is a great deal of variety both from department to department and, in some cases, teacher to teacher within a department in how the staff assess student writing. While a majority of parents agree that their students are learning to communicate effectively in writing, 14% of those surveyed disagree that this is the case. Further, in the comments portion of the survey parents wrote about their concern about the effectiveness of writing instruction at PHS – particularly logical, reasoning, and expository writing as well as prompt feedback and consistency in expectations. Also, the
74 teaching staff found it needs to collaborate on consistent departmental policies related to late work submitted by students.
Students at Piedmont High School are taught to use critical thinking skills through oral and written feedback from their teachers and peers to improve their work and discover their strengths. Tutorial sessions are an opportunity for students to take an active role in their learning by communicating with teachers. Students receive an up-to-date assessment of their progress, review material, and identify areas for growth. During tutorial for example, the Foreign Language Department offers an opportunity for guided peer work between high level and beginning students; this allows students and teachers to discover more effective learning processes and explore individualized instruction for the purpose of assessment. Students’ attendance at tutorials is initiated by teachers, students, and parents based on test and quiz results, homework scores, quarter grades, performance and observation of other needs.
The Performing Arts Department surveys students’ experiences as to performance projects, venues, literature and rehearsals in order to improve and modify yearly programs reflecting student interest and learning. In addition, the Special Education Department issued a survey to students to collect information regarding test taking. Students were able to express concern regarding fairness. As a result, communication between Special Education teachers and the general education teachers were fine tuned to promote a better understanding of the individual student experience.
D3: To what extent does the school with the support of the district and community have an assessment and monitoring system to determine student progress toward achievement of the academic standards and the expected schoolwide learning results?
Besides regular progress and grade reporting periods observed each quarter, teachers and counselors monitor students’ academic progress in many other ways. Teachers share course expectations and curriculum expectations with parents at Back to School night in the fall and some teachers use online grading as well as web-posting of assignments. Parents would like to see consistency here as well. The parents commented, through the parent survey, that they feel somewhat “out of the loop.” They feel that anything to enhance communication between student, parent and teacher would be extremely helpful. Approximately 20% of those parents surveyed feel that work is not returned in a timely fashion. Another approximately 20% of parents surveyed feel that their children do not have knowledge of their current performance. These issues prevent students from being able to assess their knowledge on course content quickly and prevent parents from intervening before a student gets into problems. Counselors use the grade reports and teacher comments to identify students who are not meeting all academic expectations. Through the SST (student study team) process, counselors, teachers, or parents can call a meeting to discuss an individual student's progress and make suggestions for improvement. Counselors also monitor standardized test scores and use the information to guide students for their college admission path. Special Education teachers monitor their students' progress in their core classes through “blue” progress reports submitted to teachers every two weeks. These reports show the student's grade, missing work (if any), upcoming assignments, and attendance at tutorial.
75 Outside the classroom, Piedmont students continue demonstrating the ESLR's through community service. Their hours are monitored by the College and Career Center. One example of this is seen through the School Climate Committee which runs a student staffed Peer Tutoring Program.
Not only are students monitored to see if they are meeting their performance goals, teachers are monitored and evaluated thoroughly by administration. Teachers are expected to meet state mandated content standards but also to challenge students to become independent, civic-minded critical thinkers and self-sustaining life-long learners. Besides administrative observation and evaluation, teachers work together and attend department curriculum meetings to align activities with state standards. However, again, it would be beneficial for teachers to use individual student data from STAR/AP/Exit Exams to obtain more specific information on individual student deficiencies.
D4: To what extent does the assessment of the student achievement in relation to the academic standards and the expected schoolwide learning results drive the school’s program, its regular evaluation and improvement and usage of resources?
All departments within the school design their course outlines based on state driven content standards and the needs of our students. Assessments in each course therefore combine student needs and standards to make Piedmont High School a high performing academic institution. Teachers consistently use the results of their assessments to reevaluate their teaching strategies within each course. The Expected Schoolwide Learning Results reflect a natural, global outgrowth of these expectations. We do feel, however, that another area of growth is to continue working to make sure that assessment of student achievement and ESLR's are helping our students develop as citizens.
There are several areas where individual teachers and departments use assessment data to restructure their courses in meaningful ways. The Science Department, based on STAR data, redesigned the Integrated Science courses. In order to more closely follow the student’s cognitive development the Science Department restructured the placement of curriculum content over the course of the two- year period. The English department, based on inconsistencies in student writing, implemented a formal department-wide writing assessment for each grade level.
AP teachers receive data each year from the AP exams that give both anecdotal and hard statistical evidence that help teachers continuously reassess and evaluate their curriculum. Due to a high success rate on the AP tests and the nature of our student population, new AP classes such as AP Environmental Science, and AP 3-D Design have been added to our course listings in recent years.
The Special Education Department created sheltered classes in Language Arts, Math, and Science to assist students who were struggling in the general education classes.
76 v) School Culture and Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth
E1: To what extent does the school leadership employ a wide range of strategies to encourage parental and community involvement, especially with the teaching/learning process?
Piedmont High School welcomes parental and community involvement to enhance the teaching/learning process. Parent/community support generally falls into two categories: volunteer support in areas of expertise and interest related to the school curriculum and extra- curricular activities, and fundraising.
Parent/community volunteers participate in school activities frequently and enthusiastically in their areas of expertise and/or interest. Teachers and administrators often call upon members of the community to share their knowledge related to academic and relevant topics in the classroom. Parents are an excellent resource for guest speakers, either personally or through their contacts in the community. In history class, students have heard from survivors of the Holocaust; in Mandarin class, students received a lesson in martial arts; in social psychology, members of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) presented information on homophobia. In English class, one of our teachers consulted with a member of our community who is a food editor for a “Restaurant Review Unit,” in which students showcased their creative and descriptive writing techniques. In another English class, parents participate in “book circles,” with students reading and discussing literary works. At the yearly Science Fair, parents act as student mentors and judges.
Outside of the classroom, parent/community volunteers are encouraged to give their time to support extracurricular activities. They respond by supporting the Arts through volunteering in the box office for musical and theatrical performances, and they often assist with costuming and design. Parents have chaperoned trips to such places as China with the school chorus, and Washington D.C. for the Close Up Program. They also volunteer their assistance at sporting events, working in the “snack shack,” selling tickets, driving and helping with general supervision. To support students in the college application process, parent volunteers fully staff the College Center, updating and providing information on a variety of post-secondary schools, and arranging visits from representatives from various colleges. Our parent volunteers also completely plan and stage the Senior Ball and Grad Night each year, arranging the venue, catering and decorating, making this experience a special one for graduating seniors. The Piedmont Parent Network invites parents to homes at night to discuss current topics of interest related to their children and the school.
School-sponsored evening events, often developed in conjunction with parent/community groups, provide information to parents so that they can be well informed about the teaching/learning process at the high school. In September of each year, parents can attend Back- to-School Night, and follow their students’ schedules of classes. Here they receive information about course requirements and expectations from their students’ teachers. In January each year, Freshman Parent Night is held where parents receive information about the high school program, including academics and extra-curricular activities. During this event, freshman teachers from each department present course information, and counselors give an overview of services
77 available from the Counseling Department, and information on high school graduation and college admission requirements. Also in January, the Special Education Department, in cooperation with PRAISE, holds a parent orientation for incoming freshman special education students. Parents receive an overview of the Special Education Program and support services, and are introduced to some of the issues affecting Special Education students at the high school level. All of these events are extremely well attended.
With a majority of our students college-bound, school-sponsored evening events also provide information to parents so that they can support their students in meeting requirements for the post-secondary application process. Again, these events, designed to encourage parental involvement, are often developed in conjunction with parent/community volunteers, and are well attended. During the first semester, parents of former students give tips on how to tackle the college process on Parent Panel Night. Also in the first semester, the College Center volunteers organize a College Visit Night for both students and parents with representatives from different colleges available for presentations and small group discussions. During our Sophomore College Night, sophomore parents and students receive a preview of the college planning process from the school counselors. At Returning Grad Night, recent PHS graduates lead a panel discussion on their college experiences for students and parents. Case Studies is an additional night in which students and parents are invited to school to review “mock up” applications with college admissions personnel in order to better understand how a student gets admitted to colleges.
There are a variety of parent/community groups that support the teaching/learning process through fundraising efforts. The CHIME group (Citizens Highly Interested in Music Education) raises money for music programs in the school district. The BOOSTERS Club raises funds to support school athletic activities. PRAISE, a group for parents of special education students, raises money for special education projects in the district as well as hosts guest speakers and facilitates monthly discussions on relevant topics. PAAC (Piedmont Asian American Club) provides support for the Mandarin program through grants and informational meetings for parents and students. In 2003, PAAC helped the school district secure a 3-year federal grant for the Mandarin program. Grant money has funded a portable language lab with 30 laptops, summer training program for a teacher, National Foreign Language Conference attendance for two teachers in the last three years, and fieldtrips and performances for the Mandarin classes. Both the Parent’s Club and the Piedmont Educational Foundation raise funds to support school, department and individual teacher needs. These two grant-making entities send requests for proposals two times a year, and teachers, departments, and administrators may apply for funding. For example, this year the Special Education Department applied and received a grant for CD players and books on CD to enhance students with reading disabilities’ access to literature. The Diversity Committee made up of parent/community members as well as teachers, hosts community workshops on topics related to living in a multicultural society. The Diversity Committee also provides small grants to teachers and administrators for projects related to the subject of diversity.
Finally, teachers recognize the value of keeping parents informed through open lines of communication. Every teacher has a voice mailbox where parents can leave messages and expect a return phone call within 24-hours, per school policy. In addition, teachers use email for parent correspondence, although they are not required. Some teachers have now created their
78 own websites and/or use “My Gradebook.com,” to post information about grades and assignments.
E2: To what extent is the school a safe, clean, and orderly place that nurtures learning?
Piedmont High School is an attractive campus, situated in the Piedmont Hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. It is properly maintained and cared for by an effectively managed organized custodial and maintenance crew, making the atmosphere conducive to learning.
Several measures are taken to ensure student, staff and community safety in the physical environment to promote learning. Fire drills are regularly scheduled and practiced by both students and teachers. Emergency backpacks, which include first aid kits and updated class lists each semester, are provided to teachers for the fire drills. Additionally, Piedmont is an open campus and students generally conduct themselves in a safe manner as they enter and exit the school. No high security measures are needed.
Serious disciplinary issues are infrequent at this school. There are rarely physical fights among students. Students are compliant in general, allowing the focus to remain on learning. Most discipline issues are handled through detention through our detention policy, counseling, or within class between the teacher and student. A full-time campus supervisor monitors student movement between classes and during brunch and lunch, and oversees after-school detention periods. After-school and off-campus activities are also places where students almost always exhibit restraint and discipline issues are minimal. Students know that they are breathalyzed by teachers before each dance, and teachers and administration are vigilant during athletic events, preventing most disturbances. Finally, there is direct cooperation between the local police department and the school, which encourages personal responsibility. For example, the Piedmont Police Department makes a presentation on minors’ rights and responsibilities in the Social Psychology class (a required course for all sophomores) each semester.
Piedmont High School addresses issues of sexual orientation, race, class, etc., in several contexts. Within the Social Psychology class, these and many other socially relevant issues are discussed. School-wide, there have been many directed efforts that have addressed the issues. Among the assemblies presented here during the past two years, topics have included: alcohol and date rape, sexual orientation, and environmental issues with Julia Butterfly Hill. Also, there has been a Red Tape Project at the school, which highlighted defamatory speech found on campus. There are active clubs on campus such as the Black Student Union, Asian Student Union, and a Gay/Straight Alliance. Finally, the school plays and the student newspaper have addressed respect issues. For example, two years ago, the spring play was The Laramie Project, and last year the spring play festival included a collection of eight short plays two of which spotlighted date rape. The student newspaper has included articles on such topics as dating and binge drinking.
While the campus is a pleasant place that is conducive to learning, there is one area that can be improved on the physical campus. There is a need for students to take personal responsibility for cleaning their own litter after lunch. The Associated Student Body has tried many ways to combat the litter issue, but none have been effective yet. Clearly, there is a need for students to
79 take more care/ownership for the appearance of common areas on the school campus. Recently, the litter issue has been taken to the Student Senate who is going to attempt to tackle it.
There also needs to be more of a concerted effort at Piedmont High School to raise and discuss issues of race, class, body image, sexual orientation, and other differences. While there have been numerous efforts to increase awareness of these issues by individual teachers, through student assemblies and plays, and through groups such as the Diversity Committee, teachers often feel less than prepared to deal with these issues as they arise in the classroom. Teachers would benefit from more tools and training in this area.
To what extent is the culture of the school characterized by trust, professionalism, and high expectations for all students, and a focus on continuous school improvement?
Piedmont High School has a variety of programs and activities that focus on raising the bar for students and teachers alike. A “Promote Respect” campaign to encourage healthier and respectful communication among students, staff, and the community was adopted by the school district in 2004. Up until last year, for the previous three years, a “Finding Community” semester class was added to the curriculum to raise social and cultural awareness and to deal with social issues affecting teens. A “No Place for Hate” Campaign was initiated by the Diversity Committee to raise awareness of discrimination against “minority” groups on campus. This group also led the school in participating in “Mix it Up” days to encourage students to interact with students other than their usual group at lunches. Unfortunately, the Finding Community class was eliminated because of funding, but efforts in this area continue through our Social Psychology classes, Diversity Committee, ASB, and Drama department.
The Counseling Department has a four year plan for meeting college entrance requirements which assists students in planning a college preparatory course load. There are eleven AP and honors classes to challenge the students’ intellects. Additionally, there is a culture of self- motivation here as most students turn in their homework on a regular basis. The school provides a peer listening program, a stress prevention project, and other special events which address and help students navigate topical issues.
The staff at Piedmont High School are role models in their professionalism. They are conscientious, dedicated, creative and committed to their field of study as well as to the overall culture in the school. Teachers are on time to their classes and well prepared with substitute plans during the days that they are absent. Every teacher at Piedmont is “highly qualified” under the No Child Left Behind Act. Twenty-one teachers have Masters Degrees, four have Doctorate degrees, and most teachers regularly attend seminars, workshops and classes to continue their professional development.
Teachers and administrators not only strive for professionalism in their jobs, but they also go beyond their required duties by genuinely caring for students and authentically trying to provide the best program(s) for them. Fifteen teachers serve as faculty reps for clubs and other extra- curricular activities. All teachers and administrators attend a variety of student activities throughout the year including athletic events, plays, art shows, music performances, and rallies.
80 Additionally, it is not uncommon to find teachers voluntarily coming in early, giving up lunch hours, and staying after school in order to help students personally and academically.
Students with special needs are consistently a high priority at Piedmont High. Students in Special Education are assigned a period of support, a “Learning Center” class, where they receive individualized support. Teachers and administrators regularly evaluate and monitor strategies to best meet these students’ needs. In the year 2003-2004 there was a Special Education Task Force set up to address special education needs and teachers’ concern in how to accommodate them. The task force included representatives from each academic department, the special education department, the special education director, and school principal. Every two weeks, a progress report is sent to all teachers from the special education department. These progress reports provide information regarding grades and missing and upcoming assignments, including anecdotal information on individual students. The progress reports are an effective tool for evaluating students’ progress and for having a formal way for teachers to check in with the special education department regarding these students’ needs and abilities. There is an 85-90% return rate of these bi-weekly progress reports in any given period. Most importantly, the focus of the Special Education Department is to prepare students become self-advocates who are able to articulate needs related to their specific learning disabilities. More than 90% of PHS special education students go on to four-year colleges, the remainder attend community college after high school.
In areas of trust, professionalism, and high expectations among its students and staff, Piedmont High School faces the challenge of educating its students on issues of plagiarism and other academic dishonesty issues. There have been cases of plagiarism and absenteeism on days of tests, among others, and teachers have the difficulty of designating the consequences of various forms of and intentions within academic dishonesty. For example, it’s difficult to assign a consistent, school-wide policy for a freshman who copies a homework assignment versus a senior who plagiarizes an entire paper. Issues and policies regarding academic integrity need to be revisited; specifically the plagiarism policy needs to be reconsidered and revised.
E3: To what extent do all students receive appropriate support along with an individual learning plan, to help ensure academic success?
Piedmont High School strives to provide individualized support to all students. Counselors are available by appointment and on a drop-in basis throughout the school day to respond to student needs. Each class of students receives guidance to fulfill their academic goals. Before incoming freshmen arrive on campus, counselors meet with 8th graders in their English classes to introduce them to the high school curriculum and climate, and to begin to assist them with planning their class schedules. The sophomore, junior, and senior orientations are similar; graduation requirements are reviewed and information on courses is shared. Students plan their schedules based on their goals for graduation and post-secondary opportunities. Counselors follow up these initial orientations with one more meeting with each class to field additional student questions. In addition to these group meetings, each junior meets with their counselor to make sure that they are on track for graduation and to discuss their plans and eligibility for college.
81 Teachers and counselors use a number of formal and informal strategies to support students’ academic success. One formal structure includes a tutorial period every seven days to provide additional instruction and feedback to those students who need it. Teachers also make themselves available outside of class (before school, after school, and lunchtime) to offer such individual support. For those students with special needs, formal support structures include Individualized Education Plans (IEP), 504 plans, and academic progress reports (every two to three weeks). For students who are not identified as special education students, but are struggling academically, counselors often give students a weekly progress report, which is filled out by teachers. Counselors also meet with these students after the progress reporting periods each quarter to check in on their progress and to discuss any difficulties they might be having. Parents are informed when students are having difficulty, and counselors are proactive in communicating with them about their students’ needs.
Some teachers utilize the Internet as a means of providing student academic support. Course WebPages, lists of upcoming assignments and individual student grade reports are a few of the online resources made available to students. Teachers also use the Internet as means of communication with parents and students. Parents have expressed an interest in consistent use of the internet to post assignments.
The school library and library staff provide resources which support student academic success. Library staff provides student instruction in proper research procedures. The staff coordinates research projects with classroom teachers. The library itself offers reference materials, books, periodicals and Internet access. The librarian has made presentations to seniors on how to complete an annotated bibliography and has modeled how to give a “book talk,” to English classes. The school librarian has created a form called “Research on the Run” that students may fill out requesting specific information on a topic. The librarian then guides the students to resources on that particular topic.
PHS recognizes that there is a group of students who struggle who are not Special Education or 504 students. These students generally seem to be struggling with some type of emotional stress (parents divorced/separating, transfer student, dual households, substance abuse, and eating disorders) that negatively impacts their academic performance. We need to better identify and support them earlier in high school. Since often the root of academic failure for these students is emotional crisis, one of our greatest growth needs is to provide more concerted crisis counseling at Piedmont High School.
E4: To what extent do students have access to a system of personal support services, activities and opportunities at the school and within the community?
Piedmont High School students have access to a wide range of opportunities for personal support and growth at the school and within the community. Support services, as well as academic, artistic, and athletic activities, are available to all students. Services and activities are provided by various groups: the students themselves, the faculty and administration, parents, and the community at large.
82 Some forms of personal support and options available to students include Peer Listening, Peer Tutoring, Youth Educators, the Counseling Department, the College and Career Center, College Night, and a resource list printed in the student planner. The Peer Listening Program is comprised of 28 trained students, 14 seniors and 14 juniors, who are accessible to students throughout the school day as help is needed. Another student-led support service is peer tutoring, in which referred or self-referred students receive academic assistance from their fellow students. The Youth Educator program is conducted by 14 juniors and is extremely popular. Their responsibility is to educate 8th graders about social issues that are relevant to the students and provide them with a positive role model when the students arrive at high school.
The high school Counseling Department, parents, and the community all provide various forms of personal support to Piedmont students. The Counseling Department provides emotional support to students. The Counseling Department also helps students with the college application process through a variety of means: College Night (with help from the College and Career Center), Sophomore Evening, mandatory small group meetings for all juniors, and college recommendations. The department supports other activities organized by parents and students, such as the parent panel for parents of seniors, seniors informing the junior class about applying to college, and Returning Grad Night, in which PHS graduates speak with current students and their parents about freshman year in college. The College and Career Center, operated by parent volunteers, supplies information regarding colleges, testing, careers and employment. This year on site mental health services are being provided to Special Education students once a week as needed. The Ann Martin Center also offers therapy (to any student and for a relatively reasonable fee), as well as provides testing for learning disabilities and psychological evaluations off-campus. This year, additional support services are available to students with eating disorders thanks to a special grant.
PHS students can choose to participate in some of the many academic, artistic, musical, and athletic activities offered. Students initiate clubs (faculty or off-campus advisor required) according to their interests and recruit club members on their own. Meetings are held on and off campus. Mathletes is a club run both by students and a qualified advisor from the community. A teacher coaches the Mock Trial team, which competes against other schools in the state. Local banks and cafes display student artwork, strengthening ties between the school and community. In addition to school-sponsored sports, students participate in club sports such as crew, rugby, equestrian sports, ice skating, gymnastics, and fencing, for which they can petition to receive physical education credit. Community, parent, and faculty support for Piedmont athletes is very strong; volunteerism and attendance at sports events is high.
In addition to the recently implemented therapy services offered to Special Education students, there is a need for more specialized mental-health counseling for the general student population than is currently available. We believe students often do not want to share personal problems with the same counselor who will be writing their letter of recommendation for private colleges. The school should also provide a more comprehensive directory of mental-health resources. The current list of resources in student planners should be expanded.
83 Chapter V
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84 Piedmont High has identified six Themes for the Action Plan
Theme 1) Piedmont High school needs to promote school-wide consistency in the area of student assessment. This critical academic need addresses types of assessments (i.e. multiple-choice, essay, portfolio, and notebook) and rubrics (i.e. ability benchmarks, content vs. effort, and assigning of value).
Theme 2) Piedmont High school needs to promote school-wide consistency in the area of student behavior expectations. This critical academic need also addresses consistency in behavior expectations and consequences in the classroom (amongst departments and grade levels) and throughout the school.
Theme 3) Piedmont High school needs to evaluate the identification procedures being used for students who are performing below average. This need addresses how and when we identify students who are performing below average. Piedmont High school also needs to evaluate the support services being used for students who are earning below average grades. This need addresses the success and areas of improvement needed for the current internal classroom support by teachers, as well as external intervention by teachers, counselors, resource specialists, administrators, and outside agencies.
Theme 4) The PHS community will systematically investigate and adopt a program for improving student writing.
Theme 5) PHS staff believes that more time for communication within departments, between departments, and between teachers at the high school and the middle school would enhance the staff’s ability to collaborate about good teaching ideas, and effective instructional strategies, and alignment of curriculum goals within departments and with state standards.
Theme 6) Development and implementation of a single schoolwide action plan will better ensure a unified vision for supporting growth for the benefit of all students.
85 Chapter V i) Action Plan
1) Piedmont Hig h school needs to prom ote school-wide consistency in the area of student assessment. This critical aca demic need addresse s types of assessments (i.e. multi ple-choice, essay, portfolio, and notebook) and rubrics (i.e. ability benchmarks, c ontent vs. effort, and assigning of value).
Task: Teachers of like courses will collaborate to en sure that the student workload, rigor, and method of assessment will be comparable. For ex ample: sharing course outlines, rubrics, final exams, and grading policies.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: The need for consistency in the area of student assessment was cited as a critical academic need in May of 2005. Both student and par ent groups also noted a need for improvement in this area.
Link to one or mor e ESLR’s: 1,2 ,3, and 6.
Growth Targets: Department or like courses come t o a consensus of grading percentage categories and general course expectations in order to meet consi stency fairness and equality for th e student body.
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Monitoring CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Progress Department chair organize Department chairs May 2006- scheduled time needed by June 2007 like course instructors. Administration makes the Administration May 2006- timeline available for the June 2007 collaboration
86 Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Monitoring CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Progress Department members with Depart. members “F” Days May 2006- Collect notes As collection of course descriptions are Provide like course s will June 2007 taken during produced, teachers will discuss growth calendar communicate current discussion. potential in the following areas: detailed course Develop 1. Are the same courses taught by different descriptions, including, Calendar teachers more consistent now than before? but not limited to grading 2. Do you agree that we need to strive to be categories, number of consistent in order to make the student assignments, types of experience more equitable? assignments, rigor of final 3. Do you think that these course descriptions exams. can increase our ability to address department-wide weaknesses in curriculum in the future? 4. Do you think that teachers will note greater compliance among students who naturally become accustomed to consistent requirements between all teachers of the same course? 5. Do you see how these course descriptions might be helpful for new teachers? 6. What limitations do these course descriptions have for the experience and academic potential of the students? Department members with Depart. Members “F”day. October Develop See 1-6 above Provide like courses will develop a Administration 2006 suggested suggested suggested course course written course description which includes descriptions descriptions specific grading and agreed and categories, number of upon expectations to assignme nts, types of parameters administration assignme nts, and final Provide exams. calendar
87 Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Monitoring CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Progress Department members with Depart. members “F” days November Collect notes Turn in notes like courses will share the 2006 with results of their discussion collaboration within the and department. dissention among department, noting areas where no compromise was reached.
88 Task: The administration and the teaching staff need to systemat ically study, disaggregate, and use academic performance data to identify areas for improvement with regard to grade calibration on major assignments on test within departments of similar courses to better support all students.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: The need for cons istency in the area of student assessment was cited as a critical academic need in May of 2004. Both student and parent groups also noted a need for improvement in this area.
Link to one or more ESLRs: 1, 2, 3, and 6.
Growth Targets: Teachers will come to a reasonable consensus on what are examples of "A" work, "B" work, "C" work, etc. in their subject matter.
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress Set “F” days for Administration “F” day Sept. Check calendar Progress in this critical Provide calendar calibration discussions in Departments meeting 2007 academic need will be noted as departme nts schedule we finish this series of steps Faculty will receive Faculty calibration Overall F October Notes taken during Provide notes from training in trainer and faculty day 2007 training training A. Reasons/rationale for meeting calibrating grades schedule, B. Procedures for time to calibrating including types develop of assignments that are staff appropriate, rubrics, ways training each teacher should present the assignment to the students, timeline for completion of student samples, etc.
89 Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress C. Specific responsibilities of each member of the collaboration process and ways to ensure an accurate, helpful activity. D. Short presentation to departme nt chairpersons only regarding the "blind reading" process. Faculty assign and collect Faculty Class time October Department chairpersons Provide informal student work samples. 2007 will remind teachers of report on number Oct 31 deadline. of student samples collected Collect samples and group Department Time to Novembe Admin checks to see if them for the calibrating chairpersons collect, r 2007 dept chairpersons have activity. Make samples copy and all the data needed for "blind" by eliminating group calibration day names, periods, dates, etc. samples Copy samples for grade calibration activity. Trainer leads department Trainer and Time a 2 First Nov. Record meeting day Turn in notes from chairpersons in how to chairpersons hour staff training effectively lead the training developm calibration activities ent day Department chairpersons Faculty One full Second Teachers answer Teachers will discuss the results Turn in notes from lead teachers in Nov staff Nov. staff questions to the right in of the calibration discussions discussion or calibration activities, take developme developm informal discussions or and assess progress in the written, anonymous notes on discussions, nt day ent day an anonymous survey. following areas: survey disagreements and future 1. Has the calibration activity discussions. given you any food for thought about grading? 2. How can we better design it next year?
90 Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress 3. Do you think that this activity will allow us to provide students with more clear and consistent expectations for the subject matter of our entire department? 4. Do you think that more consistency in teacher expectations and grading is better for students? Why or why not? 5. Does more consistency in grading help them learn more? 6. Do you feel more or less confident in your grading abilities after this activity? 7. Do you think that the discussions you had will affect the way you discuss grading in your department in the future? How? 8. Do you or will you ever consult another teacher about a grade that you gave in order to ensure that it is fair to the students?
91 2) Piedmont High school needs to promote school-wide cons istency in the area of student behavior expectations. This critical academic need also addresses consistency in behavior expectations and consequences in the classroom (amongst departments and grade levels) and throughout the school.
Task: Revisit issues and policies regarding academic integrity, including plagiarism.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: Faculty, staff, students, and parents agreed that expectations for student behavior need to be reevaluated. Although the parent community did not identify academic integrity as an issue, the staff and students believe academic integrity is a pressing issue in part because it has not been adequately communicated to parents. Through self study, two issues surfaced: 1) teachers apply varying consequences to incidents of plagiarism, 2) students need clearer guidelines on what constitutes plagiarism and the consequences for committing plagiarism.
Link to one or more ESLR’s: 1, 4, 5
Growth Targets: Cause a shift in the PHS culture so the school community has a clear concept of academic integrity and individual and collective roles in demonstrating and modeling ethical behaviors.
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress Develop an academic Principal Staff Devpt. June 2006 Administrative AITF formed Principal integrity task force Funds oversight Newsletter reports (AITF) composed of formation and teachers, administrators, composition of task students and parents force Review current policy AITF Parent- End of Administrative Notes from AITF discussion Publish notes Student August, oversight Handbook 2006
Research other high AITF List of other Nov. 2006 Administrative Compare/contrast other schools’ Develop schools’ and colleges’ high oversight policies presentation of policies schools and other schools’ colleges policies for dissemination to faculty, students and parents
92 Specific St e ps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress Discuss research in SAC AITF liaison reports AITF January Administrative Presentation to SAC Notes from SAC to SAC presentation 2007 oversight meeting
Department discuss Dept. Chairs present Notes from February Administrative Notes from Dept. Meetings AITF receives research during a to respective depts.. SAC and 2007 oversight Dept. Meeting collaboration period collaboratio notes n time Student Senate to AITF liaison presents AITF January Administrative Presentation to Student Senate Notes from Student discuss research on to Student Senate presentation 2007 oversight Senate meeting policies Parents’ Club Board to AITF liaison presents AITF February Administrative Presentation to February, 2007 Minutes from discuss research on to Parents’ Club presentation 2007 oversight Parent Club Board meeting Parent Club Board policies meeting AITF to write proposed AITF Staff Dev. April 2007 Administrative Policy drafted 2nd round of policy Funds oversight presentation to stakeholder groups AITF to present draft of AITF Draft policy April 200 7 Administrative Presentations to SAC, Dept. Notes from dept. proposed policy to oversight Meetings, Student Senate, meetings, Student Depts., students and Parents’ Club Senate, Parents’ parents Club meetings AITF to finalize AITF/Principal Final policy May 2007 Admi nistrative Final policy submitted for Final policy academic integrity and oversight inclusion in 2007-08 Student- included in 2007- policy & obtain Principal’s Parent Handbook 08 Student-Parent Principal’s approval approval Handbook Develop plan to AITF Staff Dev. June, 2007 Administrative Submit implementation plan to Implementation implement culture time to oversight Principal begins with Walk- change across all develop Through stakeholders year-long Registration and implementat Freshman ion plan Orientation; New policy fully integrated by June 2008.
93 3) Piedmont High school needs to evaluate the identificatio n procedures being used for students who are performing below average. This need addresses how and wh en we identify students who are performing below average. Piedmont High school also needs to evaluate the suppor t services being used for students who are earning below average grades. This need addresses the success and areas of improvement needed for the current internal classroom support by teachers, as well as external intervention by teachers, c ounselors, resource specialists, administrators, and outside agencies.
Task: The administration and the teaching staff need to sys tematically study, disaggregate, and use academic performance data to identify students who are performing below average. The ineligible list and exemption report (“D” and “F” list) should be systematically reviewed by departments and administration to obtain more specific information about students who are performing below average. STAR and Exit Exam data should b e system atically reviewed by departments and administration to obtain more specific information about student academic weaknesses
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: Staff reporte d that there is not adequate mechanism to collect and disseminate information regarding students who are performing below average. Parent and staff are concerned regarding the delay in the reporting of their students’ lack of academic success.
Link to one or more ESLR's: 4
Growth Targets: Increase in students identified as students of concern, and improved support structures
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress List produced with Administration STAR tests Annually Annual list of students Record of number of students Annual report students performing basic and Exit of concern identified by this process and below on STAR exam exams and failing exit exams to identify students who are struggling. List produced with Administration/ STAR Fall 2006/ Record of annual list of Record of number of students Annual report students performing basic Department staff subject test Annual students of concern identified by this process and below on subject results and given to departments on specific test to be Exit exams first staff collaboration reviewed by departments. day
94 Specific St e ps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Match exemption Administration STAR/ Exit Fall 2006/ Record of students of Record of number of students Annual report report(“D”+”F”list) with exams and annual concern identified by this process STAR data to Exit exams exemption to identify students who report are struggling List of students earning Middle school SASI Summer Record of students of Record of number of students Annual report one or more “D”s in 8th administration 2006 / concern identified by this process grade. annual
95 Task: More effective use of Student Study Team process is neede d to address the underachievement of those students who are performing below average.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: SST process is no t well communicated, and seems cumbersome. It is not clear to staff whether the outcomes are effective.
Link to one or more ESLR’s: 4
Growth Targets: Improved support services to students of concern and increa sed use of other interventions
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Creation of a task force to Administration, Existing Fall 2006 Task force meeting Intervention procedure Present research and present other counselor, faculty, SST minutes generated. procedure. interventions: additional resource teachers, procedures, ways of sup porting parents and student other school students performing below representatives programs average The task force creates a Counselors, SST packet, Spring Task Force minutes, Compare number of SST Comparison table standardized process for Resource teacher, current data 2007 generation of process meetings and other year-to-year the activation of SST Faculty reps regarding guidelines interventions vs. previous years. meetings or other means Task Force students of of intervention concern (see above) Training for the staff Counseling Procedure Fall 2007 Copy of information Compare number of SST Comparison table about reporting under Administration packet flyer meetings to previous years year-to-year achieving students and the Task Force procedures that go with it Modify i ntervention Counselor Existing Spring Meeting minutes Modified procedures Present modified process to have a follow- SST 2009 procedures up procedures
96 Task: Designated staff will routinely provide information about accommodations and modifications to support resource students, 504 students, and students who have repeatedly been performing below average.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: Staff reported needing more support around providing accommodations/modifications in the classroom, and more information regarding specific learning disabilities, issues, and needs.
Link to one or more ESLR’s: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6
Growth Targets: Increase staff understanding of instruction with accommodations and curriculum with modification
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Designated staff will Resource teachers Survey of Spring Material packet Packet includes more accessible Packet coordinate material and Administration depart-ment 2006 generated information regarding mechanisms to present needs, other accommodations and information to the faculty. school modifications programs, profess-ional resources Designated staff will Resource teachers Packets Fall 2006 / Meeting minutes Teacher knowledge evaluation Evaluation present information to Administration generated as ongoing results faculty/departments Consultants above
Departments conduct Departments Spring Meeting Minutes Teacher knowledge Evaluation follow-up collaboration on Resource Teachers 2007 evaluation results successes and challenges Administration with new models of accommodations and modifications
97 4) The PHS community will systematically investigate and adopt a program for improving student writing.
Task: PHS will adopt a school-wide program for expository and analytical writing, with attention to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: Universally, through surveys and follow-up discussions, members of the Piedmont educational community identified a need for improvement in student writing.
Link to one or more ESLR’s: 1, 2, and 6
Growth Targets: The Piedmont educational communi ty will report g reater satisfaction with the quality of student writing at PHS, and departmental writing assessments reflect improvement by all students in expository and analytical writing skills.
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Development and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Form a Writing Program A member of each Parents Fall 2006 Administration Committee meets action Principal report at committee department, with Club Committee Chair calendar goals Parents Club input from students, Grants meeting and Site administration, Council parents and PMS rep. Research current practices Writing Program Parents Fall 2006- Administration Committee members will Principal report at regarding writing projects committee Club Ongoing Committee Chair compile course syllabi, rubrics, Parents Club and writing instruction in Grants assignment sheets relevant to meeting and Site PHS departments and at writing curriculum and Council PMS. instruction. Identify strengths and Writing Program Parents Fall 2006- Administration Comm ittee will create a Principal report at weaknesses in current committee Club Ongoing Committee Chair document identifying strengths Parents Club practices. Grants and weaknesses. meeting and Site Council Research writing instruction Writing Program Parents Spring and Administration Committee will compile a Principal report at techniques used outside of committee Club Summer Committee Chair document identifying effective Parents Club Piedmont district (e.g., Bay Grants 2007 writing instruction techniques. meeting and Site Area Writing Project, Council published style guides, etc.)
98 Specific St e ps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Development and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Investigat e for opportunities PMS and PHS Parents Fall 2007 Administration PHS and PMS departments will Principal report at to develop program to Departments and Club Committee Chair develop reports to bring to the Parents Club build on middle school Writing Program Grants Writing Program committee. meeting and Site writing instruction committee Council Investigate for opportunities PHS Departments Parents Fall 2007 Administration PHS departments will develop Principal report at to coordinate writing and Writing Program Club Committee Chair reports to bring to the Writing Parents Club instruction across PHS committee Grants Program committee. meeting and Site departments. Council Establish some useful Writing Program Parents Spring Administration Committee will develop brief Principal report at common terminology that committee Club 2008 Committee Chair documents establishing common Parents Club could be used consistently Grants terminology, and solicit meeting and Site throughout PHS. feedback from teachers and Council students. Develop a Style Guide for Writing Program Parents Summer Administration Save English Department’s Principal report at use school-wide. committee Club 2008 Committee Chair grade-level Writing Parents Club Grants Assessments from 2005-6, meeting and Site 2006-7, and 2007-2008 for Council comparison with work by students entering PHS in 2008. Departments institute formal writing assessments to see if new program actually improves the writing of students who are freshmen in Fall 2008. Professional development Writing Program Parents Fall 2008 Administration Feedback from faculty about Principal report at time spent on familiarizing committee Club Committee Chair Style Guide as it relates to their Parents Club all teachers with use of Grants department. meeting and Site common terminology and Council Style Guide. Further investigate and Writing Program Parents ongoing Administration Committee will identify new Principal report at develop other avenues of committee Club Committee Chair tasks. Parents Club support for student writing. Grants meeting and Site Council
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5) PHS staff believes that more time for communication within departments, between departments, and between teachers at the high school and the middle school would enhance the s taff’s ability to collaborate about good teaching ideas, and effective instructional strategies, and align ment of curriculum goals within departments and with state standards.
Task: Collaboration time will b e set a side to promote the faculty collaboration on instructional strategies.
Rational for area based on self-study findings: Decrease teacher isolation with regard to teaching instructional strategies.
Link to one or more ESLR’s: 1, 2 , and 3.
Growth Targets: We will see an increase in intradepartmental, interdepartmental, and interschool collaboration and peer observations
Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Professional Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Departmental staff Dept. chairs Collaborat Annually Minutes Content area STAR results Report out in development time with the Administrations ion time Results of “Grade Calibration Highlander middle school to discuss Teachers Assessment” Highlights effective instructional Increased student involvement Report out in strategies and interest in curriculum as Highlander reported in freshman survey Summarize results and staff observation in following year’s annual meeting Report out to SAC Describe outcomes to 8th grade parents at orientation night
100 Specific Steps including Persons Responsible Resources Timeline Means of Monitoring Ways of assessing progress Method to Profession al Develop. and Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Report Progress Faculty will meet in Administration Collaborat F-day Minutes Content area STAR results Report out in interdepartmental break Teachers ion time following Summarize findings in Results of “Grade Calibration Highlander out groups to discuss Funding, if meeting department meeting Assessment” Highlights effective instructional meetings with PMS Increased student involvement Report out in strategies are beyond and interest in curriculum as Highlander school reported in student survey and Summarize results time staff observation in following year’s annual meeting Report out to SAC Faculty to attend Administration All On-going Increased staff Content area STAR results Report out in conferences based on Teachers funding attendance at Results of “Grade Calibration department and instructional strategies, sources conferences Assessment” staff meetings followed by faculty within Use of strategies in Increased student involvement Report to funding reports to departments or district classroom and interest in curriculum as source entire faculty on strategies Out-side reported in student survey and learned in conferences grants staff observation Teachers will observe Administration Release On-going Observation notes Content area STAR results Report out in their peers in order to Teachers time Sub reports Results of “Grade Calibration department and enhance their own Assessment” staff meetings instructional strategies Increased student involvement Report out and interest in curriculum as summary of reported in student survey and department’s staff observation observations to SAC
101 Task: Collaboration time will be set a side to promote the faculty time to update curriculum alignment to standards.
Rational for area based on self-study findings: Eliminate any c urriculum gap s with regard to state standards in the teaching of state standards and in the content transition from middle sc hool to high school.
Link to one or more ESLRs: 1, 2, 3, and 6
Growth Targets: Curriculum aligned to a more sop histicated level.
Specific Steps including Persons Resources Timeline Means of Ways of assessing Method to Report Progress Professional Develop. Responsible and Monitoring progress Involved Progress CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Departments articulate Dept. chairs Staff Annually Minutes Content area STAR results Report out in Highlander with middle school to Administrations develop. in 4th Results of “Grade Highlights discuss curriculum needs Teachers time quarter Calibration Assessment” Report out in Highlander for a smooth transition to Increased student Summarize results in fo llowing the high school involvement and interest in year’s annual meeting curriculum, as well as Report out to SAC decreased stress levels, as Describe outcomes to 8th grade reported in freshman parents at orientation night survey and staff observation Collaboration period set a Dept. chairs Staff Annually Minutes Content area STAR results Report out in Highlander side at the end of the year Administrations develop. in 4th Updated Results of “Grade Highlights to plan and organize Teachers time quarter, course outlines Calibration Assessment” Report out in Highlander curriculum changes for followin Updated Increased student Summarize results in following the following year. g syllabi involvement and interest in year’s annual meeting meeting curriculum, as well as Report out to SAC with decreased stress levels, as PMS reported in student survey and staff observation Departments revise and Teachers Funding Summer Updated Content area STAR results Report to School Board update curriculum in Administration Grants 2006 and course outlines Results of “Grade Report to Curriculum particular units or courses on-going and syllabi Calibration Assessment” Coordinator
102 6) Development and implementation of a single schoolwide action plan will better ensure a unified vision for supporting growth for the benefit of all students.
Task: Develop a site counsel to implement a single school-wide action plan. The site council will allow staff, student, parents, community members, District and site administration, and the School board to understand how vision and purpose direct the goals and policies that influence curriculum, instruction, and assessment for students who are performing below average, for students who are meeting academic standards, and for those students who could benefit from further academic challenges.
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: The school needs to better define its mission and the means for achieving this mission. In addition, responde nts to the comprehensive Parent Survey indi cated there was a need to better support students performing below average, for students who are meeting academic standards, as well as th ose who could benefit from further academic challenges.
Link to one or more ESLRs: A site council, mi ssion and single school-wi de action plan would support all PHS ESLRs.
Growth Targets: A site council would bring P HS into comp liance with existing Educational Code. Development of a mission and school-wide action plan would create a unified vision for the school, and to channel and prioritize efforts against school improvement targets.
Specific Steps including Persons Resources Timeline Means of Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. Responsible and Monitoring CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress Involved Progress Research other site Superintendent Other Site April, 2006 Resea rch in progress PHS Site Council bylaws Principal’s Newsletter, council bylaws both Principal Council bylaw s developed The Highlander, and within and outside of and operation, Highlander Highlights District possible assistance Initiate the formation of a Principal Site Council May 2006 Adm inistrative Information regarding Elections are held to PHS Site Council requirements oversight formation of Site Council is select faculty, students and Guidelines publicized and candidates and parent identified representatives Site Council Elected Meeting time, September Administrative Elected representatives meet, Officers, charter and commissioned and elects representatives to charter and 2006 oversight elect officers, and adopt responsibilities officers Council responsibilities charter published in Site Council Newsletter
103 Specific Steps including Persons Resources Timeline Means of Ways of assessing progress Method to Report Professional Develop. Responsible and Monitoring CAN’s / ESLR’s / Standards Progress Involved Progress Site Coun cil gathers Site Council WASC Action April 2007 Administrative Information gathered and Summary published in information from all Plan, existing oversight synthesized into over-arching Site Council stakeholder groups Parent and themes and concerns Newsletter (faculty, students and Student parents) for consideration Surveys, plus in development of additional School-wide action Plan research as needed. Site Council develops Site Council WASC Action February Administrative Draft of School-wide Action Draft of plan published draft of Single School- Plan, input from 2007 oversight Plan is developed in Site Council wide Action plan to Student & newsletter and provide u nified vision Parent surveys distributed to faculty, and support growth for and meeting students and parents the benef it of all students time for input Site Council creates Site Council, Draft plan and End of 3rd Administrative Presentations made to all Minutes from Site presentation and presents SAC/Depts., meeting time Quarter oversight stakeholder groups Council meetings it to stakeholder groups Student Senate, 2006-07 for input Parents’ Club Site Council incorporates Site Council Stakeholder May 2007 Administrative Final plan adopted according Final Plan published in input into final draft of input and oversight to regulations Site Council School-wide Action Plan meeting time Newsletter
Single School-wide Site Council Final Plan June 2007 Administrative Plan presented to stakeholders Oral and published Action Plan submitted to oversight presentation of final Board of Education and plan presented to faculty, student and parent communities Develop two-year plan Site Council Final Plan, September Administrative Implementation plan and Implementation plan for implementing school- meeting time 2007 oversight accountability provisions published in Site wide action plan, adopted Council Newsletter including accountability provisions
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ii) Follow-up Process
The first stage of the follow-up process will involve amending o r revisin g the schoolwide A ction Plans based on fe edback from the Visiting Committee. The Sch ool Advisory Council (SAC ) will take over fo r the Leadership Team, as constituted for the sel f-study to m eet for this purpose to revise and report to the Piedmont High staff in the month following the visit. As needed, the SAC will cont act Focus groups for clarification or input. The Site Council will determine how best to commu nicate the self-study findings, the resultant Action Plan and the ensuing improvement or growth efforts.
Oversight respon sibility for the implem entation of the Action Plans will become the responsibility of the SAC. The make-up of the SAC is chiefly department chairpersons. Some of the members f rom the leadership committee will continue t heir role with the SAC, provi ding continuity. Parent and student repr esentatives will be involve d in any reviews or discussion s pertinent to the a ction Plan. The SA C will assume responsibil ity, with the principal, for developing the various committees as designated in the Action Plans and for monitoring the timeline. Action steps will be assigned by the SAC to new committees or to departments or programs, as appropriate. Since the timelines and implementation schedules are more specific for the first two years of implem entation, the SAC will conduct quarterly reviews of progress on the overall plan, calling on committees for updates and results. Based on recommenda tions of any committees developed to addre ss Action Plans or, based o n results a chieved, the SA C will adjust the specific action steps, the expected results or the timelines for i mplementation; if needed. As a standard way of oper ating, the SAC will conside r existing projects and new growth initiatives in light of the existing Action Plans.
Communica tion about the school ’s progress in achiev ing th e results indicated by the A ction Plan will be an e mphasis in the follow-u p. Staff members will r eceive the minutes of the SAC meetings an d will be involved in faculty meeting discussion s about pa rticular initiatives cited in the Action Plans. The SAC or the action committees will disseminate surveys and analyze feedback for use in assessing progress. The Principal will update parents through the monthly newsletter, solici t volunteer s or seek input on result ant programs or action taken; because the Principal is the school representative to the Parents’ Club Executive Board, this group of parents will engage directly in discussions with the Principal about the A ction Plan and steps. S imilarly, the Principal will be the conduit for information to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. The Student Senate will continue as a Principal’s student advisory council; where appropriate actions and results of initiatives will be reported to the student body at large through the school newspaper and the bulletin.
10 5
Appendix Year at a Glance – 2005-2006
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Block Schedule
PHS BLOCK SCHEDULE Every class meets four times in seven days.
Block Time A B C D E Time F Time G 8:00- 8:00- 8:00- I 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 9:30 9:30 9:15 9:30- 9:30- 9:30- Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch 9:35 9:35 9:35 9:45- 9:45- 9:30- II 3 4 3 4 3 3 2 11:15 11:00 10:45 11:25- 11:10- 10:55- III 5 6 5 5 4 5 4 12:55 12:25 12:10 12:55- 12:25- 12:10- Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 1:25 12:55 12:40 1:35- 1:05- 12:50- IV 7 7 6 7 6 7 6 3:05 2:20 2:05 2:30- Staff 2:15- Special Tutorial 3:15 Dev 3:15
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Graduation Requirements
Students must complete 225 semester periods of credit. Students earn 5 credits for each semester course, and 10 credits for each year long course.
Subject Requirements English 4 Full Years (40 credits) Mathematics 4 Semesters (20 credits) Science 4 Semesters (20 credits; Incl. Integrated Sci. I & II) Social Studies 6 Semesters (30 credits; Inc l. Modern World History, U.S. Histo ry, Civics , & E conomic s) Physical Edu cation 4 Semesters (20 credits) Breadth Requi rements 4 Semesters (20 credits) 10 credits of Foreign Language 10 credits of Creative Arts or 20 Credits of Crea tive Arts i n dif ferent arts Computer Studies 1 Semester (5 credits) Social Psychology 1 Se mest er (5 cr edits)
PE Athletics is awarded credit on a Pass/Fail basis.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE • Courses Included on Transcript G.P.A: 9 – 12 Academic = Without P.E. 9 – 12 Total = All Courses 10 – 12 UC/CSU = “P” designation shows college preparatory
• Weighting of Courses: Honors, Advanced Placement (college courses designated “H” on the transcript) carry an additional grade point for calculation purposes. Therefore, it is possible for students to have higher than a 4.0 (straight “A”) average.
• Rank in Class: Piedmont High School does not rank students.
• Average College Preparatory Grade Point for Class of 2006: Weighted 3.46
• Highest GPA, Class 2006: Weighted 4.26
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8/18/05 Piedmont High School Student Survey June 2005 9th Grade Versus 10th Grade versus 11th Grade Versus 12th Grade Answer Key
INTRODUCTION The pur po se of th is surv ey is to get opinions and information from PHS students regarding school issues and activities. We are giving the survey as apart of our upcoming WASC accreditation. WASC is a process in which our school will be assessed to see how we are meeting the needs of students as well as fulfill the requirements for the department of education accreditation process. The results of this survey will affect future planning of programs and services for PHS students. The results of this survey will be taken seriously, so please provide honest information. This survey is completely anonymous; hence the answer sheets will in no way be personally identified.
DIRECTION Do not put your name anywhere on the answer sheet. Mark your choice for each question on your an swer she et . Mak e only o ne mark per question unless otherwise instructed.
1) What grade are you i n? A) 9 B) 10 C) 11 D) 12
2) Are you male or female? A) M B) F
3) What is your ethnic background? A) White B) Asian C) African American D) Latino E) Other
For questions 4 & 5, please rank your involvement during your high school years so far in the following school and off campus activities using the descriptions supplied: A) I have been or am highly involved B) I have been or am moderately involved C) I am or have been a member, but I haven’t really been active. D) I have not been involved at all
4) School activities or groups besides sports: (e.g. ASB, School Climate Committee, Highlander/Clan-O-Log, music, drama, or dance productions, ASU, Ecology Club, Cheerleaders, debate, etc…)
A B C D 9 12 35 23 30 10 31 59 33 50 11 29 38 19 49 12 24 29 15 27
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5) Non-school groups such as Church/ Temple activities, community service, theater or dance, clubs or associations, or political activities.
A B C D 9 23 39 18 21 10 48 63 34 33 11 50 42 19 27 12 31 32 14 20 6) Please summarize your participation in PHS extra-curricular team sports. During how many sport seasons have you been a team member at PHS? Example: If you were on two team’s one year and one team another year, count that as three seasons. A) 0 seasons – I have never been on a PHS extra-curricular athletic team. B) 1-3 seasons on a PHS team C) 4-7 seasons on a PHS team D) 8 or more seasons on a PHS team
A B C D 9 19 64 3 0 10 41 100 37 3 11 27 67 31 7 12 19 36 33 11 7) Please summarize your participation in organized off-campus team sports (e.g. rugby, crew, club volleyball, club swim team, fencing, etc.) Include only such sports that y ou have participated in during your high school years. A) 0 seasons – I have never been on an off-campus athletic team during my high school years. B) 1-3 seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years C) 4-7 seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years D) 8 or more seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years
A B C D 9 45 34 9 4 10 80 73 17 9 11 51 44 40 13 12 43 30 17 10
8) What is your general attitude toward school at the close of this school year? A) I like it B) I hate it C) It’s OK A B C 9 33 23 45 10 66 29 85 11 31 26 59 12 39 13 46
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9) What is your overall opinion of your high school experience so far? A) It’s been satisfied academically and socially B) It’s been fun socially, but I’m not satisfied academically C) It’s been good academically, but I’m not satisfied socially D) It hasn’t been satisfied either academically or socially
A B C D 9 56 18 21 8 10 60 45 27 15 11 77 28 23 15 12 64 14 16 3
10) Rate consistency of overall grading at Piedmont High. A) Very consistent B) Sometimes consistent C) Only by departments D) Never
A B C D 9 7 58 28 7 10 46 89 44 9 11 29 67 18 19 12 19 54 15 11
11) This year how many of your teachers handed out and explained their grading system? A) All of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system B) Most of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system C) Only a few of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system D) None of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system
A B C D 9 39 40 22 2 10 95 80 13 2 11 80 48 23 1 12 65 31 2 2
12) When teach ers post g rades for you to review which is most helpful? A) 1x per week B) 2X per week C) 2X per month D) 1x per month
A B C D 9 35 7 36 14 10 52 10 83 35 11 44 14 44 17 12 33 3 4 0 1 7
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13) What forms of assessments are used in a your classes? Mark all that apply. A) Objective tests on scantron B) Essay C) Participation D) Group projects E) Presentations
A B C D E 9 8 4 1 2 0 10 5 41 3 7 0 11 2 2 1 1 0 12 2 3 6 1 0
14) Do academic expectations increase as you proceed through high school? A) Yes B) No C) I don’t know D) Only a little
A B C D 9 50 3 41 9 10 132 11 17 10 11 105 6 14 7 12 80 7 6 11
15) Do your tea chers ma ke you aware of the grading standards or of the level of performance you are expected to meet on each assignment / activity? A) No B) Sometimes C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D 9 9 48 27 16 10 9 86 54 30 11 8 64 51 26 12 3 39 35 21
16) For this ye ar, note ho w well teachers are consistently managing their classroom procedures and policies? A) All of my classes are usually well managed B) Most of my classes are usually well managed. C) Only a few of my classes are usually well managed D) None of my classes is usually well managed
A B C D 9 31 58 14 3 10 41 10 7 26 5 11 35 78 41 0 12 18 62 17 3
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17) Is classroom management and discipline at Piedmont High School (as applied by teachers) creating a good learning atmosphere? A) Classroom discipline at PHS is not strict enough. The teachers should take a stronger stand. B) Classroom discipline at PHS is too strict. The teachers sh ould back off a bit C) Classroom discipline at PHS is just about right. Few if any changes are needed.
A B C 9 12 19 59 10 20 26 113 11 12 32 81 12 14 12 67
18) Is discipline at Piedmont High School (as applied by administration) creating good school- wide atmos phere? A) Discipline at PHS is not strict en ough. The admin istration should take a stronger stand. B) Discipline at PHS is too strict. The administrators should back off somewhat. C) Discipline at PHS is just about right. Few if any changes are needed.
A B C 9 18 28 60 10 18 36 118 11 9 32 64 12 8 26 45 19) What is your opinion of the detention system and Saturday school policies and their effect on attendance? A) I dislike these policies, but they pr obably do limit c utting B) I don’t mind these policies, and they probably do limit cutting C) I dislike these policies, and I do not feel they have any effect on cutting D) I don’t mind these policies, but I do not feel they have any effect on cutting E) No opinion or unaware of policies
A B C D E 9 21 16 14 8 41 10 19 37 21 30 16 11 21 28 6 2 3 2 7 12 9 20 22 14 34
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20) Which of the following statements best describes the attitude of your parents toward your attendance? A) They are very strict. They will only excuse legitimate absences, and they insist on my being present in class as a rule. B) They want me in class all the time, but they will usually excuse an absence if I ask them to as long as I don’t overdo it. C) They don’t pay very much attention to my attendance and will excuse my absences whenever I ask them to D) None of the above
A B C D 9 51 29 5 8 10 99 61 7 20 11 63 39 13 18 12 29 53 9 5
21) Which of the following statements best describe your own attitude about attendance? A) Regular attendance in all my classes is very important, and so I attend them all regularly. B) Regular attendance is generally important, but when I can cut a class without hurting my grade, I do so occasionally. C) Regular attendance isn’t very important to me. I cut classes pretty much as often as I want to. D) Regular attendance isn’t very important to me personally, but I don’t cut classes much because of my parents and the school policies. E) I think it is OK to cut classes to study for other classes.
A B C D E 9 69 16 5 6 5 10 102 41 9 15 0 11 79 43 26 10 0 12 35 48 5 5 0
22) Do you feel that you have the opportunity to participate in class? A) No B) Sometim e C) Often D) Alm ost Always
A B C D 9 10 30 32 24 10 7 47 64 56 11 2 36 45 50 12 5 11 36 42
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23) Do your teachers treat all students fairly and equally? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always A B C D 9 22 39 23 11 10 41 70 55 32 11 17 40 47 23 12 13 29 38 19
24) Do you feel at ease asking your teachers to clarify points and answer questions? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D 9 10 36 36 22 10 11 76 35 52 11 8 41 38 24 12 5 22 34 37
25) Are your teachers accessible to you when you need help? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D 9 14 36 32 23 10 17 73 62 31 11 10 46 59 31 12 3 29 40 26
26) How approachable are your teachers outside of clas s if you need to m ake an appointment for extra help? A) Very appro achable B) Somewh at approachable C) Not very approachable
A B C 9 33 50 22 10 62 94 17 11 56 58 9 12 44 50 18
27) Do your teac hers assign ac tivities or projects that make you think, reason, and solve problems as opposed to simply recalling information? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D 9 9 44 37 12 10 16 74 60 21 11 10 55 56 15 12 4 44 38 13
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28) What’s you r own experience of th e stress level of l ife at Piedmont High School? A) Extremely stressful B) Somewhat stressful C) Not very stressful D) V ery relaxed
A B C D 9 27 57 17 2 10 161 89 10 9 11 66 65 8 12 12 33 57 6 4
29) What causes you the most stress? A) Social scene B) Getting good g rade for college C) Competition in the grade level D) Parental pressure to get good grades E) Teacher assigning big work load
A B C D E 9 12 37 6 12 20 10 11 64 9 11 56 11 6 61 7 15 12 12 10 33 4 9 26
30) When you have wanted to talk to an adult at school about a personal problem, to whom have you spoken? Please c heck every box, which applies. If you have neve r talked to an adult at school about a problem, please leave this question blank. A) Teacher B) Counselor C) Secretary D) Administration E) Coach
A B C D E 9 16 16 3 2 3 10 34 36 38 3 2 11 21 32 9 3 3 12 14 22 2 2 7
31) Give Piedmont High school an overall rating? A) Excellent B ) Good C) Fair D) Poor E) No opinion
A B C D E 9 27 52 6 5 4 10 48 78 21 8 6 11 34 57 16 12 3 12 47 33 7 2 4
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Piedmont High School Student Survey June 2005 Ethnicity Answer Key
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this survey is to get o pinions and infor mation from PHS students regarding school issues and activit ies. We ar e giving the survey as apart of our upcoming WASC accreditation. WASC is a process in whic h our scho ol will be assessed to see how we are meeting the needs of students as well as fulfill the requirements for the department of education accreditation process. The results of this survey will affect future planning of programs and services for PHS students. The results of this survey will be taken seriously, so pleas e provide honest information. This survey is completely anonymous; hence the answer sheets will in no way be personally identified.
DIRECTION Do not pu t your name anywhere on the answer sheet. Mark you r choice for each question on your answer sheet. Make only one mark per question unless otherwise instructed.
1) Wha t grade ar e you in? A) 9 B) 10 C) 11 D) 12
2) Are you male or female? A) M B) F
6) What is your ethnic background? A) White B) As i an C) African American D) Latino E) Other
For questions 4 & 5, please ra nk your inv olvement during your high school years so far in the following school and o ff campus activities using the descriptions supplied: E) I have be en or am highly involved F) I have been or am modera tely involved G) I am or have been a memb er, but I haven’t really been active. H) I have not been involved at all
7) School activities or groups besides sports: (e.g. ASB, School Climate Committee, Highlander/Clan-O-Log, music, drama, or dance producti ons, A SU, Ecology Club, Cheerleaders, deba te, etc…)
A B C D White 56 105 50 103 Asian 19 40 31 26 African-American 3 4 0 5 Latin o 2 3 3 10 Other 11 9 10 10
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8) Non-school groups such as Church/ Temple activities, community service, theater or dance, clubs or associations, or political activities.
A B C D White 107 98 61 56 Asian 24 48 14 28 African-American 2 4 2 3 Latino 3 10 2 5 Other 15 13 4 8
6) Please summarize your participation in PHS extra-curricular team sports. During how many sport seasons have you been a team member at PHS? Example: If you were on two team’s one year and one team another year, count that as three seasons. E) 0 seasons – I have never been on a PHS extra-curricular athletic team. F) 1-3 seasons on a PHS team G) 4-7 seasons on a PHS team H) 8 or more seasons on a PHS team
A B C D White 60 169 79 10 Asian 24 72 14 7 African-American 4 7 2 1 Latino 7 9 5 0 Ot her 10 22 7 3
11) Please summarize your participation in organized off-campus team sports (e.g. rugby, crew, club volleyball, club swim team, fencing, etc.) Include only such sports that you have participated in during your high school years. E) 0 seasons – I have never been on an off-campus athletic team during my high school years. F) 1-3 seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years G) 4-7 seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years H) 8 or more seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years
A B C D White 130 130 41 21 Asian 58 36 13 10 African-American 7 4 2 1 Latino 10 6 3 2 Other 13 16 7 6
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12) What is your general attitude toward school at the close of this school year? D) I like it E) I hate it F) It’s OK A B C D White 109 57 156 1 Asian 40 20 56 3 African-American 2 4 8 0 Latino 5 7 8 0 Other 10 7 24 6
13) What is your overall opinion of your high school experience so far? E) It’s been satisfied academically and socially F) It’s been fun socially, but I’m not satisfied academically G) It’s been good academically, but I’m not satisfied socially H) It hasn’t been satisfied either academically or socially A B C D White 195 52 43 10 Asian 56 23 22 15 African-American 5 5 2 2 Latino 9 6 4 1 Other 19 9 6 8
14) Rate consistenc y of overall grading at Piedmont High. A) Very consistent B) Sometimes consistent C) Only by departments D) Never A B C D White 71 159 70 31 Asian 19 67 26 4 African-American 2 5 4 3 Latino 7 9 5 2 Other 7 28 4 2
11) This year how many of your teachers handed out and explained their grading system? E) All of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system F) Most of my teachers handed out and explained t heir grading system G) Only a few of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system H) None of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system
A B C D White 173 135 25 2 Asian 69 38 9 1 African-American 2 8 3 1 Latino 14 5 3 1 Other 21 13 5 2
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12) When teachers post grades for you to review which is most helpful? A) 1x per week B) 2X per week C) 2X per month D) 1x per month
A B C D White 103 20 153 46 Asian 24 7 54 17 African-American 4 3 4 3 Latino 5 1 9 8 Other 13 3 17 9
13) What forms of assessments are used in a your classes? Mark all that apply. A) Objective tests on scantron B) Essay C) Participation D) Group projects E) Presentations
A B C D White 9 5 3 1 Asian 4 3 1 0 African-American 1 2 0 0 Latino 0 0 0 1 Other 3 0 1 1
14) Do academic e xpectations increas e as you pro ceed through high school? A) Yes B) No C) I don’t know D) Only a little
A B C D White 230 16 46 27 Asian 86 5 16 10 African-American 10 1 2 1 Latino 15 1 3 3 Other 33 3 4 2
15) Do your teachers make you aware of the grading standards or of the level of performance you are expected to meet on each assignment / activity? A) No B) Sometimes C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D White 19 153 89 61 Asian 4 50 41 21 African-American 2 8 3 1 Latino 2 13 6 1 Other 2 13 16 10
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16) For this year, note how well teachers are consistently managing their classroom procedures and policies? E) All of my classes are usually well managed F) Most of my classes are usually well managed. G) Only a few of my classes are usu ally well managed H) None of my classes is usually well managed
A B C D White 72 19 2 49 8 Asian 35 71 11 0 African-American 0 7 5 1 Latino 4 16 2 1 Other 9 20 12 1
17) Is classroom management and discipline at Piedmont High School (as applied by teachers) creating a good learning atmosphere? F) Classroom discipline at PHS is not strict enough. The teachers should take a stronger stand. G) Classroom discipline at PHS is too strict. The teachers should back off a bit H) Classroom d iscipline at PHS is just about r ight. Few if any changes are needed.
A B C D White 37 43 230 1 Asian 9 15 92 0 African-American 3 5 5 1 Latino 2 2 19 0 Other 7 7 27 0
19) Is discipline at Piedmont High Sch ool (as app lied by administration) creating good school- wide atmospher e? D) Discipline at PHS is not strict enough. Th e administration should take a stronger stand. E) Discipline at PHS is too strict. The administrators should back off somewhat. F) Discipline at PHS is just about right. Few if any changes are needed.
A B C D White 29 79 199 3 Asian 11 21 83 0 African-American 2 6 6 0 Latino 3 3 17 0 Other 4 8 29 1
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19) What is your opinion of the detention system and Saturday school policies and their effect on attendance? A) I dislike these policies, but they probably do limit cutting B) I don’t mind these policies, and they probably do limit cutting C) I dislike these policies, and I do not feel they have any effect on cutting I) I don’t mind these policies, but I do not feel they have any effect on cutting J) No opinion or unaware of policies
A B C D E White 43 60 47 48 118 Asian 19 25 6 20 46 African-Ameri can 1 4 5 1 2 Latino 2 5 6 2 8 Other 5 6 9 5 16 20) Which of the following statements best describes the attitude of your parents toward your attendance? E) They are very strict. They will only excuse legitimate absences, and they insist on my being present in class as a rule. F) They want me in class all the time, but they will usually excuse an absence if I ask them to as long as I don’t overdo it. G) They don’t pay very much attention to my attendance and will excuse my absences whenever I ask them to H) None of the above
A B C D White 131 14 6 13 27 Asian 63 36 5 10 African-American 9 3 1 1 Latino 12 6 1 2 Other 22 14 0 4 21) Which of the following statements best describe your own attitude about attendance? A) Regular attendance in all my classes is very important, and so I attend them all regularly. B) Regular attendance is generally important, but when I can cut a class without hurting my grade, I do so occasionally. C) Regular attendan ce isn’t very impo rtant to me. I cut classes p retty much as often as I want to. D) Regular attendance isn’t very important to me personally, but I don’t cut classes much because of my parents and the school policies. E) I think it is O K to cut classes to study for o ther classes.
A B C D E White 173 99 9 17 15 Asian 77 23 2 10 4 African-American 7 2 2 2 1 Latino 11 4 3 3 2 Other 14 11 4 5 6
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22) Do you feel that you have the opportunity to participate in class? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D White 9 68 105 130 Asian 7 31 43 34 African-American 2 2 4 6 Latino 0 5 8 9 Other 0 15 12 11
23) Do your teachers treat all students fairly and equally? A) No B) Some time C) Often D) Almos t Always
A B C D White 61 111 99 58 Asian 16 41 36 23 African-American 5 6 1 1 Latino 2 10 6 5 Other 9 13 17 2
24) Do you feel at ease asking your teachers to clarify points and answer questions? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D White 20 110 96 109 Asian 8 36 38 34 African-American 1 5 5 2 Latino 0 7 13 3 Other 5 24 10 7
25) Are your teachers accessible to you when you need help? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D White 8 120 117 67 Asian 16 42 42 26 African-American 3 3 6 2 Latino 1 5 11 5 Other 4 1 4 1 2 9
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26) How approachable are your teachers outside of class if you need to make an appointment for extra help? A) Very approachable B) Somewhat approachable C) Not very approachable
A B C D White 128 158 27 2 Asian 40 63 9 0 African-American 3 7 3 1 Latino 8 9 4 0 Other 17 18 3 2
27) Do your teachers assign activities or projects that make you think, reason, and solve problems as opposed to simply recalling information? A) No B ) Sometime C) Often D) Almo st Always
A B C D White 26 12 2 12 5 41 Asian 4 50 42 20 African-American 3 4 4 2 Latino 1 10 6 3 Other 6 16 10 8
28) What’s your own experience of the stress level of life at Piedmont High School? A) Extremely stress ful B) Somewhat stressful C) Not very stressful D ) Very relaxed
A B C D White 117 16 5 21 10 Asian 40 61 9 3 African-American 7 6 0 1 Latino 6 9 4 1 Othe r 17 18 2 7
29) What causes you the most stress? A) Social scene B) Getting go od grade for college C) Competition in the grade level D) Parental pressure to get good grades E) Teacher assigning big work load
A B C D E White 26 114 14 33 103 Asian 10 55 10 6 30 African-American 1 5 2 4 1 Latino 1 9 3 2 5 Other 1 15 2 8 11
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30) When you have wanted to talk to an adult at school about a personal problem, to whom have you spoken? Please check every box, which applies. If you have never talked to an adult at school about a problem, please leave this question blank. A) Teacher B) Counselor C) Secretary D) Administration E) Coach
A B C D E White 56 66 40 4 15 Asian 13 26 4 0 0 African-Ameri can 4 2 0 0 0 Latino 4 5 2 1 1 Other 9 8 2 2 0
31) Give Piedmont High school an overall rating? A) Excelle nt B) Good C) Fair D) Poor E) No opinion
A B C D E White 98 143 26 10 12 Asian 31 43 15 2 3 African-American 4 6 2 0 1 Latino 8 8 2 0 0 Other 9 14 7 3 2
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8/18/05 Piedmont High School Student Survey June 2005 Boys Versus Girls Answer Key
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this survey is to get opinions and infor mation from P HS students re garding school issues and activities. We are givin g the survey as apart of our upcoming WASC accreditation. WASC is a process in which our school will be assessed to see how we are meeting the needs of students as well as fulfill the requirements for the department of education accreditation process. The results of this survey will affect future planning of programs and services for PHS students. The results of this survey will be taken seriously, so please provide honest information. This survey is completely anonymous; hence the answer sheets will in no way be personally identified.
DIRECTION Do not pu t your name anywhere on the answer sheet. Mark your choice for each question on your answer sheet. Make only one mark per quest ion unless otherwise instructed.
1) What grade are you in? A) 9 B) 10 C) 11 D) 12
2) Are you ma le or female? A) M B) F
9) What is your ethnic background? A) White B) Asian C) African American D) Latino E) Other
For questions 4 & 5, please rank your involvement during your high school years so far in the following school and off campus activities using the descriptions supplied: I) I have been or am highly involved J) I have been or am moderately involved K) I am or have been a member, but I haven’t really been active. L) I have not been involved at all
10) School activities or groups besides sports: (e.g. ASB, School Climate Committee, Highlander/Clan-O-Log, music, drama, or dance productions, ASU, Ecology Club, Cheerleaders, debate, etc…)
A B C D Girls 61 76 51 54 Boys 35 85 39 102
11) Non-school groups such as Church/ Temple activities, community service, theater or dance, clubs or associations, or political activities. A B C D Girls 94 87 40 29 Boys 58 89 45 72
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12) Please summarize your participation in PHS extra-curricular team sports. During how many sport seasons have you been a team member at PHS? Example: If you were on two team’s one year and one team another year, count that as three seasons. I) 0 seasons – I have never been on a PHS extra-curricular athletic team. J) 1-3 seasons on a PHS team K) 4-7 seasons on a PHS team L) 8 or more seasons on a PHS team
A B C D Girls 59 125 39 3 Boys 47 142 65 18
13) Please summarize your participation in organized off-campus team sports (e.g. rugby, crew, club volleyball, club swim team, fencing, etc.) Include only such sports that you have participated in during your high school years. I) 0 seasons – I have never been on an off-campus athletic team during my high school years. J) 1-3 seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years K) 4-7 seasons on an off-campus team during m y high school years L) 8 or more seasons on an off-campus team during my high school years
A B C D Girls 97 80 50 25 Boys 122 101 31 11
14) What is your general attitude toward school at the close of this school year? G) I like it H) I hate it I) It’s OK
A B C Girls 84 42 105 Boys 85 49 130
15) What is your overall opinion of your high school experience so far? I) It’s been satisfied academically and socially J) It’s been fun socially, but I’m not satisfied academ ically K) It’s been go od academically, but I ’m not satisfied s ocially L) It hasn’t been satisfied either acad emically or socia lly
A B C D Girls 138 43 49 21 Boys 119 62 38 20
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16) Rate consistency of overall grading at Piedmont High. A) Very consistent B) Sometimes consistent C) Only by departments D) Never
A B C D Girls 56 145 35 14 Boys 50 123 70 28
11) This year how many of your teachers handed out and explained their grading system? I) All of my teachers hand ed out and expla ined their gradin g system J) Most of my teachers handed out and explained thei r grading system K) Only a few of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system L) None of my teachers handed out and explained their grading system
A B C D Girls 149 90 34 2 Boys 130 109 26 5
12) When teac hers post grades for you to review which is most helpful? A) 1x per week B) 2X per week C) 2X per month D) 1x per month
A B C D Girls 65 11 95 41 Boys 99 23 108 12
13) What forms of assessm ents are used in a your classes? Mark all that apply. A) Objective tests on scantron B) Essay C) Participation D) Group projects E) Presentations
A B C D E Girls 15 37 1 1 0 Boys 9 10 10 3 0
14) Do academic expectat ions in crease as you proceed through high school? A) Yes B) N o C) I don’t know D) Only a little
A B C D Girls 195 9 39 17 Boys 174 18 39 27
15) Do your teachers make you aware of the grading standards or of the level of performance you are expected to meet on each assignment / activity? A) No B) Some times C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D Girls 15 103 77 54 Boys 16 134 90 39
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16) For this year, note how well teachers are consistently managing their classroom procedures and policies? I) All of my classes are usually well managed J) Most of my classes are usually well managed. K) Only a few of my classes are usually well manag ed L) None of my clas ses is usually well managed
A B C D Girls 63 150 57 2 Boys 62 155 41 9
17) Is classroom management and discipline at Piedmont High School (as applied by teachers) creating a good learning atmosphere? K) Classroom discipline at PHS is not strict enough. The teachers should take a stronger stand. L) Classroom discipline at PHS is too strict. The teachers should back off a bit M) Classroom discipline at PHS is just about right. Few if any changes are needed.
A B C Girls 31 39 142 Boys 27 50 178
20) Is discipline at Piedmont High School (as applied by administration) creating good school- wide atmosphere? G) Discipline at PHS is not strict enough. The administration should take a stronger stand. H) Discipline at PHS is too strict. The administ rators should back off somewhat. I) Discipline at PHS is just about right. Few if any changes are needed.
A B C Girls 25 42 13 1 Boys 28 78 156
19) What is your opinion of the detention system and Saturday school policies and their effect on attendance? A) I dislike these policies, but they probably do limit cutting B) I don’t mind these policies, and they probably do limit c utting C) I dislike these policies, and I do not feel they have any effect on cutting N) I don’t min d these policies, but I d o not feel they have any effect on cutting O) No opinion or unaware of policies
A B C D E Girls 29 37 28 34 51 Boys 42 64 37 41 59
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20) Which of the following statements best describes the attitude of your parents toward your attendance? I) They are very strict. They will only excuse legitimate absences, and they insist on my being present in class as a rule. J) They want me in class all the time, but they will usually excuse an absence if I ask them to as long as I don’t overdo it. K) They don’t pay very much attention to my attendance and will excuse my absences whenever I ask them to L) None of the above
A B C D Girls 102 97 17 20 Boys 135 92 17 31
21) Which of the following statements best describe your own attitude about attendance? A) Regular attendance in all my classes is very important, and so I attend them all regularly. B) Regular attendance is generally important, but when I can cut a class without hurting my grade, I do so occasionally. C) Regular attendance isn’t very important to me. I cut classes pretty much as often as I want to. D) Regular attendance isn’t very important to me personally, but I don’t cut classes much because of my parents and the school policies. E) I think it is OK to cut classes to study for other classes.
A B C D E Girls 132 82 27 13 2 Boys 145 66 18 23 8
22) Do you feel that you have the opportunity to participate in class? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D Girls 12 71 79 84 Boys 12 52 98 88
23) Do your teachers treat all students fairly and equally? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D Girls 37 95 92 33 Boys 56 83 71 52
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24) Do you feel at ease asking your teachers to clarify points and answer questions? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D Girls 15 84 77 51 Boys 19 91 66 60
25) Are your teachers accessible to you when you need help? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D Girls 15 92 96 41 Boys 29 92 97 60
26) How approachable are your teachers outside of class if you need to make an appointment for extra help? A) Very approachable B) Somewhat approachable C) Not very approachable
A B C Girls 104 113 37 Boys 91 139 26
27) Do your teachers assign activities or projects that make you think, reason, and solve problems as opposed to simply recalling information? A) No B) Sometime C) Often D) Almost Always
A B C D Girls 18 108 94 27 Boys 22 109 97 34
28) What’s your own experience of the stress level of life at Piedmont High School? A) Extremely stres sful B) Som ewhat stressful C) Not very stressful D) Very relaxed
A B C D Girls 115 118 16 14 Boys 172 150 25 13
29) What causes you the most stress? A) Social scene B) Getting good grade for college C) Competition in the grade level D) Parental pressure to get good grades E) Teacher assigning big work load
A B C D E Girls 13 104 16 13 44 Boys 26 94 16 34 70
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30) When you have wanted to talk to an adult at school about a personal problem, to whom have you spoken ? Plea se check every box, wh ich applie s. If you have never talked to an adult at school about a problem, please leave this question blank. A) Teacher B) Counselor C) Secretary D) Administra tion E) Coach
A B C D E Girls 47 52 12 5 5 Boys 38 54 40 5 14
31) Give Piedmo nt High school an overall ratin g? A) Excellent B) Good C) F air D) Poor E) No opinion
A B C D E Girls 70 113 32 15 6 Boys 86 107 18 12 11
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WASC Parents’ Home Group 2005-06 Piedmont High School Parent Survey Survey Report and Recommendations - January, 2006
BACKGROUND A PHS W ASC Parents ’ Home Group was formed in September 2005 with the objective of supplying input to the school’s WASC review. This Home Group consisted of six parents and two administrators. Between September 2005 and the present, the team met regularly and also participated in some WASC Focus Group meetings. As much as is possible within a small group, team composition was designed to include parent representation from different student grades and gender, parental gender and racial diversity, as we ll as re presentation from alumni parents and community organizations. Two parents who expressed interest were also invited to join the team (though neither chose to do so due to concerns about time commitment.)
Team mem bers a re: Randall Book er (PSH Princip al), Anne-Marie Lamarche (parent and PHS Parents’ C lub Pre sident), MJ Pritchett (parent), Carol Quan (paren t), Buzz Redford (alumni parent and Piedmont Recreation Dept. Recreation Supervisor), Karyn Shipp (WASC Coordinator, Women’s Athletic Director, and PE teacher), Lonnie Simonson (parent), Andrea Swenson (parent.)
SURVEY OBJECTIVE The purpose of the survey was to obtain input from a broad cross-section of parents on PHS’s achievement against its Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) and Critical Academic Needs (CANs). This parental input is being used, together with input from teachers, students and administrators, to assess the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and to assist in developing PHS’ WASC plan.
CONCLUSIONS Overall, Piedmont High School seems to be meeting its Expected School-wide Learning Results: a strong majority of parents agree that their child/children are making desired progress toward the ESLR goals. Perceived areas of strength appear to be communication skills, problem- solving, respect for diversity, commitment to excellence, personal integrity, responsibility, ethical behavior and preparation for college. In curriculum, instruction and assessment, teachers are given high marks for using a variety of assessment methods and for providing a realistic measurement of children’s achievement.
At the same time, a significant minority of parents feels that the academic work at PHS is not sufficiently challenging, and that the academic needs of advanced students are not being met. On the other end of the spectrum, parents feel the school has been less successful in meeting the needs of students earning below-average grades and their families. In addition, parents feel PHS could improve in by providing more consistency in curriculum and assessment across teachers, and consistently grading and returning student work on a timely basis.
Further, while a majority of parents agree that their children are learning to communicate effectively in writing, a sizeable minority of parents believes that writing instruction is not
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adequate at PHS – particularly in the areas of analytical and expository writing skills and timely teacher correction/feedback. This concern is most clearly articulated in open-ended responses.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
1. Increase school-wide emphasis on writing skills, with consistent expectations, assessment and above all, more frequent and timely teacher editing. The focus should be on developing logic, analytical and expository skills.
2. Increase consistency of curriculum and student assessment across teachers within a department and across departments.
3. Put in place a comprehensive, data-driven program for identifying and assisting students earning below-average grades. Notify, include and provide support for parents of struggling students.
4. Consider adding more challenging classes targeted to all four grade levels to better meet the needs of advanced students. Consider revamping the ISci course offering to enable advanced science students to take more advanced classes.
5. Consider offering additional electives to better engage students and foster a love of learning, particularly among below average students of all grades and upper-class students, many of whom currently take 5 or 6 classes rather than the 7 periods offered.
KEY FINDINGS ESLR #1 – Able Communicator In general, parents are pleased with their children’s progress in communication. However, writing appears to be the area where parents feel the greatest need for improvement. • Over 80% of parents strongly/generally agree that their children are learning to: communicate respectfully (85%), speak effectively (81%), use technology as a communication tool (83%) and that their academic work is effectively preparing them for a post secondary education and career (83%). A majority of parents also agree their children are learning to structure and present logical arguments (78%). • While a majority of parents agree that their students are learning to communicate effectively in writing (74%), 14% of parents disagree/strongly disagree that this is the case. Further, a significant percentage of parents’ comments indicate concern about the effectiveness of writing instruction at PHS – particularly logical reasoning, expository skills, prompt teacher feedback, and consistency in writing expectations across teachers and subjects. • Our WASC team suggested that a school-wide style guide be developed and actively used by all teachers and students.
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ESLR #2 – Complex and creative thinker While there seems to be consensus among parents that their child is developing abilities as a problem solver, a significant minority of parents would support more emphasis on teaching research and time management/organizational skills. • The majority of parents believe their children are learning problem solving (81% strongly/generally agree vs. 6% disagree/strongly disagree), although a minority of parents fee they are not learning to solve problems in a creative way (68% agree, 11% disagree). Comments also suggest the art program is helpful in developing creativity. • While 63% of parents believe their children are learning to conduct research and to filter resources for reliability, 17% disagree that this is the case. Further, concern about researching surfaced in the comments section, where parents objected to too much focus on internet research/lack of focus on print sources, reliance on online encyclopedia rather than primary sites, and a lack of understanding of the need to filter sites for reliability. • Considering student organization, 73% of respondents agree that their child is learning to solve time scheduling dilemmas, while 15% disagree. Parents’ comments suggest concern for their students’ further development of organizational and time management skills.
ESLR # 3 – Collaborative worker Most parents feel their students are developing well as collaborative workers; negative comments had to do with the fairness of work distribution in group settings. • Over 70% of parents believe their child is learning to solve problems within a group process (78% strongly/generally agree), learning to appreciate varied viewpoints and belief systems (78%) and developing leadership skills (71%). • A significant number of comments noted that “group assignments” tend to mean that a small number of conscientious students carry the rest of the group and require adult supervision to ensure work is fairly distributed. • Our WASC team suggested that the group project model be modified to include confidential peer evaluation of each project, which teacher could use to influence individual grades on a group project.
ESLR #4 – Self-directed life-long learner Most parents believe that their students are becoming self-directed and independent learne r s, but fewer believe their students are developing a love of learning. • Most parents believe their children are becoming independent learners (74% strongly/generally agree vs. 10% disagree/strongly disagree), are committed to excellence in their work (75% vs. 12%), and have confidence in their academic abilities (77% vs. 13%.) • While 51% of parents agree their children are developing a love of learning, 21% do not. Comments indicate some students are “bored” or disaffected, which some parents attribute to teaching methods not keeping “pace with the rest of the environment in which these kids operate” and too much “busy work”, and insufficient academic challenge for “bright” students.
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• WASC team discussion indicated parents would like to see less focus on working for a grade, and more passion for the subject; however, there is recognition that this is a system-wide rather than solely a PHS issue. • Concern about organizational skills surfaced again in this topic, as a substantial minority of student indicate their child is not developing organizational, goal setting and time management skills (75% agree, 17% disagree.)
ESLR #5 -- Contributor to the community Most p arents feel that their students are developing appropriate personal values, feel personally valued at PHS, and are learning tolerance and an appreciation for diversity. And while most parents agree their students are developing as contributors to the community, there is a perception that student volunteering may be motivated by college application process • Almost all parents believe their children are learning to act with personal integrity and compassion (90% agree, 3% disagree), take responsibility for their actions (89% vs. 3%), and learning appropriate ethical standards concerning cheating (87% vs. 4%.) This last finding is surprising given that teachers and administration are aware of a substantial cheating and plagiarism issue at PHS. Other than a single comment (out of 34 in this section), cheating does not surface as an issue in parent comments. • Most parents also agree that their children are learning tolerance, an appreciation of individual differences (84% agree vs. 6% disagree) and respect for diversity of all types (84% agree vs. 4% disagree.) Comments generally praise the school for modeling citizenship, personal integrity and the value of diversity. • A majority of parents agrees that their child feels his/her individual differences are accepted and appreciated by the school community, though a sizeable minority disagrees (62 agree vs. 17% disagree). A few comments suggest that some students do not feel their individual differences are accepted – cliques, socioeconomic differences are mentioned. • Likewise, while a slim majority of parents agrees their child’s volunteering activities are altruistic, a sizeable minority believes their child’s volunteering activities are primarily motivated by the college application process (51% agree vs. 19% disagree.)
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Curric u lum and Instruction – Succeeding Academically Parents with advanced students and those earning below average grades both feel that progress can be made in meeting their students’ needs. Additionally, a significant perce n tage of respondents believe there is room for improvement in providing a consistent curriculum across teachers. • While a majority of parents agree their child’s academic work is sufficiently challenging, almost 20% felt their child’s work was not rigorous enough (67% strongly/generally agree vs. 19% disagree/strongly disagree.) • Importantly, fewer than half of parents of advanced students (parent-identified) agreed that the needs of their students were being met (45% agree, 18% disagree). Those who disagreed felt strongly that their advanced students’ needs were not being met, with almost two-thirds of the parents who disagreed checking the “strongly disagree” box (11% strongly disagree vs. 7% disagree). Several comments indicated the need for more AP classes, more challenging classes for freshmen and sophomores, and a revamping of the Integrated Science program to enable students to take more advanced science classes. More challenging English and History classes were also requested. Comments further noted the need to add more “fun” classes to engage students of all abilities. • While half the parents of students earning below average grades felt their students’ needs were being met at PHS, another half did not (18% agree, 16% disagree.) In comments, some parents expressed concern that unless below average students were a discipline problem, little effort was made to help their students master the material. One quote: “They wash their hands of them and simply state that the student ‘has difficulty with course content.’” • Consistency of curriculum across different teachers of the same subject was an issue, as only 36% of parents agreed students received a consistent curriculum, while 23% disagreed. Comments suggested some wide disparities between teachers in subject matter taught, nature of assignments, teaching techniques, and amount of homework assigned. • There was also concern about homework assignments. While a majority of parents generally agreed the assignments were meaningful and reasonable in length, 21% disagreed with that assertion (58% agree, 21% disagree.)
Assessment at PHS Parents generally responded positively to assessment as well as behavior standards at PHS. However, a significant percentage of parents feel there could be improvement in consistency of assessment methods and standards. Also, high levels of concern surfaced around timely return of student work and informing students of their performance in a class. In addition, parents of students who are struggling feel that the school lacks “user friendly” procedures for notifying parents and supporting families. • Most parents feel that their child’s grades are a realistic measure of his/her achievement (75% agree, 8% disagree) and that teachers use a variety of assessment methods to measure achievement (86% agree, 4% disagree.) • A majority also agrees that standards for behavior are communicated and enforced consistently (54% agree, 13% disagree.) Comments support the current administration’s approach to “standards of behavior and enforcement.”
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• However, fewer than half of parents agree that teachers use consistent methods and standards in assessment (46% agree, 18% disagree.) Comments mention the existence of “easy” vs. “hard” teachers for a given class. • Timely return of student work is also a concern for 20% of parents (58% agree, 20% disagree that student work is returned on a timely basis), as is student knowledge of their performance (72% agree, 18% disagree that their child knows how s/he is doing in class.) These concerns are articulated in numerous comments where parents cite examples of teachers assigning new work before the old is returned (making it difficult for students to learn from their mistakes), teachers holding all work until the end of the quarter, tests not being returned so teachers can reuse tests (making it difficult for students to learn from past work), and out-of date homework websites. Parents also ask for more use of services like MyGradebook.com, which keep parents as well as students current on their status. • Fewer than half of parents agree that the school has adequate procedures in place to notify parents if their child is struggling (45% agree, 20% disagree.) Comments indicate parents are looking for more support from the school in keeping their students on track. Current tools (like Supplemental Reports) provide information too infrequently to be useful. The current system also puts the onus on parents to call teachers, but parents feel it is sometimes difficult to know how to contact teachers (teachers request different contact methods and email addresses are not standardized). Further, parents are often are not aware their student is struggling until well into the quarter, when it may be difficult to regain lost ground.
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SURVEY METHODOLOGY Questionnaire The Parents’ Home Group developed a questionnaire consisting of 45 questions on 7 topics derive d from the school’s ESLRs and CANs. Parents were asked to evaluate how well the school met their children’s needs using a six-point scale ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree, and Don’t Know. Parents were also invited to add open-ended comments for each topic.
Distribution The survey was fielded using SurveyMonkey.com, a web-based research company that enabled the Parents’ Home Group to post the survey online, and which provides tools for collecting and analyzing data. The survey was posted online from December 12, 2005 to January 9, 2006.
All PHS families that receive the school’s biweekly bulletin and the College Center Bulletin were emailed a link to a web page at SurveyMonkey.com and invited to take the survey. (See Attachment.) The importance of providing input and the confidentiality of individuals’ survey responses was stressed. The survey link was also publicized in the bi-weekly PHS bulletin and announced at the PHS Parents’ Club meeting in December, 2005. A reminder announcement was included in the PHS bulletin on January 5, 2006.
Reach The link to the survey was emailed to 685 email addresses. This distribution covers approximately 410 individual PHS families (some households subscribe to multiple copies of the bulletin). Since there are 743 families at PHS, we estimate the survey invitation reached 55% of all PHS households.
Response Rate In all, 225 surveys were completed, accounting for 54% of the families reached, or 30% of all families at PHS. Over half of the surveys (131) were completed on the first day.
Demographics of Respondents Respondents’ children were distributed across all grades, with 29% having freshmen children, 17% having sophomores, 31% juniors and 24% seniors. One quarter of respondents reported having more than one child in the school, and the average respondent had 1.2 children at PHS. The gender of respondents’ children was fairly evenly split, with 49% of parents having girls and 51% having boys.
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ATTACHMENT PHS WASC Parents’ Home Group Invitation to Participate in 2005-06 Parent Survey
Sent via email December 12, 2005 to PHS Bulletin Subscribers
Dear PHS Parents:
During the 2005-06 Academic year, Piedmont High School's accreditation will be reviewed by the Western Accreditation of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In preparation for this review, the PHS community (teachers, administrators, parents, students) has been meeting to determine what the school currently does well, as well as ways in which we can improve.
As part of this effort, a small team of PHS parents has been meeting for several months to provide input from a parental perspective. However, this WASC Parents' Group is now interested incorporating the opinions of a broader group of parents into the discussion.
To that end, we have created a survey which gives all PHS parents the opportunity to weigh in on what is working and not working for their children. The survey takes only ten minutes to complete (and you can come back to it if you need more than one sitting to complete the survey.) Don't delay -- do this now, as we need to summarize the input by early January for the WASC audit!
To take the survey, please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=340991578717.
We hope you will take a few minutes to give us your thoughts. All responses are confidential -- so please tell us what you really think!
Thank you!
PHS WASC Parents' Group
P.S. Please direct any questions to [email protected]
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