A Description of Activities, Artifacts, and Lessons Learned from Holyoke Public Schools

Developing a New Vision of High School: A description of activities, artifacts, and lessons learned from Holyoke Public Schools NOVEMBER 2017 Acknowledgments The Barr Foundation would like to acknowledge and thank Barbara Crock, Ed.D., President of Crock Leader- ship Associates LLC, for authoring this synthesis of Holyoke Public Schools’ high school redesign process. We also thank Holyoke Public Schools for their thought- ful, ambitious work and their willingness to share their experience and learning with the field. Table of Contents Introduction Context: Holyoke Public Schools 4 Stages of Developing a New Vision of High School 5 Stage I: Stakeholder Engagement 6 “Getting [more people and] the right people on the bus” Stage II: Exploration of Innovations 12 Oh, the Places We’ll Go Stage III: Drafting the Strategic Redesign Plan 17 Creating a Shared Vision for What Will Be Key Insights and Lessons Learned 22 Conclusion and Challenge 26 Appendices A. Design Team Job Description 27 B. Innovations Team Job Description 29 C. Team Membership 30 D. Team Participants 31 E. Terms and Task Card Resources 32 F. School Visit Protocol 34 G. School Sites Visited Beyond Holyoke 36 H. School Sites Visited Within Holyoke 38 Artifacts, Diagrams, Tables, & Graphics 1.1 Relationship Among Teams 6 1.2 Team Details 7 1.3 Word Cloud of 21st Century Outcomes for Students 10 1.4 Descriptions of Holyoke’s Pathways Definition by Component 11 2.1 Sample School Summary Posters 14 2.2 Sample Compilation of Most Frequent Initial Recommendations 15 2.3 HPS Design Team Defines Successful Partner Conditions 16 3.1 Design Team Pathway Prototypes 17 3.2 Innovation Team Academy-Pathway Prototypes 18 3.3 Evaluating the Current State and Future Needs for 19 Project-Based Learning 3 Introduction Context: Holyoke Public Schools of the high school redesign process, and in January 2016, Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) served approximately the Working Group provided recommendations to Dr. 1,600 high school students across two campuses in Zrike to improve high school graduation rates, student western Massachusetts in the 2016-17 school year: Dean academic performance, and student engagement and Technical High School (200 students) and Holyoke High ownership. School (1,300 students). Both schools have strong alumni In the 2016-17 school year, a Freshman Academy was networks and local community support. established to create equitable experiences for all fresh- Dean Technical (Dean) has historically served as the dis- man students across high school campuses. New lead- trict’s vocational education school, training students for ership was established at Dean Technical High School, jobs in the local economy in auto mechanics, printing, and participation in dual enrollment courses with Holyoke and machine manufacturing. The jobs that have tradi- Community College, Westfield State University, and the tionally been linked to Dean’s career preparatory pro- University of Massachusetts quadrupled. While the Work grams are no longer consistently viable options within Team’s recommendations served as a foundation for the local county nor across the state, creating the need high school redesign work, Dr. Zrike, with support from to redesign the career technical programs at Dean to the Barr Foundation, simultaneously proposed a second meet the needs of the 21st century labor market. phase of high school redesign. The purpose of phase II of high school redesign, which is the focus of this docu- Holyoke High School (HHS) has served as the district’s ment, was to develop a comprehensive new vision for “college-prep” campus, providing many—but not all— high school education in Holyoke. students with access to options for post-secondary study. In the 2015-2016 school year, HHS analyzed its Building from the district’s vision of “a pathway for every “Freshman On-Track Indicators.” For example, 36% of student,” HPS entered phase II of high school redesign all freshman students across the high schools in the work in the 2016-17 school year. The district embarked 2015-16 school year were failing one or more core classes upon the phase II planning process open to all possibil- (English, math, science, social studies) at the end of their ities for the eventual design of Holyoke’s two high third school quarter and, historically, 98% of the students schools. The intent was that the new vision for high who did not successfully pass English in 9th grade did school education would create complementary, compet- not graduate from high school. itive, and 21st century learning pathways for all students to challenge the existing current system in place within In April 2015, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary Holyoke Public Schools. and Secondary Education voted to designate Holyoke Public Schools as chronically underperforming (Level 5), While there are many decisions and phases still to come placing the district in state receivership. In July 2015, by for transformation, Dr. Zrike and HPS know that the appointment of Commissioner Mitchell Chester, Dr. process begins with a dramatic shift in school culture and Stephen Zrike, Jr. became the Receiver of Holyoke Public the foundational experiences of school. In Holyoke, Mas- Schools. In October 2015, Dr. Zrike convened a Secondary sachusetts, high school redesign is not just desirable—it School Redesign Working Group to begin the first phase is essential to the success of its students. Holyoke Public Schools d Developing a New Vision of High School 4 Stages of Developing a New Vision of High School This document outlines three stages of work in the phase II redesign process in order to develop a new vision for high school education in Holyoke. First, stakeholder engagement describes the efforts of the Holyoke Coor- dinating Committee to expand the number of individuals involved in high school redesign and to structure work teams. Once the working structures were established, team members began to explore high school models in the second stage. Preparing for, participating in, and reflecting upon school visits both external and internal to the district are explored in this section. The final stage, strategic transformation, describes Holyoke’s efforts to turn insights, inspirations, and challenges into a strategic plan to redesign high school education for its students. Finally, the document closes with key insights and lessons learned. 3 Stages of Developing a New Vision of High School Stakeholder Engagement Exploration of Models Strategic Transformation • Design Team • School visitations • Strategic planning • Innovations Team • External partners exploration • Feedback • Recruitment, commitment, & • Analysis & sharing • Professional learning orientation SEPTEMBER OCTOBER – DECEMBER JANUARY – MAY Holyoke Public Schools d Developing a New Vision of High School 5 Stage I: Stakeholder Engagement “Getting [more people and] the right people on the bus” — Jim Collins, Good to Great Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) sought to authentically Design Team was envisioned to be the decision-making engage stakeholders in identifying, piloting, and building body for the strategic plan. The Innovations Team served sustainable high school models. The Executive Director as the district’s lead learners, making innovation recom- of Secondary Education and Pathways (ED), the Chief of mendations to the Design Team for consideration and Strategy and Turnaround, and the lead consultant/facil- use in the strategic plan. The secondary school staff who itator for the project served as the Coordinating Com- did not choose to apply to participate on the Design or mittee, accountable for driving the vision, implementation, Innovations Teams were informed of the learning and and accountability of the high school redesign work. Key emerging recommendations through venues such as all- to this experience was the Coordinating Committee’s staff meetings. development of teams of stakeholders. Prior to the launch of the teamwork, the Coordinating HPS’s Coordinating Committee engaged stakeholders at Committee defined the purpose and logistics for each three nested levels in the exploration of innovations for strand of stakeholder engagement. These are outlined high school redesign: (1) the Design Team, (2) the Inno- in Table 1.2 on page 7. vations Team, and (3) the Secondary School Staff. The Diagram 1.1 Relationship Among Teams HPS Secondary Staff Innovations Team Design Team Coordinating Committee Holyoke Public Schools d Developing a New Vision of High School 6 Table 1.2 Team Details COORDINATING DESIGN TEAM INNOVATIONS TEAM SECONDARY STAFF COMMITTEE Purpose d Organize and d Design a sustainable d Be the district’s lead d Increase awareness drive the Design secondary school learners and make and understanding and Innovations model to challenge recommendations based of the Innovations Team’s learning and current practice and on perspective, Team’s learning, collaboration transform the high school practice, and exploration redesign initiatives, and experience, resulting recommendations in the d Write the strategic d Advocate for innovation in complementary, strategic plan plan competitive, and d Respond to models d Implement a 21st century learning and drafts communications plan pathways for all students d Represent peers across the greater d Inform, advocate for, and community approve the strategic plan d Secure the support and alignment of the work with the Receiver/ Superintendent and the Chief Academic Officer Members d 2 district staff d 3 district staff members d 1 district staff member

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