Portland Public Schools High School System Design Superintendent’s Recommendations Superintendent Carole Smith Submitted to the Portland School Board April 26, 2010 Updated: 05/04/2010 High School System Design — Superintendent’s Recommendations Contents Transmittal letter from the Superintendent ..........................................................................................4 A vision for our high schools....................................................................................................................8 Our challenge and opportunity................................................................................................................9 Theory of action ....................................................................................................................................................11 Superintendent recommendations for a stronger High School System ...........................................13 Summary of the Superintendent’s proposed plan..........................................................................................13 Measures of success ...............................................................................................................................................15 Current state of our High School System.............................................................................................17 Disparity of opportunity......................................................................................................................................18 Disparities in achievement ..................................................................................................................................19 High School System options...................................................................................................................21 Impact of number of community schools on student and community experience ................................22 Analysis of options ................................................................................................................................................24 Essential factors that informed decision-making ...........................................................................................27 Eight-school option: Superintendent’s recommendation............................................................................28 Enrollment growth scenarios for Roosevelt & Jefferson ..............................................................................31 Risks inherent in the recommended scenario .................................................................................................31 Community comprehensive schools......................................................................................................38 Focus schools ............................................................................................................................................48 Transition plans for students and staff .................................................................................................56 Implementation of boundary changes ..............................................................................................................56 Marshall Campus closures...................................................................................................................................56 Staff transitions because of Marshall Campus closure ..................................................................................57 Benson reconfiguration and transition.............................................................................................................57 Transfers into community comprehensive schools........................................................................................60 Admission to focus schools .................................................................................................................................60 2 High School System Design — Superintendent’s Recommendations Implications of federal law ..................................................................................................................................60 A look at school choice K-12 ..............................................................................................................................61 Closing the achievement gap: Pre-kindergarten through graduation........................................................62 Alignment of core program K-12 ......................................................................................................................62 Milestones Framework.........................................................................................................................................64 Academic Priority Zone.......................................................................................................................................64 Summer school intervention...............................................................................................................................66 Addressing enrollment/program inequity.......................................................................................................66 Continuous evaluation of K-8 outcomes.........................................................................................................68 Early Childhood initiative...................................................................................................................................68 Implementation and transition resources and supports .....................................................................69 How public input informed this proposal............................................................................................75 Public engagement at key stages of the process...............................................................................................75 1. Research and analysis (Spring 2008–Winter 2009)..................................................................................75 2. High School System essential elements (Winter 2009-Spring 2009) ...................................................76 3. System change concepts: Big Ideas (Spring 2009).....................................................................................77 4. Core program (Fall 2009 and Winter 2010)..............................................................................................77 5. High School System resolution (Winter 2010) .........................................................................................78 Public engagement plan...........................................................................................................................80 Informing families and the community............................................................................................................80 Opportunities for public input and involvement ..........................................................................................81 Advisory committees ............................................................................................................................................81 30-day comment period.......................................................................................................................................82 School board decision-making............................................................................................................................84 Further resources......................................................................................................................................85 Career Technical Education ...............................................................................................................................85 Core program and community comprehensive schools................................................................................85 Appendices................................................................................................................................................86 3 High School System Design — Superintendent’s Recommendations Portland Public Schools 501 North Dixon Street / Portland, OR 97227 Telephone: (503) 916-3200 / Fax: (503) 916-3110 Carole Smith Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3107 / 97208-3107 Superintendent Email: [email protected] Transmittal letter from the Superintendent April 26, 2010 Directors of the Portland Public Schools Board of Education: Over the last two years, our school district and members our community have engaged in deep discussion about the state of our high schools – the current inequities, the structural challenges and the outcomes we want for our students across the system. On March 8, as directors of the Portland Public Schools Board of Education, you defined the principles of High School System Design and directed me to return with a plan of action to deliver on those principles. There has been great anticipation – and no small anxiety – about this plan, and this evening we begin the next phase of our community engagement around the details, leading to your decisions at the end of June. PPS staff have worked diligently during the past seven weeks to ensure this plan is well thought out, supported by appropriate analysis and information, and that it effectively meets the goals of this process. This has not been easy work, nor is the recommendation I bring to you today a simple one. And yet I believe it reflects the right step