The Re-Structuring of Van Buren High School
Changes Schools Can Expect – Ideal Process for Implementing the HSTW Design
| Structural Changes for Implementing the HSTW Design: | Van Buren High School Structural Changes: |
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ü VBHS utilizes A Master Schedule Building process based on student needs and course requests to determine course offering, staff assignment, and schedule buildingü VBHS has eliminated lower level math and English courses and increased enrollment in Pre-AP and AP courses
ü VBHS has increased the number of teachers qualified and assigned to teacher honors courses ü VBHS changed master schedules to allow common planning time by department and to allow for weekly job-embedded professional development ü VBHS changed bell schedule to create Advisory and Enrichment Time ü VBHS expanded its partnerships with post-secondary institutions (Previously WATC and UAFS) (Added NWACC and ATU) üVBHS expanded its dual credit program from 6 college credit hours to 27 college credit hours
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| Instructional Changes for Implementing the HSTW Design: | Van Buren High School Instructional Changes: |
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ü VBHS uses weekly team meetings to instruct teachers as to how to develop reading and writing lessons that promote the learning of their content. Teachers are held accountable for implementing content-literacy lessons and reflecting on the effectiveness of the lessonü VBHS uses weekly team meetings to assist teachers in aligning instruction and syllabi to state standards, horizontally aligning like courses, and vertically aligning with a content area
ü VBHS uses weekly team meetings to promote use of brain-engaging strategies that actively engage students (Marsha Tate, Sharon Faber, MAX) Teachers are held accountable for using strategies, sharing with colleagues, and reflecting on effectiveness. ü VBHS uses weekly team meetings to review the quality of student work and student assessments to drive instructional changes ü VBHS uses weekly team meetings to articulate and describe quality student work. Teachers create rubrics for collaboratively scoring student work
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| Support Changes for Implementing the HSTW Design: | Van Buren High School Support Changes: |
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| Leadership Changes for Implementing the HSTW Design: | Van Buren High School Leadership Changes: |
| Development of a leadership team to: |
- Involve all faculty in the change process
- Create a culture of high expectations in the school
- Build consensus for the need to change within a school
- Move standards into the classroom to get students to create proficient level work
- Support efforts to focus on literacy
- Support efforts to focus on numeracy
- Prepare master teachers to become teacher leaders
- VBHS re-designed its Leadership structure to include a Leadership Administration Team (administrators), an Instructional Leadership Team (administrators and instructional facilitators, and an Extended Leadership Team (the Leadership Team and lead teachers from each department and counseling center). In addition, members from the Extended Lead Team facilitate support committees to connect the work to the central school plan.
- VBHS re-designed its process for change using HSTW Key Practices. The entire faculty is involved in the study of these practices and the identification of VBHS strengths and areas of needed growth. Small, collaborative teams study HSTW research materials and schools identified by HSTW as being strong in a given key practices. Team report to the entire faculty for final decision-making as to what changes need to occur
- VBHS Leadership Teams’ agendas always include one of the following:
- Systemic Change Process
- Rigor and Quality Student Work
- Literacy Across All Content Areas
- Building Teacher Leaders
- VBHS has created a system in which all teachers are encouraged and given opportunities to serve in a leadership capacity
Changes Schools Can Expect – Ideal Process for Implementing the HSTW Design
| Structural Changes | Instructional Changes | Support Changes | Leadership Changes |
| · Adjust Master Schedule – annually to increase the percentage of students enrolled in college preparatory courses by at least 20% ü VBSD utilizes A Master Schedule Building process based on student needs and course requests to determine course offering, staff assignment, and schedule building ü VBSD has eliminated lower level math and English courses and increased enrollment in Pre-AP and AP courses ü VBSD has increased the number of teachers qualified and assigned to teacher honors courses ü VBSD changed master schedule in VBHS from a block to a seven period schedule, increasing instructional time before state exams ü VBSD changed master schedules to allow common planning time by department ü VBSD changed bell schedule to create Advisory and Enrichment Time · Engage the Faculty in Continuous School Improvement – by organizing a school improvement team and school wide leadership teams around curriculum and instruction, professional development, evaluation, guidance, and transitions ü VBSD re-organized building leadership teams with principals, assistant principals, literacy coaches, math coaches, and lead teachers ü VBSD reorganized district leadership teams with Administrative Council, School Improvement Team, Curriculum Team and vertical principal leadership teams ü VBSD implements district wide coaching model ü VBSD implements district wide, job-embedded, on-going professional development ü VBSD implements district wide curriculum training, leadership training, and implementation support and peer review for Columbia University’s Teacher’s College Reading & Writing Project ü VBSD implements district wide curriculum training, leadership training, and implementation support for Standards-Based Math through Michigan state University’s Connected Math Project and TERC. ü VBSD implements district wide curriculum training, leadership training, and implementation support for Inquiry-Based Science instruction · Expand Student Access to Quality Career/Technical Studies – through partnerships with employers and post secondary institutions ü VBSD added a Construction Technology Program that attained accreditation with NCCER, providing industry certification ü VBSD’s Automotive Service Technology program re-certified with NATEF and provides concurrent credit with UAFS’s automotive program ü VBSD added a new Performing Arts Theatre program, offering students two programs of study: Stage Performance and Technical Theatre & Stage Design ü VBSD requires an additional technology credit for graduation above state requirements ü VBSD expanded business offerings to include Personal Finance and Economics courses for more students ü VBSD re-aligned Family and consumer Course offerings to serve more students in lower grade levels, and offering more electives to increase completers in that program of study ü VBSD has recently received numerous new program approvals, start up grants, and competitive reserve grants: EAST, Construction Technology, Coleman Keyboarding, Butterfield Keyboarding, Perkins Reserve Grant for Financial Literacy, Perkins Reserve Grant for FACS, Perkins Reserve Grant for Construction Technology, Perkins Reserve Grant for Business · Expand Dual Credit and Advanced Placement Offerings Each Year – by training teachers annually and offering new courses ü VBSD expanded concurrent credit offering by offering English Comp I/II, College Algebra, Trig, World Civilizations, US History I/II, Health, Golf, Music Appreciation course through ATU. In 2009-2010 students earned over 2000 college hours, a savings of over $450,000 tuition and fees. ü VBSD offers concurrent credit through UAFS for American Government ü VBSD offers concurrent credit through WATC ü VBSD offers concurrent credit for technical courses through NWACC |
· Literacy Across The Curriculum – prepare all teachers to use reading and writing to learn strategies · Numeracy Across the Curriculum – Establish plans to increase student use of mathematical skills and processes in all content areas – with special emphasis in science, career/technical courses, physical education and athletics · Integrating Academic and Career Studies – Establish common units of study that link academic content with real world opportunities · Project-based Learning – Develop high-level project-based assessments · Research-based Instructional Strategies – prepare teachers to use strategies that actively engage students in relevant learning experiences · Curriculum Alignment – Align instruction to state standards through development of a curriculum framework, course syllabi, common end-of-course exams and units of study · Developing Students as Self-Directed Learners – Instruction to develop study skills provided through a support class or integrated into 9th and 10th grade courses · Teacher Assignments and Assessments – Develop process to provide teachers with frequent feedback on review of assignments, students work and assessments to determine if they expect students to learn at proficient levels |
· Develop a 9th Grade Support Program – for students entering high school lacking skills for success · Extra Help Programs – that ensures all students having a grade below “B” have access to and receive help · Guidance Program – ensures every student has an adult advocate at the school who meets with the student to develop and annually review a four-year plan for success. The program involves frequent monitoring of student progress by the adult advocate who keeps parents involved and informed · Credit Recovery Program – A process to allow students to make up failed courses in a timely manner so they may graduate on time · Support for Teaching and Learning – A process to develop school leadership teams who support efforts to improve instruction through development of demonstration classrooms, peer coaching, walkthrough observations and strategies to assist teachers in making the various changes outlined here |
· Development of a leadership team to: · Involve all faculty in the change process · Create a culture of high expectations in the school · Build consensus for the need to change within a school · Move standards into the classroom to get students to create proficient level work · Support efforts to focus on literacy · Support efforts to focus on numeracy · Prepare master teachers to become teacher leaders |