Welcome
to the
6th Annual Spring Forum of the
Washington Educational Research Network
Enjoy the food and meet others
Program begins at 7:00 pm
High School Reform In WA:
Insights from Research and Practice
6th Annual Spring Forum of the
Washington Educational Research Network
May 11, 2006
Sponsored by
Washington Education Research Association (WERA)
and
Research & Evaluation Office, OSPI
Reasons for Current Focus on
High School Reform
• Higher expectations
• Accountability
• Problems with current high schools
 Disparity in achievement across groups
 High dropout rates, lower graduation rates
• Growing consensus for change
3
Annual Dropout Rates in WA in
Grades 9-12 (School Year 2003–04)
20%
Male
Female
Total
12.9%
12.0%
11.1%
11.1%
10.8%
9.7%
10%
10.2%
9.3%
8.5%
6.4%
5.8%
5.5%
5.0%
4.4%
5.2%
4.3%
3.7%
3.1%
0%
All students
Amer. Indian
Asian/Pac. Is.
Black
Hispanic
White
4
Attrition in the Class of 2004
100
100
94.9
89.6
90
83.8
78.5
Percent of students in cohort
80
70.1
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Entering
Grade 9
Annual dropout rate:
Entering
Grade 10
5.1%
Entering
Grade 11
5.6%
Entering
Grade 12
6.4%
Finishing
Grade 12
Less
continuing
students*
6.3%
* A total of 10.1% of the Grade 12 students were still enrolled in school at the end of the year, which represents 8.5% of the cohort.
Class of 2004 Cohort
Enrollment Status
Cohort continuing
rate, 8.5%
On-time
graduates, 70.1%
Cohort dropout
rate, 21.5%
Estimated Graduation Rates
State of Washington, Class of 2004
100%
83%
75%
78%
74%
74%
77%
70%
60%
53%
54%
60%
54%
47%
50%
25%
0%
All Students
American Indian Asian/ Pacific Is.
On-time graduation rate
Black
Hispanic
White
Extended graduation rate
Source: Graduation and Dropout Statistics for Washington's Counties, Districts, and Schools: School Year 2003-04,
OSPI, September 2005
45% met all 3 standards in 2005
2008 is coming!
8
Helping Students Finish School
Why Students Drop Out and
How to Help Them Graduate
December 2003, Updated May 2006
The High Schools We Need
Improving an American Institution
May 2006
Forum Venue
Four Presentations
• Overview of High Schools We Need report
• Lessons learned from Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation projects in WA
• School improvement efforts in high schools
• Update on career and technical education issues
10
High Schools We Need
Guiding Questions
• What are the characteristics of the high schools
we currently have and need?
• What historical forces have influenced high
schools to shape them into what they are now?
• How can we improve high schools to better
prepare students for their future lives?
11
Contents of Report
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Urgency for Improving High Schools
Characteristics of Contemporary High Schools
Historical Development
Changing the Organization to Improve
Changing Classrooms, Improving Instruction
Processes for Changing High Schools
Current High School Reform Initiatives
Appendix: Profiles of High School Reform in WA
12
Characteristics of Traditional
High Schools
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bureaucratic
Batch-process students
Subject-matter specialization
Superficial rather than in-depth curriculum
Routinized activities
Disengaged, apathetic students
Uninspired Instruction
Future-reward orientation
13
Students’ Views
• Most students value learning
• Most believe good grades are important
• Many do not make much effort to do
schoolwork; many say they are bored
• Many feel schools are uncaring, impersonal
• Many have little interaction or feedback
from teachers
14
Historical Development
• Latin Grammar Schools (1635) &
Academies (1749)
•
•
•
•
The Committee of Ten (1892)
The Cardinal Principles (1918)
Modern Comprehensive High School
Standards Movement
15
Changing the Organization to
Improve High Schools
Personalized Structures & Opportunities
• Communally-oriented
• Positive school environment
– School-wide strategies
– Classroom strategies
– Small learning communities
• Increased opportunities for co-curricular
activities
• Family and community involvement
16
Changing Classrooms,
Improving Instruction
• Students’ View of Good Teaching
• Teaching Learning Communities
• New Science of Learning



Authentic Pedagogy
Adaptive Pedagogy
Differentiating Instruction
• Interventions to Ensure Student Learning
• Student Motivation
17
Processes for Changing High Schools
•
•
•
•
•
•
Characteristics of High Performing Schools
Planning and Managing Processes for Change
Roles of Change Coaches
Building Support for High School Reform
Sample Processes
Impediments to Change
18
Current High School Reform
Initiatives
• Comprehensive School Improvement Models
 Coalition
 High
of Essential Schools
Schools That Work
 Talent
Development High School
 New American
High Schools
 Career Academies
 Career
 Early
and Technical Education
College High School
19
Current High School Reform
Initiatives
• National Organizations’ Initiatives
• State Plans
• Washington Plan
20
Conclusion and Appendix
Implications and Next Steps
Vignettes of schools and districts
Q&A
21