West Virginia Department of Education
School Innovation Zone and Dropout Prevention Innovation Zone
2013-14 GRANT APPLICATION
Section 1 – Applicant Information
Name of Entity Applying
Barbour County Schools / Philip Barbour High School
County
Barbour County
Superintendent
Dr. F. Joseph Super
Principal (s)
Mark Lamb, Autumn Queen, Tonya Ferguson, Richard Daugherty
Grant Contact Name &
Title
F. Joseph Super, Superintendent
Email: fsuper@access.k12.wv.us
Phone: (304) 457-3030 (ext. 122)
Please place a check beside the appropriate entity(ies)
applying for innovation zone designation
__X__ School
______Department or Subdivision of School
______Coalition of Schools (fill out multiple listings below)
______Higher Education Institution (*must check another entity)
______Feeder System of Schools
______ District Application
Please place a check beside the appropriate grant for which you are applying
_______ Innovation Zone Grant
__X____ Drop-Out Prevention Grant (must include community partners and three year
budget proposal)
Page 3 of 20
Section 2 – Priorities, Abstract and Waiver Request
Priority Areas:
During the 2013 legislative session, Governor Tomblin sponsored several key education reform
initiatives through Senate Bill 359 and charged the WV Board of Education with supporting the
successful implementation. These areas have been identified for priority points in the grant
review process.
If you are submitting an application for one of the identified priority areas, please review guidance
documents and resources http://wvde.state.wv.us/innovationzones/
Applications for Drop-out Prevention grants that choose to focus on a priority area must show clear
a correlation between the priority area and the outcome of drop-out prevention. All applications
that target a priority area must identify it below.
_____
Comprehensive Literacy Development (elementary focus)
_____
Career Development (middle school focus)
_____
Redesign of Instructional Time
__X__
Personalize Learning though Technology (Project 24)
_____
Community School Partnership
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ABSTRACT: Provide a one page only project summary that briefly describes the project’s
vision, goals, activities, and key features for student success that will be addressed. Please
limit the length of the abstract to the text box found on this page only.
“Better Engagement-Better Students-For a Better Future” has become more than a slogan for
Barbour County Schools. For the past three years, a large and varied group of local stakeholders has
rolled up its sleeves and dedicated itself to an innovative plan that is addressing the county’s
chronically low graduation rate and the persistent low-achievement status in academics at the county
high school. The partnership’s plan has been embraced by more than ten local organizations, all of
which continue to collaborate with the school system. Back in 2010-11, the team understood that atrisk attitudes and behaviors incubate at the earliest levels of school. As the result of an initiative made
possible by a previous Innovation Zone grant, Barbour County successfully designed a dual-pronged
approach that is significantly impacting the graduation, attendance and achievement rates of all county
students, breaking new ground and providing a blueprint for success that can be replicated among
other districts across the state. The elementary and middle school programs, centered on The Leader in
Me and Rachel’s Challenge respectively, are now ingrained at those levels and continue to provide
resources, training and strategies that are designed to inspire, equip and empower students to make
constructive differences, both personally and in society. The strategy guides all children into becoming
citizens who can think for themselves, take responsibility, be tolerant and respectful, seek leadership
roles and work with others in creative ways. With this foundation in place for grades K-8, the district
now turns its primary attention to the New Tech School (NTS) program, Common Core, Project 24 and
the critical last four years of public education that usually determine students’ levels of lifetime success.
The new proposal dedicates 100% of the 2013-14 IZ/Dropout Prevention Grant funding to
strengthening and expanding one of only two New Tech School programs in West Virginia. Housed at
the Philip Barbour High School Complex, this “school within a school” is emerging from its infancy, and
is beginning to flourish and stand on its own feet. NTS will provide services and support to a growing
number of students and educators, who are generating a fundamental rethinking of teaching and
learning. The New Tech philosophy is based upon three primary elements: a culture that empowers,
teaching that engages and technology that enables. The NTS culture component, focusing on trust,
respect and responsibility, establishes a critical foundation in setting a positive tone for the entire
educational experience. Project-based learning—the teaching that engages—involves students in
defining problems, group planning, research and investigation, guided activities, developing solutions,
and presenting those solutions. The 1:1 ratio of fully-equipped computers to students is a central
program component that propels a level of learning and experience mandated in today’s technologydriven economy. The New Tech curriculum was available to about a third of the Class of 2016, and will
continue to be phased in at a similar rate over subsequent years, until it becomes available at all
secondary grade levels (9-12) in Barbour County. Current research, data and best practices all support
this exciting new pathway to success. The growing New Tech program is being made available to a true
cross-section of all secondary students, and is especially marketed to the county’s at-risk students.
As a school system that has never enjoyed the benefits of an excess levy and a county perennially
labeled as “economically distressed” or “at-risk” by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Barbour
County Schools sincerely appreciates the opportunities presented through this grant. The partnership
team and school educators are excited and ready to refine and expand the innovative New Tech plan,
and respectfully submit this application on behalf of the students of Barbour County.
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Waiver Requests
Indicate the specific type(s) of policy or code that prohibit or constrain the design that you
wish to request a waiver from:
_N/A__ Specific waiver requested of county policy
_N/A__ Specific waiver requested of WVBOE policy
_N/A__ Specific waiver requested of WV code/statute
WV Code Waiver Request
(Specify section and article)
Impact of the waiver.
What will the waiver enable the school to do differently?
No Waiver Requested
WVBOE Policy Waiver Request
(specify section and article)
The WV Code does not present barriers to this proposal.
Impact of the waiver.
What will the waiver enable the school to do differently?
No Waiver Requested
County Policy Waiver Request
(specify section and article)
WVBOE policies do not present barriers to this proposal.
Impact of the waiver.
What will the waiver enable the school to do differently?
No Waiver Requested
Barbour County BOE policies do not
present barriers to this proposal.
Page 6 of 20
Section 3- Project Design
1.
What is the purpose and expected outcome of this project?
To illustrate the importance that Barbour County Schools places upon nurturing and growing the
New Tech Network initiative at Philip Barbour High School, one might consider the lessons associated
with the bamboo tree. Most species of bamboo produce seed only about once during a long human
lifetime. So, because bamboo seeds are rare and expensive, the planter is wise to go overboard in
doing things the right way from the outset. Once covered by the soil, the seed germinates very slowly,
often taking many months or even years, while it first builds a dense but unseen network of roots
underground. The faithful planter, however, is finally rewarded when, in its growing season, a thick
green shoot will emerge from the ground. At that point, the bamboo can grow more rapidly than any
plant on earth, surging skyward more than three feet in a 24-hour period. Though fragile at first, as it
matures, hardens and spreads over the next three-to-four years, the bamboo becomes a strong and
resilient giant, ready for harvesting much more quickly than its hardwood relatives…
And so it is with the New Tech School initiative at Philip Barbour High School. Following the extensive
planning and preparation in 2011-12, a comprehensive team of planters (local educators and community
partners) sowed the precious seed of learning the following year. With experienced and wise advisers (New
Tech facilitators) guiding the way, patience and nurturing have produced a hearty root system. And, now, the
first green shoots of success have been documented (see Section 2). The students are learning what it is like in the
real world on a daily basis. Perhaps PB’s New Tech students can explain it best. Julianna Findley says that, "New
Tech integrates content areas and makes things more true to life. After all, life isn't broken into subjects." Lili
Busdeker adds that New Tech is “ pretty tough but, without it, I would never be able to stand up and speak in front of
an audience.” As this first valuable plant begins to flourish (at a rate beyond its traditional curricula classmates)
and is prepared for harvest in a few short years (Class of 2016), a second seed (Class of 2017) has been planted
with the same intricate care, along with the benefit of a year's experience by the planters.
As a small rural county with little business or industry within its borders, Barbour County
Schools must operate on a state-basic budget, which allows little, if any, funding for anything extra,
even the most promising and innovative programs. The county’s low SES status is reflected in the
66% of its students who were considered “needy” (2013) according to federal meal standards. The
2013-14 Innovation Zone/Dropout Prevention grant will sustain the New Tech School at the Philip
Barbour High School Complex through its first complete cycle by funding the costly, major portions of
the program: the New Tech Network contract, the staff development and training, the individualized
1:1 student technology, etc. As one of only two such projects in West Virginia, the Barbour County
model will serve as a laboratory from which the entire state, and especially poorer, rural counties, can
learn lessons and apply successful strategies to their own unique educational settings and needs.
Barbour County Schools is committed to helping young people stay in school and providing the
support necessary for their long-term and lifetime successes. This commitment mirrors the West
Virginia Board of Education’s goal of “graduating all students from high school prepared for postsecondary education and career success through personalized pathways and guidance that focus
students on productive and satisfying lives.” As a result of this proposed three-year NTS project,
Barbour County Schools envisions the transformation of Philip Barbour High School, the LEA’s only
secondary school, into a leading 21st Century school that produces engaged students who attend
school regularly, attain high levels of academic mastery and beyond, and graduate on time, ready for
success in continuing education and the world of work.
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The stated purpose of this proposal is to address and remedy concerns related to the school’s
chronic history of high dropout rates/low graduation rates, low academic achievement levels, and the
high percentage of students who accumulate unexcused absences and face legal procedures related to
their attendance. The administration and school staff have seen indications of a positive reversal over
the past year or so, and feel that the New Tech Network approach has played a significant role in
these hopeful signs. For example, Philip Barbour has received a “Success” designation in the new
West Virginia school accountability system. This means that PBHS is on an upward trend and has met
both the student performance and growth expectations for 2013 (part of just 28% statewide to earn
such a ranking). Encouraging also is the fact that 97% of the 2013 senior class graduated in June, the
highest ratio in that category in the past ten years. In addition, the number of truancy diversion acts
(criminal complaints and juvenile petitions) reached a five-year low in 2012-13. And, finally, the
percentage of school dropouts compared to graduates reached a ten-year low of 11% in 2013, as
contrasted to an average of 25% the previous nine years. The school and district feel that the
cultivation of the New Tech Schools program has played a significant role in these examples of the
school’s recent successes and the emerging feelings of optimism. Specific data regarding the impact of
the NTS program can be found in Section 2.
At the conclusion of the grant period window in 2015-16, Barbour County Schools anticipates
data that reflects strong improvements at PBHS in each of the following targeted areas: a) an increase
of 10% in the district (PBHS) graduation rate according to WVEIS; b) a steady positive growth trend
as measured by scale scores on standardized achievement instruments (presently the WESTEST
2/WV Growth Model) in each of the four core curricular areas of reading/language arts; mathematics;
science and social studies and; c) improvement of overall attendance rates by 10%, according to
WVEIS, and a 20% reduction in student truancy/unexcused absences as documented by the numbers
of legal procedures initiated annually.
Barbour County Schools and Philip Barbour High School consider this grant initiative to be both an
accelerant and the glue for its dropout prevention program. The LEA has already established
elementary and middle school programs that share a clear and common focus in the development of
school cultures that promote trust, respect, responsibility and other positive characteristics that lead
to successful students and citizens. Now, as these students enter and progress through their high
school years, the New Tech School philosophy and strategies will help them to scale new heights as
engaged, independent learners, who are comfortable utilizing technology and digital learning
platforms, while achieving in leadership roles and functioning as valued team members.
2.
Explain how the school or consortium’s current data influenced the need for the
project described in question one?
In 2011, the data provided to Barbour County Schools by the West Virginia Department of
Education clearly highlighted the school system's weaknesses and challenges in several areas. With
very few discretionary dollars available, Barbour County's vision of aggressive and innovative
programming, designed to create a new and enduring culture of student achievement, success and
expectation of graduation, became largely dependent upon the Innovation Zone/Dropout Prevention
grant funding. By 2013, encouraging early signs of success have appeared statistically in each of the
areas. The data that influenced the original project proposal and the subsequent statistics include:
Page 8 of 20
•
•
•
•
•
A total of 50 students dropped out of school in Barbour County during 2010-11. The county's
graduation rate was 73.3%, widely missing the state goal of 90% as well as the target of ten
percent (10%) of the difference between the goal and the previous year’s dropout rate. Only
20 dropouts were recorded in Barbour County during 2012-13 and the county awaits the final
cohort graduation rate for 2013. The recent trend among PBHS students is encouraging.
Only two (2) of nine (9) (or 22%) of schools in Barbour County met state and federal Adequate
Yearly Progress standards during 2010-11, as compared with 48% statewide. In 2013, five (5)
of nine (9) (or 56%) of schools in Barbour County were designated as Success or Transition
Schools. Philip Barbour High School was labeled by the state as a Success School.
In reading/language arts, 34% of students in Barbour County met mastery (or proficiency)
standards in 2010-11, as compared with 48% statewide. In 2013, the percentage meeting
mastery in the county rose to 38%, as compared to 45% statewide.
In mathematics, 33% of Barbour’s students met mastery (or proficiency) standards in 201011, compared to 43% statewide. In 2013, this percentage had increased to 40% in Barbour
County, as compared to 49% statewide.
During 2010-11, there were 280 CA2 legal notices on attendance issued, and 95 criminal
complaints processed or juvenile petitions signed by Barbour County Schools in cases related
to truancy and/or unexcused absences. During 2012-13, a small drop to 271 CA2’s was noted,
along with a significant reduction to just 49 criminal complaints or juvenile petitions signed.
With the investment in elementary and middle level programs now paying dividends, and the
Leader in Me and Rachel’s Challenge foundations firmly in place and self-sustaining, Barbour County
Schools has turned its full attention to the Philip Barbour High School Complex and the New Tech
School initiative that is emerging from its infancy as its greatest new tool in dropout prevention,
truancy diversion and academic success. While some longitudinal data will take more than a year to
be quantified, the measureable results that are available have been both encouraging and remarkable.
The three identified areas marked for improvement as a result of the Innovation Zone/Dropout
Prevention grant project continue to be: a) a reduction of district dropout totals by 20% (with a
corresponding increase of 10% in the district’s graduation rate) according to WVEIS statistics; b) a
steady growth trend (e.g. as measured by scale scores on WESTEST 2/WV Growth Model) in each of
the four core curricular areas of reading & language arts, mathematics, science and social studies on
West Virginia’s standardized achievement instruments; and c) improvement of overall attendance
rates by 10% (according to WVEIS statistics), and a 20% reduction in student truancy/unexcused
absences as measured by the numbers of legal procedures initiated annually.
Barbour County now has the capacity to become a research laboratory over time since the New
Tech “school within a school” model lends itself to direct comparison of objective data. A valid
science-based evaluation has become possible because of the naturally occurring experimental
groups and control groups. Since the enrollment process involves an objective cross-section of the
entire student body, statistical conclusions and trends will be measureable in such targeted areas as
graduation rates, academic achievement levels, and attendance rates, with results from the New Tech
School evaluated alongside results from the traditional (non-New Tech) high school program.
Regarding the first identified goal of reducing the numbers of dropout and increasing the
graduation rate, it is positive to note that none (0)of the original fifty (50) New Tech School enrollees
from 2012-13, nor any students participating in the 2013-14 group thus far, have dropped out of
school as of the submission date of this application. In fact, the dropout picture (20 in 2012-13) at
Philip Barbour High School has brightened, as noted earlier, at least in part due to the New Tech
Page 9 of 20
philosophies and accompanying dropout prevention strategies put in place over the past two years.
The second goal of a growth trend in WESTEST scores is underlined by exciting results from the
Spring, 2013 testing window. While long range data that can show academic increases among the
New Tech students will not be available until 2014 and 2015, a preliminary comparison of test data
analysis (WESTEST 2) between the New Tech students and the traditional curricula (non-New Tech)
students from the 2012-13 school term was recently made available. The results, as displayed in the
charts below, are remarkable and show that the randomly selected NT students scored significantly
higher in all four core curricular areas, topping their traditional classroom counterparts by a range of
20-to-42% in the mastery-or-above (proficiency) measurement. The results of their efforts raised not
only the ninth grade averages at PBHS, but the school's overall averages, noted above, as well.
ALGEBRA I
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
Categories
Novice
Partial
Mastery
Master
Above
Mastery
Disting
uished
Mastery
or
Above
NewT
Pct.
Trad
Pct.
Total
Pct.
18%
30%
26%
14%
12%
42%
28%
15%
12%
3%
30%
35%
28%
18%
13%
6%
37%
52%
Categories
Novice
Partial
Mastery
Mastery
Above
Mastery
Disting
uished
NewT
Pct.
Trad
Pct.
Total
Pct.
12%
16%
34%
26%
12%
43%
27%
19%
9%
2%
30%
34%
24%
23%
14%
5%
42%
Mastery
or
Above
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Mastery
or
Above
72%
WORLD STUDIES
Categories
Novice
Partial
Mastery
Mastery
Above
Mastery
Disting
uished
Mastery
or
Above
NewT
Pct.
Trad
Pct.
Total
Pct.
32%
24%
26%
18%
0%
49%
28%
11%
10%
2%
23%
44%
35%
15%
12%
2%
29%
44%
Categories
Novice
Partial
Mastery
Mastery
Above
Mastery
Disting
uished
NewT
Pct.
Trad
Pct.
Total
Pct.
18%
42%
20%
14%
6%
53%
32%
5%
8%
2%
15%
43%
35%
9%
10%
3%
22%
40%
The third area targeted by the IZ/Dropout Prevention grant project was the improvement and
maintenance of high attendance rates. Once again, when attendance data was disaggregated, the
results showed a compelling positive edge to the students who participated in the New Tech program,
when compared with the non-NT students in the same grade. The raw numbers and percentages
shown reflect Barbour County’s strict interpretation of “attendance” as being physically in or out of
school, regardless of whether absences are deemed excused or unexcused. The chart on the next page
clearly demonstrates this difference. It is based upon 2013 end-of-year data available from WVEIS:
Page 10 of 20
Total
Days
Days
Present
Days
Absent
Attendance %
31876
29441.5
2434.5
92.4%
Grade 9 – New Tech
8722
8252.5
469.5
94.6%
Grade 9 - Traditional
23154
21189
1965
91.5%
Student Group
Grade 9 – All Students
3.
How is the school or consortium’s project connected to best practice and current
research in reference to raising student achievement and/or dropout prevention?
Barbour County’s vision of dramatic increases in graduation, attendance and academic
achievement rates for students at the Philip Barbour High School Complex is linked to best practices
and current research in several tangible ways. The program focuses on the three primary elements
associated with New Tech Schools: a culture that empowers, teaching that engages and technology
that enables. The culture component, focusing on trust, respect and responsibility, establishes a
critical foundation in setting a positive tone for the entire educational experience. Project-based
learning—the teaching that engages—involves students in defining problems, group planning,
research and investigation, guided activities, developing solutions, and presenting those solutions.
The one-to-one ratio of fully-equipped computers to students will drive a level of learning and
experience that is mandated in today’s technology-driven economy. Today’s 21st century skills (or
deeper learning) go well beyond traditional academic knowledge/skills, and extend to prepare
students to think critically, solve complex problems, work collaboratively, communicate effectively,
and be self-directed and able to incorporate feedback (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011).
Barbour County has chosen the Project 24 model as the priority area for this application. Project
24 is “an urgent call to action on the need for systemic planning around the effective use of
technology and digital learning to achieve the goal of career and college readiness for all students.”
Barbour County Schools and Philip Barbour High School now accept this challenge with a one-stop
shop of comprehensive district-level planning tools, expert advice, creative ideas, and tangible
suggestions from experienced education experts and nonprofit education membership organizations.
Results from the Project 24 self-assessment, completed by the district’s administrative
leadership team in May, 2013, will guide Philip Barbour High School and the system in addressing the
seven concepts of: Academic Supports, Budget and Resources, Curriculum and Instruction, Data and
Assessments, Professional Learning, Technology and Infrastructure; and Use of Time. Connections
among each of these areas will power district-wide planning to address career and college readiness
standards. Implementation of these learning outcomes will be supported by appropriate New Tech
technology applications and be aligned to the new, higher expectations for learning. The Project 24
Leadership Team participated in the digital learning survey as preparation for framing Barbour
County’s vision for student learning and determining how technology, in proven programs such as
New Tech Schools, can help to achieve higher education and career-readiness standards.
The local Project 24 survey results show an overall Digital Learning Readiness Score of 6 out of
10. Strengths are seen in the areas of Academic Supports (8.4) and Professional Learning (7.5), while
areas of relative weakness are Budget and Resources (3.0) and Curriculum and Instruction (5.5). The
Innovation Zone grant’s support of the New Tech Schools initiative will directly shape all areas in a
positive direction, but with special emphases on the areas perceived as weaknesses. The district’s
Page 11 of 20
Project 24 vision can be stated as “Barbour County Schools wants to prepare students for any career
that they may consider and be lifelong anytime/anywhere digital learners.”
The rubrics associated with each of the seven Gears will provide strong guidance in determining
next targets for closing gaps in each area. While Barbour County Schools is well beyond square one in
its use of technology as a critical learning tool, it is also clear that gaps must be strategically closed to
create an implementation status that leads to true innovation through digital learning. Barbour
County Schools and Philip Barbour High School plan to work with the Department of Education, the
Alliance for Excellent Education and other partners to implement post-survey strategies to include
vision, planning, implementation and assessment. The key district personnel who participated in the
Project 24 study are working with the ten high school educators and the principals who have been
involved in the New Tech Schools program on campus. The county’s Project 24 administrative team
during the planning cycle has included: Dr. Joseph Super, Superintendent of Schools; R. Jeffrey Kittle,
Assistant Superintendent; Glenn Sweet, Director of Technology and Facilities; Jack Reger, Title I and
C&I Director for PK-5; and Jana Miller, Director of Student Support Services.
The National Dropout Center (2012) has again “identified 15 effective strategies that have the
most positive impact on the dropout rate. These strategies have been implemented successfully at all
education levels and environments throughout the nation.” Among the recommended steps are:
personalized learning, integration of technology, safe learning environments, professional
development, active learning, individualized instruction, and opportunities for career and technical
education. Each of these is embedded within Barbour County’s New Tech programming.
Meanwhile, contemporary best practices, or research-based or data-supported successes,
related to effective schools are identified in the following nine (9) standards according to the United
States Department of Education (2012): 1) A Clear and Common Focus; 2) High Standards and
Expectations; 3) Strong Leadership; 4) Supportive, Personalized and Relevant Learning; 5) Parental
and Community Involvement; 6) Monitoring, Accountability and Assessment; 7) Curriculum and
Instruction; 8) Professional Development; and 9) Time and Structure. Barbour County’s dropout
prevention project is closely aligned with all nine of the best practices cited.
Further examples of “what works” in education can generally be distilled into four (4) primary
categories, according to The Teacher Development Network (2009): 1) Teaching for Understanding:
activities oriented toward higher-order thinking skills; 2) Use of Technology: reflected by the ability
to use the tools of the future workplace; 3) Educating All Students: individualized instruction, nongraded classrooms; 4) Integrated Services: internal (e.g. team teaching) and external (e.g. community
service links).
Barbour County’s New Tech Schools program addresses the points raised by such research and
best practices through its creation of a “school within a school” at the district’s only secondary
institution, Philip Barbour High School. As a foundation for 21st century technology-based learning,
New Tech students receive laptop computers that will become their primary learning tools until
graduation. Beginning with the incoming freshman class in 2012 (and for each freshman class
thereafter), these students are being issued lightweight laptops that essentially replace textbooks,
workbooks, periodicals, notebooks, calculators and other such traditional tools and resources.
With a 1:1 student-to-networked-computer ratio, pupils are entering the interactive age as they
electronically communicate with teachers and share ideas with classmates. The computers and other
high tech teaching and learning devices facilitate ready access to curricular materials and current
information in formats such as text, data charts, 3-D graphics, touch screen technology and streaming
video. Students can receive virtually instant feedback on quizzes, tests and exercises, and will be able
Page 12 of 20
to quickly search a multitude of resources and manipulate the contents of reports and projects.
In addition to the critical role of technology, the Project-Based Learning (PBL) delivery system
and strategies are at the heart of the instructional approach. In the PBL setting, learning is contextual,
creative, and shared. Students collaborate on projects that require critical thinking and
communication. By making learning relevant to them in this way, student interest and engagement
can ascend to new levels. This higher level of engagement is naturally associated with better
educational outcomes. The PBL concept is not completely foreign to the county’s professional staff,
since it is familiar with the popular Globaloria program, a social learning network in which high
school students work together to design, program and share original and educational web games.
This program shares key similarities in concept and purpose to the New Tech Schools initiative.
Finally, the New Tech School has established and will maintain a culture that promotes trust,
respect, and responsibility. At New Tech Schools, students and teachers alike have exceptional
ownership of the learning experience and their school environment. Working on projects in teams,
students are accountable to their peers and acquire a level of responsibility similar to what they
would experience in a professional work environment.
Over the course of the next three years, Barbour County envisions the New Tech program serving
up to 50% of secondary students at Philip Barbour High School. The LEA has become West Virginia’s
co-pilot site (with Putnam County) in a network of success that has reached 115 schools in eighteen
(18) states since its inception in 1996. (2013)
Staff development and training for the New Tech teachers/facilitators is intensive and ongoing,
having begun in the spring of 2012 and continuing to the present. In addition to the exceptional
training and support that are key elements within the county’s comprehensive New Tech School
contract, the support and involvement of parents and the community are also viewed locally as critical
components in the design of the project. Through various written, verbal and technological
communication tools, the school leadership continues to solicit parental and community support as it
explains and promotes the project’s goals, objectives and components.
The New Tech philosophy, culture and delivery system parallels aspects of each of the nine Best
Practice standards and the categories cited earlier. Based upon outcomes, studies and data analysis
during the past 17 years, students who are part of the New Tech Network have displayed consistently
high levels of educational attainment and tend to thrive academically. They become self-directed,
lifelong learners. Accelerated and creative learners will be stimulated through enrichment
opportunities embedded within NTS projects. Barbour County sees this program as an exciting and
engaging pathway to success for potentially all students in a district that has seen too many dropouts,
too much absenteeism and less-than-average levels of mastery in core curricular areas. The awaited
green shoot, carefully cultivated, is now ready to grow, prosper and reach harvest.
This initiative dovetails with other local efforts to save potential dropouts. Examples include a
vibrant Adult Basic Education and GED program, which incorporated an Option Pathway curriculum
at the high school in 2011-12, with several at-risk students earning high school diplomas that seemed
out of reach before. Over 200 dropouts and potential dropouts in the community have earned GED
credentials during the past six years. Also, a three-year old credit recovery program at PBHS has
allowed vulnerable students to gain necessary Carnegie units to graduate with classmates. Next, the
county’s Alternative Learning Center (ALC) gives students who have violated safe schools policies a
second chance for success, utilizing low teacher-pupil ratios. Finally, the high school raises money to
continue the expired 3G grant program to provide student incentives that encourage positive
behavior, regular attendance and academic achievement.
Page 13 of 20
The South Regional Education Board’s High Schools That Work school improvement design
features “extra time and extra help” as a key practice, along with rigor and engagement, in helping
students learn core curricular materials as they become independent learners. (2010) Barbour
County Schools will also facilitate the SREB’s recommendation of optimal student participation
through tutoring and other after-school enrichment activities by blending grant and local funding
necessary for late-activity buses three times weekly throughout the school year.
4.
What will other schools in WV learn from your project and how will other schools in
WV benefit from your project?
As one of only two New Tech School sites in West Virginia, the Barbour County model can serve
as a laboratory from which the entire state, and especially poorer rural counties, can learn lessons
and apply successful strategies to meet their own unique educational needs. In other words, fiftythree (53) West Virginia counties can potentially benefit from the shared NTS experiences of the
students and staff at the Philip Barbour High School Complex. They will see statistical and first-hand
evidence of the effectiveness of strategies related to project-based learning and student engagement,
collaborative teaching, effective digital learning, and a culture that empowers students.
Barbour County Schools will make all project-related data available to any West Virginia LEA or
school upon request. Copies of the district’s grant proposals will also be made available through the
Innovation Zone link at the WV Department of Education website. Members of the Leadership Team
and the (currently) ten (10) faculty members directly involved in New Tech Schools instruction will
be readily available for interviews or consultation regarding their views of the program, along with
helpful tips, useful strategies, stories of successes and cautionary tales. This will assist others who
choose to follow in the pioneer’s trail, allowing them to follow signposts to efficiency and success.
Finally, the Philip Barbour High School Complex will open its doors to colleagues from across the
state for on-site visits and workshops upon request at mutually-agreed upon times and dates.
Barbour County Schools is excited and proud of the early progress seen in the New Tech Schools
program and sincerely hopes, now that the first green shoots have appeared, that the momentum can
be maintained to the point that the program stands tall, strong and self-sufficient.
Page 14 of 20
Section 4- Goals, Objectives, Evaluation, Timeline
Goal #1: Barbour County Schools will reduce its dropout rate and increase its graduation rate by
2015-15.
Objectives
Activities
Personnel
Timeline
Budget
Identify the
measureable
objectives that will
be used to
determine
success in
achieving these
goals
Develop activities for each
objective that are: Creative
and innovative; Impact
student success; Allow for
greater flexibility; change the
way the school(s)/district
currently operate
Indicate the name and title
of personnel that will be
responsible for the
activities.
Identify the
timeline for
the activities
(include
month/year)
Indicate
budget
requirements
(include
The innovative New Tech Schools
curriculum; the Safe Supportive
Schools (3G) grant; credit recovery
classes; Option Pathway program;
Alternative Learning Center; career
days; incentives and rewards;
tutoring services; community input;
parental involvement; judicial
system support; Mountaineer
ChalleNGe Academy; school
counselors; advisor-advisee; drug
awareness programs. In addition to
school administrative and
counseling interviews, students will
meet with both the county
attendance director and
superintendent of schools. Parental
involvement will be increasingly
stressed and mandated as possible.
Close ties will be nurtured with the
magistrates and judge.
*Joe Super, Superintendent
*Jeff Kittle, Assistant Super’t
*Mark Lamb, PBHS Principal
*Jan Woodard, Counselor
*Jamie Green, Counselor
*Elaine Benson, Dir. C&I 6-12
*Lisa Heinbaugh, Dir.C&I K-5
*Glenn Sweet, Attendance Dir.
*Autumn Queen, PBHS Admin
*Rick Daugherty, PBHS Adm.
*Honorable Judge Alan Moats
*Magistrate Kathi McBee
The innovative New Tech Schools
curriculum; the Safe Supportive
Schools (3G) grant; credit recovery
classes; Option Pathway program;
Alternative Learning Center; career
days; incentives and rewards;
tutoring services; community input;
parental involvement; judicial
system support; Mountaineer
*Joe Super, Superintendent
*Jeff Kittle, Assistant Super’t
*Mark Lamb, PBHS Principal
*Jan Woodard, Counselor
*Jamie Green, Counselor
*Elaine Benson, Dir. C&I 6-12
*Lisa Heinbaugh, Dir.C&I K-5
*Glenn Sweet, Attendance Dir.
*Autumn Queen, PBHS Admin
The county’s a
nnual dropout rate
will decrease by 20%
during the five year
cycle beginning with
the initial grant and
completed at the end
of the FY2014 grant.
(4% annually through
2015-16)
The county’s annual
graduation rate, as
measured for AYP
purposes, will
increase by 10%
during the five year
cycle beginning with
the initial grant and
completed at the end
The New Tech
Schools contract
will be renewed
for FY 2014,
2015 & 2016 in
July of each
year. The NT
program has
expanded to
include the Class
of 2017 as of
August, 2013,
and will grow to
included 2018
and 2019 during
the next two
years. Fund
raising activities
at PBHS are
underway (9/13)
to continue the
expired 3G Safe
Supportive
Schools grant.
Evaluative data
will be collected
and analyzed at
the conclusion of
each school year.
(August of 2014,
2015 and 2016).
The New Tech
Schools contract
will be renewed
for FY 2014,
2015 & 2016 in
July of each
year. The NT
program has
expanded to
formulas used to
derive totals in
budget sections
e.g. 3 subs
@$143/day=total
See budget
justification for
details
See budget
justification for
details
Page 15 of 20
of the FY2014 grant.
(2% annually through
2015-16)
ChalleNGe Academy; school
counselors; advisor-advisee; drug
awareness programs. In addition to
school administrative and
counseling interviews, students will
meet with both the county
attendance director and
superintendent of schools. Parental
involvement will be increasingly
stressed and mandated as possible.
Close ties will be nurtured with the
magistrates and judge.
*Rick Daugherty, PBHS Adm.
*Honorable Judge Alan Moats
*Magistrate Kathi McBee
include the Class
of 2017 as of
August, 2013,
and will grow to
included 2018
and 2019 during
the next two
years. Fund
raising activities
at PBHS are
underway (9/13)
to continue the
expired 3G Safe
Supportive
Schools grant.
Evaluative data
will be collected
and analyzed at
the conclusion of
each school year.
(August of 2014,
2015 and 2016).
Goal #2: Barbour County’s school attendance rate will increase and legal truancy/unexcused
absences will be reduced by 2015-16.
Objectives
Activities
Personnel
Timeline
Budget
Identify the
measureable
objectives that will
be used to
determine
success in
achieving these
goals
Develop activities for each
objective that are: Creative
and innovative; Impact
student success; Allow for
greater flexibility; change the
way the school(s)/district
currently operate
Indicate the name and title
of personnel that will be
responsible for the
activities.
Identify the
timeline for
the activities
(include
month/year)
Indicate
budget
requirements
(include
The daily attendance
rate at Philip
Barbour High School
will increase by 10%
during the course of
the FY2014 grant.
(2% in Year One; 3%
in Year Two; 5% in
Year Three)
The New Tech curriculum at high
school is student-directed and the
project-based learning will
motivate pupils and drive
participation. Data from 2012-13
(as noted) shows a strong early
trend in that direction (94.5% NT
vs. 91.6% non-NT). The New Tech
program will expand by one grade
level each of the first four years
and then be maintained and/or
expanded by participation levels.
*Joe Super, Superintendent
*Jeff Kittle, Assistant Super’t
*Mark Lamb, PBHS Principal
*Jan Woodard, Counselor
*Jamie Green, Counselor
*Elaine Benson, Dir. C&I 6-12
*Lisa Heinbaugh, Dir.C&I K-5
*Glenn Sweet, Attendance Dir.
*Autumn Queen, PBHS Admin
*Rick Daugherty, PBHS Adm.
Annual contracts
with New Tech
Schools will be
signed during the
summers of
2014, 2015 and
2016. Student
recruitment at
PBHS and the
middle schools
will occur early
in the second
semester.
At-risk students
will be identified
and recruited for
NTS early in the
second semester
of each grant
year. Late
activity buses
will be arranged
in August of
each grant year.
The number of legal
truancy and illegal
absence procedures
in the county will be
reduced by 20%
during the course of
this grant. (4% in
Year One; 6% in
Year Two; 10% in
Year Three).
The New Tech curriculum at high
school is student-directed and
project-based learning will
motivate and drive participation.
Late activity buses will run on a
regular schedule throughout the
school year, facilitating the
concept of extra time and extra
help for at-risk (and all) students.
*Joe Super, Superintendent
*Jeff Kittle, Assistant Super’t
*Mark Lamb, PBHS Principal
*Jan Woodard, Counselor
*Jamie Green, Counselor
*Elaine Benson, Dir. C&I 6-12
*Glenn Sweet, Attendance Dir.
*Autumn Queen, PBHS Admin
*Rick Daugherty, PBHS Adm.
*Honorable Judge Alan Moats
*Magistrate Kathi McBee
formulas used to
derive totals in
budget sections
e.g. 3 subs
@$143/day=tota
See budget
justification for
details
See budget
justification for
details
Page 16 of 20
Goal #3: Barbour County students will show steady academic progress as projected by the state
growth model through 2015-16.
Objectives
Activities
Personnel
Timeline
Budget
Identify the
measureable
objectives that will
be used to
determine
success in
achieving these
goals
Develop activities for each
objective that are: Creative
and innovative; Impact
student success; Allow for
greater flexibility; change the
way the school(s)/district
currently operate
Indicate the name and title
of personnel that will be
responsible for the
activities.
Identify the
timeline for
the activities
(include
month/year)
Indicate
budget
requirements
(include
Annual PBHS core
curricular
assessment scores
(e.g. WESTEST) will
increase by 6% as
measured by growth
in scale scores
during the course of
this grant. (1% in
Year 1; 2% in Year
2; 3% in Year 3). NT
student scores will
exceed non-NT by
10% annually.
Enrollments in
career and technical
course offerings at
the CTEC will
increase by a
minimum of 10%
during the course of
this grant.
The innovative New Tech Schools
concept initiated at high school to
include up to 50% of students by
2016 as a WV Pilot Site. Staff
development, workshops and
other training in New Tech will be
provided to administrators and
teaching staff. Longitudinal NT
growth and “control group (nonNT) vs. experimental (NT) group”
studies will be conducted
annually. Successful New Tech
philosophies and techniques will
be applied globally at the school.
The Option Pathway program
expands to include more at-risk
students for GED and technical
program training. The CTEC
becomes home facility, expanding
to include most of the New Tech
collaborative learning centers.
New CTEC curricula will be
developed and offered to meet
identified community, at-risk and
occupational needs. The
Teckademics program will be
incorporated within the CTEC as
feasible.
*Joe Super, Superintendent
*Jeff Kittle, Assistant Super’t
*Mark Lamb, PBHS Principal
*Jan Woodard, Counselor
*Jamie Green, Counselor
*Elaine Benson, Dir. C&I 6-12
*Glenn Sweet, Attendance Dir.
*Autumn Queen, PBHS Admin
*Rick Daugherty, PBHS Adm.
In August of
each grant year,
assessment data
will be
disaggregated for
the purpose of
longitudinal and
experimental
studies. The
results will be
disseminated and
improvement
plans initiated.
See budget
justification for
details
*Joe Super, Superintendent
*Jeff Kittle, Assistant Super’t
*Mark Lamb, PBHS Principal
*Jan Woodard, Counselor
*Jamie Green, Counselor
*Elaine Benson, Dir. C&I 6-12
*Glenn Sweet, Attendance Dir.
*Autumn Queen, PBHS Admin
*Rick Daugherty, PBHS Adm.
By December of
each year, New
Tech, CTEC and
regular curricula
will be evaluated
for possible
expansion or
realignment. The
corresponding
staffing needs
will be identified
as part of the
district’s annual
personnel plan.
See budget
justification for
details
formulas used to
derive totals in
budget sections
e.g. 3 subs
@$143/day=total
Section 5- Project Evaluation and Sustainability
1. How will you evaluate and report the impact this innovation project has on increasing
student success and/or other stated goals and objectives?
Barbour County Schools will evaluate and report the impact that the innovation zone has had upon
increasing the graduation rate, reducing the truancy/unexcused absence rate and increasing the student
academic success rate throughout the grant period by comparing objective data made readily available
by the West Virginia Department of Education, WVEIS and Philip Barbour High School annually. The
data disaggregated and evaluated will be directly aligned with the statistics cited in Section 3, Part 2:
Page 17 of 20
•
•
•
•
•
A total of 20 students dropped out of school in Barbour County during 2012-13, down from 50
just two years earlier. The county's graduation rate was 72.9% missing the state goal of 90% and
the target of ten percent (10%) of the difference between the goal and the previous year’s
dropout rate. Program goals call for a 20% decrease in student dropouts over the course of the
IZ/Dropout Prevention grant process and a related 10% increase in the county’s graduation rate.
Five (5) of nine (9) or 56% of schools in Barbour County met state Success or Transition
standards during 2012-13. Program goals call for at least two-thirds of schools (at least 67%)
meeting Success / Transition standards. Philip Barbour High School will maintain Success status.
In reading/language arts, 38% of students in Barbour County met mastery or above (proficiency)
standards in 2012-13. Program goals call for a three-year trend of growth in the percentage of
students who meet or exceed mastery standards in reading/language arts.
In mathematics, 40% of students in Barbour County met mastery standards (proficiency) in
2012-13. Program goals call for a three-year trend of growth in the percentage of students who
meet or exceed mastery standards in mathematics.
During 2012-13, there were 271 CA2 legal notices issued, nine (9) criminal complaints
processed, and 40 juvenile petitions signed by Barbour County Schools in cases related to
truancy and/or unexcused absences. Program goals call for a 10% reduction in the numbers of
CA2 legal notices issued, criminal complaints processed and juvenile petitions signed.
2. How will this innovation project be sustained beyond the initial funding period?
As the 2011 Innovation Zone/Dropout Prevention grant concludes this year, Barbour County Schools
aggressively seeks means with which to cultivate and support its vibrant yet fragile project through its
first four years - to its first harvest (NT graduating class) and the establishment of those that follow - to
the point of self-sustainment. To this end, the Barbour County Board of Education placed an excess levy
proposal before the citizens of the district in November, 2012. Despite its best efforts, the initiative fell
short, and the board and county administration continue to look for the means to keep the New Tech
program alive and healthy. A second example of the district’s commitment to the project is the SBA
grant-based renovation of a collaborative instructional area at the campus’s Career and Technical Center
to provide greater student interaction/engagement opportunities for the growing NTS program.
Further, Philip Barbour High School has conducted numerous fundraising events and activities over
the past three years to extend the benefits of the school’s recently-expired Safe Supportive Schools (3G)
grant to help expand a secure and nurturing environment on campus, one that promotes a culture of
trust, respect, and responsibility. Beyond these efforts, Barbour County Schools is committed to
dedicating local dollars, technology support and training to the greatest extent possible to the NTS
initiative at the conclusion of the grant period. The school system will also continue to seek other
funding sources (governmental, foundation and private grants) in order to sustain the vision and the
viability of this project. Clearly, however, one more round of significant support will allow the county to
expand and refine the New Tech program, protecting the green shoot and allowing it to surge quickly to
exciting new heights for the benefit of the students of Barbour County.
Section 6- Budget Justification
The following information is designed to provide details and justification for Barbour County’s
Innovation Zone/Dropout Prevention grant budget found on the following pages. This summary shows
anticipated expenditures by category for FY’s 2014, 2015 and 2016. The explanations are divided into
grant funding and optional in-kind funding that the school system will commit to the successful
implementation of this project:
Page 18 of 20
Dropout Prevention Grant Funding
Professional Salaries:
$6,600 for late bus operator wages: 300 hours x $22/hour (est.) for
FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Fringe Benefits:
$1,900 for late bus operator fixed costs: 300 hours x $6.33 (est.) for
FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Travel:
$8,000 for New Tech site training for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016. The
funding will be used to defray costs of travel, housing, meals and
other miscellaneous expenses related to training sessions and
visitations involving teams of Philip Barbour High School staff
members to established New Tech Schools in the Midwest and/or
South. Exact site locations will be determined based upon
recommendations by New Tech Network consultants.
Equipment:
Contracts/Consultants:
Total Grant Funding:
Professional Salaries:
Fringe Benefits:
Equipment:
Supplies:
$24,000.00 for student laptop computers/software: 40 units x
$600.00 (est.); $1,550.00 for student computer carrying bags: 40
units x $38.75 (est.). Total = $25,500 for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016.
$58,000 for the New Tech Schools annual contract and consultations
for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016. Grant funding will pay $50,000
towards year’s annual contract to provide the support, training, and
coaching needed to successfully implement, sustain and nurture a
New Tech school. An additional $8,000 will defray the costs
associated with on-site (at Philip Barbour Complex) consultations by
New Tech staff.
$100,000 for FY 2014; $100,000 for FY 2013; $100,000 for FY 2014
Dropout Prevention Optional In-Kind Funding
$315,000 in salaries for eight (8) New Tech School instructors and
one (1) Technology Systems Specialist: 9 x $35,000 (est.) for FYs
2014, 2015 and 2016.
$104,895 for eight (8) instructors and one (1) TSS fixed costs: 9 x
$11,665 (est.) for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016.
$90,000 for the purchase/installation of new wireless technology at
the Philip Barbour Complex in 2013-14. $33,600 for the purchase of
data projectors and smart board systems in 2013-14, as part of
Barbour County’s SBA Needs grant. Total = $123,600 in FY 2014.
$2,000 for paper, copy machine and printer toner, miscellaneous
materials, teacher and office supplies for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Page 19 of 20
Professional Development:
$50,000 (est.) in staff development and continuing education
programs, conferences and workshops related to the goals and
objectives of New Tech Schools for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Other:
$196, 900 in FY 2014 for the construction/renovation of a large
collaborative learning classroom at the career-technical center at the
Philip Barbour Complex for the purpose of housing additional New
Tech classes and laboratories. Part of Barbour County’s SBA Needs
grant. $2,500 to hire substitutes for New Tech staff members who
attend out of county program-related trainings related NTS: 20 x
$125 = $2500 (est.) for FYs 2014, 2015 and 2016. Totals = $199,400
for FY 2014, $2500 for FY 2015 and $2500 for FY 2016.
Total Optional In-Kind Funding:
$792,395 for FY 2014
$474,395 for FY 2015
$474,395 for FY 2016
FY 2014
Expenditure
Amount Requested
In-Kind (Optional)
Total
Professional Salaries
6,600.00
315,000.00
321,375.00
Fringe Benefits
1,900.00
104,895.00
107,020.00
25,500.00
123,600.00
149,100.00
2,000.00
2,000.00
50,000.00
50,000.00
Equipment
Supplies
Professional
Development
Travel
Contracts/Consultants
Included in
consultants
8,000.00
13,000.00
58,000.00
58,000.00
Other
Total
100,000.00
196,900.00
194,400.00
792,395.00
892,395.00
Page 20 of 20
FY 2015
Expenditure
Amount Requested
In-Kind (Optional)
Total
Professional Salaries
6,600.00
315,000.00
321,375.00
Fringe Benefits
1,900.00
104,895.00
107,020.00
Equipment
25,500.00
Supplies
Professional
Development
Travel
Contracts/Consultants
Included in
consultants
2,000.00
2,000.00
50,000.00
50,000.00
8,000.00
13,000.00
58,000.00
58,000.00
Other
Total
25,500.00
2,500.00
100,000.00
474,395.00
574,395.00
FY 2016
Expenditure
Amount Requested
In-Kind (Optional)
Total
Professional Salaries
6,600.00
315,000.00
321,375.00
Fringe Benefits
1,900.00
104,895.00
107,020.00
Equipment
25,500.00
Supplies
Professional
Development
Travel
Contracts/Consultants
Other
Total
Included in
consultants
8,000.00
58,000.00
100,000.00
25,500.00
2,000.00
2,000.00
50,000.00
50,000.00
13,000.00
58,000.00
2,500.00
474,395.00
574,395.00