“Two roads diverged in the woods, and we took the
Road to Awesome!”
Visionary Leadership
DASD School Board
 Comprehensive Planning Committee
 Dr. Dyer, DASD Superintendent
 Dr. Doll, DASD Assistant Superintendent

DASD Comprehensive Planning:

Implement a STEAM initiative beginning in the 4th
grade

Develop course offerings at the high school level that
allow for flexibility through a combination of cyber
and building based courses

Expand secondary course offerings

Establish a secondary campus restructuring effort
with emphasis on sharing of staff, appropriate
transitioning of students, and consolidation of
resources

Review and enhance the district’s many successful
programs to promote community service,
employability career skills, and workplace success
traits
Our Goal

2020 Goal:
 Over the course of 6 years we will explore
and develop the strategic design to guide
and redesign the high school program.
 2014-2015 Action Steps:
Plan, prepare, and determine feasibility of the
implementation of a new schedule for the
2015-2016 or 2016-2017 school year
The Process:
High School Redesign Committee
Sub-Committees:
 Scheduling Structures
 School Counseling Services
 Student Academic/Behavioral Support
 School Culture and Climate
 Course and Program Offerings
 STEAM
 Corporate and Educational Partnerships
 Personalized Learning Environments
Committees in Action:

Research on best practice and high school
reform

Site visits to high-achieving schools

Ongoing DAHS needs analysis by stakeholders

Goal setting and action planning based on data

Action throughout a multi-year process

Assessment of results and focus on continuous
improvement
Actions Grounded in Research:
Breaking Ranks II, NASSP, 2007
 Inevitable, Schwahn & McGarvey, 2012
 Mindset, Dweck, 2006
 Curriculum 21, Hayes Jacobs, 2010
 What Works in School, Marzano, 2003
 Art and Science of Teaching, Marzano,
2007
 Professional Learning Communities that
Work, DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker, 2008

Actions Grounded in Evidence-Based
Best Practices:
Corporate and Educational Partnerships Committee
 Souderton HS, Souderton, PA
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
 International Business and Workforce Expo, York, PA
 Wellspan Health, York, PA
Course and Program Offerings Committee
 River Bluff HS, Lexington, SC
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
Personalized Learning Environment (Hybrid Learning Opportunities)
Committee
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
 Lindsay Unified Schools, Lindsay, CA (Virtual Tour & Interview)
Scheduling Structures Committee
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
Actions Grounded in Evidence-Based
Best Practices:
School Counseling Services Committee
 Council Rock North HS, Newtown, PA
 Radnor HS, Radnor, PA
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
 River Bluff HS, Lexington, SC
School Culture and Climate Committee
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
 Lindsay Unified Schools, Lindsay, CA (Virtual Tour & Interview)
 Cocalico HS, Denver, PA
STEAM Committee
 Livingston HS, Livingston, NJ
 Downingtown STEM, Downingtown, PA
Student Academic/Behavioral Support Committee
 Patterson HS, Baltimore, MD
 Souderton HS, Souderton, PA
 Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA
Findings from Research that will
Guide our Redesign:

Implement schedules flexible enough to accommodate
teaching strategies consistent with the ways students learn
(NASSP, 2007; Marzano, 2003; Marzano, 2007; Schwahn
& McGarvey, 2012).

Institute structural leadership that allows for meaningful
involvement of all stakeholders (NASSP, 2007).

Align school-wide comprehensive professional
development with essential learnings and effective
instructional practices (NASSP, 2007; Marzano, 2003).
Findings from Research that will
Guide our Redesign (continued):

Establish essential learnings (NASSP, 2007; Hayes Jacobs,
2010).

Increase the quantity and quality of interactions between
students and teachers (NASSP, 2007).

Comprehensive advisory program that allows students to
self-assess growth toward clear goals (NASSP, 2007;
Schwahn & McGarvey, 2012).

Ensure quality instructional practices and assessments to
personalize learning (Dweck, 2006; NASSP, 2007;
Schwahn & McGarvey, 2012).
Findings from Site Visits that will
Guide our Redesign:

Personalized Learning Environment

Students don’t serve time; instead, time serves students

Shift from teaching to learning

Belief that all learners can learn

Changing role of the educator from teacher to learning
facilitator

Learning is fostered by frequent formative feedback
Findings from Site Visits that will
Guide our Redesign (continued):

Learning is future-focused

Systems/Structures are in place to meet the
needs of all learners

Teaching is based on current research on
learning and cognition

Technology is utilized as a tool for learning

Abundant opportunities are offered for
individual learning and personal responsibility
Findings from Site Visits that will
Guide our Redesign (continued):

Comprehensive school counseling services are provided, including
student to counselor ratios of approximately 250:1 with full-time
psychologist and social worker support

Comprehensive Science, Technology, and Engineering programs

Significant AP offerings in a variety of areas

Culture of excellence and focus on improvement

Corporate and educational partnerships that are mutually beneficial

Students and educators are goal oriented

Career Pathway/Academy approach
High School Schedule Redesign:
Current Schedule Facts: Students








Eight-periods per day
Forty-two minute periods
Simultaneous transitions for 1850 students
5th period lunch schedule (split classes)
Two, three, and five day-per-week courses
Students responsible for as many as ten
classes a week
Limited access to academic core teachers
Extensions courses are not maximized for
student success
Current Schedule Facts: Teachers








Limited Collaboration time for staff
Inefficient use of teacher resources
5th Period creates disjointed learning opportunities
Professional staff monitoring 206 study halls per semester
Teacher to Student ratio far exceeds recommended 90:1
ratio
Limited access to students beyond regularly scheduled
classes
42 minute time periods do not support effective learning in
all classes
Limited opportunities to support students’ social, academic,
and emotional needs
New Schedule
Course Times:
30
ILT
45
Intro Courses
60
Keystone
Courses
SLT
World
Languages
Upper Level
Electives
Support
Classes
Upper Level
Math
75
Honors and AP
Lab Sciences
PE
Technology/
Engineering
Course Lengths:


45 day, 90 day, and 180 day courses.
Lengths are determined based on needs of the course.
New Schedule Facts: Students




Increased focus on specific subject areas that require
increased cognitive demand and varied instructional
practices
Students have electives that are 45 days or 90 days.
(Two- and three-day per week electives are removed
to support learning.)
Period lengths are increased in AP courses, Keystone
courses, upper level electives, technology &
engineering courses, and physical education courses.
Students will transition at different times based on
their course tracks, resulting in fewer students in the
hall at one time (Improved student safety).
New Schedule Facts: Students (cont.)



Opportunities for a true advisory program that
supports the needs of our students and teaches
what it means to be a Wildcat
Students will be responsible for no more than
seven courses per marking period, as compared
to as many as ten courses in current schedule.
Students will have access to daily academic and
counseling support through ILT and SLT.
Proposed Schedule Facts: Teachers

Increased efficiency in staff utilization

Staff sharing opportunities at the MS in technology
education

Study halls will be a thing of the past

Teachers will have the opportunity for collaboration
through the use of ILT and SLT centers.
The 2015 Schedule Proposal
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Time
7:35-7:45
7:50-8:05
8:05-8:20
8:20-8:35
8:35-8:50
8:50-9:05
9:05-9:20
9:20-9:35
9:35-9:50
9:50-10:05
10:05-10:20
10:20-10:35
10:35-10:50
10:50-11:05
11:05-11:20
11:20-11:35
11:35-11:50
11:50-12:05
12:05-12:20
12:20-12:35
12:35-12:50
12:50-1:05
1:05-1:20
1:20-1:35
1:35-1:50
1:50-2:05
2:05-2:20
2:20-2:35
2:35-2:50
30
7:35-8:05
45
60
7:35
8:20
7:35
8:35
8:05-8:35
8:35-9:05
9:05-9:35
8:20
9:05
9:05
9:50
9:35-10:05
10:05-10:35
9:50
10:35
8:35
9:35
9:35
-10:35
Lunch/Flexible
Block
11:50-12:20
11:50
12:35
12:20-12:50
12:50-1:20
1:20-1:50
12:35
1:20
1:20
2:05
1:50-2:20
2:20-2:50
2:05
2:50
75
11:50
12:50
12:50
1:50
1:50
2:50
9:5011:05
LFB
11:35
12:50
2014-2015: Next Steps
Phase 1
 Communicate with parents and students.
 Pilot the new schedule in eSchool to determine
feasibility of new schedule implementation (i.e.
2015-2016 or 2016-2017 school year).
Phase 2
 Develop a comprehensive communication plan.
 Plan professional development.
 Coordinate curricular adjustments/needs.
 Adjust procedural and policy related items such
as credit structure, leveling, GPA, etc.
Works Cited
DuFour, Richard, DuFour, Rebecca, & Eaker, Robert (2008). Revisiting professional learning
communities at work: New insights for improving schools. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Dweck, Carol S., Ph.D. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. USA: Ballantine
Books.
Hayes Jacobs, Heidi (Ed.). (2010). Curriculum 21: Essential education for a changing world.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Marzano, Robert. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for
effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Marzano, Robert. (2003.) What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Marzano, Robert, Waters, Timothy, & McNulty, Brian A. (2005). School leadership that works:
From leadership to results. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and
Learning.
National Association of Secondary Principals (Eds.). (2004). Breaking ranks: Strategies for
leading high school reform. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary Principals.
Schwahn, Charles & McGarvey, Beatrice. (2012). Inevitable: Mass customized learning. (2012).
Charles Schwahn & Beatrice McGarvey.