Self Evaluation Form
2015-2016
Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
Independence High School Contact Information
School:
Independence High School
Courier Number:
426
1967 Patriot Drive
Phone Number:
980-343-6900
Charlotte NC 28277
Fax Number:
980-343-6907
East Learning Community
School Website:
www.bigibelieve.com
Address:
Learning Community:
Principal:
Amy Dellinger
Learning Community Superintendent:
Kondra Rattley
Total Students Enrolled:
Race
Ethnicity
Exceptionality
Non-Hispanic
Hispanic
African American
American Indian
Asian
More Than One
Pacific Islander
White
General Education Students:
Exceptional Children Students:
Academically Intellectually Gifted Students
Limited English Proficient Students:
Total
2511
1781
662
800
397
144
257
3
910
1791
241
229
250
%
74%
26.4%
32%
15.8%
5.7%
10.2%
0.1%
36.4%
81.4%
9.6%
9.1%
10.0%
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
What is distinctive about your school?
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Very diverse student body
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Successful academic program
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Focused on global awareness – Academy of International Studies – Ms. Katie Willett
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All Freshmen enter one of our three Academies when they arrive
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Use of Professional Learning Communities (core academic teams with common planning) to meet the needs of students
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Distance Learning Lab that serves over 100 students each semester (AP courses, college courses, new course work)
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Large Comprehensive high school with a variety of options for students to find their niche
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Academy of Engineering, full implementation 2015-2016, serves approximately 120 students
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“In-house” literacy and DDI professional development monthly at faculty meetings
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Large number of students involved in extracurricular activities
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Large number of staff members with higher level degrees, National Board Certification.
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Participation in College and Career Promise program and College Experience
How effective is your school?
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How do you know?
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Increased Graduation Rate from 88.6% to 89.9%
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A 6.31% student proficiency increase in Biology (63.31 to 69.61)
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Exceeded expected growth in every EOC 2013-14 (19.67)
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Increased Composite in ACT results from 17.6 to 18.3 (2014-15)
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Increased AP enrollment
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Increase CCP enrollment
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LEP graduation rate increased by 17% in 2015
What are your school’s notable strengths?
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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Highly Qualified and effective teachers in all classrooms
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Professional Learning Communities in Core academic areas
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Double blocking students that need extra help
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Approximately 400 courses taken and approximately 1200 credit hours earned last year with the College and Career Promise
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After school tutoring
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Effective teacher leadership
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Most effective teachers in tested areas
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Dedication of staff to total school program
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Common Planning for all core subject areas and Freshman Academy teachers
What are your school’s main areas for improvement?
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Increasing rigor in every classroom
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Continuing to create a college bound culture at Independence by making information accessible and exposing students to opportunities
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Increasing student attendance
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Parent/Community Involvement
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Continuous improvement in the graduation rate
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Refine programs/approach for LEP and EC students
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Campus cleanliness
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School Safety
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Increase enrollment in AP and Honors classes
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Increase student passing rate in all classes
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Increase data driven instruction to improve student outcomes
1. How effective is your school in ensuring high quality achievement for students in all grades, especially in the core subjects?
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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How do you know?
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In which subjects and grades do students do best, and why?
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English II-prior EOC results
Biology – prior EOC results
Stability of teacher corps, common planning and effective department leadership, using data to strategically place students
Use of Data Driven Instruction
In which subjects and grades is improvement needed, and what action is currently being taken?
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Increase in ACT composite and content area averages for our Juniors.
Student AP exam scores are not fully aligned to AP final grades reflecting more research around the rigor of the AP class work
Graduation rate continuously improving each year
PSAT and PLAN scores improving
Growth continues to be a driving factor at Independence each year
All EC/LEP performance on ACT, and graduating on time
Action
o Remediation program in math and literacy through extended day
o Increasing the number of students being promoted from the 9th to the 10th grade
o Implementation of the Credit recovery plan
Is there evidence of disparities in student achievement by subgroups? If so, what action is being taken?
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EC – intentional IEP goal setting, after-school tutoring, Inclusion/Resource, Parent Assistant
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LEP – SIOP, PEPs, ESL consultation, Power school Parent Assistant, Extended Day, Inclusion ESL classes
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Freshman Academy implementation
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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How is your school addressing the specialized needs of EC and LEP students?
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EC Coordinator/Compliance facilitator
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OCS Credit Recovery
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API hand schedules these students
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LEP Coordinator and LEP Committee
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SIOP training and coaching
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OCS and SBS Blended Learning
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Smaller class size
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AP/Honors classes, university alliances
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Differentiation Academy
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Structure of the Learning Lab
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LEP clusters in mainstream classes with teachers that are SIOP trained
How does your school use student performance data to take and adjust actions to improve student achievement?
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After school tutorials – all teachers
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Extended Day
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Common assessments
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Students are scheduled based on prior performance
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Teacher Effectiveness reports used for formative teacher conferences
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Departments complete item analysis
How does your school allocate available resources to improve student learning and achievement?
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Springboard English I and English II
Support EOC tutoring through Extended Day
Use experienced/successful teachers to provide professional development and to mentor teachers
Triumph for SAT/ACT tutoring
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
2. How effective is your school in providing a relevant and appropriate curriculum for all students, grades and sub-groups?
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How do you know?
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How is alignment with the Common Core and Essential Standards ensured?
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Topic, Essential Questions, Standard and the agenda are posted daily.
Teachers use a variety of teaching strategies
PLC’s use common assessments
AP teacher training and calibration of final grades with student AP exam grades to ensure rigor
Appropriate placement in classes allowing relevant pace
Lesson plans
Objectives and Agenda listed on the board
3 minute Walk Through/ Formative and Summative Observations/Evaluations
Common Planning and Common Assessments
School improvement and school decision making driven by SIP
Essential Standards Chart
How does your school ensure a broad range of learning experiences?
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Teachers use differentiation to meet the needs of diverse learners
Observation
Field trips, clubs, community events, community service, field experiences, internships, competitions, athletics
3. How effective is the quality of teaching and instruction in ensuring high quality learning, progress and achievement?
3
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How do you know?
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HQ staff with a low turn-over rate
Team planning with subject specific team meetings
17 National Board Certified Teachers
38% teachers with Advanced Degree’s
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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Which are the strongest features of teaching and learning and why?
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What aspects of teaching and learning most need improvement and what action is being taken?
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Students appropriately placed in classes to maximize student achievement
Diverse staff provides role modeling for all students
PEAK strategies, Programmatic, most teachers have Promethean Boards, SIOP and Inclusion trained staff
Differentiation Academy
Differentiation
Incorporate more strategies for better use of the 90 minute block
AP/Honors level rigor
Communication between home and school –challenge of keeping track of current addresses, phone #’s, and email addresses, etc.
Focus on college and career preparation and readiness
How do teachers assess students’ achievement of learning objectives and adjust instruction with assessment information?
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Formal and Informal Assessments
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Teachers use a variety of student products based on multiple intelligences to assess learning:
(for example “Ticket out the door”, Quizzes, Oral discussions, Projects, Lab Analysis, Presentations)
4. How effective is your school in ensuring high quality leadership and management?
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How do you know?
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Teacher Survey Data
Insight Survey
Low teacher turnover rate
High interest in teachers’ advancement into Administration
Opportunities for teachers to pursue leadership within the school
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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Which are the strongest aspects and why?
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Principal dedicated to effective administrative management model based on strengths, needs and professional development
Shared leadership model
Administration is strategically local throughout the building and focused on the areas in need of support
Department Chairs are instructional leaders
Principal is knowledgeable regarding best teaching practices
Principal provides an “Open Door Policy” for both staff and parents to express concerns and achievements.
What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?
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More teacher empowerment/collaboration
Systems for monitoring and providing meaningful feedback to staff
Consistency and communication through systems
Staying true to vision/mission/beliefs and priorities
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Systems to monitor facility upkeep and cleanliness
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Administration and staff calibrating the Standards of the NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument
5. How effective is the school in creating a high quality learning environment?
3
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How do you know?
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Evidence of a student centered environment
Front office staff provides positive customer service.
Agenda on board in classrooms allows administration and visitors to see the pace and level of learning taking place.
Induction Team – New Teacher Support
Freshman Academy
Which are the strongest aspects and why?
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Opportunities for blended learning
Common Planning/ PLC Common Assessments
Implementation of Data Driven Instruction
Freshman Academy teams
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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Freshmen are hand scheduled to ensure there is a balance of core courses each semester
Extended Day and Credit Recovery program
What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?
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Facility and school cleanliness – Horticulture classes project facelift, custodial monitoring, school cleanliness initiatives with students, parent/ PTSA/SLT, school
beautification projects
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Increased enrollment in AP and Honor’s classes
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Increased AP pass rate
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Increased enrollment in college classes in our distance learning lab
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Increased focused on ACT improvement
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Increased participation in the “Triumph” program
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More focus on creating a college bound environment – parent and student workshop
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Improve professional feel of main office – building service upgrades/customer service training for secretaries, monitoring
6. How effective is the school in establishing a high quality partnership with parents, other schools and the community?
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How do you know?
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Parent participation/attendance in Open Houses, curriculum nights and Patriots on Parade, Patriot Life-Line orientation program
Connect Ed messages have allowed for communication without depending on students to bring home information.
School website is updated weekly regarding information, dates, etc.
Parent participation/membership in booster clubs
Minimal parent participation/membership in school PTSA
PTSA plans programs for parents with marginal parent participation
Variety of Partners –Meck Ed, MS/Elementary schools, Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce, Cheval Real Estate
Which are the strongest features of communication between home/school about the school’s work and about each student’s achievement? Why?
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Connect Ed.
Powerschool Parent Assistant
Newspaper
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Independence High School Self Evaluation Form
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What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?
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Website – Bigibelieve.com
Email
Teacher Wiki/Weebly
Creating a college bound culture – # of graduating seniors going to college
Image/reputation of the school in the community
Safety and Security
Cleanliness of the facility
Vertical Teaming
Partnerships with businesses – New Meck Ed partnership with Career Advisor
What aspects of the school’s work to involve parents/guardians and the community in the life of the school work best? Why?
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College Information Nights
High School 411 workshops
PSAT/PLAN parent workshops
Partnership relationships with clubs/programs
All Booster Clubs
Latin Night
Open House/Curriculum Nights/Patriots on Parade/Registration – well planned and publicized
Consistent communication message via a variety of media outlets
Fall Festival
Senior Citizens Breakfast
Academy of Engineering Design Team and Board of Directors
Numerous and varied opportunities are provided for the school community to stay connected and involved with Independence.
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What needs improvement and what action is being taken?
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PTSA Membership
Volunteer activism and volunteer activities
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