Seminole County Public Schools Seminole High

Transcription

1 21 st CCLC Community Learning Centers Summative Evaluation Report: Seminole County Public Schools Seminole High July 28, 2016 Kaitlin Trippany This work is funded through a contract with the Florida Department of Education [ B-6CCC5]

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OVERVIEW AND HISTORY STUDENT CHARATERISTICS PROGRAM OPERATIONS STAFF CHARACTERISTICS OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES PROGRESS TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS 14 2

3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks should be given to the following individuals for helping implement this grant during the school year. Project Administrators: Ms. Darlene Gariepy and Mr. Adrian Fuller, facilitators for Seminole High School 21st Century Community Learning Center for grant year Lead the implementation of the grants. Dr. Connie Collins, Principal at Seminole High School 21 st Century Community Learning Center Supported the implementation of the grant by providing on-going school-grant collaboration. Ms. Taucier Smalls-West, Coordinator of Special Projects/Title I (Instructional Support) and Project Director for all 21 st CCLC programs in Seminole County Public Schools Provided administrative oversight. Ms. Jamee Minnetto, Resource Development Coordinator, Seminole County Public Schools Supported the implementation of the grant through grant writing, budget planning, and compliance. 3

4 1.0 OVERVIEW AND HISTORY In response to demonstrated community need, Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) operates a 21 st Century Community Learning Centers Program at Seminole High School. During the academic year, the Seminole High School 21st CCLC program was approved for a program modification to only serve students in grade 9, because program staff found that participation was low for students in grades 10-12, and these students participation tends to focus on personal enrichment activities. District, school and program leaders met multiple times to develop a plan of action to ensure that the most at-risk students are served by the SHS 21st CCLC program and that a high-quality program is offered to meet the needs of these students. At SHS, a school of over 3,000 students in grades 9-12, it is nearly impossible to define a program that can meet the needs of all students across all grade levels. As such, leadership determined that the most at-risk student population the 9th grade transition program students needs to be the sole focus of the program. A concentration on this student group provides a definitive cohort to be served who have similar risk factors and comparable academic needs. The transition program group, by definition, is the school s most at-risk group. These students were identified in 8th grade as most likely to have difficult transitioning between middle and high school. The transition group was provided specialized support during the summer between their 8th and 9th grade, and have continued to receive specialized support during the regular school day. At this time, there are over 250 students who are identified in this group. The 21st CCLC program at SHS will be able to better identify and address the specific needs of these students with the input of their school day teachers. District, school and program leaders believe that by focusing on the younger at risk students, there is an opportunity to reach these students early, establishing a solid foundation for success in high school and beyond. Alternative supports are in place for students in the upper level grades. Even with the target population change, the purpose of the center continues to be to: (1) provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including supplemental instruction to support students in realizing increased skills in reading/language arts, mathematics, and science; (2) offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and personal enrichment activities that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program; and (3) provide adult family members of regularly participating students expanded opportunities for literacy and related educational development. The project provides school-based learning and enrichment opportunities for students and adult family members in communities that represent high populations of poverty. The program offers at- risk students and family members a safe place to participate in academic and personal enrichment with the goals of improving academic achievement for students, promoting youth development, and increasing the literacy skills of adult family members. The surrounding community, characterized by several large historically low-income, high crime neighborhoods, will benefit from the educational and social and emotional support that the 21 st CCLC offers. 4

5 Seminole High offers students project-based academic enrichment activities, a variety of personal enrichment services, and programs and activities designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program, as well as a number of literacy and educational development activities for adult family members. The evaluation is composed of six sections, which are briefly outlined below: Student Characteristics provides information about the students served, including demographics, enrollment, and daily attendance. Program Operations describes operations at the sites, including the typical and total time of operation for various reporting timeframes. Staff Characteristics provides information on the composition of staff at each site including staff demographics, ratio of staff to students, staff quality (training and certifications), and turnover. Objectives and Outcomes provides information on program objectives, how those objectives are measured, data analysis methods, progress toward objectives, and finding implications and recommendations. towards Sustainability provides information on partner collaborations undertaken to ensure the sustainability of 21 st CCLC program and enhance the quality of the services offered. Lessons Learned and Recommendations includes an overall assessment the 21 st CCLC programs and program-wide recommendations to enhance program quality. 5

6 2.0 STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS 2.1 Total Student Enrollment and Attendance Seminole High had a total of 160 ninth grade student participate in the program and about 44 percent of them became regular participants. Table 1. Student Enrollment: Total and Regularly Participating Students for Summer 2015 and School Year Total Enrolled Attending Regularly Participating Enrollment (at least one day) (30 days or more) Both Both School Summer School Summer Summer Summer Year AND Total Year AND Total Only Only Only School Only School Year Year Seminole High Note. Unduplicated counts shown. Students attending/enrolled in both operation periods are only reported under Both Summer AND School Year. Only Summer + Only School Year + Summer AND School Year = Total. 2.2 Student Demographics The Seminole High site served students who reside in low income neighborhoods and have a variety of special needs. These factors put students at-risk for academic and social/emotional issues that could interfere not only with learning but students overall well-being. Table 2: There are more male participants than female for both total and regular participants. Table 3 & 4: o About 28 percent of the students with disabilities that participated in the Seminole High program became a regular participant. o There was only one student who was an English Language Learner that participated in the program. o The majority of students at the Seminole High site receive free or reduced price lunch, with 86% of all participants and regularly participating students on free or reduced price lunch. This rate is significant at the high school level, as students in this age range generally do not return applications to receive free or reduced-price lunch. Table 5: The majority of students that attend the Seminole High program are African American. Table 6 & 7: Per the program modification, all participants are in grade 9. 6

7 Table 2. Student Demographics for Total Participating Students (All Students Served) and Regularly Participating Students. Total Participating Students Regularly Participating Students Gender Gender Age Age Data Not Male Female Range Data Not Male Female Range Provided Provided Seminole High NA NA Table 3. Population Specifics: Total Participating Students. Limited English Language Proficiency Identified with Special Needs Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Yes No DK* Yes No DK Yes No DK Seminole High NA NA NA *DK = Don t Know/Could Not Be Determined. Table 4. Population Specifics: Regularly Participating Students. Limited English Language Proficiency Identified with Special Needs Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Yes No DK* Yes No DK Yes No DK Seminole High 0 70 NA NA NA *DK = Don t Know/Could Not Be Determined. Table 5. Student Race and Ethnicity: Total and Regularly Participating Students. Total Participating Students Regularly Participating Students Center Name American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White Two or More Races Data Not Provided American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White Two or More Races Data Not Provided Seminole High NA NA 7

8 Table 6. Student Grade for Total Participating Students. Grade In School* K Total Seminole High * Grade levels are exclusive, as students can only be in one grade level. Students should be reported under the grade level they were in during the Academic Year. Table 7. Student Grade for Regularly Participating Students. Grade In School* K Total Seminole High * Grade levels are exclusive, as students can only be in one grade level. Students should be reported under the grade level they were in during the Academic Year. 3.0 PROGRAM OPERATIONS 3.1 Summer Operation Seminole High was open for four weeks for 16 hours a week during the summer of Table 8. Summer 2015 Operation. Total number of weeks THIS center was open Typical number of days per week THIS center was open Typical number of hours per week THIS center was open on WEEKDAYS WEEKDAY EVENINGS WEEKENDS Seminole High School Year Operation Seminole High offered programming five days a week for 135 days during the academic year. Table 9. School Year Operation. Total # weeks THIS center was open Total # days THIS center was open Typical # days per week THIS center was open Typical # hours per week THIS center was open Before School During School After School Weekends / Holidays Total # days THIS center operated Seminole High Before School During School After School Weekends/ Holidays 8

9 4.0 STAFF CHARACTERISTICS 4.1 Staff Demographics As shown in Table 10, Seminole High employed nine school-day teachers, two center administrators, and five non-teaching school day staff in the school year. The distribution of staff and volunteers during the summer and academic year are provided below. Table 10. Regular Staff by Paid and Volunteer Status. Staff Type* Seminole High Summer of 2015 School Year Paid Volunteer Paid Volunteer School Day Teachers (former and substitute) Center Administrators and Coordinators Other Non-Teaching School Day Staff Parents College Students High School Students Community Members Subcontracted Staff Other** * These categories represent the regular responsibilities of program staff during the regular school day. ** Use this category if data do not fit in specific categories provided 4.2 Student-to-Staff Ratio The site operated with a 12:1 student-to-staff ratio for academic enrichment and an 18:1 student-to-staff ratio for personal enrichment (non-academic). This ratio was consistent throughout the program year. 4.3 Staff Training The site conducted monthly staff meetings that included professional development. The professional development covered topics such as classroom management, behavior modification, student character development, project-based learning, and curricular and instruction adjustments and refinement. The district s 21 st CCLC project director provided (or brought in others to provide) regular training about curriculum, transition to Florida standards, and the use of data to improve programming in order to support the professional growth of the Site Coordinator. The Site coordinator and Lead Teacher then disseminated applicable information received from seminars, monthly district community educator leadership meetings, and community resources to site staff 9

10 5.0 OBJECTIVES and OUTCOMES 5.1 Objective Assessment Table 11 displays Seminole High s objectives and progress toward meeting the objectives. Table 11: Objective Assessment and Objective Standard of Total measured at Total Number of Meeting Criterion at Percent of Meeting Criterion at Program 70% of the regularly improve their English/language arts as measured by report card grades Maintain an A/B grade or improve from a grade of C to B or grade of D/F to C % 70% of the regularly improve their English/language arts as measured by state assessments Maintain satisfactory achievement level (Level 3) or improve achievement level % 75% of the regularly improve their writing as measured by common core standards rubric Improve score by 1 or maintain 100% % 75% of the regularly improve their mathematics as measured by report card grades Maintain an A/B grade or improve from a grade of C to B or grade of D/F to C % 70% of the regularly improve their mathematics as measured by state assessments Maintain satisfactory achievement level (Level 3) or improve achievement level % 10

11 Objective Standard of Total measured at Total Number of Meeting Criterion at Percent of Meeting Criterion at Program 70% of the regularly improve their science measured by report card grades Maintain an A/B grade or improve from a grade of C to B or grade of D/F to C % 70% of the regularly improve their science scores as measured by state assessments Achieve satisfactory achievement level (Level 3) % 80% of the regularly improve their technology as measured by pre-post assessment Improve score on survey by 1 or maintain 100% % 80% of the regularly improve their physical fitness as measured by pre-post assessment Decrease BMI or maintain healthy BMI % Significant 80% of the regularly improve their social interactions as measured by pre-post assessment Improve score on survey by 1 or maintain 100% % 80% of the regularly improve their application of positive character traits as measured by pre-post assessment Improve score on survey by 1 or maintain 100% % Significant 50% of the regularly improve their disciplinary problems as measured by school/district records Decrease discipline referrals from Q4 to Q % Achieved Objective 11

12 Objective Standard of Total measured at Total Number of Meeting Criterion at Percent of Meeting Criterion at Program 80% of the regularly improve their attendance as measured by school/district records Decrease number of absences from Q4 to Q % Significant 70% of the regularly demonstrate grade promotion as measured by school/district records Promoted to next grade level % Achieved Objective 75% of the parents of regularly participating students will demonstrate their knowledge (in a specified area) as measured by pre-post assessment Improve score on survey by 1 or maintain 100% % Achieved Objective* 50% of the parents of regularly participating students will improve their involvement in student education as measured by a survey Improve score on survey by 1 or maintain 100% % Achieved Objective 75% of the parents of regularly participating students will improve their literacy skills as measured by pre-post assessment Improve score on survey by 1 or maintain 100% % Significant 50% of the parents of regularly participating students will demonstrate their involvement in student education as measured by logs Participate in at least one event during baseline and end of year % Achieved Objective* *Small number of participants measured; need to increase participation to accurate measure program objectives 12

13 5.2 Other Findings Students and family members responded very favorably to the majority of questions on the end-of-year survey. The majority of family members were very satisfied or satisfied with all aspects of the programs. Between 20 and 40 percent of parents were unsure how to answer the survey questions, this may be a result of the mid-year change, which did not allow parents enough time to become familiar with the program. Students felt that the Seminole High 21 st CCLC programs were beneficial academically and socially. The majority of respondents felt that the program definitely helped with understanding the importance of following rules, solving problems, and academics. In addition, about 67 percent of students felt that the program definitely helps students to complete their homework. Seminole High 21 st CLCC had a very low response rate for teacher surveys. It is unlikely that the data collected would provide an accurate assessment of the satisfaction of stakeholders and participants. This may be a result of the program modification and it likely that there will be a higher response rate next year. 5.3 Student Snapshot The student selected for the success snapshot is a shining example of the success students can experience in the Seminole High 21st CCLC program. The student was a consistent and active participant in the program for the entire school year. This student was able to raise her English 1 grade from a D to a B by the final grading period. The 21st CCLC program offered her an opportunity to receive instruction, assessment, and feedback in the English language arts subject area. This support has greatly contributed to the student s success during the school day. 5.4 Overall Findings for Each Objective The overall progress for each objective is addressed in Table 11 under Section 5.1. Of the eighteen objectives measured, Seminole High either achieved or made significant progress on nine of them. It is important to note that a few objectives were achieved by a small number of participants, therefore the program should attempt to increase participation next year. Some progress was made on the remaining objectives that primarily measured student performance on the statewide assessments and classroom grades. The statewide assessments in ELA and mathematics, Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), are new and more rigorous than previous assessments. Consequently, it may take some time for students and teachers to adjust but the students performance suggests that programing changes may be necessary to improve student outcomes. 6.0 PROGESS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY The site coordinator and lead teacher solicited, developed and managed new partnerships. This year, SCPS Food Services provided nutritious snacks through the USDA After-School Snack Program for the site. In addition, the Seminole RSVP program helped recruit volunteers and provided in-kind contributions, such as supplies guest speakers, and character education. The Site Coordinator and the Lead Teacher communicated at least annually with partners to share the progress and success of the specific programs. More explicit and on-going partner development will be important for long term sustainability of this program. 13

14 Table 12: Partnerships and Sub-Contracts Agency Name Type of Organization Subcontractor (Yes/No) Estimated Value ($) of Contributions Estimated Value ($) of Subcontract Type of Service Provided Seminole RSVP District No 250 NA Volunteers SCPS Food Services District No 4262 NA Food Note: Value of subcontract must be ZERO if the agency is listed as No in the subcontractor column. Likewise, the value of the subcontract must be greater than ZERO if the agency is listed as Yes in the subcontractor column. Note: The USED s federal definition differentiates between a partner and a subcontractor. A subcontractor receives compensation (to some extent) for their services; partners do not. 7.0 LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS The Seminole County Public Schools Seminole High 21 st CCLC program has provided high quality services to the students and family members who attended this year. The site has achieved or made significant progress on the many of the program objectives, including discipline, attendance, and student performance. There a few key recommendations that may help enhance the program quality: As a result of the increase rigor of statewide assessments it may be necessary to re-evaluate some of Seminole High s programming or add additional support to ensure that students are learning and mastering the new standards. In addition, improving Science achievement is a district priority and should continue to be a focus for Seminole High. A continued effort to encourage more parent participation in the program is recommended. 14