JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL THREE-YEAR-TERM REVISIT VISITING COMMITTEE REPORT

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL 6715 Gloria Dr. Sacramento, CA 95831 Sacramento City Unified School District THREE-YEAR-TERM REVISIT VISITING COMMITTEE REPORT November 15-17, 2015 ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR SCHOOLS WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES Visiting Committee Members Mr. Paul Demsher, Chairperson Teacher, Tracy High School Ms. Hollie Mack Humanities and AP Comp Teacher, San Francisco Ms. Cathy Raycraft Assistant Principal (Ret.), Davis CA. Mr. David Sargent Principal (Ret.), Diamond Springs, CA

CONTENTS I. Introduction and Basic Student/Community Profile.. 1 II. Significant Changes and Developments 16 III. Ongoing School Improvement. 18 IV. School-Wide Action Plan Progress. 21 V. School-Wide Action Plan Refinement and Appendix... 39!1

I. Introduction and Basic School-Wide Community Profile Data School and Community Profile JFK High School, established in 1967, is one of fourteen comprehensive high schools in the Sacramento Unified School District. JFK High School is located in the Greenhaven-Pocket neighborhood in the south part of Sacramento. The enrollment has increased slightly from the usual 2,100 or so students to approximately 2,300, with a senior class of 460. Staff reductions had a significant impact on Kennedy High School prior to the last committee visit. Thankfully, the site has experienced a restoration to 4.5 custodians, 6 counselors, a librarian, and 4 administrators (including the Principal and three Assistant Principals), as well as an increase in teachers this year due to increased enrollment and restored funding. There has been a general improvement in cleanliness on the campus thanks to the increase in number of custodians, particularly related to trash in the classrooms. Kennedy s librarian has improved the process of textbook distribution and collection. He has also made the library a much more student-friendly place. Whereas there were often no students in the library during the day or after school, it is now home to extra-curricular meetings, study groups, and even chess competitions. The number of teachers at Kennedy is 93.5, up from 84 in the 2012-13 school year. Presently, 100% of Kennedy s full-time teachers of core classes are credentialed and classified as highly qualified. In October, five classes including three PE, one World History, one Government, and five Math classes were created to help reduce class sizes. Those courses will be taught by long-term substitutes until credentialed and qualified teachers are hired. The demographics of JFK s student population have not changed significantly, with the exception of a increase in the percentage of African American students from!2

19% of the student body in 2012 to 21% in 2015. Kennedy High is 27% Latino, 29% Asian, 12% White, and 2.6% Asian-Pacific Islander. Eligibility for participation in the free and reduced lunch program has increased from 54% of all students in 2012 to 65% in 2014. The Actual daily attendance rate in 2014-15 was 96.4%. The one-year dropout rate in 2012-13 declined to 6.2%. Suspension rates have been drastically reduced at Kennedy from over 8% in 2012-13 to just 3% in the 2013-14 school year. While no longer structured in Small Learning Communities, Kennedy offers a variety of learning opportunities to students: - The Program in America and California Exploration (PACE), founded by former State Sen. Gary Hart in 2001, is a four-year college prep history and English program that explores these curricular areas from a uniquely Californian and American perspective. The program features a summer component for incoming freshmen, numerous field trips and outstanding guest speakers from a wide range of career paths. In the past few years, PACE has seen its funding substantially cut due to the expiration of grant monies. The PACE Parent Committee, a legal non-profit, has been able to contribute funds to cover a substantial amount of lost funds. - Manufacturing and Design (MAD) is Kennedy's newest program offering many diverse opportunities for students interested in product design and the development process, the principles of design, computer-aided design, fabrication and manufacturing processes, sustainability, and the principles of business, entrepreneurship, and global design. The Kennedy Robotics Team was recently featured on local news coverage for their success at local and international competition.!3

- The Criminal Justice Academy offers a program to students who are interested in exploring the field of law enforcement. The curriculum includes in-depth coverage of federal, state and local government and law, plus a rigorous physical education and training program for four years. Community service and parental involvement are required. The Police Department provides cadet uniforms and offers summer employment and assistance with college tuition. - The Marine Corps Junior ROTC offers a program to students who are interested in exploring a career in the military. Kennedy has two Marine Corps teachers on campus who instruct students on leadership, discipline and the Marine Corps curriculum. Community service and parental involvement are required. The Marine Corps provides cadet uniforms. - The Academy of Culinary Arts provides students opportunities to learn skills and explore career options in the Food Service and Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Industry. The culinary courses use innovative lesson plans and activities to teach a wide range of topics which include nutrition, food preparation and sanitation, serving and catering, and cooking skills. Junior and Senior-level courses provide job shadow and internship opportunities at local restaurants and hotel kitchens. The Cougar Cafe houses a full scale commercial kitchen and an eating area that seats seventy-five people. Among Kennedy's other curricular offerings are the arts, a wide variety of foreign language and Kennedy offers numerous advanced placement classes in English, Social Science, Science, Math, Art and World Languages. Parents and community members have many opportunities to visit and use the campus and participate in decision-making. Kennedy and the PACE Program each host Open House nights, Middle-School Visitation days, Awards Ceremonies, and community!4

sports programs. The JFK School Site Committee, comprised of parents, students, and teachers, aid the principal in making fiscal decisions. Recently the Football field received a major renovation. Students can now enjoy quality artificial turf, a rubber track, new larger bleachers, a snack bar and storage units, and even an announcing booth.!5

School Purpose and ESLRs Mission The staff, students, and parents of John F. Kennedy are committed to a safe and caring environment, one which promotes excellence and pride in self, school, and community. We respect individual and cultural diversity as it promotes understanding of the humanity of all people. We expect all students to achieve their highest potential and encourage them to become responsible and productive members of society. Expected School-wide Learning Results Pride at Kennedy is developed, promoted, and nurtured by JFK teachers, administrators and staff members in a learning environment where all students are encouraged to strive toward common educational goals by improving their skills as Communicators Achievers Thinkers Socially Responsible Persons!6

Enrollment Student Enrollment by Group Group 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Total Enrollment 2,108 2,041 2.115 2,139 Black or African American 18.9 19.4 19.0 19.6 American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.7 Asian 28.3 29.0 29.9 28.9 Filipino 1.9 1.8 1.6 2.6 Hispanic or Latino 26.4 26.4 27.0 27.4 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 1.9 2.1 2.5 1.9 White 13.4 13.7 13.3 12.3 Two or More Races 8.4 6.8 6.0 5.0 Socioeconomically Disadvantaged 59.5 58.3 65.2 57.1 English Learners 21.0 20.2 12.4 11.7 Students with Disabilities 9.4 11.3 10.8 Attendance 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 ADA 2,076 2,108 2,041 2,115 1,950 Truancy Rates 14.8 1.6 9.5 3.6!7

Suspension and Expulsion Rates 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Enrollment 2,076 2,108 2,041 2,115 Suspensions 237 181 184 69 Suspension Rate 11.4 8.0 8.5 3.0 Explusions 1 0 2 1 Expulsion Rate 0.05 0.0 0.1 0.05 Academic Performance Index 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 All Students 761 762 745 Growth -23 0-16 State Rank 6 5 5 Similar School Rank 6 6 4 African American or Black 664 651 651 Asian 816 825 825 Latino or Hispanic 724 727 706 White 806 793 809 Two or more Races 789 822 Socioeconomically disadvantaged 725 727 703 ELL 663 709 709 Students w/disabilities 515 482 482!8

California Standards Test (CSTs) CST Proficiency in ELA 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 All Students 53% 52% 51% African American or Black 33% 36% 30% Asian 62% 62% 57% Latino or Hispanic 51% 46% 45% White 62% 62% 69% Two or more Races 60% 63% 61% Socioeconomically disadvantaged 46% 44% 41% ELL 15% 11% 8% Students w/disabilities 22% 16% 11% CST Proficiency in Math 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 All Students 28% 25% 25% African American or Black 14% 8% 9% Asian 43% 40% 37% Latino or Hispanic 19% 17% 14% White 28% 30% 36% Two or more Races 24% 28% 28% Socioeconomically disadvantaged 23% 19% 18% ELL 10% 10% 12% Students w/disabilities 16% 11% 8%!9

CST Proficiency in Science 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014* All Students 53% 52% 50% 51% African American or Black 33% 34% 25% 33% Asian 62% 65% 63% 54% Latino or Hispanic 51% 51% 40% 46% White 62% 80% 74% 70% Two or more Races 60% 61% 53% 73% Socioeconomically disadvantaged 46% 50% 41% 47% ELL 15% 23% 17% 9% Students w/disabilities 22% 22% 33% 22% *CAASPP Results California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress 2014-15 CAASP Scores Passage Rate (Students who met or Exceeded performance expectations ELA Math Statewide JFK Statewide JFK Overall 56% 51% 29% 31% African American 39% 31% 14% 13% Asian 78% 62% 67% 46% Hispanic 46% 42% 18% 18% White 68% 63% 41% 32%!10

California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) English-Language Arts 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 % Proficient or Advanced 61 60 55 60 % Not Proficient 39 40 45 40 Mathematics 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 % Proficient or Advanced 59 64 59 62 % Not Proficient 41 36 41 38 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) AYP - Overall 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Made AYP No No No No PI Satus Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 API 761 762 761 745 Graduation Rate 83.3 80.2 81.9 83.5!11

AYP - English Language Arts 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Participation Rate 99 99 99 99 Proficiency Rate 62.7 61.3 56.2 60.3 African American 40.0 38.4 34.9 39 Hispanic/ Latino 59.7 52 50.8 52.9 Asian 69.0 69.2 66.2 70.6 White 76.3 74.1 74.2 73.3 SES Disadvantaged 54.0 52.5 46.5 50.7 English Learners 29.4 40.9 26.8 31.1 Students with Disabilities 29.7 17.0 13.9 16.1 AYP - Mathematics 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Participation Rate 100 99 98 99 Proficiency Rate 59.8 65.6 60.3 62.9 African American 36.3 40.0 28.6 41.8 Hispanic/ Latino 54.8 56.8 53.1 52.1 Asian 77.8 81.2 77.9 79.4 White 59.3 75.5 74.2 75 SES Disadvantaged 52.9 57.5 52.8 55.1 English Learners 36.5 54.7 44.1 46.2 Students with Disabilities 27.0 19.1 15.5 17.7!12

SAT Scores Mean SAT 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Percent Tested 10.5 12.4 10.1 15.2 Critical Reading 499 487 481 487 Mathematics 532 526 505 514 Writing 496 479 468 479 Early Assessment Program EAP - English 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Number of Students Tested 463 420 381 371 % Ready for College 23 21 22 25 % Ready for College Conditional 17 16 14 % Readiness not Demonstrated 77 63 62 61 EAP - Mathematics 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Number of Students Tested 195 162 201 249 % Ready for College 18 10 14 10 % Ready for College Conditional 45 52 48 45 % Readiness not Demonstrated 37 38 38 45!13

A-G Requirements UC/CSU A-G Requirements 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 % of JFK Grads Meeting Req. 45.5 40.6 48.4 % of District Grads Meeting Req. 45.3 43.9 44.6 % of Statewide Grads Meeting Req. 38.3 39.4 41.9 Graduation Rates 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Kennedy 83.3 87.0 89.5 83.5 SCUSD 74.6 79.9 85.3 85.0 California 77.1 78.9 80.4 81.0!14

Advanced Placement Courses AP Exam Statistics 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 # of AP Exams taken by all students 591 530 632 753 # of Exams taken by Hispanic Students 34 74 84 90 # of Exams taken by Asian Students 374 317 356 427 # of Exams taken by African American students 30 19 35 48 # of Exams taken by White Students 93 94 112 119 # of Exams taken by Other students 9 18 40 39 Passage Rate (All students) 59% 55% 55% 54% Passage Rate (Hispanic / Latino) 54% 40% 39% 39% Passage Rate (Asian) 60% 57% 55% 54% Passage Rage (Black / African American) 27% 37% 51% 54% Passage Rate (White) 61% 64% 65% 65% Passage Rate (Other) 67% 50% 56% 67%!15

II. Significant Changes and Developments Since the last WASC site visit, Kennedy has seen a significant increase in the number of teachers on campus from 83 the 2012-13 school year, to 93.5 in the current school year. The number of administrators decreased to 3 (principal and two assistant principals), though the current administrative team consists of a principal and three assistant principals. As is the case in most schools in California today, Kennedy is in the middle of a major shift in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As the State of California and Sacramento City Unified School District shift their focus to the Common Core, Kennedy has devoted funding and professional development hours, and common planning time to altering curriculum and instructional methods to fit the Common Core. Presently, departments are developing assessments that align to the CAASP. The Math department has been especially impacted by this change, as most freshmen and sophomores at Kennedy now take Integrated Math 1 and Math 2, rather than Algebra 1 and Geometry. Part of the shift to Common Core involved abandoning the paper method of formal statewide testing in favor of computer-based testing. In order to meet the demands of this test, CDE allocated funds for Kennedy to retrofit its existing communications infrastructure. This included new fiber and higher-powered routers. Kennedy was also given several carts of laptop computers and portable carts for charging and security purposes. Expenditures per pupil decreased slightly from $6,076 in the 2012-13 school year to $5,777 in 2013-14. Average class size increased only slightly in each of the core departments, as the chart below shows.!16

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 English 27 24 28 Math 29 27 30 Science 28 20 30 Social Science 27 28 28 A major shift (and more than a minor inconvenience) was the district-wide shift to use of a new Student Information System. In the 2013-14 school year, Kennedy piloted the use of Infinite Campus, which replaced Zangle. A team of five teachers from Kennedy received training from the Infinite Campus district support staff, then trained teachers in department groups. Infinite Campus was not implemented without flaw. Much more time was spent learning how to use IC and teachers expressed frustration with time constraints and a steep technical learning curve. Another transition was how behavioral referrals were recorded and sent. Kennedy has begun using the Infinite Campus Behavior module and no longer uses paper referrals. Teachers send a student to the office when necessary, then enter the student and behavior details into Infinite Campus. The administrator(s) can instantly see the behavior information and act accordingly. Kennedy is proud of the significant decrease in suspensions. The suspension rate decreased from 8.5% in 2012-13 to 3% in 2013-14. This was due in large part to a change in policy and procedure by the Administrative team. There was also a significant decrease in the number of African Americans receiving suspensions - a subgroup that traditionally comprised a disproportionate percentage of suspensions at Kennedy.!17

III. Ongoing School Improvement Follow-up Process Since the last WASC visit in 2013, the Admin team at Kennedy continued to work closely with department chairs to ensure action plans were implemented and results measured and evaluated. In anticipation of the three-year visit by the WASC committee, a Self Study Coordinator, Michael Fry, was chosen. Michael, a veteran Kennedy teacher turned Administrator, participated in the last WASC visit as an SLC advisor, and has worked closely with the staff in a number of capacities over the past few years. Recent preparations for the three-year revisit included data analysis, interviews with department chairs and administrators, and surveys completed by staff, students, and parents. The coordinator analyzed data from the past three years using tools such as DataQuest on the Department of Education website for CST, API, AYP, Graduation rates, etc., the CollegeBoard (SAT and AP results), the CSU (for EAP results), as well as school and district reports such as the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), School Development and Improvement Plan (SDIP), and School Accountability Report Card (SARC). Interviews were scheduled by the coordinator during the last week of May and the first week of June, 2015. The coordinator met with each department chair individually (listed below) and a series of questions were discussed (questions and answers are in the appendix).!18

Department English Math Science Social Science Art Physical Ed Special Education Foreign Language Chair(s) Jennifer Reynaga Jennifer Manzano, Dennis Plotts Aaron Pollock Richard Pauly Benjamin Teweles Dave Parsh Brittany Tom Joan Taylor The anonymous staff survey was created by the Self Study Coordinator on Google Forms. The questions were created after careful analysis of data and review of answers given by department chairs during individually interviews. The justification for the staff survey lay in the fact that there were several questions for which the department chairs could not fairly answer for all the teachers in their department. The survey was sent out via email link. After the surveys were completed, the Self Study Coordinator sorted the responses and analyzed results. Questions and variations in responses can be seen in the following sections and in the Appendix. The anonymous student survey was taken by students in their Social Studies class in early October. Questions were created based upon critical needs identified in the last WASC report, and were both qualitative and quantitate in nature. Student responses were analyzed by the Self Study Coordinator, and can be found in the following sections and in the appendix. The anonymous parent survey was distributed via email to parents, Facebook, and by hard copy at the September 2015 PTSA meeting. Questions were created based upon critical needs identified in the last WASC report, and were both qualitative and!19

quantitate in nature. Parent responses were analyzed by the Self Study Coordinator, and can be found in the following sections and in the appendix.!20

IV. Progress on School-Wide Action Plan In the spring of 2013, the Visiting Committee made observations on three potential areas of improvement. What follows are the descriptions of each of the critical areas along with comments on school progress for each critical area. Critical Need #1: Improve Academic Performance in Literacy for All Students. From the 2013 Report: Teachers within the English department have implemented the Jane Schaffer writing model, but this has not been infused throughout the school and all departments. Many teachers from numerous departments have participated in the California Subject Matter Project (CSMP) to acquire subject specific literacy strategies. Some of the English and Social Science teachers have completed writing rubrics and received training on how to annotate text, use graphic organizers and assist students in preparation for writing prompts. However, implementation into daily lessons has been rather difficult as teachers have had very little common planning time to work together to create lessons to infuse these strategies into their daily instructional practices. - The 2013 Action Plan (Chapter 5) notes as a growth target, increase in CST English scores from 53% proficient or advanced to 55% proficient or advanced. 2012-13 CST scores revealed a slight decrease to 51%. No data for later years exists due to the change in state testing from the CST to the CAASPP. Many teachers in the English Department have continued using the Jane Schaefer model and have implemented the language in common rubrics. The Social Science department has largely stopped!21

using the rubrics created with Jane Schaefer language, largely because they have switched to Common Core writing rubrics.(department Interviews) - In recent years, teachers have been given 18 hours of department collaboration time. In interviews on this question, Department Chairs noted that this was more than adequate to create and implement common curricula. Rather, the most commonly cited reason for the sparse implementation was a lack of initiative on the part of the teachers and a lack of accountability on the part of the Administrative team. (Department Interviews) - Furthermore, while several teachers in each department benefited from CSMP training, funding for that project ran out prior to the 2014-15 school year. There has been minimal effort to continue to develop curricula and implement it into lessons by teachers in departments, though some teachers have had success in this regard. (Department Interviews) - Kennedy enjoys a partnership with Sacramento City Community College. Kennedy teachers have collaborated on grade norming, teaming, and the E.A.P. assessment. Kennedy has even sent teachers to the college to grade remedial English tests, while English professors grade Kennedy High School student essays. From the 2013 Report: The teachers at JFK have been working on aligning curriculum to state standards and the Common Core State Standards. However, at this time, there has been little professional development provided by the district to assist teachers in transitioning to the Common Core State Standards.!22

- Focus on and attention to Common Core alignment has had mixed degrees of success in the past three years. Many teachers in the English department attended a Common Core training at UCDavis and considered it valuable. However, more training is needed. The Math department is satisfied with their level of training, but they would like to see concrete examples of Common Core aligned curricula. The Science department has not benefited significantly from Common Core training. Teachers were offered training during a number of instructional days, but they declined, as they prefer to attend trainings in the summer in order to minimize missed instructional time. The Social Science department has had no significant Common Core training. A few teachers have begun to align their curricula, assessments, and rubrics on their own initiative. The Art Department took the initiative to attend a Common Core training through VAPA. The Foreign Language department took advantage of training through the Berkeley Language Project but did so on their own and feel that they are not supported by the administration. It should be noted that several teachers have not been reimbursed for this training. The Special Education department is not satisfied with the amount of training they have received. (Department Interviews) From the 2013 Report: During departmental time, JFK teachers have been working on creating common assessments and rubrics to try to assist students in improving their proficiency levels on state mandated tests. However, teachers have been given very little common planning time to complete this work. As a result, student proficiency scores as measured by AYP have remained relatively stagnant. Overall, as measured currently by API and AYP, JFK students have made little progress in increasing literacy for all students.!23

- Staff at Kennedy has had only limited ability to evaluate proficiency of students in recent years due to the shift from the CST to the CAASP testing. - Teachers at Kennedy largely disagree with the assertion that proficiency scores are tied to a lack of common-planning time. The exception is the English department, which has had difficulty finding a time for everyone to meet. They would prefer common planning time be on Wednesday mornings as it was several years ago to ensure greater attendance. Overall, however, the consensus is that stagnation in test scores is more the result of how that department time has been spent. In particular, little to no time has been spent analyzing the data from either standardized State testing or internal department assessments. There is a need for more initiative from teachers at the department level and increased accountability and guidance on data analysis by the Admin team. - The English Department has worked to evaluate student academic performance by adding a CSU Placement test into the 11th grade curriculum. Student essays are graded by teachers in the English department. A score of 4 or above is considered passing. This data appears to show a decrease in proficiency and college readiness from 2011 to the present. 2011 2013 2014 2015 total students 306 354 302 400 Essay 6 12 8 9 10 Essay 5 46 45 31 40 Essay 4 100 90 76 40 Passage Rate (%) 52 40 38 23 Essay 3 103 132 98 115* Essay 2 42 62 73 110 Essay 1 3 17 15 85!24

- The School Development and Improvement plan has continued to provide valuable data regarding student proficiency (albeit limited by the shift to Common Core and CAASPP) as well as information about how to improve our overall performance via the Principal s Action Plan. When asked in interviews, only one of the eight department chairs even knew what the School Development and Improvement Plan is. Teachers need to study this report and engage in discussion about implications on a regular basis. Critical Need #2: Improve Academic Performance in Mathematics for all students. From the 2013 Report: The teachers in the math department at JFK have implemented its own benchmark exams in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. JFK also has been working on vertical alignment with its main feeder schools to create common pacing guides, placement criteria, and to share best practices. Math teachers have worked with CSMP facilitators to develop a common grading system. Overall, as measured currently by API and AYP, JFK students have made little progress in increasing academic performance. (The data used to make this determination is the School Development and Improvement Plan-page 4 and page 10). - The 2013 Action Plan (Chapter 5) notes a goal to increase the CAHSEE Math passage rate from 86% (2012) to 88%. Kennedy s passage rate for 2013 dipped to 83%, then inched up slightly to 85% in 2014. - The Math department has been greatly impacted by the shift to Common Core. In particular, the Algebra 1 and Geometry course that many students took Freshman and Sophomore years have been replaced with Integrated Math 1 and Integrated!25

Math 2. Students in the 2014-15 school year were the first to take common assessments based upon these new math courses. While this first years students will be used as a base level for future analysis and evaluation, it is difficult to assess any change in performance the past two years. It should also be noted that expectations for this first year of testing are low, as students had not completed Integrated Math 1 or Math 2 before taking this exam. - Math Department Chairs (there are two teachers who share the position) note that the new Common Core math curriculum is composed of higher-level thinking questions that some sub-groups may be disproportionally prepared for. This may further widen the achievement gap in math. Collaboration on new curriculum and teaching methods is essential to prevent this from happening. - Several years ago, the A.S.S.E.T.s program at Kennedy provided Federal funding for a math tutoring lab led by a Full-time Credentialed Kennedy math teacher. The intent of that lab was to enroll students struggling with math concepts and better prepare them to pass the class and improve proficiency on standardized testing. The lab alleviated the time individual math teachers had to spend after school with struggling students. Unfortunately, as the teacher explains it, this lab was used as a dumping ground for any students that needed credits. The result was a class with way too many students, many of whom did not want help. The teacher spent most of his time managing classroom interruptions. Students who actually needed help struggled to get it. This year, an after-school Math lab was created specifically for RSP (Special Ed resource) students. The lab is open three days a week to RSP students. - The 2014-15 School Development and Improvement Plan identified the following Big Message regarding Math Performance:!26

- The Leadership Team will establish a professional development model that improved math literacy for all students and aligns instructional strategies with the Common Core - The SDIP also established the following Action Plans to address Math Proficiency - Increase percent proficiency results to minimum target on the CAHSEE, EAP, and CAASP for all students. $20,000 of Title 1 funds were allocated for this purpose, along with $5,000 on LCFF monies. - $10,000 to Create a professional development/collaboration plan that will prepare teachers to improve instructional practices. - The math department used the designated funds for professional development in the areas of common core curriculum, differentiation, and mathematical literacy. - $20,000 of Title 1 funds to explore possible resources and supplemental materials for differentiation of Algebra / Math 1 courses to better serve struggling students. - Benchmarks include data analysis on struggling Algebra 1 students, creation of a new differentiated Algebra 1 course, and in the coming school year the Math Department will analyze the results of the piloted class and revise and needed. - Allocation of $197,403 in funds to hire additional certificated staff to lower class sizes in math and science courses. - The aforementioned funds were used two hire two additional counselors. - The SDIP notes allocation of $3,000. for a data collection/reporting tool to collect data from JFK Mathematical assessments for future analysis - The data collection tool was never created as a result of the elimination of benchmarks as the primary assessment tool. Some money was spent on!27

department work on creating a new Math II placement test and analysis of pilot results, as well as the creation of a common Math I final exam. Critical Need #3 - Improve Communication With All Stakeholders From the 2013 Report: Data at John F. Kennedy suggests that parent involvement is still low among certain stakeholders. These stakeholders have been identified by the school as underrepresented. Evidence used to determine status of underrepresented includes: PTSA membership, attendance at new student orientation, Back to School Night, and other school functions aimed at improving parent and guardian participation. - The first action goal in the SPSA is to improve the number and quality of opportunities for meaningful parent communication and engagement. Kennedy allocated approximately $100k for a Coordinator I to serve as a parent advisor. In this role, Ms. Garboushian coordinated the efforts of the counseling department to better address communication of academic and social/emotional needs of students. Ms. Garboushian also served as the 504 plan coordinator and organized a variety of activities and programs designed to help students communicate. The most poignant example of this was the Breaking Down the Walls activity, a retreat wherein students shared deep feelings and concerns with other students they would otherwise have little to no interaction with. - Kennedy improved its use of technology for communicating with parents and students by creating a new and improved website, and the use of Infinite Campus as a means of relaying information about assignments and grades. In September of 2015, teachers were given a document called the Kennedy Teacher!28

Communication Expectations, which details how a teacher is to convey information using a class website, IC Messenger, Edmodo, and/or other means. Under the former principal, Mr. Sweitzer, the Kennedy Facebook page reached over 3,000 people, and his newsletter went home to nearly all parents. This year, new Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts are used to convey information and highlight achievements of students, sports teams, clubs, and other organizations. The pages are all under the common name SCUSD Kennedy - Our counseling department reached out to over 100 people from around our attendance area for our annual college fair in 2015. We also encourage students of all ethnicities to attend the Black College Fair held yearly at the district. - Another action item calls for strengthening of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA). As the attendance and influence of the PTSA continued to diminish over time, it was dissolved in 2014. Currently, a new organization known as the Cougar Parent Committee meets in the little theater with growing numbers of attendees. Discussion has been had, and efforts are being made to encourage other members of the school attendance area, particularly the Meadowview community, to attend and participate in the meetings. - Another goal of the Administration in the SPSA was to hire additional counselors to help students navigate the difficult academic, social and emotional experience of life at a large high school. In 2015, Kennedy hired two new counselors, for a total of six. Currently, there are two counselors working only with Freshman. Articulation with feeder schools was Kennedy s final goal in the SPSA. In particular, the administration is concerned with giving students from various backgrounds the opportunity to enroll in Kennedy s many special programs, advanced courses, sports, and other organizations. To meet this goal, Kennedy has held Cougar!29

Days each spring, where 8th graders and their parents can visit the campus and see our classes and programs in action. Attendance has improved each of the last four years, as shown in the chart below. Cougar Days 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 467 499 541 589 Other Identified Areas of Improvement Increase the Achievement of underrepresented minority students. The leadership and instructional staff will develop strategies to increase parent and community involvement that reflect the diversity of the student population. From the 2013 Report: JFK has increased its course offerings in Advanced Placement (AP) from 18 in 2001 to 37 in 2012. AP classes are open to all students who want to take the challenge. JFK has concentrated its efforts in conducting presentations to parents at PTSA meetings and a newly created program called Parent University. Some of the presentations conducted have been on topics such as: college entrance exams, SLC at JFK (PACE, CPD, ROTC, Robotics and Engineering and Culinary. The staff at JFK has conducted field trips for all 9th grade students to visit the local community college while the 10th graders are taking the CAHSEE. JFK has had guest speakers come on campus to provide motivational talks; sponsored Career Days, as well as Black College Fair. JFK has had a mentoring program called the Men s Leadership Academy mentor students and encourage them to challenge themselves in the classroom. An analysis is AP!30

data indicates a slight increase in the number of underrepresented subgroups enrolling and taking the AP classes and tests. - Kennedy currently offers 14 AP courses. There are also a number of other advanced courses offered, including Honors US History and Advanced English. - Recognizing that Kennedy is a very diverse student body and that certain subgroups were underrepresented in advanced classes and programs, several actions were taken. First, the PACE program visited Rosa Parks Middle School in the Meadowview community and made several presentations to inform and encourage students to apply to the rigorous program. Michael Fry worked closely with Donja Harding, a Rosa Parks Middle School English teacher, to ensure students received the help they needed to write their entry essay and complete all the necessary application steps. The effect of the visits was a doubling of Rosa Parks students accepted into PACE from 9 in 2012 to 18 in 2013. PACE continues to work closely with this school to ensure students from this low-income community enjoy the same opportunities afforded to students from more affluent parts of the attendance area. - AP passage rates (students scoring 3+ on an exam) have increased steadily for the African American Sub-Group the past 4 years, from 27% in 2012 to 54% in 2015. - Kennedy has also held many on-campus events to inform and motivate students from diverse backgrounds to thrive academically and go onto higher education, including the Black College Fair, assemblies and the Men s Leadership Academy. In 2014 Kennedy hosted the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California, Tani Santil-Takuye, who spoke of starting at community college and working her way up to the highest court in the state. The Men s Leadership is under new leadership!31

now. They receive regular presentations from community leaders and organizations such as the Sacramento Police Department. SCUSD needs to seek resources to assist JFK staff that will increase professional development opportunities. - The SDIPs from the past three years have focused heavily on the use of funds to offer professional development for departments at Kennedy. - Opportunities offered to departments included the use of $10,000 in Title I funds for the Math department to develop mathematical literacy and the use of differentiated instruction. - In the summer of 2013 and again in the summer of 2014, the Department used these funds for Common Core training. The Math Department also received training on the new Math 1 course. Unfortunately, because of poor communication, the math department did not attend the summer training. The administrative team is working to ensure the math team receives that vital training. - The English department also used funding, approximately $27,000 of Title I monies, to find and implement a program to help increase literacy in freshmen. The department and administrative team chose to purchase and are now using a literacy initiative known as Pebble Creek. In a determined effort to move forward the school-wide action plan to improve academic literacy of Kennedy students, Pebble Creek Labs, an program created by Kelly Young. was adopted in 2014. - Pebble Creek Literacy is a systematic approach to strengthening adolescent literacy that joins powerful teaching strategies with curriculum that is engaging and accessible for all students. The program supports students as they build their!32

reading ability, thinking skills, and sense of efficacy. Students gain the confidence, experience, and skill critical for literacy success and, more importantly, see themselves as successful students. - Unlike traditional professional development that focuses on everything but the teacher, Ms. Young trains teachers to teach students to connect knowledge, ideas, language to learning in myriad of ways. There is an emphasis on learning strategies, reading, and writing, and the curriculum is composed of high-interest thematic units, all of which promote literacy and are centered on a series of core teaching strategies and techniques. A series of intensive sessions have begun with our ninth grade English teachers, with the intention to adopt and use the literacy curriculum and to enhance teacher instructional repertoire. Teachers receive monthly training offsite, and administrators visit classrooms and discuss progress regularly. - In addition to these training sessions, teachers have been provided with comprehensive high-interest classroom libraries, fluency and CLOZE assessment criteria, and electronic curriculum units. - Pebble Creek encourages consistent student achievement across content areas, improves literacy skills, fosters a professional learning community for teachers, expands teachers instructional repertoire, and supports student s membership in a literacy community.!33

Develop a clear and coherent assessment system that will identify students who do not meet academic standards - With the move to Common Core assessments including the CAASP and a restructuring of some of the core class curricula, departments at Kennedy have had ample opportunities to analyze internal assessments strategies and tools. Many of the assessments used previously, including department benchmark tests, may be less useful with the shift to Common Core. - The Social Science department has largely stopped using its common writing rubric in favor of the Common Core Persuasive Writing rubric. Since the State of California no longer tests students on their knowledge of Social Studies content, there has been a general shift in assessment strategies away from multiple-choice questions to writing assessments that measure literacy and analytical skills. - The English Department has worked to evaluate student academic performance by adding a CSU Placement test into the 11th grade curriculum. Teachers use the results from this test to determine what class students should take their senior year and possibly what intervention strategies may help a student to be college-ready. - The shift to Common Core led the Sacramento City Unified School District to eliminate Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra II. These courses were replaced with Math 1 and Math 2. Because of this change, the Math Department has abandoned their assessment tests used for Algebra and Geometry students. The department has chosen a version of the Common Core standards and in in the process of adopting and/or creating common benchmark assessments for analysis of mathematical literacy competence.!34

Seek and research appropriate interventions for students that do not meet standards - Parents and students alike recognize the importance of providing supports for struggling students. - Little more than half of students surveyed reported feeling confident or very confident that they could pass the new Integrated Math 1 or Math 2 courses, and just over 40% feel satisfied with the level of support offered to struggling students. - Parents shared their children s concern, with only about 40% feeling satisfied or very satisfied with the level of services provided. - While Kennedy lacks sufficient data to determine school-wide academic progress due to the change of State testing, departments and individual teachers have varied means of assessing students. Often times it will be determined that a student or group of students is struggling to meet academic standards. The needs of these students are addressed by the administration, departments, academies, and individual teachers. - The administration at Kennedy has implemented changes in policy and procedure to reduce the number of suspensions of Kennedy students. While the admin team is committed to addressing behavior concerns swiftly and justly, strategies are now more focused on restorative justice than punishments. This has relevance to student academic performance because the more school a student misses for suspension, the more behind they feel and the more difficult it becomes for them to succeed. The suspension rate at JFK dropped from 8% in 2012 to just 3% in 2013 and there is a significant reduction in the disproportionate number of African American suspension. As a result, students miss much less class periods and have more confidence.!35

- To further aid in reaching students with needs, our two counselors assigned to the Freshman class,mr. Norman and Ms. DiBasilio, are helping to implement creative solutions to the problems freshmen face, including high numbers of classes failed. Currently, these two counselors are attending trainings for P.B.I.S. (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports), and S.E.L. (Social and Emotional Learning) to gain the knowledge and tools needed to reach struggling students. - In accordance with the 2013 WASC report and Kennedy SDIP, money was allocated for the hiring of two additional counselors, bringing the total to five. This has made it much easier for counselors to identify and help struggling students, rather than focus all of their time on scheduling. Counselors offer individual meetings with students, coordination of parent teacher conferences, referral to mental health providers, classroom presentations, as well as college and career information evenings. The counseling department also coordinates with CALSOAP, an organization that meets with students several times throughout the year in group and individual settings to plan for and assess readiness for college. - Several departments on campus, including Math and Science have posted tutoring schedules where students can find homework help at various days and times. The English Department has agreed that no student should have to feel that they are on their own. There is a consensus that teachers should make themselves available for office hours. The Art department makes use of preferential seating and heterogenous grouping on projects, and offers extra-credit for struggling students. The P.E. Department uses Infinite Campus to identify struggling students and makes calls home. - Programs such as PACE and MAD have intervention plans to help identify students who are in jeopardy of failing multiple classes. One PACE teacher collects data on!36

struggling students, contacts the students instructors and parents, and coordinates a meeting time. Teachers and parents develop a plan to help the identified student improve performance. the PACE coordinator then follows up with teachers and monitors grades, though this has become more difficult as teachers have had trouble accessing information about students not enrolled in their particular classes (this was not a problem with Zangle, the Student Information System previously used at Kennedy). - Well over half of parents surveyed feel satisfied or very satisfied with the level of communication they receive from teachers at Kennedy, with only around 8% responding negatively. - Nearly 80% of students reported that their teachers are at least somewhat effective in using Infinite Campus to record and communicate grades. - Several teachers have made use of tools in Infinite Campus to send emails to the parents of students who are struggling. Other means of communication include programs such as Engrade, Edmodo, Remind101, email and SMS. Infinite Campus also includes reports of missing assignments and an attendance record that can be printed out. Several teachers send these home with struggling students and have parents review and return the report. There is a culture at Kennedy that parents should be given information about their students performance before grades are submitted quarterly and at Semesters end. For example,kennedy Administration requires all teachers to have a syllabus posted as an attachment on Infinite Campus. Departments were all required to develop common grading categories and percentages to help students and parents understand what is required to succeed. Teachers are also encouraged to post assignments on Infinite Campus well in advance of due dates.!37

- Kennedy began the 2015-16 school year with an agreement known as the JFK Communication Expectations. This document details the best practices all teachers, administrators, and support staff are to use in maintaining effective communication with stakeholders. Incorporate Literacy into all subjects in accordance with the Common Core State Standards - Parents expressed concern about the school s transition to Common Core curricula. According to the parent survey, only 24% of parents feel comfortable or very comfortable with that transition. - The administrative team at Kennedy is committed to helping departments and all teachers feel competent in their abilities to teach and assess students using Common Core curriculum and strategies. Each department has been offered release time and/or professional development hours to attend training on the Common Core. The Math and English departments have begun developing common curriculum and assessments. As stated, the Math department has chosen a common core curriculum and have begun creating common assessments in line with the new Math courses. - There is still a need for Science and Social Science to take greater advantage of professional development on Common Core and use common-planning time to develop common curricula and assessments. - When CAASP data is available, it will be necessary for departments to analyze scores and determine how curriculum and instruction can be modified or supplemented to improve student learning and performance.!38

V. School-Wide Action Plan Refinement and Appendix Despite the difficult set of circumstances surrounding the shift to Common Core and a new Student Information System, the Kennedy staff has taken great care to implement suggestions made by the 2013 WASC committee. The administration used the report to create and update action plans in the SDIP, wherein monies were allocated and criteria set up to evaluate progress. Departments were involved in professional development and common planning to incorporate literacy, align curriculum to Common Core standards, develop common assessments in line with new curricular standards and set up interventions for struggling students. There are a number of areas in which the Kennedy staff can continue to work toward improvement to ensure critical needs are met and the needs of students are better addressed. - More time must be allotted and funding allocated for Common Core and academic literacy Training. Only 24% of staff members were satisfied with the amount of Common Core professional development they have received, and only 26% of the staff feels that professional development improved [their] ability to effectively implement and assess aspects of academic literacy to a large extent or even to a moderate extent (Staff Survey). Only 33% feel very confident or moderately confident with their abilities to differentiate [their] teaching for students of varying levels of competency (Staff Survey). - The Administrative team can help by playing a more active and visible role with the staff and holding departments and teachers accountable. Only 21% of the teachers at Kennedy reported a classroom visit by an administrator at least once a quarter (Staff Survey). Valuable feedback is also vital to improving teaching and learning at!39