Comprehensive School Improvement. Plan. Paducah Tilghman High School

Comprehensive School Improvement Plan Paducah Independent Schools Mr. Arthur F Davis, Principal 2400 Washington Paducah, KY 42003-3298 Document Generated On February 4, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Executive Summary Introduction 3 Description of the School 4 School's Purpose 5 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 6 Additional Information 7 KDE Needs Assessment Introduction 9 Data Analysis 10 Areas of Strengths 11 Opportunities for Improvement 12 Conclusion 13 Response for Required Action: TELL Survey Overview 15 Goals Summary 16 Goal 1: Increase the combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the non-duplicated gap group from 33% in 2012 to 66.5% in 2017. 17 Activity Summary by Funding Source 18

Response for Required Action: Achievement Gaps Overview 20 Goals Summary 21 Goal 1: Increase the combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the non-duplicated gap group from 33% in 2012 to 66.5% in 2017. 22 Activity Summary by Funding Source 24 Response for Required Action: Freshman Graduation Rates Overview 27 Goals Summary 28 Goal 1: Increase the average freshman graduation rate from 76% to 90% by 2015. 29 Activity Summary by Funding Source 31 Response for Required Action: Program Reviews Overview 34 Goals Summary 35 Goal 1: Increase the combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the non-duplicated gap group from 33% in 2012 to 66.5% in 2017. 36 Activity Summary by Funding Source 37

Introduction The process of Improvement Planning in Kentucky is used as the means of determining how schools and districts will plan to ensure that students reach proficiency and beyond by 2014. The process focuses school and district improvement efforts on student needs by bringing together all stakeholders to plan for improvement, by focusing planning efforts on priority needs and closing achievement gaps between subgroups of students, by building upon school and district capacity for high quality planning, and by making connections between the funds that flow into the district and the priority needs in schools. Your school's plans for improvement must be based on careful and honest analysis of data, address all content areas, and clearly address gaps in student achievement. SY 2012-2013 Page 1

Executive Summary SY 2012-2013 Page 2

Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. SY 2012-2013 Page 3

Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? is the single high school of Paducah Independent Schools in far western Kentucky. We serve a diverse student population, which is one of our greatest strengths. We have a total enrollment of approximately 820 students, with 44% white, 41% African American, 8% two or more races and 5% Hispanic/Latino. Over the past several years, our student body has been growing. Some of this is due to high school consolidation in the county school system; many students do not want to attend a large high school. We also have always drawn top students from throughout the county because of our strong Honors and Advanced Placement program. We also have a large percentage of students living in poverty. Approximately sixty-two percent of our students receive free or reduced lunches. Paducah is one of the largest cities between St. Louis and Nashville and many of our students have transient home lives and do not stay with us for all four years. Our counselors and Family Resources Center do an excellent job of guiding these students, but we do not allow poverty or home lives to become an excuse. SY 2012-2013 Page 4

School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Our school's purpose states: The faculty and staff of accept the responsibility to offer ALL students the opportunity to achieve at high levels of academic performance and to grow socially and emotionally in a safe and orderly environment. In academics, we offer a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum and our goal is to graduate students who not only are proficient at high stakes testing, but are truly prepared for the rigors of college. We offer 14 Advanced Placement classes and teachers encourage students to take these higher level classes. This year, we changed our schedule from a six to a seven period day. This will allow us more opportunities to get students career ready through vocational classes and it also makes it possible for top students to better schedule their elective classes. Our students also have a unique opportunity for social development in a diverse setting. We are large enough to offer a wide array of sports, clubs and extra-curricular activities, but small enough that we get to know our students very well. The faculty is attuned to our students' needs and provides the appropriate assistance or referrals. For many of our students, this school is the only healthy, stable and caring thing in their lives. When we have a student who is in crisis or is about to slip through the cracks, we do something about it. SY 2012-2013 Page 5

Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Tilghman has had many recent achievements. In 2012, our pass rate on the Advanced Placement tests was 59% compared to the national average of 29%. We are in our second year of placing students at the Commonwealth Middle College. In this program, ten students from the junior class are selected from applications. In two years, they complete all of their high school graduation requirements, plus at least 18 credit hours of college coursework. We had three National Merit Semi-Finalists in the class of 2013 and one finalist in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. Since May 2012, seven of our students have made perfect 36 scores on one of the ACT sub-tests. Our overarching goal this year is to achieve the level of Proficiency under the state accountability system. We know that in order to reach Proficiency we must improve our Gap score. SY 2012-2013 Page 6

Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. SY 2012-2013 Page 7

KDE Needs Assessment SY 2012-2013 Page 8

Introduction The purpose of the School Needs Assessment is to use data and information to prioritize allocation of resources and activities. SY 2012-2013 Page 9

Data Analysis What question(s) are you trying to answer with the data and information provided to you? What does the data/information tell you? What does the data/information not tell you? Our Accountability Index was 50.7, which placed us in the middle of the "Needs Improvement" grouping of high schools. We were glad to not be labeled as a "Focus School", but we were still 7.3 accountability points away from being "Proficient." We can see that our school's biggest problem is the achievement gap, particularly in Algebra 2, US History and Biology. Our 68.6% graduation rate for the class of 2011 was a big drop for us and we already know that the graduation rate for the class of 2012 will be 78%. SY 2012-2013 Page 10

Areas of Strengths What were the areas of strength you noted? What actions are you implementing to sustain the areas of strength? What is there cause to celebrate? ACT scores improved again from 2011 to 2012, and we believe we now know what movement is required from 10th grade PLAN to 11th grade ACT for a student to count as a growth point. To keep the momentum on EPAS testing, we are using the item analysis from students' PLAN tests. We have organized how each student responded to every question on the PLAN to show teachers where they need to focus. We are using commonly missed concepts as bell ringers in Math, English and Science classes. Our school's College and Career Readiness increased dramatically from 2011 (38%) to 2012 (52.4%). We are pushing to reach 57% readiness with the class of 2013. Our senior transitional courses, known as Math Success Lab and English Success Lab have been working well in preparing students to re-take the ACT or to make college readiness benchmarks through COMPASS testing. SY 2012-2013 Page 11

Opportunities for Improvement What were areas in need of improvement? What plans are you making to improve the areas of need? We need to improve in the Gap area of accountability. Over 62% of our students are on Free or Reduced lunch and 55% of our student body is minority. So we have a very large gap population. But our 2012 accountability score of 31.9% in Gap was unacceptable. Our teachers have each developed a "Gap Goal" and have identified individual students who they believe are capable of reaching proficiency on end-ofcourse tests and on-demand-writing. At the conclusion of quarterly benchmark testing, administrators meet with the teachers in small groups to review the results and tie them back to their gap goals. Our reported graduation rate of 68.6% for the class of 2011 was also an area to improve. We have worked to refine our credit recovery and alternative school programs to keep students on track for graduation. Since poor attendance is the beginning of many graduation problems, counselors and administrators on the Attendance Committee are identifying students early who are having attendance issues and meeting with parents to encourage daily attendance. SY 2012-2013 Page 12

Conclusion Reflect on your answers provided in the previous sections. What are your next steps in addressing areas of concern? We are taking the right steps, but we need to begin taking them sooner. We are doing this with the parent meetings for at-risk students and with the senior success labs. If we get our 2013 test results back in August, then we will be able to hold our school data disaggregation day earlier in the school year and identify target students earlier in the year and have more opportunities to drive remediation and re-teaching. SY 2012-2013 Page 13

Response for Required Action: TELL Survey SY 2012-2013 Page 14

Overview Plan Name Response for Required Action: TELL Survey Plan Rationale The school has identified specific strategies to address areas for improvement identified in the TELL KY Survey results. Addresses Required Action Statement TELL Survey Description The school has identified specific strategies to address areas for improvement identified in the TELL KY Survey results. SY 2012-2013 Page 15

Goals Summary The following is a summary of the goals encompassed in this plan. The details for each goal are available in the next section. # Goal Name Goal Details Goal Type Measurable Objective Total Funding 1 Increase the combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the non-duplicated gap group from 33% in 2012 to 66.5% in 2017. Objectives: 1 Strategies: 1 Activities: 1 Organizational Collaborate to increase Paducah Tilghman High School's average combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the nonduplicated gap grooup from 30.1% to 37.1% by 05/24/2013 as measured by the Unbridled Learning achievement gap formula. $0 SY 2012-2013 Page 16

Activity Summary by Funding Source Below is a breakdown of your activities by funding source No Funding Required Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Departmental PLC's Departments will meet twice per month and have a Professional professional discussion revolving around student Learning achievement. And administrator will participate and keep the focus on which students are not yet proficient, why they are not, and what can be done about it. Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, Department Chairs Total $0 SY 2012-2013 Page 18

Response for Required Action: Achievement Gaps SY 2012-2013 Page 19

Overview Plan Name Response for Required Action: Achievement Gaps Plan Rationale With nearly 4 out of every 5 students in our school considered "Gap", every teacher must focus on the achievement gap. Our instructional strategies and professional development are geared toward teaching gap students. Addresses Required Action Statement Achievement Gaps Description The school identified specific strategies to address subgroup achievement gaps. SY 2012-2013 Page 20

Goals Summary The following is a summary of the goals encompassed in this plan. The details for each goal are available in the next section. # Goal Name Goal Details Goal Type Measurable Objective Total Funding 1 Increase the combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the non-duplicated gap group from 33% in 2012 to 66.5% in 2017. Objectives: 1 Strategies: 3 Activities: 4 Organizational Collaborate to increase Paducah Tilghman High School's average combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the nonduplicated gap grooup from 30.1% to 37.1% by 05/24/2013 as measured by the Unbridled Learning achievement gap formula. $75300 SY 2012-2013 Page 21

Goal 1: Increase the combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the nonduplicated gap group from 33% in 2012 to 66.5% in 2017. Measurable Objective 1: Collaborate to increase 's average combined reading and math proficiency ratings for all students in the non-duplicated gap grooup from 30.1% to 37.1% by 05/24/2013 as measured by the Unbridled Learning achievement gap formula. Strategy 1: Remediate Struggling Readers - An additional teacher will be assigned to the English department to work with freshmen who are struggling readers. Activity - Remedial 9th grade Reading class Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Source Of Funding Staff Responsible A 9th grade Reading course will be mandatory for incoming 9th graders that score below 11 on the 8th grade EXPLORE test. These "reluctant readers" will be given direct reading instruction one period per day by a certified teacher. Progress will be measured through both the ACHIEVE 3000 and the STAR Reader programs. Direct Instruction 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $73500 Title I SIG Principal Strategy 2: Professional Development - Teachers will receive 4 days of professional development training that is relevant to their job duties. Activity - EPAS Professional Development Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Teachers will receive a day of training on how to prepare students for PLAN and ACT tests and how to interpret results to drive their instruction. Professional Learning Source Of Funding Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $1800 General Fund Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Activity - Data Analysis Day Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned All staff will attend a day of professional development devoted to analyzing student test results, discussing departmental improvement plans and identifying specific students who we believe can become Proficient this year. Professional Learning Source Of Funding 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 No Funding Required Staff Responsible Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Strategy 3: Professional Learning Communities - Teachers will benefit from regularly meeting in small departmental groups to discuss data analysis, formative assessments and instructional strategies for gap students. SY 2012-2013 Page 22

Activity - Departmental PLC's Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Departments will meet twice per month and have a professional discussion revolving around student achievement. And administrator will participate and keep the focus on which students are not yet proficient, why they are not, and what can be done about it. Professional Learning Source Of Funding 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 No Funding Required Staff Responsible Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, Department Chairs SY 2012-2013 Page 23

Activity Summary by Funding Source Below is a breakdown of your activities by funding source General Fund Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned EPAS Professional Development Title I SIG No Funding Required Teachers will receive a day of training on how to prepare students for PLAN and ACT tests and how to interpret results to drive their instruction. Professional Learning Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $1800 Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Total $1800 Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Staff Responsible Remedial 9th grade Reading A 9th grade Reading course will be mandatory for incoming Direct 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $73500 Principal class 9th graders that score below 11 on the 8th grade EXPLORE Instruction test. These "reluctant readers" will be given direct reading instruction one period per day by a certified teacher. Progress will be measured through both the ACHIEVE 3000 and the STAR Reader programs. Total $73500 Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Data Analysis Day All staff will attend a day of professional development Professional devoted to analyzing student test results, discussing Learning departmental improvement plans and identifying specific students who we believe can become Proficient this year. Departmental PLC's Departments will meet twice per month and have a professional discussion revolving around student achievement. And administrator will participate and keep the focus on which students are not yet proficient, why they are not, and what can be done about it. Professional Learning Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, Department Chairs SY 2012-2013 Page 24

Total $0 SY 2012-2013 Page 25

Response for Required Action: Freshman Graduation Rates SY 2012-2013 Page 26

Overview Plan Name Response for Required Action: Freshman Graduation Rates Plan Rationale We expect to have an AFGR for the class of 2012 of 78%, up from 68.6% the prior year. Addresses Required Action Statement Freshman Graduation Rates Description The school identified specific strategies to increase the average freshman graduation rate. SY 2012-2013 Page 27

Goals Summary The following is a summary of the goals encompassed in this plan. The details for each goal are available in the next section. # Goal Name Goal Details Goal Type Measurable Objective Total Funding 1 Increase the average freshman graduation rate from 76% to 90% by 2015. Objectives: Strategies: 4 1 Activities: 5 Organizational Collaborate to increase Paducah Tilghman High School's graduation rate from 68.6% to 71.3% by 05/24/2013 as measured by Average Freshman Graduation Rate. $80500 SY 2012-2013 Page 28

Goal 1: Increase the average freshman graduation rate from 76% to 90% by 2015. Measurable Objective 1: Collaborate to increase 's graduation rate from 68.6% to 71.3% by 05/24/2013 as measured by Average Freshman Graduation Rate. Strategy 1: Online Credit Recovery - The SBDM will continue our Credit Recovery program for students who have fallen behind on credits and are in danger of not graduating in four years. Activity - In-School Credit Recovery Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Identified students are assigned to one or more periods each day to be in Credit Recovery. They will be supervised by a certified teacher and will work at self-paced modules in core content and electives online through the Apex system. Upon completion, the student may be returned to a regular schedule of instruction. Direct Instruction Source Of Funding Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $64500 Title I SIG Dean of Students, Credit Recovery Teacher Activity - Transitions Room Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned The Transitions room will be a resource similar to the Credit Recovery room, except for students with IEP's. It may also be used to temporarily transition a student back to the high school who is returning from alternative school. Direct Instruction Source Of Funding 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 No Funding Required Staff Responsible Dean of Students, Transitions teacher Strategy 2: Summer School - After 2nd semester grades are finalized, the guidance counselors will use the failure list to invite students to summer school. A letter will be mailed home notifying the parents of the failure and the opportunity to make the credit up in June. Activity - Use approved courses on Apex system to recover credits. Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Summer school will be from 8:00-11:30 am each weekday for three weeks. There will be a director and five teachers supervising student progress on the computer. Lunch and transportation will be provided and upon completion of the credit, the student no longer attends. Strategy 3: Direct Instruction Parent meetings - When teachers see a student with non-cognitive problems, the Dean will be notified and will schedule a parent meeting for before or after school. The meeting will address behavior, attendance and motivation issues as well as any academic problems that may arise. Source Of Funding Staff Responsible 06/10/2013 06/28/2013 $8000 Other Asst Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Guidance Counselor SY 2012-2013 Page 29

Activity - Parent meetings for at-risk students Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned At these meetings, all of the student's teachers will be present to review progress and bring up any problems they are seeing. This keeps the parents informed, gives everybody a chance to agree upon how to address the issues and serves as a notice to the student that we are seeing warning signs of problems. Parent Involvement Source Of Funding 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 No Funding Required Staff Responsible Dean of Students Strategy 4: Extended School Services - ESS will be held after school from 2:30 to 4:00 pm each Tuesday and Thursday. Activity - After School ESS Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned The certified teachers who staff the ESS program will provide extra instruction, tutoring and homework assistance for struggling students. It will also be the preferred place for students to make up tests when returning from absences to avoid missing additional instruction. Source Of Funding Staff Responsible Tutoring 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $8000 Other Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction SY 2012-2013 Page 30

Activity Summary by Funding Source Below is a breakdown of your activities by funding source Title I SIG Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned In-School Credit Recovery Identified students are assigned to one or more periods Direct each day to be in Credit Recovery. They will be supervised Instruction by a certified teacher and will work at self-paced modules in core content and electives online through the Apex system. Upon completion, the student may be returned to a regular schedule of instruction. Other No Funding Required Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $64500 Dean of Students, Credit Recovery Teacher Total $64500 Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Use approved courses on Apex system to recover credits. After School ESS Summer school will be from 8:00-11:30 am each weekday for three weeks. There will be a director and five teachers supervising student progress on the computer. Lunch and transportation will be provided and upon completion of the credit, the student no longer attends. The certified teachers who staff the ESS program will provide extra instruction, tutoring and homework assistance for struggling students. It will also be the preferred place for students to make up tests when returning from absences to avoid missing additional instruction. Direct Instruction Staff Responsible 06/10/2013 06/28/2013 $8000 Asst Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Guidance Counselor Tutoring 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $8000 Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Total $16000 Activity Name Activity Description Activity Type Begin Date End Date Resource Assigned Transitions Room The Transitions room will be a resource similar to the Credit Direct Recovery room, except for students with IEP's. It may also Instruction be used to temporarily transition a student back to the high school who is returning from alternative school. Staff Responsible 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 Dean of Students, Transitions teacher SY 2012-2013 Page 31

Parent meetings for at-risk students At these meetings, all of the student's teachers will be present to review progress and bring up any problems they are seeing. This keeps the parents informed, gives everybody a chance to agree upon how to address the issues and serves as a notice to the student that we are seeing warning signs of problems. Parent Involvement 08/09/2012 05/24/2013 $0 Dean of Students Total $0 SY 2012-2013 Page 32

Response for Required Action: Program Reviews SY 2012-2013 Page 33

Overview Plan Name Response for Required Action: Program Reviews Plan Rationale One thing we have done this year to improve our Arts and Humanities program is to develop a School-wide Arts Program Policy. This new policy was unanimously passed by the SBDM. Addresses Required Action Statement Program Reviews Description The school identified specific strategies to increase the percentage of distinguished programs in the arts and humanities, PL/CS and writing. SY 2012-2013 Page 34