Comprehensive Secondary School Reform Plan: Review, Request

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Comprehensive Secondary School Reform
PlanReview, Request

• Richard C. Slutzky
• Vice President
• Harford County Council

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Concept 1 Equalize credit offerings at all
comprehensive high schools

• Good Intentions
• Consolidation and Focus of HCPS Resources
• Textbook acquisition
• Textbook replacement
• Teacher training

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• Good intentions (Cont.)
• New teacher supports
• Curricular alignment efficiency
• Predictable course offerings and numbers
• Identification of most advantageous course format
• Similar class lengths per day to facilitate
  instructional planning efficiency reduce the
  need to modify individual periods.

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Questions

• How many classes are not formatted uniformly at
  all Harford County Schools?
• What do teachers believe is the effect of the
  misalignment of class time with existing lesson
  plans and textbook format on teacher planning and
  student learning?

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Questions

• How many schedules had to be done by hand after
  CSSRP vs. prior years on a school by school
  basis?
• How many students believe they did not get a
  schedule that is relevant to their needs and
  interests?

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Block Schedule Intended Goals

• Less repetition of instructional routines
• More time for extended instructional experiences
• Students seldom miss the entire last period of
  instruction
• Preponderance of longer periods minimizes the
  absence of students from the last period and
  reduces teacher responsibility for addressing
  make-up work at a future point in time

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Questions

• What is the actual use of teacher time in the
  classroom?
• What percent of instructional time do students
  miss as a result of an absence under the block
  schedule vs. an absence under a more traditional
  schedule?

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Concept 2 Increase the graduation credit
requirement to 26 credits for students who will
graduate from HCPS in 2009 and beyond

• Good Intentions
• Purposeful Coursework
• Students receive more related coursework with an
  exit purpose

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• Good intentions (Cont.)
• Rigor is directed to programs of student interest
• The current graduation credit requirements allows
  for excessive Course failure

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Questions

• What course offerings or sections were added to
  master schedules at each high school?
• What is the effect of the added course load on
  student achievement? This data must begin with
  the period prior to the implementation of CSSRP
  and includes
• What is the trend in the distribution of grades
  (As. Bs.etc.) within schools and within HCPS
  beginning before and through the implementation
  of CSSRP?

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Questions

• Effect of added course load (Cont.)
• What changes were seen in the number of students
  with at least one failing grade (ineligibility)
  since the implementation of CSSRP comparing
  results within the schools?
• What percent of students who can benefit from
  remediation take the necessary courses at each
  school and how does this compare to the period
  prior to CSSRP?

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Questions

• Effect of added course load (Cont.)
• What is the trend, beginning before CSSRP, in
  student grades in core courses, and on external
  tests such as AP and SAT tests?

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Concept 3 Organize schools into smaller learning
communities to provide opportunities for students
to spend the school day with a core of students
and adults.

• Good Intentions
• Smaller learning communities will foster more
  effective professional learning community
  dynamics

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• Good Intentions (Cont.)
• Creating smaller personal learning communities
  that foster stronger positive adult - student
  relationships.
• Improved Teacher Workload
• Teachers will engage fewer students daily.
• Daily planning time can be increased 33 - 100
  over non-eight period models.

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• Improved Teacher Workload (Cont.)
• Less engagements per day.
• Reduced grading pressures.

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Questions

• For teachers who experienced an increase in
  student workload due to the block schedule, what
  was the percent increase over pre-CSSRP levels?
• What percent of teachers experience fewer
  engagements per day and more engagements per day
  (Per A/B day cycle)?
• What is the actual change if any in the planning
  time for teachers given that the contract
  stipulates 45 minutes per teacher? This
  represents the least amount of planning time for
  HS teachers in 40 years. What percent of teachers
  are getting more time?

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Questions

• How many students are being served by the online
  CEO element?
• Do students who have experienced both types of
  school organization believe that interacting with
  a smaller group of students and teachers is
  beneficial to their education?
• Do students believe that the LICW course is
  relevant to their success in high school?

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Questions

• What effect has the increased student load had on
  teachers