High School Improvement in Prince George’s County Public Schools

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org

High School Improvementin Prince George’s County Public Schools

Dr. John E. DeasySuperintendent of SchoolsJanuary 11, 2007

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org 2

Prince George’s CountyBoard of Education

R. Owen Johnson, Jr., ChairVerjeana M. Jacobs, Esq., Vice Chair

Donna Hathaway BeckPat J. Fletcher

Heather IliffRosalind A. Johnson

Linda Thornton ThomasNathaniel B. ThomasRon L. Watson, Ph.D.

Leslie D. Hall, Student MemberJohn E. Deasy, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools

and Secretary/Treasurer


Improving High Schools

• Current State• Structure Improvements and Capacity Building• Signature Academic Programs• Career Technical Programs• Redesign for Success• Small Learning Communities


Current StateRegions

• Regions consist of between 25,000 to 30,000 students and 1700 – 2000 staff

• Regional offices have 30 – 34 staff members• Regional model designed to support 36 - 44 schools consisting of

Pre-K to 12th grade students• High school service and support competes with the needs of

elementary and middle school• Regional staff must generalize support that addresses all K-12 • Teacher and leadership development occurs but occurs

infrequently because of the stress on regional staff


Current State16 of the 23 High Schools in School Improvement

• Bladensburg High• Bowie High• Crossland High• DuVal High• Fairmont Heights High• Forestville Military Academy• Frederick Douglass High• Friendly High• Gwynn Park High• High Point High• Largo High• Laurel High• Northwestern High• Parkdale High• Suitland High• Surrattsville High


Current StateDeclining SAT Scores - VERBAL

400

420

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

SY04 SY05 SY06

PGCPSMarylandNation


Current StateDeclining SAT Scores - MATH

400

420

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

SY04 SY05 SY06

PGCPSMarylandNation


Current StateDeclining SAT Scores - OVERALL

800

850

900

950

1000

1050

1100

SY04 SY05 SY06

PGCPSMarylandNation


Current StateProficiency Levels That Are Below TargetsAnticipated Decrease In HSA Algebra Scores


Current StateOngoing Suspension and Truancy Concerns


Current StateReactive Intervention

• While some interventions exists that deal with student success prior to assessments (High School ELOs, SAT prep) most occur as a postscript of an assessment or a course (twilight, summer school, evening school, Saturday school, etc.)


Structure and Capacity

• Create a Consortium of High Schools• Consortium would be led by an assistant superintendent • Other staff with high school teaching and leadership experience would be

identified to provide support for high school curriculum and programs

• Dedicate systemic support by lifting high schools out of existing regions to form a set of structures and service• Alignment of organization, mission operations and options for students

• Target professional development to the needs of the high schools• Emphasize Rigor, Relationships and Results• Emphasize college readiness and/or preparation for work choices• Prepare those choosing options other than college for work force

entry skills – school to career


Signature ProgramsAcademic

• Plan, create, develop, staff and support Signature Academic Academy options at all high schools. Academy options could include:• Math and Science • Performing Arts• Finance• Architecture• Education• Aeronautics and Space• Middle College• World Languages• International Baccalaureate Academies• JROTC• College Excel


Signature ProgramsCareer and Technical

• Develop and support Career and Technical options for our high school students that will foster a pathway to a career option or college.

• Include a rigorous unified curriculum, increased learning options and programs, expanded academic and counseling support, and state-of-the-art learning laboratories• Some stand alone• Some site-based in our schools

• Require technical certifications and apprenticeships that lead to a skilled tradesman designation

• Examples may include:• Medical Academies• Construction Academies (Architecture, Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrical, etc.)• Transportation• Hospitality and Tourism• Culinary• Manufacturing


Redesign for SuccessOur Promise - 1 Goal - Many Means

• All graduates college ready• Provide a high quality education for all students in our

county• Celebrate the return of students who have left our system

for non-public schools• Enhance and expand early intervention strategies for

struggling students• Expand external options for students who want to complete

high school and enter the work force• Enhance acceptance and retention in college• Celebrate the return and success of students who have

dropped out


Small Learning Communitiesfor all Existing Schools

• Develop transition activities and ninth grade academies that produce opportunities to successfully transition from middle to high school

• Implement choice options and school within-a-school models to dramatically decrease the size and scope of the high schools

• Connect students with adults in each school who serve as advisors, mentors, academic coaches, etc

• Organize schools around career themes• Aeronautics, Engineering, Education, etc

• Seek grant and philanthropic funding to implement, sustain and support

• Integrate career and technical instruction


Timelines

• Board of Education endorsement of concepts• 06-07 - Planning• 07-08 - Planning

> Establish partners- University track- Work force- Academic Academy Sponsor

• 07-08 - Implementation• 08-09 - Implementation• 09-10 - At Scale


Prince George’s CountyPublic Schools

Documents

High School Improvement in Prince George’s County Public Schools