School of Social Empowerment - lausd.k12.ca.us .pdfLETTER OF INTENT. 3 ... The School of Social Empowerment proposal will be drafted through a collective ... Zendi Solano UCLA Harbor

A Small School Learning Community Proposal for

Alain Leroy Locke High School of the

Los Angeles Unified School District located in

South Los Angeles

A School of Social Responsibility and

Individual Empowerment Teaching for social justice is teaching that arouses students, engages them in a quest to identify obstacles to their full humanity, to their freedom, and then to drive, to move against those obstacles. And so the fundamental message of the teacher for social justice is: You can change the world.

-William Ayers Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.

- Paulo Freire

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SCHOOL OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT

LETTER OF INTENT

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Alain Leroy Locke High School School of Social Empowerment

325 E. 111th St. Los Angeles, CA 90061

October 9, 2006 Carol Truscott Los Angeles Unified School District Local District I 10616 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90047 Dear Ms. Trescott, The following letter constitutes our response to a request for small learning community proposals:

We intend to develop a small school that builds rigorous and relevant curriculum across content areas reflecting a social responsibility and empowerment theme. We envision our school building partnerships within and around the Locke High School and greater Los Angeles communities.

Our SLC design team is comprised of parents, students, and teachers from a variety of departments and school leadership roles. Mr. Smith is the English department chair and has taught abroad in Korea. Mr. Osterhaus, Ms. Mata, and Mr. Hartford are trained AVID teachers who have demonstrated success in a college-oriented program.

Unified Vision:

The School of Social Empowerment is committed to fostering a community of empowered learners and socially conscious and concerned citizens. Our educators, students, and their families will participate in a school culture that prioritizes academic achievement and college preparation while building character and personal responsibility in each of us. Toward this goal we will demand and provide a rigorous, relevant and personalized curriculum for every student. We plan to support the college application process though a dedicated elective class. We will enhance our curriculum through interdisciplinary units, focusing on issues of local and global social justice. As a small school team, we will employ a model of collaborative decision making and share school-wide responsibilities.

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Expected Learning Goals:

Reflecting upon the above vision, our SCL will pursue the following goals of student achievement.

• 100% of SE students will be enrolled in a program of study personally designed to fulfill their graduation and A-G entrance requirements.

• 100% of SE students will be enrolled in a Guidance class designed to foster academic achievement, social responsibility, and a college going culture.

• 100% of SE students will pass the CAHSEE exam in both math and English by their 12th grade year.

• 100% of graduating seniors will have completed a community service learning project of their own design.

• Daily in-seat attendance will be 95% • Algebra I pass rates will increase by 15% compared to the 2004-2005 school year. • Senior Graduation rate will increase by 15% compared to the 2004-2005 school

year. In addition, by the time students graduate, they should be able to explain the California college entrance requirements and evaluate their progress in relation to those requirements. Students will also demonstrate the ability to identify local and global issues of social justice and propose action plans to rectify them. Drafting the Proposal: The School of Social Empowerment proposal will be drafted through a collective effort by all stakeholders. Meetings will be held during the summer months and the design team will elicit feedback from parents and students on every decision to be made. Decisions that cannot be determined by consensus will be decided by a vote of the design team. Students, parents, and teachers present at design meetings will be given an equal vote. Sincerely,

Joshua Hartford Coordinator, School of Social Empowerment 310-480-4408 [email protected]

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School of Social Empowerment

Design Team

Member Credential Contact Information

Joshua Hartford: SSE Coordinator AVID/ AP Physics/ Physics/ Biology Teacher

Teach for America Alumnus

Brown University B.S., Biochemistry Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education CLAD

(310) 480-4408 [email protected]

Regina Risi: SSE Counselor AVID/ English Teacher School Counselor AVID Coordinator AVID/ Los Angeles County Office of Education Program Specialist and Training Consultant

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo B.A., English Single Subject CA Clear Credential, English California State University,

Dominguez Hills M.A., Secondary Education PPS School Counseling Credential


Liza Levine: AVID/ English/ Language Teacher

Smith College B.A., English Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education CLAD


Chi Nguyen: AVID/ Chemistry/ Biology Teacher

University of California, Los Angeles B.S., Cognitive Science M.Ed., Secondary Education CLAD


Andrew Osterhaus: AVID/ AP Chemistry/ Chemistry/ Biology Teacher

University of Washington B.S., Neurobiology M.A., Secondary Education CLAD


Martha Mata: AVID/ Algebra I & II Teacher

University of Notre Dame B.A., Management Information Systems California State University, Dominguez Hills CLAD


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Chad Soleo: AVID/ English/ AP English Literature/ Journalism Teacher AVID Coordinator AVID/ Los Angeles County Office of Education Training Consultant Teach for America Alumnus

University of Arizona B.A., English Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education CLAD Tier I Administrative Credential

(310) 995-5625 (310) 921-2980 [email protected]

Ailey Kato: AVID/ English Teacher

Teach for America Corps

Member

Western Washington University B.A., English

Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education (pending) CLAD (pending)


Frank Wiley: Social Studies Teacher University of California, Los

Angeles B.A., History Single Subject CA Credential, Social Studies


Deepshikha Ahlawat: Social Studies Teacher University of Delhi, India

B.A., Geography Education

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India M.A., Geography Single Subject CA Credential, Social Studies

(323) 757-9381

Bruce Smith: English/ AP English Language/ AP English Literature Teacher English Department Chair ESL Supervisor of Instruction, Konkuk University, Korea Faculty Advisor, Teach for America Master Teacher, Pepperdine University

University of California, Los Angeles B.A., English Single Subject CA Clear Credential, English

University of Oxford, England AP English Literature Academy

(949) 331-3467

Contributing Educators

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Maryanne Kiley: AVID/ English Teacher

Teach for America Alumna Managing Director of Recruitment, Teach for America

Wellesley College B.A., English Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education CLAD

maryanne.kiley@ teachforamerica.org

T. Paul Powell: Algebra II/ Trigonometry Teacher Teach for America Alumnus Program Director, New York

Teach for America

Goucher College B.S., Mathematics Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education CLAD

[email protected]

Matthew Timblin: English/AP English

Language Teacher

Teach for America Alumnus

University of Puget Sound B.A., English

[email protected]

Contributing Consultants Lia Rozmiarek: English/ Language/ Ethnic Studies/ US History/ AP Government and Economics/ Dramatic Arts Teacher

Carnegie Mellon University B.A., Professional Writing B.A., History and Policy Loyola Marymount University M.A., Secondary Education CLAD


Students/ Alumni Alicia Prieto Locke High School Graduate, 2004

Dartmouth College (323) 777-7368

Miguel Montiel Locke High School Graduate, 2005

University of California, Santa Cruz


Julio Gomez Locke High School Graduate, 2005 Dartmouth College


Celso Alvarez Locke High School Graduate, 2005 Dickinson College

(323) 779-5076

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Yazmin Bastida-Serrano Locke High School Graduate, 2005 University of California, Santa Cruz


Aida Avila Locke High School Graduate, 2005 California State University, Los Angeles

(323) 683-1933

Javier Solano Locke High School, Class of 2006 (323) 755-3707 [email protected]

Alvin Green Locke High School, Class of 2006 (323) 755-6296 Valarie Hernandez Locke High School, Class of 2006 (323) 754-2752

[email protected] Parent(s)/ Community Zendi Solano UCLA Harbor Medical Center

Sister of Javier Solano (323) 896-5890 [email protected]

Rechelle Price Mother of Alvin Green (323) 755-6296 Donna Bear Mother of Valarie Hernandez (323) 754-2752 Melissa Bryant Adeola Adeseun

Fulfillment Fund, Los Angeles College Pathways Project


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School of Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment

Executive Summary

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Alain Leroy Locke High School


Executive Summary

The School of Social Empowerment is committed to fostering a community of empowered learners and socially conscious and concerned citizens. Our educators, students, and their families will participate in a school culture that prioritizes academic achievement and college preparation while building character and personal responsibility in each of us. Rigorous, Relevant and Personalized Curriculum

• All students enroll in a program designed to complete their University of California A-G requirements.

• The SE schedule contains additional instructional minutes and allows students to enroll in “Guidance,” a class designed for academic support and college awareness.

• The SE staff empowers students to make informed decisions about their college pathway. • The SE schedule provides math and literacy intervention classes to improve the academic

skills necessary for success. • Physical separation and common students allow the SE teachers to provide personalized

educational experiences while building a culture of academic accountability. Supporting the College Application Process

SE’s guidance curriculum supports students as they… • Register for and prepare for standardized tests. • Find colleges that fit their academic needs and priorities. • Apply to colleges and build their post-high school plans. • Apply for financial aid.

Collaborative Decision Making • SE teachers are empowered to share ideas and implement strategies to improve the school

and grow as professionals. Social Justice Curriculum

In addition to the social justice themes embedded in the core curriculum, the Guidance curriculum includes a 3-year vision of raising awareness of and responsibility for social issues. • 10th Grade: “Tiger Woods Start Something Project”. • 11th Grade: “United Nations Global Issues Awareness”. • 12th Grade: Independent Service Learning Project

Shared School Responsibilities The SE staff is committed to working collaboratively to address school issues of… • Attendance • Discipline • Student Success Strategies • New and Experienced Teacher Support

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Alain Leroy Locke High School


Mission Statement

The School of Social Empowerment is committed to fostering a community of empowered learners and socially conscious and concerned citizens. Our educators, students, and their families will participate in a school culture that prioritizes academic achievement and college preparation while building character and personal responsibility in each of us. We hope to ignite interest in the work of bettering society and challenge students to transform an often unyielding world into one of compassion and equity. This kind of work begins with inquiry and collaboration in the context of rich coursework and the collective construction of knowledge in all content areas. It encourages independent learning and thought. It depends upon ingenuity and resolve. It culminates in synthesis and action. We want to construct a curriculum that guides students to identify community needs and issues, research methodologies to meet those needs, and finally, plan and implement viable solutions.

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School of Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment

Proposal

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Introduction Where We Are

Locke High School is currently a large school of over 3000 students. Locke is a federal Program Improvement school due to a failure to meet its Adequate Yearly Progress goals. Despite the presence of highly talented, motivated, and creative students, Locke High School currently has an unacceptable rate of graduation and lacks a cohesive school culture. Where We Want to Be

The School of Social Empowerment Design Team intends to develop a small school that builds rigorous and relevant curriculum across content areas reflecting a theme of social responsibility and individual empowerment. We envision our school building partnerships within and around the Locke High School and greater Los Angeles communities.

How We Will Get There

The immediate priorities of the design team are core academic success, college entrance, math achievement, in-seat attendance, and social responsibility. To address these concerns, we will establish a guidance elective to support academic success, college entrance, and social justice. We will employ student tutors in Algebra I classes as well as implement an algebra support class for students struggling to succeed in math classes. We will identify a staff member to serve as Attendance Coordinator, overseeing student attendance and parent involvement.

Measuring Gains

Reflecting upon the above vision, our SCL will pursue the following goals of student achievement.






year.

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What we will need Reaching these goals will require rethinking the status quo of public education in South Los Angeles. We cannot expect dramatically different results with traditional designs. The School of Social Empowerment will require an extended school day to allow for the inclusion of 7 academic periods. This schedule will need to be sufficiently flexible to allow times of common periods so that students can access shared services such as AP classes and electives. We understand that this proposal may require a waiver to extend beyond that working day as defined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. SSE will require administrative autonomy to analyze data, identify weaknesses, and initiate action plans. SSE will require an operating budget proportional to the IMAA funds that would have been allocated for its teachers. These funds will be spent to achieve the goals described above.

Research Our school vision is modeled after successful strategies employed in Boston Public Schools as researched by the Education Alliance at Brown University (www.alliance.brown.edu) as well as best practices as published by Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (www.bpichicago.org). Specifically, these experts call for school unity, autonomy, and flexible scheduling. 1. Unifying Vision / Identity Developing the Vision

Before submitting the design proposal, the SSE design team held community meetings

with parents, students, teachers, and community representatives. Through consensus and

democracy we established our priorities and goals.

Expected Results

Our proposed semi-autonomous small school is designed to accommodate approximately

180 sophomores, 100 juniors and 100 seniors in this, its second year, and is intended to grow

over five years into a small school serving approximately 500 ninth through twelfth graders.

While our hope is to be an integral part of the larger school community, we propose to be

separated from the main campus and the general student population. Our shared vision is

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centered on the creation of a community of empowered learners and socially conscious and

concerned citizens. We want to build a school culture that prioritizes academic achievement and

college preparedness. We also will create a culture that exemplifies compassion, character, and

personal responsibility in each of our students. We believe that the construction of this culture is

dependent on a number of elements, including our ability to separate ourselves physically from

the larger school community and control access to our designated area of campus.

We envision a school where each student receives the individual attention and support

necessary to facilitate his or her pathway to and through college. Our expectation is that each of

our students will not only meet minimum University of California admission requirements, but

exceed them and be competitively eligible to attend a four-year college upon graduation. We

believe individual empowerment begins with opportunity for student governance and

collaborative decision-making by all small school stakeholders. L;l

We envision a rigorous, California state-standard-based curriculum that provides our

students access to higher education. A fundamental idea of empowering students is molding

them into college-competitive candidates, but empowerment does not end by providing students

a means to rise above their socioeconomic circumstance. We believe it the school’s

responsibility to be in partnership with the community. Our vision entails linking each student to

his or her community and encouraging them to return and transform it. Poverty, gang violence

and affiliation, low-performing schools, transience, teen pregnancy, and a lack of political will

and empowerment are only a few challenges of the neighborhood surrounding Alain Leroy

Locke High School. Truancy, alarming drop-out rates, and school safety are substantial

challenges evident in the greater school community as well. We want to empower and charge our

students to be agents of change. A vertically and horizontally aligned curriculum within and

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across content areas, infused with materials and projects that are designed to raise consciousness

and empower students will facilitate that charge.

We believe it a fundamental component of public schools to graduate young citizens

prepared to participate in our democratic processes, to seek and evaluate information presented

in various media forms, and exercise his or her right to voice an opinion and cast an informed

vote. Our vision is that our students are empowered not only to represent their own interests, but

to consider the larger social responsibility each must shoulder, and consider the implications of

policy on our South Los Angeles community. We envision building community partnerships

beginning with community service learning and leading to internships and mentoring. We want

to construct a curriculum that incrementally guides students to identify community needs and

issues, research methodologies to meet such needs, plan and finally implement viable solutions.

We recognize that our learning community itself must reflect an ethnically diverse and

cooperative constitution, leading to an ethnically diverse faculty and staff. We understand that a

teacher who shares a cultural and experiential background with his or her student is more likely

to appeal to and reach the student. We also unanimously agree that building our school culture

will take time and initially depend upon elements of consistency. We, therefore, are seeking

teachers who are willing to commit to three years to the development of our school and the social

justice framework that shapes it.

Our priority is the academic achievement of our students and their ability to be

competitive in the college admissions process. Our three-year student plan eliminates those

electives that do not meet specific Los Angeles Unified School District graduation requirements

or qualify as University of California “g” academic electives. We will accommodate requests for

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arts and sports electives on a student-by-student basis within the larger Locke High School

program and community.

SLC Decisions

School leadership and stakeholder meetings, whether focused on curriculum, discipline,

counseling, or budgeting will revolve around the question: How is student learning impacted by

our decision(s)? Student government and parent panels will be established to give feedback to

the design team. Decisions that cannot be determined by consensus will be decided by a vote of

the design team.

Articulating the Vision

SSE faculty will be chosen among teachers who are invested in student success and

willing to adhere to the school’s action plans to achieve our shared vision. Parents and students

will become aware of and investing in the vision through phone calls, home visits, and small

school meetings. Every new SSE student will have personal contact with an SSE staff member

before the commencement of the school year. SSE will hold a parent orientation approximately 2

weeks before the first day of school. The guidance elective will be a forum though which

students become aware of the goals and vision of their SLC.

2. Rigorous Standards Based Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Our school-wide curriculum will focus on the overarching themes of social responsibility

and community action. The main goal of the curriculum is to deliver rigorous standards-based

instruction within a framework offering authentic opportunities for students to critically examine

and work with current social issues in the community. One paramount and tangible realization

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of our goal for student empowerment is to prepare every student for college. The curriculum is

designed to fulfill LAUSD graduation requirements and exceed the UC a-g eligibility criteria

utilizing both a flexible master schedule to accommodate student needs and rigorous classroom

instruction and application.

Curricular Rigor and Support

A four-year student pathway allowing access to college is our central curricular planning

tool. It limits student choice but is evidence of our clearly communicated high expectation.

Students will complete four years in English, four years in mathematics culminating in at least

trigonometry and math analysis, four years of science, three years of social studies, three years of

foreign language, one year or more of a visual or performing art, and one year of applied

technology in addition to the physical education, health and life skills requirements of the

district. The non-course requirements of computer literacy, community service, and career

pathways will be integrated in the students’ curricular coursework. An extended school day with

seven periods and/or a partial block schedule will accommodate individual student need and

provide the daily support of a guidance and tutorial class to scaffold the student’s access to

rigorous curriculum.

In addition, each English and algebra class at ninth and tenth grade levels will be

supported by an additional teacher who has a literacy support assignment on the master schedule

or a college tutor, effectually cutting the teacher-to-student ratio in half for those periods. This

mechanism will benefit both English language learners and developmental readers and writers.

Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment Framework

Our curriculum employs a social justice emphasis within all content areas to empower

students to become socially aware, engaged, and active. Community service and interaction is

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an integral component of planning for every course. To additionally foster social responsibility,

students will be required to perform a minimum number of community service hours per year.

Students will also develop a cumulative comprehensive portfolio, including records of such

service and documentation of curricular projects.

Content Area Instructional Examples:

English

Submitted by Mr. M. Timblin “The Watts Project” (adapted from Jim Burke's "The California Project") OVERVIEW: People are shaped by the landscape and climate they inhabit. For at least some portion of your life you have lived here, in California, in Los Angeles, in Watts. The story of California is the story of you and me, of our families and, for most of us, our children and grandchildren. By studying this area's culture, its history, its literature we will come to better understand what Watts means to us and the generations who have come before; we will come to appreciate what it offers us and what you can offer it through the contributions you will make as parents, employees, and citizens. Each student, by the end of this unit of study, will: WRITE

a biography or monologue about a person (or thing) that made a significant contribution to Watts' history or culture

a formal letter requesting information about some aspect of Watts (to an organization, a legislator, tourist office, etc.)

a descriptive essay comparing Watts to another region in the state a descriptive essay comparing Watts’ residents today with residents in the past a regional or city guide entries for our class’s Dictionary of California Cultural Literacy an analysis of symbols as they relate to the Watts community an oral history about why and how someone came to Watts or what it was like in the past two annotated bibliographies about two books the student has read for research purposes an analysis of the survey/poll conducted about aspects of Watts a story or children’s book (for elementary schools in the community) a description and analysis of a specific period of Watts' history a memoir of a “Watts moment” sometime in the student’s life a critique of an artist/musician/writer who came from Watts (e.g., Luis Rodriguez) a collection of poems as assigned about or inspired by Watts a travelogue of a trip taken around the community of Watts a weekly journal as assigned in/out of class about miscellaneous subjects.

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an accompanying explanation of a Watts map and timeline a paper about a trend that came to or from Watts

CREATE a Watts map with various types of demographic and topographical information a timeline including events, leaders, resident trends, arts and science contributions,

sporting moments, etc. a website where we house and “publish” our information a mural of genuine artistic merit that expresses some truth(s) about Watts a metaphor project: “Watts is a troubled beauty” ...depict and explain.

READ two books about Watts or written by authors from Watts. from several different anthologies about California in general for purposes of

comparison: Many Californias, Highway 99, Gold Rush, That Constant Coyote, and When Coyote Howls and Wind Blows

assorted articles about culture and history of the Watts community and the state publications (online and in print) which highlight the Watts community, including but not

limited to community group publications, neighborhood web sites, local papers, etc. LOOK AT

movies about Watts or which highlight some of the issues in Watts art from or inspired by Watts/South Central LA culture various websites for “virtual field trips”

SPEAK to the class about a prominent Watts community member in different presentation situations related to the abovementioned projects: e.g. reading original poems aloud

MISCELLANEOUS Students will work on vocabulary as is appropriate to the different assignments, work in

groups for the major projects (e.g., mural, website, etc.), and have the opportunity to take several field trips for credit, including the following possibilities:

African American Musuem at USC WLCAC (Watts Labor Community Action Committee) Watts Towers

California English Language Arts Standards: Reading 1.0 - 3.9, Writing 1.0 - 2.6, Speaking & Listening 1.0 - 2.5

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Dramatic Art Submitted by Ms. Lia L. Rozmiarek Semester Performance Project, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 OVERVIEW: “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” – Haile Selassie

Intrinsic in the mission of the School of Social Empowerment and the ideology of drama as play, discipline, and vehicle for social change, is the understanding that we must not only comprehend or absorb something on a passive level, but are compelled to act upon that which we observe and learn. Through such action we prepare ourselves to engage in our constantly changing local, national, and global communities. To act with responsibility we must also be aware of our history. One of the first steps in addressing the needs of our community is to recognize and explore this history. Each student, by the end of this unit of study will: READ

articles about the 1992 riots in the city of Los Angeles a brief history of the Rodney King trial , as well as an extensive timeline of key events

from 1991 to 1993 the introduction and selections from Anna Deveare Smith’s play, Twilight: Los Angeles,

1992 biographical information about people involved in the trial, the riots, and connected

events (such as the Soon Ja Du – Latasha Harlins trial) WRITE

personal memories of the 1992 L.A. riots in biographical narrative form a “character” analysis for the monologue they will perform, direct, or produce a critique of their individual performance as well as a general whole-production critique

DISCUSS

accounts and reports about the riots from varied media resources (articles, songs, dramatic pieces, interviews)

the effectiveness of dramatic elements and choices in individual performances the theories about the cause(s) of the riots the social and political implications of the riots on local and national levels the various perspectives about the riots (both within Southern California, as well as

national perspectives as represented by interviews, out-of-state articles, and out-of-state news reports)

how best to divide the play into manageable sections, incorporating the most poignant monologues into the final production

the process, background, choices, and outcome of the final performance – following the actual play performance – with the student/teacher audience in attendance

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CREATE a performance space that incorporates proper set(s) and properties a system for crew management for and stage changes needed throughout the production a lighting scheme and sound scheme for the production a program and advertisement for the production a lesson plan that teachers can use with their classes prior to attending the performance costume(s) appropriate for the performers an hour-long performance that highlights the multiple perspectives about the riots as

collected and presented by Anna Deveare Smith PERFORM

as a director, responsible for: reading the entire play; selecting the five most powerful and diverse monologues per section of the six-sectioned play; casting the roles they selected; keeping actors focused and on-task; creating a personal vision for their section that coincides with the vision of the other student directors; communicating their vision to their production director and the actors; and working in agreement with other directors and all other peers.

as a logistics director (production) responsible for: reading the section of the play they are assigned in its entirety, while focusing on the specific selections the director selected; creating a list of costumes and properties for each actor in their section; creating a lighting design to work with the director and actors’ vision for the section; assist in set construction and design; assist in lesson plan creation for pre-performance distribution to classes; assist in gathering any needed costumes or properties; and working in agreement with other directors and all other peers.

as an actor, responsible for: reading the monologues selected by the various directors; memorizing the monologue they are cast in; acquiring the appropriate costume and properties for their character; creating a vision for the performance of their monologue that coincides with the director’s vision; performing their monologue in character, in a professional manner for a live audience; and working in agreement with other actors and all other peers.

Resources & Supplies At least six copies of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deveare Smith (for use by

each student director) A performance area, preferably a traditional stage, with working sound and lighting

systems Access to supplies for set construction (paper, paints, chairs, tables, podiums, benches) as

requested by directors, production directors, and actors

California Theatre Content Standards Artistic Perception 1.0-1.3, Creative Expression 1.0 – 2.5, Historical and Cultural Context 1.0 – 3.5, Aesthetic Valuing 1.0 – 4.2, Connections, Relations, Applications 5.0 – 5.6

California English Language Arts Standards

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Reading 1.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.8, 3.9, Writing 1.8, 1.9, 2.1, Listening and Speaking 1.2, 1.7, 1.9, 1.11, 1.12, 2.1

Mathematics Submitted by T. Paul Powell OVERVIEW Students will use exponential functions to model the expected contamination levels at three

different California sites identified as contaminated by the EPA and conclude whether these sites

should be rezoned as residential in five years (2009).

California Mathematics Standards: Algebra 2 12.0 Students know the laws of fractional exponents, understand exponential functions, and

use these functions in problems involving exponential growth and decay.

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Science Submitted by Mr. A. Osterhaus and Ms. C. Nguyen OVERVIEW: Students identify the common occupations of their parents and guardians and other members of the community. For example, cosmetology, farm workers, gardening, factory work, custodial, and auto shop workers. For each of these occupations, students will inventory the chemical substances in use such as cleaning supplies and pesticides. Students will engage in community outreach by visiting workplaces, and surveying and interviewing community members. Students will learn how to read a chemical material data sheet and chemical labels. Students will use their knowledge of chemical compounds to identify and analyze chemical exposure for each occupation and identify potential chemical hazards for each occupation. Students will research biological effects of different organic compounds. The culminating project will be a published information booklet to inform the community about chemical hazards and explaining potential biological and chemical effects. California Science Standards: Atomic and Molecular Structure 1b Students know how to use the periodic table to identify metals, semimetals, nonmetals,

and halogens. 1c Students know how to use the periodic table to identify alkali metals, alkaline earth

metals and transition metals, trends in ionization energy, electronegativity, and the relative sizes of ions and atoms.

1d Students know how to use the periodic table to determine the number of electrons available for bonding

Chemical Bonds 2a Students know atoms combine to form molecules by sharing electrons to form covalent

or metallic bonds or by exchanging electrons to form ionic bonds 2b Students know chemical bonds between atoms in molecules such as H2, CH4, NH3,

H2CCH2, N2, Cl2, and many large biological molecules are covalent Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry 10e Students know how to identify the functional groups that form the basis of alcohols,

ketones, ethers, amines, esters, aldehydes, and organic compounds. Assessment and the Comprehensive Portfolio

We know we will be held accountable for substantial academic gains as reported in standardized assessments, including the California Standards Tests, California Achievement Test, California High School Exit Exam, ninth grade performance assessment, and the most recently implemented quarterly ninth and tenth grade literacy assessments.

We intend to utilize a variety of standardized, traditional, and authentic assessment tools to regularly assess our students’ progress and our quality of instruction in relation to state standards.

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One such assessment is the cumulative portfolio, designed to share with students the responsibility of monitoring and assessing personal progress and development. The portfolio will include the student four-year plan, a number of writing samples from each of the domains specified by the English language arts standards, records of community service, and documentation of the various content area projects. Further, the student will use this material in the creation of a yearly presentation to a representation of school stakeholders, including his or her parents or guardians, evaluating his or her own learning progress. Strategies and Support Systems for Student Success

There are multiple proposed support systems designed specifically to address the special needs of each of our students. The school provides a least restrictive environment (LRE) of support for special education students and will seek resource specialists to work with these learners. English language learners (ELL), standard English learners (SEL), developing readers and writers (DRW), and advanced learners (GATE) will all be supported in the regular classroom. Tutorial Support

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Guidance classes will participate in peer-tutorial sessions. This strategy is based on the AVID Tutorial strategy and involves facilitating the inquiry process and students pose, explore, explain, and answer their own questions about academic subjects. This strategy allows students to receive support that is targeted to their individual needs while fostering the values of cooperative learning. Honors and Advanced Placement Support:

To support more advanced students, there will be Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes in English, science, math, social studies and Spanish. The master schedule allows for flexibility for students to take AP classes offered in other schools.

Literacy and Numeracy Support The School of Social Empowerment has developed a plan for both English language arts intervention

and math intervention. While our intervention level classes are exclusively for our students, we collaboratively evaluate Locke High School data and develop strategies for addressing students’ remedial English language arts and math needs within the Small School Coordinating Team meetings.

Intervention English Language Arts Programs The School of Social Empowerment intends to offer a Writing Communication English Language Arts elective designed to support our students in core classes by functioning as a writing workshop. Students will work with teachers and tutors on writing assignments from core classes. Students will be guided through the writing process and afforded time to draft and revise with immediate and relevant feedback. The Vantage writing program will be accessible in these classes as well as the English core classes. Students who have not passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) English Language Arts portion will be scheduled into English 11 and 12 classes accordingly. Our English teacher will teach two sections of English 11 and a section of English 12 designed especially for these students, focusing on CAHSEE preparation from September through November. Tenth and eleventh grade guidance classes will also be incorporating English Language Arts CAHSEE preparation into curriculum from September through March.

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Intervention Mathematics Programs The School of Social Empowerment intends to offer a Math Tutoring Lab elective designed to support our students in their math classes, especially algebra. Students will work with teachers and tutors on math homework assignments, math essential concepts, and CAHSEE preparation problems and strategies. Tenth and eleventh grade guidance classes will also be incorporating Math CAHSEE preparation into curriculum from September through March.

Staff Collaboration When possible, teachers of similar content will have the same conference period to allow time for curriculum development. One staff development per month will be devoted to small school business. Additionally, invested teachers will meet for 30 minutes per week to discuss school business refine the Guidance curriculum. Technology The college application process of the 21st century requires extensive to computers and the internet. Unfortunately, the School of Social Empowerment does not currently have access to sufficient technology to ensure the success of their students. Our immediate goal will be to remedy this deficit, either through furnishing a computer lab, or by purchasing a set of mobile laptops that can be deployed in classrooms when needed. Course Schedules Every SSE student will be enrolled in a schedule to address her/his personal needs while fulfilling graduation and A-G college entrance requirements. Students who have demonstrated special needs (through test scores or previous academic performance) will be placed in English or Math intervention classes. All SSE teachers will use common strategies such as an academic binder, Cornell notes, learning logs, and time management skills.

Sample Student Schedules 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

1. English 10A, 10B 2. Algebra IA, IB 3. Algebra Support Elective A,B 4. Modern World History A, B 5. Chemistry A,B 6. Physical Education A,B 7. Guidance 10A, 10B

1. English 11A, 11B 2. Algebra IIA, IIB 3. Drama A, B 4. U.S. History A,B 5. Physics A, B, 6. Spanish IA, IB 7. Guidance 11A, 12B

1. English 12A, 12B 2. AP Calculus A, B 3. Peer Tutoring 4. Econ. / Government 5. AP Biology 6. Spanish IIA, IIB 7. Guidance 12A, 12B

Summer School Summer School 1. Geometry A

2. Geometry B 1. Computer Systems A 2. Computer Systems B

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3. Equity and Access

Access to a four-year college education is paramount to the vision of the School of Social

Responsibility and Individual Empowerment. There are several elements of our school which

will ensure this result:

All students will be served by the daily ‘guidance and tutorials’ class. Twice, weekly,

students will engage in inquiry-driven tutorials, guided by college mentors. The school

counselor and teachers will collaborate to build a curriculum that meets the academic, career,

personal, and social needs of all students.

Counseling: Core teachers trained and coordinated by the small school counselor in a formal counseling curriculum will address practical matters of preparation for college:

• A-G requirements • referral to academic tutoring programs within the school or local community • parental involvement in class scheduling • referral to other Locke small schools for electives • assistance in securing after school and summer internships

Tutorials:

In the tutorial class, two to four college mentors will guide students in problem solving for their core class assignments. This tutorial is based upon the research-based, inquiry-driven, and already successful AVID model.

• students work in collaborative teams of 4-5 • students utilize Cornell note-taking (a research-based successful study strategy) to review • students learn and use higher level questioning (Bloom’s taxonomy and Costa’s levels of

inquiry) • discussion is student-led, guided by the tutor/ mentor

All core curricula will maintain rigorous adherence to college preparation standards, however our School of Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment teachers will practice accepted scaffolding techniques to ensure the participation and success of all students.

• Research has proven that heterogeneous grouping is the most advantageous method of student class composition. A positive academic environment will be maintained at all times.

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• Low academic achievement at Locke is often linked to moderate to severe discipline issues. The consistently enforced discipline policies of our school will reduce or eliminate these behavior problems.

• Lower achieving students will be referred to outside academic tutoring. All student work will fulfill the requirements of grade-level state standards. Content area examples:

• Students participate in a “science fair” where members of the community such as nurses, teachers, and doctors act as judges.

• Students in the computer/technology class offer free “advanced computer instruction” to the night school community of Locke.

Our curriculum will be the result of vertical and horizontal team planning. Each core class will maintain a focus on issues relevant to student academic and personal achievement, including current high school academic and social life, preparation for admittance and matriculation from a four-year college or university, and having a positive impact on the community at large. Examples:

• In the AP Physics and Chemistry class, students will travel to UCLA for a program of AP readiness. Teachers from various LAUSD schools oversee student progress, making sure they are on track for the AP requirements and exam.

• In 10th grade History students will design and initiate field trips to areas of importance in the community, learning about the rich and varied cultural history and environment of Los Angeles.

• English 10 will meet the business letter standard by writing requests to the office of Janice Hahn, councilwoman for our district.

• All students will participate in grant-writing to assist in the financing of student-driven community projects.

4. Personalization

The School of Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment is committed to

providing student-centered, individualized education that fosters the development of the student

as a whole. The strengths of a smaller school include increased interaction between faculty and

students. Such communication will allow for students to have input in the development of the

curriculum. Academic courses are planned with a focus on the issues of community needs and

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social empowerment. Teachers will use their common planning period to develop curriculum

that allows students to observe, analyze, and impact their social surroundings.

The student-centered vision of the school has been developed through discussion with

students, teachers, parents, and other community members. A continuing goal is to establish and

maintain partnerships with local organizations to provide mentoring, internships, and enrichment

activities based upon individual student need and interest. The academy will hold regular

community meetings to share information, receive feedback, and foster collaboration among all

stakeholders.

As introduced previously, the guidance and tutorial period will be an opportunity for

students, teachers, and the counselor to directly address the individual needs of each student.

Based on both the AVID curriculum and the National Standards for School Counseling, the

guidance class will be used to develop individual goals as well as to provide students with the

skills and opportunities to achieve those goals. The counselor and the teachers will collaborate to

develop a curriculum that meets students’ academic, career, and personal/ social needs. Teachers

of guidance courses will work in conjunction with the counselor and small school coordinator to

monitor the academic and social progress of their students, maintain relationships with parents,

connect students to community organizations that reflect their interests, and provide support for

the college admission process. The counselor will be responsible for leading the work of

developing and implementing the guidance curriculum. Additionally, the counselor will be

responsible for supervising the tutors and coordinating all aspects of the tutorial periods.

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5. Accountability and Distributed Leadership

Small School Duties for the 2005-2006 School Year Duty Responsibility Team Member Qualifications / Selection

Small School Coordinator

Act as a liaison between SSE teachers and administration

Guidance Curriculum Support

Mediate Disputes

Joshua Hartford 5 Years Experience AVID site team Curriculum Leader Elected by SSE Team

Small School Counselor

Personalized Education Plans

Conflict Resolution Guidance Curriculum

Support

Regina Risi Veteran Counselor AVID/ LACOE Program

Specialist and Training Consultant

Small School Administrator

Provide Administrative Representation

Evaluate Staff Members Small School Vision

Refinement

Chad Soleo Assistant Principal Former AVID

coordinator SSE Founder

Attendance Coordinator

Monitor period-by-period attendance data.

Contact parents to resolve attendance issues.

Enforce consequences such as check sheets, Saturday School, truancy tickets, and transfer.

Andrew Osterhaus 4 Years Locke Experiment

Bilingual

Appointed by consent of SSE Team

Guidance Lead Teacher

Coordinate Guidance curriculum at all grade levels.

Chi Nguyen 3 Years Locke Experiment

Curriculum Leader


Math Intervention Coordinator

Provide Systems and Curriculum for the Algebra Support Elective.

Martha Mata 4 Years Locke Experience

Curriculum Leader


CAHSEE Specialist

Provide Strategies and Expertise for CAHSEE English interventions

Bruce Smith English Department Chair Experience from

Oversees Education Document test score

improvement.

Recruited by SSE Team

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Teachers in the small school will be expected to fulfill the following requirements to ensure

student success:

• commit to at least three years of services to the school • create and maintain portfolios that shows student improvement over three years • develop standards-based culminating tasks with scaffolding lessons • file standards-aligned curriculum plans (lesson plans, unit plans, culminating tasks,

rubrics, corresponding student work samples) on a routine basis with the coordinator. • monitor the academic achievement of their guidance class and implement necessary

interventions • routinely call students’homes to inform parents of student attendance and progress • attend all small school council meetings • attend all parent conference functions • use common planning time to share student work, evaluate curriculum and discuss

challenges • identify areas of potential professional development

Every teacher is responsible to the other teachers, the small school council, and ultimately, all stakeholders. The small school coordinator will use allotted time during the academic day to observe and support school teachers and respond to challenges. Shared Responsibility

The School of Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment will be lead by a school council consisting of representatives from all stakeholder groups. The emphasis of the council will be consensus through communication. All meetings will be open to all stakeholders and will be scheduled to best accommodate working parents. Specifically, the council will have fourteen voting members and the small school coordinator. The coordinator will vote in the event of a tie. Four members will represent the concerns of teachers and will be elected by the teachers of the school. Four members will represent the concerns of parents and community members and will be elected by the community as a whole. Four members will be student government representatives and will be elected by the student body. Additionally, one member will represent Locke High School administration and one member will represent classified staff. The council will elect one teacher to serve as the small school coordinator, who will facilitate the meetings and represent the school within the larger Locke High School community. If the elected coordinator is a member of the council, another teacher will be elected to fill the vacant council position. Elections will be held at the end of each academic year to serve in the following year. To reach a quorum, at least two representatives of teachers, community members, and students, plus the coordinator, must be present.

The council will have authority over all decisions that are empowered to the academy. This includes shaping curriculum, hiring teachers, setting budget priorities, and establishing or modifying school policies. The goal is to equitably share authority among all stakeholders.

We will establish a parental advisory board (PAB) based on the AVID parent board that

currently exists. This group will elect representatives to the small school council as well as

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conduct parent workshops to educate parents about their opportunities and responsibilities for continuing the vision of academic success and social transformation at home. The PAB is a forum for parental leadership and empowerment and will foster closer relationships between the school and community. Accountability Measures Reflecting upon the above vision, our SCL will pursue the following goals of student

achievement.






year.

The SSE coordinator will collect appropriate data to evaluate these goals. This will require and account with the district’s Decision Support Service. 6. Collaboration / Parent and Community Engagement Community Relationships and Partnerships

In a practical sense, outreach will involve everything from flyers explaining our vision to "community night" events similar to the AVID parent night. We will also be meeting with community leaders who have previously been involved with Locke, including several businessmen and women who have spoken to our AVID students. We will meet with local organizations that can provide support and assistance, such as the WLCAC, the Watts LA Times, the NO GUNS organization, "My Club" of Angel's Flight and the Fulfillment Fund. During the 2005-2006 school year, the Fulfillment Fund will adopt all 4 of our Guidance 10 classes. Activities

Reducing the size of the school will foster a community environment on campus which will be reflected in an observable increase in extra curricular activities. Students will have access to any of the larger school’s extra curricular activities that do not interfere with academic time. Because athletics and many electives are not offered during the academic day, students will be encouraged to pursue these goals after school. Teachers will be encouraged to sponsor after school clubs and sports to continue the family atmosphere of the campus. The teachers will

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continually work with students to develop extra curricular activities that further the academic development of the students as well as benefit Locke High School. Student government and journalism are two such activities to be developed in coming years.

Historically, parent involvement has been challenging at Locke High School. Many parents work more than one job and their time is extremely limited. Also, there is a cultural perception that school remains the province of only teachers and administrators. Our school will work to create an environment which encourages and supports parent/guardian involvement in the student life of our children.

Many of our committed teachers have previously been involved in Locke High School's AVID program. In three years, AVID has been able to galvanize parents, culminating in an annual AVID "Parent Night" of over 400 participants for a student population of 160. AVID parents are also involved in a Parent Advisory Board with regular meetings that provide valued input to the program.

Our school will formalize such participation, requiring parents to commit to a minimum number of hours of "volunteer service" per semester. This service can be met in a variety of ways including classroom observation, teacher support, and clerical duties.

By addressing the needs of each individual in our small school, both students and their families will feel valued and supported. Communication between students, teachers and parent/guardians is essential to a successful collaborative environment. This communication will be constantly evaluated for its effectiveness. All SE students will be assigned LAUSD email addresses during September. Another specific example is the use of an online system such as www.mygradebook.com that provides ongoing information regarding student assignments and grades. Such technology-based communication is a good way to encourage all stakeholders to make use of their community's technology facilities, such as computers in their local library. Additionally, our Spanish-speaking teachers and administrators will facilitate communication with Latino parents. Over time, our small school would like to offer Spanish language instruction to all of its teachers and administrators to better facilitate such communication. Parent/guardians will also be encouraged to attend the "guidance" class students are required to take.

Since our school will be created from the unified vision of all stakeholders, we do not anticipate a problem if individual members are unable to fulfill their commitment. However, as previously stated, we will require our teachers to sign a 3-year pledge of commitment.

In recent years, the surrounding community has suffered from the declining reputation of Locke High School. It is our vision to provide outreach public relations to inform the community of the new direction of our School of Social Responsibility and Individual Empowerment. We believe this often beleaguered community will embrace the serious academic focus of our school. Parents, neighbors, and storeowners will welcome a school that will direct its students to positive improvement. It has been our experience with the AVID program that parents are desperate to embrace a leadership that provides a strong academic focus within a safe environment.

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As a cooperative member of the Locke Small School Coordinating Team, we will be interacting with the rest of the Locke High School community on an ongoing basis.

Although we are obviously in the emerging stages of an SLC, we have already had enthusiastic support from students and parents. Articulation The School of Social Empowerment will work to form partnerships with feeder schools and post-high school organizations. During the spring, the coordinator and counselors will give presentations to 9th grade students during the Life Skills elective. 9th grade students will them be given the opportunity to requires a small learning community. We will also work to form a partnership with local universities such as Southwest Community College and Cal State Los Angeles to provide seniors with the opportunity to take college classes.

7. Professional Development

Common planning time is one of the cornerstones of the School of Social Responsibility

and Individual Empowerment. Incorporated into the master schedule are subject-specific

conference periods for core academic teachers. First-year teachers will receive an additional

conference period to observe an experienced teach.

Conference time will be used to track individual student progress, discuss interventions,

contact parents, and plan cross-curricular activities. Teachers will share and evaluate student

work, build and evaluate common assessments, and design rubrics together. During this time,

teachers will bring student-specific concerns to the attention of the appropriate guidance teacher.

It is the responsibility of the guidance teacher to consult with the counselor and address those

concerns with the student and, if necessary, schedule parent conferences or other corrective

interventions.

As professional development that is specific to the School of Social Responsibility and

Individual Empowerment will be scheduled during the professional day, the faculty is available

to attend all professional development that is offered by Locke High School during scheduled

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professional development time. The small school will employ a shortened day schedule to match

the banked and minimum day schedules at Locke High School.

Since every faculty member will teach a guidance period, all school staff must be trained

in college counseling techniques and AVID strategies. These include time-management,

organization, and Cornell note-taking strategies. In addition, all core academic teachers will be

trained in subject-specific literacy techniques.

Topics of professional development will be determined by the small school council and

the small school curriculum leaders and teachers with input from all stakeholders. The needs of

the faculty to best serve the students will be continually reevaluated and professional

development will be sought that enables teachers to best address the needs of their students.

Documents

School of Social Empowerment - lausd.k12.ca.us .pdfLETTER OF INTENT. 3 ... The School of Social Empowerment proposal will be drafted through a collective ... Zendi Solano UCLA Harbor