Sequoia High SchoolEverett Public Schools

House Education CommitteeMarch 15, 2011

Sally A. Lancaster, PrincipalDr. Gary Cohn, Superintendent

ALE Programs at Sequoia

Sequoia’s missionMission:

Sequoia High School will provide students with an educational environment that is positive, recognizes individual differences, and has high expectations for achievement and behavior. Sequoia works to meet the needs of its community through a program that emphasizes:

• Goal Setting • Individual Responsibility • Choice

Vision: Each student graduates with a plan for their future, prepared for college or a career.

Operating principles

• Each child should have the opportunity and support to meet their potential

• Mistakes are an integral part of learning

• We work to create an environment that teachers and students are drawn to

• Each child is of worth• We are here to serve

students• All children have the ability to

learn• We must provide a safe

environment where students can take risks

• Each child deserves another chance

ESD 189 teacher of the yearI teach at the alternative high school because it is structured to be an environment with regular collaboration. We invest in climate building where the staff hold not only students but each other accountable for engaging students with rigorous curriculum and clearly-scaffolded instruction. After 20 years, I have found at the alternative school the chance to help with academic planning and mentoring as part of my job. My students benefit from more engaging content, better scaffolding and our staff’s shared enthusiasm for their learning. It is a place where we are working to balance rigor with relevance.

Sequoia snapshot

• 318 Students• 9th-12th Grades• 35% Free and reduced lunch• 18 Kids in transition• 78 Living with self

Race/Ethnicity

6%5%

19%

2%

8%

1%

59%

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Indian

Mult

Pacific

White

Students by grade

8%

10%

28%

54%

9th

10th

11th

12th

Continuing senior breakdown

8%

10%

28%

32%

22%

9th

10th

11th

12th

Continuing

How does contract-based learning work at Sequoia?

General structure

• Intake• 1 Month terms-progress review• Reward success• Intervention plan for struggling students• Short-term memory loss and new opportunities

What are student expectations?

• Follow behavior expectations• Show up everyday and do your best• Goal setting, individual responsibility, choice

What accountability does the school district assure?

HSPE Writing

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Grade 10 Writing: Percentage of Students Meeting Standard

Sequoia HS Everett SD State

Copyright © The Center for Educational Effectiveness, Inc., 2004

HSPE Reading

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Grade 10 Reading: Percentage of Students Meeting Standard

Sequoia HS Everett SD State State Uniform BarCopyright © The Center for Educational Effectiveness, Inc., 2004

HSPE Math

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Grade 10 Math: Percentage of Students Meeting Standard

Sequoia HS Everett SD State State Uniform BarCopyright © The Center for Educational Effectiveness, Inc., 2004

Graduation rates

Number of Extended Graduates

21

28

41 40

52

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Extended Graduation Rate

14.3%

36.6%40.8%

32.0%

75.5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Annual Drop Out Rate

47.4%

26.8% 27.2%29.1%

18.0%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Graduation rates2005-2010

Extended Graduation Rate

8.2%

36.6%40.8%

32.0%

75.5%

52.3%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Annual Drop Out Rate

48.9%

18.0%

29.1%27.2%

26.8%

12.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

On-time Graduation

34.4%45.0%

20.8%

16.9%22.2%

3.5%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Number of Total Graduates and Total OTG

48

2128

41 4052

73

3126

179

17

01020304050607080

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Total Grads # of OTG

2009-10 Data is preliminary

Accountability

• School improvement planning process

• Annual state of the school review

• On-Time graduation task force

What is the typical profile of a contract-based learning student?

Students in transition

““Half way through my senior year I Half way through my senior year I dropped out. Not because I wanted dropped out. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I moved out to, but because I had to. I moved out of my moms’ house because of how of my moms’ house because of how the situation at home was working. the situation at home was working. When I moved out I was couch surfing When I moved out I was couch surfing for quite a while trying to find a place for quite a while trying to find a place to lay my head.”to lay my head.”

Students as caretakers

“The greatest struggle so far in The greatest struggle so far in my life has been growing up my life has been growing up poor and having a disabled mom poor and having a disabled mom that you have to care for and no that you have to care for and no father figure in my life”.father figure in my life”.

Parenting teens

““Sadly I got caught up and made Sadly I got caught up and made some wrong choices and became a some wrong choices and became a teen mom. At that point in life I felt teen mom. At that point in life I felt like I really had no life anymore and like I really had no life anymore and that everything was slipping out of that everything was slipping out of my hands like water. I was always a my hands like water. I was always a self motivated and hard working self motivated and hard working student, but it was the birth of my student, but it was the birth of my son that became my main son that became my main motivation in the end.”motivation in the end.”

Struggling students

“I started high school just for I started high school just for friends but high school was hard for friends but high school was hard for me. It was even harder because we me. It was even harder because we moved from California to Arizona moved from California to Arizona and then finally Washington. I have and then finally Washington. I have been to four different high schools been to four different high schools within four years.”within four years.”

Invisible students

•I feel more connected to my teachersI feel more connected to my teachers•I heard stories about how friendly I heard stories about how friendly everyone iseveryone is•No one at school judges you, you can No one at school judges you, you can be friends with anyonebe friends with anyone•It is a good environment to learnIt is a good environment to learn•The people here make me feel at homeThe people here make me feel at home

What is the role of the high school?

• Belonging• Individuals matter• Different = Not the same, Different ≠ Less than

Evidence of student success

• Standardized assessments• Graduation numbers• Monthly appointment days• College bound students• Growing AP enrollment• Students return

Evidence of student success

Questions?

Thank you for your interest in Sequoia High School!