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Southern
Regional
Education
Board
A Ninth Grader…..
Too old to do what a child does,
too young to do what an adult
does, so they do what nobody
else would do.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Grade 9 is a critical time in students’ lives. Often, it is the last opportunity for schools to help students catch up.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Using Data for Decision Making
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Why Are Data Important?
Replace hunches with facts Enable us to tackle root causes
instead of symptoms Enable us to determine if we are
accurately tracking effects Assist in understanding the impact of
various efforts
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Ninth-graders are retained at an alarming rate.
“The ninth grade has become the
holding tank for the high schools.”
Jay Hertzog, Slippery Rock Univ.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Percentages of students retained at grade nine are 4 to 6 times higher than the percentages retained in kindergarten through grade eight.
A study that included 400 Georgia schools found that the retention rate for most 9th graders was 20% but that some schools had
rates as high as 45%.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
What Data Should We Collect and Analyze?
o Promotion/retention percentages
o Failure rates in core academic classes
o Completion Rate
o Norm-referenced and state tests
o Attendance at extra help sessions
o Postsecondary data--enrollment in remedial courses, employers’ exam passage rates
o Surveys (staff, parents, students, graduates, community)
o Focus Groupso Interviews
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
What does your data tell you?
Are there achievement gaps among racial/ethnic groups?
Is there an achievement gap between males and females?
Are there achievement gaps between your data and data from the district, the state, the nation and high-scoring sites that are similar to you?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Which data need to be addressed?(P.2-3 IN PLANNER)
Select one piece of data (or group of data) that you want to address with your ninth-grade students.
Within your team, discuss strategies that could be implemented to improve this (these) data.
Select one strategy that you( the school) could implement that could have a positive impact within a relatively short time span.
Develop a plan for implementing this strategy for the entire ninth grade.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
What Type of Organizational Structure Is Best for the Ninth Grade?
Complete Pages 4-5 in your Planner.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
What About the Curriculum?
It should be rigorous.
It should be relevant.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Four Corners Activity
“All 9th grade core academic classes should be heterogeneously grouped. Ability grouping should be eliminated in the 9th grade.”
Go to the corner that most closely represents your view point on the above statement.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Recommended Academic Core for All Students
Four credits in college-prep/honors English Four mathematics credits – Algebra I,
geometry, Algebra II and above ; Three science credits at the college-prep level;
four credits with a block schedule Three years of college-prep social studies; four
credits with a block schedule Career or academic concentration Mathematics the senior year
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
2004 Average Score for Students Fully Completing the Recommended Curriculum Regardless of
Performance
All Sites Site
Yes(21%)
No(79%)
Yes No
English (reading test) 294 274
Mathematics 319 295
Science 313 287
p. 41
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
2004 Average Scores for Students Completing Recommended Curriculum Areas
All Sites Site
Yes No Yes No
English 286 272
Mathematics 314 288
Science 300 279
pp. 39, 40
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Completing 9th- Grade Academic English Courses
All Sites Site 2004
Site Goal 2006
HSTW Goal 2006
% Average Score
Basic
English 9
12 260 85%
General English 9
52 273 85%
Academic English 9
43 286 85%
HSTW Goal 279 85%
P 51
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Completing Academic English Courses
All Sites Site 2004
Site Goal 2006
HSTW Goal 2006
% Average Score
Academic English 9
43 286 85%
Academic English 10
44 286 85%
Academic English 11
42 286 85%
Academic English 12
49 290 85%
HSTW Goal 279 85%pp. 51-52
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Completing Math Courses
All Sites Site 2004
Site Goal 2006
% Average Score
Algebra before grade 9
42 307
CP Algebra I 63 303
Basic Alg. I 31 290
Pre-Alg 22 286
HSTW Goal 297
pp. 66, 68
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Completing Science Courses
All Sites Site 2004
Site Goal 2006
% Average Score
CP or Adv. Biology 36 302
General Biology 49 287
Basic Biology 6 274
Adv. Phys. Sc. 19 297
General Phys. Sc. 30 284
Basic Phys. Sc. 7 274
HSTW Goal 299
P 80
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Did you know:
All students do better in college preparatory classes than they do in low level classes.
All teachers should be encouraged to obtain AP certification and/or gifted certification.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
“The pedagogy of gifted education focuses on the broad range of higher level thinking skills, creative and practical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge to real life experiences…All students can benefit from that type of pedagogy.”
Dr. Joseph Renzulli, Director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, “Gifted
Education as a Whole School Model”
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Within your teams, (P. 6 IN PLANNER)
Assess your current efforts on challenging academic studies for ninth graders.
Are all 9th grade courses heterogeneously grouped. If not, which course would you attempt first? What steps would you take to eliminate the lower levels? How would you present this idea to the faculty?
Discuss the feasibility of having all of your teachers obtain either AP certification or gifted certification. What steps would you take to make this happen? How would you present this idea to the faculty?
Georgia CRN (www.georgiaCRN.org)
GCIS (www.gcic.peachnet.edu)
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Other Important Considerations for the 9th Grade Curricula
Extra Help Middle Grades to High School
Transition Habits of Success Parental Involvement
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Why Extra Help?
o reduce the failure rate
o increase the high school graduation rate
o encourage students to “stretch” themselves
o convince parents that the school cares
o achieving high standards builds students’ confidence
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
A System of Extra Help
Develop a system of support to continue from grades seven through ten.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Strategies for Extra Help
Connect extra help and time to clear expectations.
Develop criteria for placement into and out of required extra-help programs.
Tied to work students doing as a normal part of the school routine
Supplement; don’t repeat Use multiple strategies Pick up the pace Personalize
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
What Works in Extra Help?
o Identify students earlyo Provide Frequent and Regular Extra Helpo Make it easy to access, sometimes
requiredo Set Goals (school level, teacher level,
student level)o Develop Relationships over timeo Use Volunteers and technology o Provide examples of high quality worko Provide guidelines that help students
produce quality worko Have students redo work until it meets
standards
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Extra Help is NOT:
o remedial classes
o pullout sessions
o just “slowing things down”
o endless drill sheets
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Extra-help Suggestions
Extended school day—before and after school Saturday Academy Study teams Summer program Mastery learning Peer Tutoring On-line Tutoring and Computer-Assisted
Tutoring
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Extra Help During the School Day
o Modified Schedules for Reteaching Opportunities
o Double Dosing
o Scheduling A Support Class
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
A catch-up system for unprepared entering ninth-graders:
1st semester: a language arts course that stresses high-interest
teen reading, writing and grammar. a math course that stresses arithmetic and
pre-algebra a support class a social studies course taught at the college-prep
level
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
2nd semester: College-prep ninth-grade English College-prep Algebra I College-Prep Science A computer course and support class that are offered
on alternating days
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Other Suggestions:
College-Prep English taught all year
Mastery Algebra
Habits of Success
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Habits of Success:
Reading Strategies: All Schools
I write down questions while reading.
7%
I have individual folders for each class.
57%
I outline and take notes from the textbook.
25%
I study for tests with a partner. 12%
I use a daily planner or agenda book.
19%
I know when projects are due. 60%
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Implementation Issues
How do you identify students who need extra help?
How do you require students to attend? How do you get parents’ commitment? How will extra help be delivered? Who will teach it? How will the strategy or strategies be matched to
student needs?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Within you teams, (p.13 in planner)
Assess your current efforts on providing extra help.
Discuss the implementation issues listed on the previous slide.
Are you providing a variety of extra help opportunities?
Are they successful? (How do you know?)
What can your school do to strengthen extra help opportunities?
What special services do you have to work with incoming ninth-grade students who are at risk?
Should additional services be offered? If so, what kind of services?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Successful Transitions:Middle Grades to High School
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Goals of Middle Grades - High School Transition
o Leave grade eight ready for college-prep Algebra and English.
o Pass ninth-grade courses.
o Complete Algebra I, geometry or Algebra II, two-years college-prep English and science by end of grade 10.
o Pass state exams.
o Attend school regularly.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Strategies for TransitionSummer Bridge
o four- to six-week program for entering ninth-graders who need further study to succeed in high school
o focus on reading, mathematics, computer and study skills
o include career education components
o include high-interest, challenging activities
o strongest teachers teach this program
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Other Suggestions:
Provide upper classmen to work with incoming ninth graders as mentors.
Provide extensive orientations that include setting up a personal learning plan.
Provide field trips to local community colleges and technical schools and/or have speakers talk with students from these schools.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Most Important!
Talk to the Feeder Middle Grades Schools OFTEN!!!!!
Administrators
Counselors
Teachers
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
GET YOUR PARENTS INVOLVED
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Planning for the Future is very important
What are your child’s plans after graduation?
Is he/she taking the right courses to make those plans a reality?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
We need informed parents who will help their students make the right choices.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
20 20
60
20
4535
20
65
15
010203040506070
College Skilled Unskilled
1950
1991
2005
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor
Educational Requirements
85% of jobs will require DIPLOMA PLUS
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Transcript Study:
The single biggest predictor of college success is quality and intensity of high school curriculum.
Cliff Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box, U.S. Department of Education.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Explain the Importance of A Demanding and Challenging Curriculum
Provide specific expectations of what students should know and be able to do to be successful in each of the core 9th grade subjects.
State testing requirements for graduation
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Meet with Parents to Review Available Test Data
Stanford 9 Iowa Test of Basic Skills Any State Tests Any District Tests Report Card Teacher Recommendation
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
____ will help students prepare to meet goals by:
Work will be taught to grade-level standards. Assignments will be challenging, meaningful, and
engaging. Students will be required to redo work until it
meets standards. Students will receive extra help/time if they are not
meeting grade-level standards.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Extra help/time will be provided:
Before School After School Saturday School At the end of the year During the summer
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
WE NEED YOUR HELP
You must be willing for your children to spend additional time at school as needed to catch up.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
“Best Practices”: Strategies:
Stress personal contact with parents. Foster communication with parents. Make the parents feel welcomed; create a
warm environment for parents. Take parents’ interests and needs into
consideration when planning activities. Facilitate structural accommodations for
parental involvement. Consider the education level, language, and
culture of parents. Provide staff development to teachers.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Questions: (p. 14 in planner)
What does your school do to educate middle grades teachers, principals, students, and parents about HSTW high school requirements?
How can you work with middle schools and parents to begin to define clearly what one needs to do to succeed in college-prep courses at the high school level?
How can you work with middle schools to identify students early to begin to put them in the right courses?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Integration and Interdisciplinary Instruction
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Why integrate subject matter?
Connects classroom learning to the real world
Helps teachers expand their teaching strategies
Improves academic achievement Helps students recognize their
aptitude and interests related to career goals
Allows teachers to gain knowledge and skills from each other
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Integration Practices and Higher Achievement
Mathematics and science teachers use real-world problems.
Career/technical teachers require students to read and use mathematics.
Students complete a senior project. Students receive work-site instruction on
communications and mathematics.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Approaches to Interdisciplinary Instruction
Short-term projects Long-term projects Thematic projects Academies
Ninth-grade Career Magnet Schools
Team teaching
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Conditions for Supporting Interdisciplinary Instruction
Common planning time Standards-based, not activity-based Create organizational structure that will support
teacher collaboration Provide large blocks of instructional time for
completion of complex tasks. Provide professional development to support
teachers. Establish clear expectations for teachers–
Collaboration by invitation does not work.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Current Status (P. 15 in planner)
Take 5 minutes to assess your current efforts on integration and interdisciplinary instruction.
Develop an idea for a ninth-grade interdisciplinary unit that involves all core subjects that could be implemented during second semester.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Advisement and Student Mentoring
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Guidance: What is it?
Guidance Counseling
The help all students receive from parents, teachers, counselors, and others to assist with educational and career development.
The help some students receive from credentialed professionals to overcome personal and social problems that interfere with learning.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
What is Advisement
1. A process to help each student improve his/her chances for long-term employment
2. A comprehensive plan to provide students with skills and background to make decisions about his/her education and career
3. A plan to aid students in developing self-awareness, option awareness, and decision-making skills
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Goals of a Quality Advisory Program
To create a caring school climate To monitor the academic progress of students To promote critical-thinking skills through discussion
and problem-solving activities To assist students in making responsible choices To assist students in accepting responsibility for their
own actions
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Goals of a Quality Advisory Program
To assist students in occupational exploration
To assist students in planning a sequence of courses leading to a chosen career major
To develop trusting relationships To emphasize positive student self-esteem
and personal development
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
HSTW Guidance Practices and Higher Achievement
Involve/orient parents to graduation and workplace requirements.
Provide information on postsecondary education and employment.
Encourage students to take challenging English, mathematics and science courses.
Assist students in planning a program of study by the end of grade eight or nine.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Content Areas
1) Academic development
2) Career development
3) Personal-social development
© Sue Reynolds and Peggy LaTurno Hines, 2001 May be reproduced by educators with proper citations for educational purposes.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Activity Balance
GROUP GUIDANCE
INDIVIDUAL GUIDANCE
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Group Guidance
Engaging Activities
Student-Led Projects
The Adviser is seen as the “Coach”.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Individual Guidance Activities
Goal Setting
Monitoring Progress
Active Support
Active Listening
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Relationship Activities
Informal
Time for Discussion
Trust Building
Fun
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Necessary Conditions for Successful Middle and High School Guidance Programs
Administrative commitment Teacher Involvement Time for counselors and teachers to plan guidance
activities Teacher comfort with the role adviser (e.g., professional development outlining the roles and expectations of
advisers and the characteristics/needs of adolescents)
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Student Mentoring
Have one adult who is responsible for each 9th grader to ensure that “he/she does not fall through the cracks.”
Also, consider using 12th grade students as mentors.
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
Within Teams, (p. 16 in planner)
Discuss the extent to which you have an advisement or mentoring program for your 9th-grade students. Are you happy with it? Do there need to be any adjustments? If so, what? How will you make these adjustments?
Southern
Regional
Education
Board
SCHOOL PLANNING TIME (p. 17 in planner)
What ideas will you take back to your school to implement? What problems will you face as you try to implement them? How will you deal with these problems?