VOLUME 3 NGA NOTES ISSUE 1 Coral Springs - Deerfield Beach - Northeast - Nova - South Plantation - Stranahan Ninth Grade Academies (NGA) NGA Enhancement Development Project Kicks Off Year 3 Enhancement Development Project 2013-2014 NGA Coordinators met on August 8 to plan for the third and Ann Evans, Project Coordinator final year of the Ninth Grade Academy Enhancement [email protected] Linda Medvin,TSA Development Project. The evening meeting format supports the Project’s goals of empowering the NGA Coordinators to [email protected] lead meetings at their schools with their own NGA Teams. It also allowed for flexibility, since many of the schools had scheduled activities with incoming Freshman or with NGA teachers for the week prior to Teacher Planning Days. Topics discussed included ‘Empowering Leaders’, ‘Building NGA Teams’, ‘Making Data Driven Decisions’, and ‘Setting Priorities’. All agreed that the focus on data is the priority for this final year to support progress in the NGA Schools. All in attendance appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with their peers and to be ready to OPEN STRONG! at their L-R: Cindy O’Brien, Bethany Gatewood, Tameka King,Tracey Walton, Jennell Lozin, Safiya Scott schools! Congratulations! Best wishes to Vernicca Wynter on her promotion to Assistant Principal at William Dandy Middle School! Northeast High School will miss you as their NGA Coordinator! Welcome Candace Lacey to NGA Planning Team! Candace H. Lacey, PhD., will be working on our NGA team this year, helping with data identification, collection, and analysis. She has extensive grant evaluation and program development experience. She is a Program Professor at Nova Southeastern University’s Abraham Fischler School of Education where she teaches research and leadership in the doctoral program. This year’s focus on data and the designation of a Data Teacher Leader at each school will benefit from Candace’s expertise and experience. Welcome to the NGA Enhancement Development Project! Teacher Leadership Teams Coral Springs HS Tameka King - NGA Coordinator Iris Jones Lisa McQuade Armelle Johnson- Data Teacher Leader Deerfield Beach HS Cindy O’Brien - NGA Coordinator Saundra Garner Michael Livingston Alison Cantu- Data Northeast HS Safiya Scott - NGA Coordinator Annette Alfaro Lavon Smith Dawn Sales - Data Teacher Leader Nova HS Jennell Lozin - NGA Coordinator Kevin Huntley Leah Jackson Carrie Ortega - Data South Plantation HS Bethany Gatewood-NGA Coordinator Shaquela Williams Freeman Ayodele Bain Nick DellariaData Teacher Leader Stranahan HS Jennifer Hamilton - NGA Coordinator Sandra Andrews Shounas Tucker Tracey Walton - Data CLOSING STRONG! 2012-13 SCHOOL DATA Northeast’s NGA Increases Involvement in Co-curricular Activities Teacher leaders at Northeast HS have organized Fall and Spring Activity Fairs that showcase electives, advance placement (AP), and innovative programs to increase student participation and recruit current students and incoming freshmen. In addition to the fairs, a session during Summer Freshman Camp, led by upperclassman, was devoted to co-curricular involvement. During the school year teachers were encouraged to provide extra credit for students actively participating in co-curricular activities. A revised club handout was distributed to all students. Students in the FEMA Mentoring Program were encouraged to join clubs with their mentors. Result: There was a 10% increase in the number of freshman involved in one activity; 7% increase of freshman involved in multiple co-curricular activities. In the 2011-2012 school year, 20% of freshman were involved in one co curricular activity; 10% of freshman were involved in two or more co-curricular activities. In the 2012-2013 school year, 30% of freshman were involved in one co-curricular activity; 12% of freshman were involved in two co-curricular activities; 5% of freshman were involved in three or more co- curricular activities. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that students who participate in co-curricular activities have better school attendance, higher levels of achievement and higher aspirations to pursue further education. Although it is difficult to know whether participating in co-curricular activities increases high school students' success rates or whether successful students seek out co-curricular activities, it's clear that a correlation exists between the two and that students who participate in activities are more successful in school. Stranahan’s NGA Uses Data to Determine Success Stranahan’s teacher leaders and administrators thought that IPackets were an intervention that would meet with great success with their ninth grade students. Teachers would provide students with the opportunity to earn a passing grade for the third quarter. Writing teams of English, math, science, and reading teachers created instructional packets for students. Disappointed in the return of packets, a student survey, through Earth Science, served as a vehicle for proactive planning in the use of I-Packets for future 9 th graders. Stranahan’s teacher leaders will use their data, as a short-cycle impact report, to inform their planning and decisions. Coral Springs’ NGA Meets Author Coral Springs HS teacher leaders used their summer Leadership Training as an opportunity to cooperatively define literacy and an initiative that utilizes literacy skills school-wide to promote high levels of critical thinking, learning and student achievement. In addition to rigor and relevance, students were encouraged to read for pleasure. Through the efforts of the NGA Teacher Leaders, there was an opportunity to host Ally Condie, young adult author of the trilogy, Matched, Crossed and Reached. Books were ordered through NGA funds for student check out through English classes as well as the media center. Projects were displayed during the author’s visit. Literacy Plan Data: 93% read Matched (available to 9th grade students through distribution in English classes) Subjects # of packets % of packets English 14 25 Math Science 27 26 48 46 Reading 7 13 # of IPackets received # of by students students 0 - % # of IPackets completed % by students 29 52 1 2 37 18 66 32 23 4 41 4 3 1 1.7 0 0 Students’ reasons for not completing IPackets It was too much work # of student % of student responses responses 11 20 It was too hard 7 13 I lost it 4 7 I forgot 2 4 Not enough time 5 9 Not motivated 4 7 Picked up packet late 1 2 Felt it wasn’t going to make a difference 2 4 South Plantation Creates Safety Net for Freshman South Plantation’s NGA created IPackets with the idea of providing a safety net for incoming freshmen. I-packets are available at the end of 1st quarter and at the end of 2nd quarter for any ninth grade student that had a grade of ‘D’ or ‘F’ in a core subject such as English, math and/or science. Students have approximately 2-3 weeks to complete one packet; students with two or more packets have extended time. Students are required to complete the packet; and meet any additional requirements set forth by the teacher. Students will be able to have their grade changed to a ‘C’ if he/she is in compliance with all requirements. In an effort to further improve the IPacket process, the NGA Coordinator, teacher leaders, guidance personnel will meet with the students that are eligible to receive them. Conversations will be based on grades, attendance, and discipline, if necessary. First Second Quarter Quarter 130 153 Total number of Ipackets given out to students Total number of 32 grade changes to C Total GPA of 2.0 or 17 higher (with grade changes) Total GPA of 3.0 or 4 higher (with grade changes) 36 18 5 Nova HS Mentors Tomorrow’s Leaders Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders (MTL) functions as a school club that provides opportunities for male freshmen to interact with upperclassmen emphasizing academic achievement and student leadership. Mentees could become mentors in their junior year. Formal activities include peer tutoring, academic support for monitoring grades, assemblies featuring successful male minority speakers who share information in addition to motivating the students. Ninth grade students with a 2.0 or lower GPA or with behavioral concerns were selected by the 9th Grade Administrator and Guidance Counselor. Other male minority freshmen are welcome to join. The end goal for underclassmen to graduate. MTL helps to create a culture of ’it’s cool to be smart’ that helps the young men connect to school and be proud of their achievements. MTL’s goal is for mentees to become future mentors and believes that the most important person to a teen is another teen. Ninth Grade Academies (NGAs) Enhancement Development Project Year at a Glance! 2013-14 DATE & TIME EVENT & LOCATION PARTICIPANTS Wednesday Sept. 25, 2013 1 PM Dr. Nettie Legters, Dr. Nettie Legters, Mr. Robert JHU meeting with Mr. Runcie, Dr. Elisa Calabrese, Robert Runcie Ann Evans Tuesday September 24, 2013 8 AM to 3 PM Design Team Meeting NGA Administrators for first #1 two hours; Talent Development NGA coordinators and teacher TR 4 leaders full day; NGA support team Monday November 4, 2013 8 AM to 3 PM Design Team Meeting NGA Administrators for first #2 two hours; Talent Development NGA coordinators and teacher TR 4 leaders full day; NGA support team Thursday February 13, 2014 8 AM to 3 PM Design Team Meeting NGA Administrators for first #3 two hours; Talent Development NGA coordinators and teacher leaders full day; NGA support team March, 2014 TBA NGA Showcase 4 PM to 6 PM TBD All NGA school principals, administrators and teacher leaders, NGA project and support staff Invited guests: Superintendent, School Board Members, all high school principals, key BCPS district personnel, community stakeholders, parents and students Deerfield Beach’s NGA Interventions Show Student Success Teacher leaders at Deerfield Beach HS compiled a Ninth Grade Academy Student Success Report: Comparison of Course Failures In a data analysis of 3rd quarter failures, there were 240 individual students failing one or more courses. Table 1. In the group of 240 students from the failure list for 3rd quarter, a comparison was made of 4th quarter failures for individual students in individual courses. From the 3rd quarter to the 4th quarter, there were several interventions implemented to improve academic success including: • individual exploration of graduation requirements and GPA using Virtual Counselor, • individual student data chats, extended conferencing with NGA teachers and parents, and • ongoing student recognition and celebration of success. The results of the interventions for students in the Ninth Grade Academy show a decline in the number of courses failed by students from 3rd quarter to 4th quarter. Table 2 From the original group of 240 students with one or more failure, 48 students completed the 4th quarter with zero course failures for a 20% increase in academic success. Chart 1 Table 1 Student Failures 3d Quarter 0-F 0 1-F 102 Student Failures 4th Quarter 2-Fs 59 0-F 48 3-Fs 31 1-F 74 4-Fs 20 2-‐Fs 35 5-Fs 12 3-‐Fs 28 6-Fs 7 4-‐Fs 19 7-Fs 9 5-‐Fs 14 6-‐Fs 12 7-‐Fs 10 Table 2 Individual students accomplished academic success by decreasing the number of course failures and increasing the number of courses passed for 4th quarter. Chart 2. Chart 1 Chart 2 ! Office&of&Talent&Development! Professional!Learning!and!Continuing!Education! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Dr.!Elisa!Calabrese,!Chief!Talent!Development!Officer! Gracie!Diaz,!Director,!Performance!Evaluations!and!Teacher!Incentive!Fund!! Dr.!Sharon!Moffitt,!Director,!Leadership!Development! Heather!Parente,!Director,!Employee!Evaluations! Linda!Whitehead,!Director,!Teacher!Development! Bette!Zippin,!Director,!Professional!Development!Support! ! !
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