So You Call That Alternative?

1. So You Call That Alternative? Farley Reeves Principal Reese Education Center FrenshipISD www.frenship.us Rosita Williams Assistant Principal

2. Ask yourself what this sounds like? • School starts at 8am and students go to 1st period • A schedule has 4 or 5 periods or 7 or 8 periods pending on campus • The bell rings to start class and dismiss class • Students go to the next class like clockwork • Each day during the same time slot we have the same class - English…math…science…social studies…electives • Students carry backpacks, textbooks and follow the same routine each day • Teachers follow a calendar driven curriculum CSCOPE/TEKS Resource System (day 1 scope and sequence, day 2 scope and sequence, etc…)

3. What does that sound like? • If it … • Looks like a traditional school • Acts like a traditional school • Functions like a traditional school

4. It’s probably a traditional school!

5. Does this work for all students? Or do you have some that just don’t fit the bill for whatever reason?

6. So how do you get students that struggle to be successful in a traditional setting to be successful if the only change you have for them is location?

7. So what could be done to make this place different?

8. In 2008-09 Reese Education Center

9. 2008-09 50 Graduates Not a problem for an Alternative Rating however the districts remained accounatable!

10. Staff • 29 Staff • 19 Teachers and a STR of 5.3 • 5 Aides • Not bad as an educator except: • They were discouraged • They were exhausted • They were frustrated • Not to mention how costly it was for the district

11. The Campus Needs Assessment

12. We asked some basic questions… • Who are we serving? • How are we serving them? • Are we meeting the needs of those we are serving? • Are we meeting the needs of the district? • Are we maximizing the use of our facilities? • What additional cost is there in meeting these needs? • What are the limitations for a campus of choice?

13. Academically Challenged Teen Parents Who we are serving? Discipline Problems Homeless Emancipated On Probation Attendance Problems Criminal History At Risk

14. How are we serving them? • 7 period schedule • Issued text books • Assigned seating • Direct instruction with text, worksheets, and some moodle developed deliveries • Occasional one to one assistance when needed • In many ways we were serving them much the same as they were being served at the high school with the exception of a different location and a smaller student to teacher ratio

15. Are we meeting the needs of those we are serving? • The students were disengaged • Their behavior was less than desirable • Attendance was generally poor • They had little trust, especially with adult educators • They were struggling academically with direct classroom instruction with a teacher, now they were expected to be independent learners from a text and with worksheets on their own

16. Are we meeting the needs of those we are serving? • The students struggled to be successful in the “traditional setting” and it was generally not happening now? • Many students were only buying time until they could drop out! • Students were not motivated for school and did not see the purpose in doing it any longer! • No goals or ambition for the future • School is just not right for them. • They had given up like the people that had given up on them! Uhhh… NO!

17. Were we meeting the needs of the district? • Attendance rates – 84% • TAKS Testing performances – Exit Level • Reading – 77% • Math – 33% • Social Studies – 75% • Science – 55% • District accountability • # of Minimum Plan graduates coming from the alternative campus • Only 12% of students were graduating as college ready

18. Are we meeting the needs of the district? • Personnel study district wide • Over staffed for the results we were getting • Prepare to do more with less! • STR of 5:1 not cost effective for the results the campus was getting

19. Are we maximizing the use of our facilities? 11 Tech Labs Traditional Space Science Lab

20. What additional cost are involved in meeting these needs? • Cost of change • Staffing impact • Teacher buy-in to a new way of thinking

21. What are the limitations for a campus of choice? • Approaches for alternative education • NCLB and the requirements for instructors and guidelines provided for alternative education The purpose is to expedite progress toward performing at grade level and high school completion. • Scheduling options, courses offered, graduation, counseling, GED, computer based instruction, etc….

22. The results of the CNA

23. Climate and Culture Expectations!

24. What we found out: • We needed to improve the perception of Reese Education Center (get buy in from all players of the community) • Develop stronger partnerships with outside organizations • Adjust scheduling to better meet the needs of an “at risk” alternative student • Change the delivery method of instruction • Change the mentality of the staff • Improve student trust (relationships were non existent) • Redefine the roles and responsibilities of the staff • There is a multitude of options for a campus of choice

25. Relationships • Perception • Partnerships

26. Improve the Perception • Took advantage of and created opportunity • Monthly District Administrators ILT meetings • District wide professional development on site • Organizational meetings on site. • Campus Tours • We Became the Face of Frenship ISD • Created an Accelerated graduation program for targeted students • 2100 students walk through the halls of Frenship High School • No way all 2100 students learn at the same pace and in the same style • Target student populations before they become “At Risk” • Application program allowing students struggling with the traditional environment to seek enrollment on their own for the purpose of early graduation

27. Improve the Perception • Partners In Educating Students • Involve parents in educational process • Improve student attendance • Meet once each six weeks • Quality programs provided by local business and industry leaders

28. Developed partnerships and utilized local resources and services

29. Creative Scheduling • Change the method of delivery • Change the look of the schedule

30. Change the delivery method of delivery • Created a team, including campus and district personnel, visited with 13 campuses statewide researching options, opportunities, and possibilities for instruction and scheduling in the alternative setting. • Team researched best practices of 7 different available options for instruction • Researched possible vendors, features, and personal interest of CBI delivery • Invited representatives from our top four options to our campus and incorporated • Faculty participation • Student participation • Staff sampled top three choices • Staff chose the product they felt best met the student needs • We looked at the impact on scheduling options, courses offered, graduation, counseling, GED, computer based instruction, etc….

31. How do we fund the cost to meet these needs? • Sought assistance from different departments within the district • Special Ed, CATE, Comp Ed., etc… • Instructional Materials Allotment • Reduction of the human element • Negotiated longer term contract allowing for significant discounts and multiple licenses. • Purchased district license verse site license allowing for the high school to update their on-campus intermediate credit recovery program and summer school program. • Provided all inclusive curriculum offering every core course as required by the State of Texas

32. Scheduling overhaul • Created two academic teams • Created 4 instructional settings with student Office Spaces for each academic team • Students were provided personal Office Spaces with rotating Shift Managers (Teacher) • Implemented a “Flex Schedule” allowing student control of course focus during the instructional setting • Reduced the course load to 4 core courses and 1 elective offering at a time • (Elective offerings included any non-core course) • Implemented the “Snow Ball” scheduling effect • Rotating elective schedule creating Intervention/Advisory Schedule for teachers • Individual/group test prep opportunities • Work schedule type breaks

33. 4 office spaces 3 core courses each day, 4 times a week ie: Room 301 on Monday has Social Studies, ELA, Math but no Science. On Tuesday no Math, Wednesday no ELA, and Thursday no Social Studies Alternating elective course time slot each of the four days allowing for advisory/intervention opportunities The core teacher uses the elective time as Advisory/Intervention time with student

34. Focus on Student Relationships • Student/Teacher relationships • Student/Administration relationships • No excuses! • Make it about them!

35. Help the students and teachers to look ahead and control what’s in front of us.

36. Build Relationships and Trust • Shift Manager (teacher) is given 1.5 hours dedicated to Advisory/Intervention 4 times a week • Advisory Role • Provide and work with students individually with graduate portfolio • Shift Manager is assigned one group of students to advise (14 or less students) • Shift Manager is responsible for setting personal/academic goals with individual students • Shift Manager is responsible for monitoring individual student progress • Shift Manager is responsible for monitoring individual student attendance • Intervention Role • Shift Manager can pull individuals or groups and work one on one, or small groups to provide RTI in preparation for state assessments or course focus

41. Building Relationships and Trust • Communication – Is a two way street • Open door policy to the administration • Expectations - Student contract • Attendance – 90% rule • Credit Awards - 2 Credits each six weeks • Communities In Schools • Actions speak louder than words • “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” • “Life happens!” • “Don’t try to make WASP out of them!” • “Sometimes life has something bigger happening than Algebra 2.” • “It’s not the problems we face in life that determines who we become, It’s how we handle those problems that determines who we become!”

43. Building Relationships and Trust

44. Building Relationships and Trust

45. No excuses! • On-site daycare is provided for young and expecting parents • 240 minutes schedule options for Junior/Senior students required to work • Job placement assistance • Attendance assistance programs

46. Make it about them!

48. Graduate testimonial • There are many reasons for one to have to attended an alternative school, rather it is that they were behind in school or maybe even wanted to be ahead of everyone else. The reason I came to this school was because the previous year had been rough on me and changed my life. I dropped out of school and ran away from home because I thought my parents had too many rules and that I was better educated on life than they were. I left and not even a week into my new life I realized that they weren’t all that stupid after all. I couldn’t get a job, couldn’t afford food, and I was jumping from house to house and finally I just gave up. I needed help….. • ….I didn’t want to start two years behind schedule of my original graduation, so I asked to be sent to the alternative school so I could recover my credits. At first it was really hard, I didn’t really remember what I had learned months ago and it was a new faster paced environment than that that I was used to. As soon as I was able to get adapted to the new schedule I was on a roll…… I think what I gained from learning at an alternative school was that I was capable of doing many things that I didn’t know I was capable of doing….

49. The Results • ADA Attendance Rate 89.14% • Provided 2833 student interventions sessions for reasons such as Academic Progress, Attendance, Behavior, Goal Setting, TAKS, and Graduation • Joined Community in Schools and provided 2914 different services to “At Risk” students. Services included Guidance and Counseling, Career Awareness, Parent and Family Involvement, Health and Human Services, Education Enhancement, Enrichment all in an effort to prevent student dropouts • Since implementation no less than 84% of a graduating class graduates on the Recommended Plan or Distinguished Plan • 92% (47 students) of the graduating seniors for 2014 graduated on the Recommended High School Program • This is an increase for the number of Recommended Graduates from 12% in 2008-2009 to 84.96% of all students since program implementation in 2009-2010

50. Since implementation 84.97% of the students have graduated on the Recommended Plan