The High School Reform Strategy Toolkit

1. The High School Reform Strategy Toolkit Princeton University April 24, 2009 Dr. Nettie Legters, Johns Hopkins University Dr. Becky Smerdon, Academy for Educational Development

2. The High School Reform Strategy Toolkit: Overview • Nettie Legters, Becky Smerdon, Kristine Early • Funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation • Project Started Fall 2007; Launched February 2009 • Idea was to collect extant implementation tools; instead, developed tools using guides, articles, research studies, etc.

3. Overview Continued… • Created 25 “modules” on key high school reforms (definition, essential features, research, best practices, implementation checklist) • Map of technical assistance providers, models, research and evaluation organizations, and funding organizations with links to organizations’ homepages • Searchable annotated bibliography (roughly 300 articles, guides, and research studies)

4. Toolkit Framework Organization of School and School Day Curriculum & Assessment Instruction Staff Supports and Incentives Student Academic and Social Supports and Incentives Family, Community and Industry Partnerships

5. Freshman Transition Family Involvement Interdisciplinary Teaming Advisory Portfolios Attendance Outreach Promoting Health Work-based Learning Mission P-16 Schedule SLC Small LearningCommunities Technology-based Learning Service-learning Peer Tutoring College Awareness Project-based Learning Early Warning System Personalized Learning Plans CCCPC Community Involvement Standardized Testing Double-dosing Multicultural Learning

6. More Possibilities • Building Capacity Creating an Improvement Plan • Building Constituency for Reform • Establishing Accountability for Reform • Distributed Leadership • Strong Principal Leadership • Choice and Assignment • Teaching Repertoire • Lesson Planning • Behavior Management • Reflective practice • Mentoring • Counseling Services • Instructional Role of Community and Industry Members (school-based; work-based; for students; for teachers) • Adult Education Programs • Networking with other schools

7. Tour of The High School Reform Strategy Toolkit • Visit www.highschooltoolkit.com

14. Working Definition of Early Warning Systems • Early warning systems use attendance, behavior, and achievement data to identify students at-risk of dropping out of school.

15. Essential Features of Early Warning Systems • Data • Analytic Capacity • Mechanisms for Activating Intervention

16. Research • Allensworth and Easton, 2005 • Allensworth and Easton, 2007 • Balfanz and Herzog, 2005 • Balfanz, Herzog, and MacIver, 2007 • Heppen and Therriault, 2008 • Neild and Balfanz, 2006 • Neild, Curran, and Herzog, 2006 • Roderick, 1993 • Zau and Betts, 2008

17. Working Definition of Small Learning Communities • Small learning communities (SLCs) are small, student-centered instructional units.

18. Essential Features of Small Learning Communities • Interdisciplinary Teaming • Personalization • Identity • Decision-Making Authority **Oxley and Cotton

19. Research • Cotton, 2001 • Dayton, 2001 • Heath, 2005 • Kemple, 2001 • Kemple and Snipes, 2000 • Lee and Smith, 1995 • McRobbie, 2001 • Maxwell and Rubin, 2000 • Oxley, 2007 • Raywid, 1999 • Visher, Teitelbaum and Emanuel, 1999

20. Best Practices and Implementation Checklists • Possible audiences • Possible uses

21. Future of the Toolkit • More modules • Specialized checklists (aimed toward school leaders, researchers, etc.) • More research • Forum for users to add ideas • Case studies of schools • Clips of experts

22. Contacts • Nettie Legters, nlegters@CSOS.jhu.edu • Becky Smerdon, bsmerdon@aed.org