Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Notes to Instructor:
1. I am including the School Profile as Appendix A but I am
not including it in the word total because it is an assignment that was
already turned in and is only being used here for reference.
2. The strategic plan I developed could be more detailed
but I would quickly eclipse the word count so I am not including all
details. Should you need more details, please let me know and I will
supply them.
3.
ABSTRACT
This Strategic Plan presents conclusions drawn from classroom observations, discussions
with Leadership team members, and conclusions drawn from various educational
experiences. This strategic plan describes promising practices observed; next steps planned
by the school and areas of improvement that should be addressed. An action plan is given
for addressing the areas of improvement, including stakeholders responsible for specific
areas of the plan and what steps can be taken to ensure success. The information contained
in this strategic plan is limited by the data available at the time of the assignment.
First, the school must continue to use and improve on the current system of distributed
leadership it employs. This system works because it allows for ease in communicating core
beliefs, goals and values to all stakeholders involved in school improvement efforts.
Second, HHS and the Leadership Team must create high expectations for all students. This
involves several stages of development, starting with increasing rigor in the curriculum. By
increasing rigor teachers are better able to prepare students to be college and career ready.
One way to increase rigor is to require that all students must enroll in at least one
Advanced Placement class before they graduate. They should also be required to take a
course on-line, even if that course is facilitated on the school campus (over 45% of HHS
students do not have access to a computer at home). Both these suggestions better prepare
students for life after high school. Creating a culture of high expectations means that
teachers must establish and communicate these expectations to students. Teachers must
develop grading and homework policies that will be enforced and then utilize school
resources to assist the students who struggle by providing tutoring or extra help. Teachers
must design curriculum that motivates students to learn and achieve. Two ways to ensure
teacher compliance is to give teachers time to collaborate by department and by grade level
and also by having teachers design rubrics and post student exemplars matching the rubric.
Third, instruction must be researched-based, rigorous, and engaging. This instruction should
also be standards-based and relevant. One way to ensure success is to have the various
departments work together to create lesson plans, rubrics and projects. The data on reading
levels at the school also suggests that literacy strategies should be incorporated into as many
lesson plans as possible regardless of subject. Additionally, professional development must be
provided to teachers for topics like differentiated instruction, rubric-building, effective
learning strategies, alternative assessments, higher order questioning and multiple
intelligences. District budget cuts will cut into money available for professional development
so the Leadership team should consider identifying staff members who could lead PD sessions
on campus without incurring large expenses.
Fourth, continue with the current Advisory system, but bolster it by increasing the rigor of the
advisory class curriculum. Increase the number of advisory classes to one each day for the
first week of each semester, followed by advisory classes every Friday. Step up the curriculum
to include study skills and interpersonal development skills. One possible instructional piece
could be Sean Covey’s Seven Habits of Effective Teens. Franklin Covey’s son, Sean,
developed strategies for teenagers based on his father’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,
and these strategies include everything from decision-making, paradigms and paradigm shifts,
to most importantly, beginning with the end in mind. It is also vital that more importance be
placed on the mentoring opportunities that were the original reason for creating advisory
classes. Advisory teachers must help students make the connection to some goal beyond high
school and how to achieve that goal.
Fifth, and finally, HHS must focus more energy on developing Career Technical courses that
align to career-readiness standards. HHS Leadership has an obligation to train CT and
academic teachers to work together developing curriculum, assignments, assessments and
rubrics and then delivering that curriculum at a more rigorous level. Make available to all
students Programs of Study and Career Pathway information and make sure it is in both
English and Spanish. When registering students, make sure counselors are prepared to make
recommendations to students on available classes geared toward specific careers or areas of
study.
Based on the above information it is clear that the Leadership Team starts it and must also
finish it. By dividing the work among the various leadership teams (as stated in Appendix A)
accomplishing the work suddenly seems possible. By spreading out the challenges, the
successes are also spread out. Stakeholders suddenly feel more vested in the process,
successes continue to build and HHS becomes an exciting and enjoyable place to learn and
work.
IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES
Utilizing many of the basic strategies available to schools that are part of the High Schools
That Work contingency, identifying improvement strategies was not a difficult process. After
identifying some of the strategies that would work at HHS, details specific to the school were
added in. The premise behind High Schools That Work is that most students can master
rigorous academic and career/technical studies if they are in an environment that motivates
students to make the effort to succeed. This effort-based school improvement initiative is
changing high schools across America and has given the plan most of the fuel to ignite
positive change in the school environment.
The school mission statement was revised one and a half years ago by the Leadership team but
has not been fully received within the school community. The school motto, Traditions of
Excellence, has been around since the 1960s and has been linked to HHS by teachers,
students, alumni and the community. The Leadership Team determined that a vision statement
that focused on the school new-found focus was appropriate. After several sessions a motto
was created that spoke to what HHS was trying to accomplish. The vision was simple yet
profound:
College and Career Readiness for ALL Students
This focus will assist the new leadership team to provide a strategic purpose to everyday
practices at the school. It is easily stated by both teachers and students and connects the fact
that ALL students must be ready for either college or career.
HHS teachers and leaders have worked for the last two years to establish a set of HHS
Core Values that communicate how work is done on campus. The Core Values are grouped
into five areas that include:
• Rigor
• Collaboration/Empowerment/Engagement
• Diversity/Equity
• Efficacy/Effectiveness/Efficiency
• Open Door to the Classroom/Community Involvement
Each area was shaped by teachers during PLCs (Professional Learning Communities).
Each group provided descriptors of each area, brought together the staff and voted on each
set of descriptors to narrow it down to those that clearly communicated the level of focus
that either existed or was desired. There were many factors expressed by teachers to lead
this writer to believe that even more drastic action is required to affect change in the
school. The necessary steps to maintain continuous improvement now would be to adopt
HSTW core beliefs. They are listed below:
High Schools That Work Core Beliefs
1. Almost all students can and will make the effort to learn grade level and course standards if
adults in the school create the right conditions.
2. All students should be enrolled in a program of study that will prepare them for further
study and a career.
3. Students who have a goal and see meaning and purpose in learning are more motivated to
learn grade level and course standards.
4. Students learn best when they have a personal connection to the school.
5. Students learn best when teachers maintain a demanding and supportive environment that
pushes students to do their best.
7. Students change behavior and become more motivated to meet school goals when adults
use school and classroom practices based on effort rather than ability.
Research has shown that a change in teacher behavior, regardless of the teachers’ beliefs,
can change student performance sufficiently enough to change teacher beliefs based almost
solely on their observations of improved student achievement. The foundation of this
strategic plan is based on this huge observation: changes in beliefs can follow changes in
behavior. This distinction is vital to the plan because leaders can mandate behaviors much
easier than beliefs.
Setting goals and measuring progress is the key element of continuous school
improvement. The school must identify specific targets that will measure
school/student/teacher progress toward reaching the goal. It is just as important to measure
progress in improving both the experience and the achievement as it is establishing
measurable goals. The strategic plan calls for implementing 2 measurable goals to use in
assessing continuous improvement:
HHS has not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) based on the state’s accountability
system for math and reading. The data bear out that HHS is scoring lower and lower so
drastic changes are necessary. Examining the data reaffirms that increasing rigor is vital to
turning it around. Students currently (class of 2012 and newer) must earn 25 credits to
graduate. The district does not require the English and math classes to be college-
preparatory in nature but this HHS strategic plan calls for students to take at least one
advanced placement class and one on-line class in preparation for college or career. The
plan calls for an 85% graduation rate. HHS currently has the lowest graduation rate in the
district (49%) but the Leadership team believes that by implementing change the grad rate
will improve dramatically. The grad rate must also contend with students who literally
disappear (i.e. immigrants who return to their country without taking transcripts or
withdrawing properly) so the plan calls for better record keeping. Only 14% of HHS
students who took the ACT were found to be college-ready in all four areas (math, English,
science, social studies) so the plan calls for requiring AP classes and college prep classes
be offered and recommended. Through partnerships with CNM and UNM, students can
easily take dual enrollment classes for free at the local colleges.
The strategic plan would call for aligning HHS core academic classes to college and career
readiness and to high school graduation. The curriculum must reflect college-readiness
standards that identify critical thinking knowledge and skills in both math and language
arts. As part of the plan, teachers must be given professional development opportunities on
standards-based instructional planning. As stated earlier, the plan also requires enrollment
in honors, advanced, distance-learning and dual enrollment courses.
4. BELIEVE THAT STUDENTS CAN DO BETTER AND LET THEM KNOW YOU
DO
This is definitely a strong suit for HHS teachers. HHS leaders are promoting a culture of
high expectations and are providing students with many opportunities to receive the extra
help they need to reach these higher expectations. The plan calls for every teacher to
provide a syllabus to each student that includes rubrics and scoring guides, outlines course
content, contains class rules and lays out class and course expectations. The plan calls for
teachers to post student work and to specify daily objectives. Teachers will also be asked to
make bell-to-bell instruction the norm in ALL classrooms in order to utilize every minute
of instructional time to teach required content.
In addition, the school has provided tutors to help in every area and in every language.
Students have access to tutoring from 6:00am to 6:30pm and this aspect is a big part of the
plan to continually improve academically. HHS has programs set up with LULAC,
ENLACE, Sandia Labs, Upward Bound, Project Diversity, Catholic Social Services,
Kirtland Air Force Base, as well as volunteers from Walmart, UNM, and the City of
Albuquerque.
The plan also calls for utilizing the Advisory program fully by teaching study skills and
habits of success. Leaders will make teachers accountable for reinforcing guidance and
advisement as a means of connecting students to goals beyond high school. Teachers will
be asked to provide advisement, mentoring, support, and monitoring of students’ education
and career plans in a purposeful way. Leaders will continually monitor, evaluate, and
revise the program to meet emerging student needs. Finally, teachers and leaders must act
in unison to provide
Students and in particular seniors a meaningful academic experience. This strategic plan
would call for every senior to create a portfolio listing their accomplishments over the four
years, including what they have done to prepare for college or career, They would have to
defend it in front of a panel of stakeholders, which could include their parents, school
leaders and teachers who have had a stake in their growth.
It begins with the Leadership team and it cycles through the team constantly. The plan calls
for leaders, whether it be administrators, department chairs, members of HSTW, AVID,
PLCs, or SLCs, to constantly evaluate and reevaluate; to analyze data to set goals; to use
data to inform instruction and to change instruction; to make the hard decisions that will
infuse rigor into the classroom; and establish consistency in decision making.
CONCLUSION
This strategic plan calls into play many of the points learned in EDA575. It is the hope of
this writer that many of these suggestions could eventually be implemented because they
all make sense in terms of reaching the goal. If nothing else, this strategic plan makes a
suitable framework for creating change in an educational environment that has similar
conditions. This plan goes a long way in: embracing continuous school improvement by
putting in place systems of collaboration or improving on existing systems; focusing on
goals that are data driven and reviewable; using data to inform change; taking ownership
for not only the challenges facing HHS but the solutions as well; letting students and
teachers know loud and clear that the school believes and expects ALL students to learn at
high levels; and finally, HHS will do what it takes to create an educational environment
conducive to growth and learning.
APPENDIX A
2. Personalization.
Students are more likely to succeed in an environment where staff
know every student and no student slips through the cracks. For this
reason, Highland has broken 9th and 10th grade academies into small
groups of less than 100 students (all at the same grade level). These
groups are created based on assessments mentioned above so that
members of each group share some or many similar likes.
3. Flexibility and Accountability.
Highland has given teachers an opportunity to collaborate with each
other, and has empowered them to make mission driven decisions
about staffing, schedule, budget, and curriculum.
4. Equity.
The goal of the school is to ensure high quality education to ALL
students in Highland’s neighborhood.
5. Community Engagement.
Highland has made it a top priority to engage the community and
seek their input into decisions that affect the school and community.
For change to occur, Highland’s students, parents, community
members, and teachers must have buy-in. The best way to achieve
buy-in is to involve these stakeholders in creating the plan for
redesigning the school and involve them in the governance of the
school as it moves forward. In addition, Highland has moved to
become a central hub for a community by inviting parents and
community members to come to the school for English lessons, GED
classes, computer classes, dance and yoga, and on and on.
"TRADITIONS OF EXCELLENCE"
Highland High School strives to be the premier high
school in
Central New Mexico. The school provides a learning
environment
that prepares young people for college and careers.
We accept the
challenge to make a difference in the lives of our
students, to
recognize their strengths, to prepare them for careers
and to
empower them to make a difference in the world.
School Information
Highland High School
CEEB code: 320020
Main Office: 505-265- 3711
Address: 4700 Coal Avenue SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Counseling Office: (505) 265-3711 ext 26018
www.highlandhornets.com
Principal: Nikki Dennis
9th Grade Principal, in charge of 9th grade academy: Lupe Martinez
10th Grade Principal, in charge of finance: Larry D’Anza
11th Grade Principal, in charge of buildings and grounds: Frank Maestas
12 Grade Principal, in charge of curriculum and instruction: Harriet
Crawford
Assistant Principal in charge of Special Education: Ben Chavez
Coordinator of Small Learning Communities: Mary Anne Polster
Activities Director: Patrick Arguelles
Athletic Director: Ryan Kettler
School Counselors: Christina Vasquez, Analisa Lujan, Trudy Mueller,
Teya Nguyen, Derek Maestas
School
Highland High School opened its doors in 1949. Today, Highland is the second oldest public
high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently operates out of the oldest standing
school building in the state. The school occupies 33 acres. Currently the Albuquerque Public
Schools District consists of 13 high schools, 27 middle schools, and 89 elementary schools
utilizing a K-5, 6-8, 9-12 grade-level configuration. The student body of Highland High
School is culturally diverse with a population that is 8.5% African American, 3.6% Asian,
18.2% Caucasian, 57.2% Hispanic, and 12.5% Native Americans. Highland High School is a
comprehensive four year public high school enrolling 1797 students in grade 9 through 12.
(NM) School
This School
Average
Teacher : Student
1:16 1:14
Ratio
Students by Ethnicity
Curriculum
The academic program is organized on a rotating block schedule. Students can earn seven
credits per year during a regular school day. Students take six 95-minute classes, and one 50-
minute class. Students attend 3 block classes and the 50-minute class daily, rotating Monday
& Wednesday and Tuesday & Thursday. On Friday, the students go to all seven classes
lasting 50 minutes each.
AP courses are offered in Art History, Art, Calculus AB and BC, Chemistry, Biology, English
Language, English Literature, U.S History, World History, Government and Economics,
Spanish, French, and German. AP is an open-enrollment program.
Honors classes are offered in English, Algebra, and Geometry. Entry into the courses is
determined by student commitment and teacher recommendation.
Highland High School has dual enrollment with UNM and CNM which enables sophomores,
juniors, and seniors to enroll in college level courses and earn college credits at local
institution of higher education. The students also receive high school elective credit for these
courses.
Grading and Ranking
A 90 – 100 4pts
B 80 – 89 3pts
C 70 – 79 2pts
D 60 – 69 1pts
F 59 - below
Class rank is determined by the student’s weighted cumulative GPA.
Class of 2007
There were 322 students in the Class of 2009.
• 26 earned a 4.0+
• 47 earned 3.5–3.99
• 76 earned 3.0–3.49
• 82 earned 2.50–2.99
• 54 earned 2.0–2.49
• 37 earned less than a 2.0
Colleges attended by Highland High School graduates over the last four years
• Adams State College • Mesa State College
• Arizona State University • NMMI
• Arizona, University of • New Mexico State University
• Northern Colorado, U of
• Brigham Young University
• Purdue University
• Carleton College
• Southern Colorado, U of
• Colorado State University
• Texas Christian University
• Colorado, U of Boulder
• Tulane University
• Cornell University
• United States Air Force
• Denver, University of
Academy
• Eastern NM University
• United States Military
• Fort Lewis College
Academy
• Georgetown University
• UCLA
• Harvard University
• University of Southern
• Humboldt State University
California
• Louisiana Tech
• University of New Mexico
• Massachusetts Institute of
• University of Wyoming
Technology
• Western NM University
Academic Philosophy
Many of the daily job tasks of Highland’s special ed teachers mirror those
of their general education counterparts. Special ed teachers are
responsible for things like taking attendance, developing lesson plans,
assigning and correcting homework, enforcing school rules, keeping
inventory of supplies, and administering standardized tests. There is also
an additional layer of duties unique to special ed teachers that, among
other duties, includes the following:
• Meeting with parents to review the IEP and note progress and
problems
• Making referrals to sources within the community that may be able to
assist the student
• Helping students learn to use various tools such as computers,
wheelchairs, hearing aids or other devices
• Developing new strategies to meet the needs of students with a
variety of handicaps
• Making modifications in the general education curriculum for special-
needs students
• Coordinating placement of students with special needs into
mainstream classes
• Monitoring teachers and teacher assistants to ensure adherence to
special education program requirements
Technology