Smaller Learning Communities School SLC Impact Report · 1/10/2008 Los Angeles Unified School...

1/10/2008 Los Angeles Unified School District Canoga Park High School SLC Impact Report

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Smaller Learning Communities

School SLC Impact Report

Submitted to Los Angeles Unified School District

I. SCHOOL SLC IMPACT REPORT

RECOMMENDATION SIGN-OFF ROUTING SHEET

I. SCHOOL SLC IMPACT REPORT RECOMMENDATION SIGN-OFF ROUTING SHEET

School Site Council Recommendation to Proceed Name of School: CANOGA PARK HIGH SCHOOL Total Number of SLCs Proposed: 3 ________________________________ ________________________________ Principal’s signature Date _________________________________ ________________________________ UTLA Chapter Chairperson’s signature Date _________________________________ ________________________________ School Site Council Chairperson‘s signature Date


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Submitted to Los Angeles Unified School District

II. COVER SHEET

Name of School: Canoga Park High School Location Code: 8571 School SLC Contact: Name: Ms Georgene Gregorian Title: UTLA Representative Mailing Address: 6850 Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Canoga Park, CA 91303

Telephone: (818) 673-1300 Fax: (818) 673-1300 Email: [email protected]


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III. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. School SLC Impact Report Routing Sheet ......................................................................... 1 II. Cover Sheet....................................................................................................................... 2

III. Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. 3 IV. Areas of School Impact

1. School-wide Summary of SLC Design Proposals ................................................ 4 2. Planning and Organization .................................................................................. 7

3. Space................................................................................................................. 14 4. Time.................................................................................................................. 16

5. Staffing ............................................................................................................. 19 6. School-wide Programs and Activities ................................................................ 24

7. Student Choice ................................................................................................. 28 8. Community Resources/Partnerships .................................................................. 29

9. Alterations to Facilities Proposed ...................................................................... 31 V. School Technical Assistance Checklist ............................................................................ 32

VI. Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 33


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IV. AREAS OF SCHOOL IMPACT

1. School-wide Summary of SLC Design Proposals

Summary of Small Learning Communities

No. SLC Name Description Maximum Student

Enrollment

1 Freshman Center

Description/Strategies/Plan of Action

The Freshman Center helps all incoming 9th graders acclimate to high school life, provides a challenging yet supportive learning environment, and assists them in advancing successfully to the 10th grade, as well as

preparing them to transfer to other SLCs. Incoming 9th grade students will be placed in core English and

Health/Life Skills classes, in addition to other required A-G courses. Not only will the coring of classes and instructors establish the necessary student-teacher relationships, it will encourage students to become

accountable for their work and form strong critical thinking skills and habits of mind to prepare them for the rigors of the their academic world. Instructors will work collaboratively to support the learning

environment.

The Freshman Center offers our students a wealth of incentives and interventions to throughout the year, so they experience the benefits of a

personalized, success-oriented education. In order to sustain parental involvement in their children’s academic success, the Freshman Center

will expand its school-to-family communication regarding academic requirements, activities, and community resources that may be beneficial

to them.

Justification for Strategies and Actions

Students who advance successfully from the 9th grade to the 10th grade stand a greater chance of graduating from high school than those who

drop out. To that end, the Freshman Center is committed to set the foundations of “rigor, relevance and relationships” with each 9th grader

to not only ensure full matriculation into the 10th grade, but also to increase the number of matriculating freshmen.

Date Approved by School Site Committee:

500bb


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Enrollment

2

Pillars School of

Humanities and Arts

Descriptions/Strategies/Plan of Action

This SLC for grades 10 – 12 will focus on thematically integrating arts and letters with science. We will use common themes in our standards-

based instruction to foster our sense of community and allow students to identify the connections among their courses. Each grade level has a

theme which will be carried out throughout 10th -12th grade by connecting the themes. We endeavor to show students how their studies

provide the foundational skills for “a variety of” careers. We have aligned Bloom’s taxonomy with Kaplan’s Universal Concepts to move students from analysis to synthesis by the twelfth grade. This sequence

combines rigor and community with the prerequisite skills necessary for college and careers.

Teachers who belong to the Pillars meet regularly to collaborate on standards-based, cross-curricular instruction. Students in English

Language Development and Special Education are fully supported by the Pillars. Student success is measured by multiple forms of

assessment; instructors will use results to continually inform and guide their teaching.

All students in the Pillars will be able to access all available courses at

their grade level, including Honors and Advanced Placement. Academic enrichment, support and intervention will be available for all students.

In order to further connect academics with careers, the Pillars have

tapped into a variety of community resources for the Building Assets through Integrated Technology (B.A.I.T.) Academy. This academy

assist students develop key technological skills while creating authentic projects for our school and the Canoga Park community – flyers,

podcasts of athletic events, web pages, etc.


Students must demonstrate critical thinking skills in a variety of disciplines and situations, as well as possess technological savvy to

compete in an increasingly complex world. High school graduates who possess solid analytical skills and strong technological capabilities will be well-prepared to “pursue” post-secondary achievements and make

positive, valuable contributions to both our community and our society as a whole.

Date Approved by School SLC Committee:

500


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Enrollment

3

Redwoods School of Health

and Human Opportunities

Descriptions/Strategies/Plan of Action

The Redwoods is a grades 10 – 12 SLC that integrates health sciences,

healing arts and human services into the curriculum. Students who belong to the Redwoods will study the themes and concepts of medicine and health, and apply them to current and post-secondary achievements.

In the Redwoods, students will have the opportunity to discover the power of their contributions to society and making a positive impact in

the world.

Teachers who belong to the Redwoods meet regularly to collaborate on standards-based, cross-curricular instruction and strengthen community bonds with all students. Students in English Language Development and Special Education are fully supported by the Redwoods. Student success is measured by multiple forms of assessment; instructors use results to

continually inform and guide their teaching.

All students belonging to the Redwoods will be able to access all available courses at their grade level, including Honors and Advanced

Placement. Academic enrichment, support and intervention will be offered to all students. Core courses meet A-G requirements.

Additionally, Redwoods students will have the opportunity to study the world of Biotechnology/DNA, first aid, CPR training and other health

services through specialized academy classes. The Health Sciences Academy has a partnership with Kaiser Permanente Hospital in

Woodland Hills; our Academy students have obtained internships there, many of which have resulted in paying jobs.

500


The concepts of study presented by the Redwoods are fundamentals that students must acquire in order to succeed and thrive in a rapidly

progressing society. To study the complexities of language, mathematics, arts, science and medicine in an integrated fashion is to

study life. The Redwoods’ standards-based curriculum will provide both the necessary rigor and relevance, teaching students how to inquire into their world while connecting their backgrounds, interests and individual

strengths to the learning process.

Date Approved by School SLC Committee:


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Planning and Organization

Timeline

Small Learning Community Name

Traditional or Track(s) Served (A, B, and/or C)

Already Initiated (Yes/No)

Expected Date of SLC Initiation

(month/year)

Expected Date for a Fully Developed SLC

(month/year)

Freshman Center

Traditional Yes N/A N/A

Pillars

Traditional Yes N/A 09/08

Redwoods

Traditional Yes N/A 09/08

Timeline for Rollout of SLCs YEAR 1: REWIND Canoga Park High School diligently began moving towards developing SLCs four years ago, and formed four fledgling groups: Freshman Center, Humanities, Health Sciences, and Technology. Members from each of these groups formed the original Design Team. The Freshman Center was the first group to become a formal SLC, opening in 2005. We knew that we needed to specialize in meeting our freshmen’s academic needs by creating a distinct SLC for them, so that they could more successfully acclimate to high school life. Our Freshman Center has implemented a variety of intervention programs, incentive plans, curricular electives, and other systems to foster a culture of student success. Wall-to-wall SLC implementation in grades 10 – 12 had always been our goal; our enrollment data corroborated our decision, as the student-to-staff ratio allowed us to foster the much-needed relationships and help our students “thrive and strive” to reach their academic and post-secondary goals and dreams. As the Design Team’s work progressed, they began developing curricular programs and gained school-based partnerships, most notably with Northrup-Grumman Engineering, Pierce College, DeVry Institute, and Kaiser-Permanente. The Team decided on creating three Academies as the SLCs: Arts and Letters (including Humanities),


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Health Sciences, and Math/Science/Technology. The Design Team met with the faculty to emphasize the urgency, significance and benefits of converting to a smaller, collaborative educational environment. Students were introduced to the Academies by the Lead Teachers, and selected their Academy via preference sheet. However, misconceptions regarding SLCs arose, which led to unforeseen challenges to SLC implementation. As a result, the faculty did not fully support the SLC work that needed to be continued. Despite this, however, the Design Team remained committed to building the Academies. The setbacks kept coming. In the fall of 2005, we experienced a sudden decrease of 400 CAP students. This ultimately resulted in the displacement of 10 key faculty members, and forced us to lose momentum in SLC development. Additionally, we replaced the two administrators who left mid-year; one of our replacements was a brand-new APSCS. Setbacks continued during the summer of 2006, as the principal retired and the SLC Coordinator assumed the principalship at another school. We encountered numerous programming challenges to both student and teacher schedules; consequently, no teacher was aligned with an Academy, several crucial classes were cancelled, and two more teachers were displaced. YEAR 2: REGROUP The 2006-2007 school year became our time to regroup and revitalize our plans for Small Learning Communities. Our new principal selected an SLC Coordinator, and we reformed our Design Team to include more faculty members who desired to set our SLC implementation on a new path. The enrollment decrease forced us to streamline our three Academies into two broader, comprehensive SLCs that melded the academy themes. (By this time, we had already essentially “morphed” into a small school.) We decided to keep the overarching curricular focus from the previous Academies as a flexible foundation so that we wouldn’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel in reforming the Communities. Additionally, since Canoga Park High has the smallest student enrollment of any comprehensive high school in LAUSD, and receives minimal additional financial assistance, our challenges to implement and sustain Communities and Career Tech strands forced us to constantly look “within” ourselves to be creatively resourceful with the time, talents and finances that were immediately available to us. We aimed to “keep the ‘can’ in Canoga” in every aspect of SLC development. After we reformed our Design Team, we set about to reacquaint our faculty on the urgency, significance and benefits of SLCs. We held numerous meetings and conducted surveys to allow our faculty to select their preferred SLC. However, no matter how many different surveys we administered, most of our faculty kept aligning themselves to same-subject SLCs (e.g., math and science teachers opted to join the “math/science/technology” Community). We held a final “blind survey” for teachers, this time encouraging them to select their SLC based on whom they would most like to work with in their department. For survey purposes, the Coordinator changed the previous SLC names to “Coke” and “Pepsi”. After a few minor staffing adjustments, this final survey was successful. Several Design Team members attended the EduAlliance conference in February 2007, which led to a hard analysis of what could truly work for us in the best interest of our kids. Those


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Design Team members hosted the next Professional Development faculty session and presented a PowerPoint of our school’s traditions, heritage and “family values”. We unveiled the new names for our fledgling SLCs, names we believed best symbolized the beauty and legacy of Canoga Park High School: Pillars and Redwoods. The “new” SLCs met during Banked Tuesdays to elect Lead Teachers, formulate Community visions, discuss core curriculum and career strand options, and get to know each other in their new group dynamics. Pillars and Redwoods members were also introduced to the Design Proposal and writing process by the Design Team members who belonged to their respective Communities. The Lead Teachers and SLC Coordinator met weekly with the principal to examine the progress on the visions and proposals, and plan the end-of-the-year SLC professional development workshops. Lead Teachers also met with our Director of School Redesign to discuss possible future local and city-wide partnerships for the Communities. The Lead teachers created a timeline in which to draft and revise the Design Proposals to meet the District’s approval deadline of October. Towards the end of the year, our 9th, 10th and 11th graders selected their preferred SLC based on career interest surveys, and counselors have programmed students into their SLCs. Every effort was made to grant students’ first choices, while ensuring that equity and access issues are honored in the process.

YEAR 3: RESEARCH We proposed to inquire into and act upon the following issues for the 2007 – 2008 school year:

• Empower School Site Council to allocate authority to the communities when needed. • Connect every community to the Parent Center. • Incorporate more parents, community members and students into decision making

groups. • Motivate Students by providing personalization and incentives. • Keep the California State Standards at the forefront of our instruction. • Foster vibrant, supportive working relationships with our colleagues. • Seek relevant professional development and “school study” opportunities to enrich our

instructional practices and enhance our “top-down, side-to-side” communication throughout the SLCs.

• Develop interdisciplinary instruction within the SLCs that align with each Community’s vision and mission.

• Develop relevant career strands within each SLC. • Establish technological options to fulfill student schedule needs and enhance digital skills

needed to succeed in and outside the classroom. • Boldly pursue community and business partners and student internships. • Investigate crucial components of SLCs, such as advisories, and determine the rationale

and relevance of adding such components into the SLC structure. • Pursue ways to convert our existing campus into contiguous space within the next two

years. • Nurture vital parent contacts and relationships.


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YEARS 4 and 5: REALIZATION

Canoga Park High School anticipates that all of our SLCs will be fully implemented and moving towards sustainability. We will corporately establish protocols to evaluate our curricular paths, programs, policies and processes for our SLCs, to determine the effectiveness of these aspects of our Communities as they relate to student success and make any changes as needed. We expect our SLCs to be fully implemented and maintained in these years. To that end, we endeavor to:

• Revisit and revise interdisciplinary units within the SLC as needed, adhering to state

content standards. • Maintain effective communication and harmonious relations with SLC members and all

faculty. • Maintain other SLC components added after initial implementation (common planning

time, advisories, etc.) and revise as necessary. • Continue to engage in relevant professional development opportunities. • Add, maintain and/or revise career strands and pathways as needed • Ensure maintenance and functionality of contiguous space. • Increase our community and business partnerships, and seek more student internships and

externships through these avenues. • Ensure funding from multiple sources to sustain SLCs. • Continue to strengthen parent involvement in all aspects of SLC life.


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2. Planning and Organization

A. Number of SLCs per Track. For year-round schools, the chart below summarizes the total number of SLCs offered at the school by the calendar schedule.

Number of SLCs Total Number of SLCs

Track A N/A

Track B N/A

Track C N/A


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IV. AREAS OF SCHOOL IMPACT B. Configuration of Design Teams.

Freshman Center

Pam Greller Lisa Weber

Caryn Michaels Debbie Braham

Freshman Counselor

Special Education Teacher Freshman Center Coordinator

Instructional Coordinator

Pillars

Ellen Cohen

Georgene Gregorian Valerie Olenick

Elizabeth Holloway

English Teacher/Department Chair Math Teacher/Instructional Coach

Digital Imaging/Technology Teacher Pillars Coordinator

Redwoods

Tom Armstrong

Yadrea Contreras Nick Maccarone

Larry Noel Michael Cappella

E.S.L. Teacher

Foreign Language Social Studies Teacher

English Teacher Redwoods Coordinator

Design Team Members Small Learning Community Name Name Title/Position


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C. DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS All conflicts that arise at Canoga Park High School will follow LAUSD and union contract guidelines wherever possible. In order to address issues that are not covered by the union contract SLC coordinators meet weekly in a (CBC) Community Building Council. This group attempts to identify possible conflicts before they occur and to formalize the resolution process. Our internal procedure for conflicts that occur adult to adult, and are not covered in the contract, is to first ask the CBC to discuss the issue at their next meeting and respond in writing. If this does not solve the issue, then it goes to the UTLA Chapter Chair and Principal to meet face to face with the conflicted adults and respond in writing. If this is unsuccessful, both written reports go to the School Site Council where a final decision is made. STEP 1: MEDIATION For all conflicts that can be covered by the union contract, the following process is in effect. Decisions will first be made locally within SLCs, according to the guidelines of the UTLA contract. For any parties involved in a conflict, he/she must request in writing an informal meeting within 3 days with the Administrator who oversees the SLC and the coordinator of the SLC, and/or the SLC conflict resolution committee. UTLA will be notified of the dispute, at the discretion of the principal at this stage. The SLC administrator will keep a written record of the meeting. A maximum time of 3 days will be allowed to resolve this issue. STEP 2: ARBITRATION If the conflict is unresolved at the first level, then within five days the conflicting parties must file a written formal letter with the Principal, the UTLA Chapter Chair and the SLC Coordinator. They will continue the investigation, examine relevant documents and decide on the issue at hand. All disputing parties must accept the decision made by the arbitrating committee. A decision regarding this issue will be made by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, a decision of majority rule (50+1) will be deciding process. Appeals will be handled by Our School Site Council. We will ensure that our top priority for resolving conflicts is in the best interests of our students.


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IV. AREAS OF SCHOOL IMPACT 3. Space

Facility Allocation among the SLCs .

Main Office/ Administration

33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %

Attendance Office 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % Counseling/Deans’

Offices 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %

Library 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % 100 Building 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % 200 Building 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % 300 Building 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % 400 Building 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % 500 Building 33.3 % 66.6 % 0 % 600 Building 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %

Oral Arts Room 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % Auditorium 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %

Choir/Music Room 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % Cafeteria 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %

Student Store 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 % Gyms, Courts and

Athletic Fields 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %

Freshman Center 100 % N/A N/A ROTC 33.3 % 33.3 % 33.3 %


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IV. AREAS OF SCHOOL IMPACT 4. Space

Facility Allocation Map among the SLCs


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Smaller Learning Communities School SLC Impact Report


5. Time

A. Class/Bell Schedule. Sample class/bell schedules and a discussion of block scheduling can be found on the website at www.lausd.net/slc_schools.

Regular Schedule (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays)

Period

Begin

End

Number of Minutes Period 1

7:50 AM

8:43 AM

53 Period 2

8:50 AM

9:46 AM

56 Nutrition

9:46 AM

10:02 AM

16 Reading

10:09 AM

10:34 AM

25 Period 3

1 0:34 AM

11:27 AM

53 Period 4

11:34 AM

12:27 PM

53 Lunch

12:27PM

1:02 PM

35 Period 5

1:09PM

2:02 PM

53 Period 6

2:09 PM

3: 02 PM.

53

Every Tuesday (exceptions for minimum days, to be determined, and state testing days in May)

Period

Begin

End

Instructional Minutes Period 1

7:50 AM

8:33 AM

43 Period 2

8:40 AM

9:25 AM

45 Nutrition

9:25 AM

9:41 AM

16 Reading

9:48 AM

10:12 AM

24 Period 3

10: 12 AM

10:55 AM

43 Period 4

11:02 AM

11:45 AM

43 Lunch

11:45 AM

12:20 PM

35 Period 5

12:27 PM

1:10PM

43 Period 6

1:17 PM

2:00 PM

43

Minimum Days: To be determined

Period

Begin

End

Instructional Minutes Period 1

7:50 AM

8:24 AM.

34 Period 2

8:31 AM

9: 11 AM

40 Reading

9:18 AM

9:36 AM

18 Period 3

9:36 AM

10:10 AM

34 Nutrition

10:10 AM

10:28 AM

18 Period. 4

10:35 AM

11 :09 AM

34 Period 5 11:16 AM 11:50 AM 34 Period 6 11:57 AM 12:32 AM 35


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IV. AREAS OF SCHOOL IMPACT A. Time

School and Local District Level Professional Development (PD) and Collaboration for

SLC Implementation

Type of Training or Collaboration

Intended Stakeholder

Duration & Frequency

Expected Schedule

(Month/Year)

Expected Outcomes

SLC Attribute

1. To advance understanding of teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders of effective research-based instructional strategies for improving student achievement

(particularly those below grade level)

SDAIE All faculty Ongoing Ongoing

Improved academic

achievement for ELLs; increased

redesignation rates

3,5,7

Data analysis/ data-driven

decision making All faculty Ongoing Ongoing

Refine instructional

practices

3,5,7,

8

Jane Schaffer (Schoolwide

Writing Program)

All faculty Ongoing Ongoing

Emphasize State Writing

Standards; improve

students’ writing and analytical

skills

3, 5, 7

Best Practices All faculty Ongoing Ongoing Refine

instructional practices

3,5.7,8

Differentiated Instruction All faculty Ongoing Ongoing

Student Achievement

across disciplines,

student abilities, etc.

3,5.7

ERWC (12th Grade Expos.

Comp.)

12th grade core subject teachers

(emphasis: English)

09/06 Ongoing

Prepare students for college-level writing; refine instructional

practices

3,5.7


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Safe and Civil Schools

(Randy Sprick) All faculty 08/07 Ongoing

Improve classroom

management practices and techniques

3, 4, 5, 7, 8

District Instructional

Guides/ Periodic

Assessments

English, Math, Science teachers 09/05 Ongoing

Adherence to State Standards

Refine instructional

practices through data analysis, re-

teaching, etc.

3, 5, 7

2. To provide teachers, administrators and other stakeholders with knowledge and skills they need to participate effectively in

the development, expansion, or implementation of an SLC.

District Professional Development

All faculty Designated Tuesdays (2007 – 2008)

Successful establishment of

SLCs

1, 2, 4, 6,

7, 8

Collaborative Instruction All faculty Ongoing Ongoing

Develop quality thematic

instruction; foster faculty

relationships within SLCs

1 - 8

Conferences and

Workshops All faculty and administration Ongoing 9/07 – 6/08

Improved understanding of SLC culture and

structure; refinement of instructional

practices

3,5.7

School Study

Tours All faculty and administrators Ongoing 9/07 – 6/08

Improved understanding of SLC culture and

structure; established PLCs

1 - 8


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6. Staffing

Name Title/Position Small Learning Communities (Percentage of Time)

Freshman Center

Center Pillars Redwoods

Ames

R.O.T.C.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Armstrong

E.S.L./AcaDeca

16.6%

16.6%

66.7 % Blake

Soc. Studies

33.3 %

66.7 % Boivin

English/Drama

16.6%

66.7 %

16.6% Bowley

R.O.T.C.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Braham

English

75 %

12.5 %

12.5 % Cabrera

Health/Life Skills

100 %

Cappella

English

25%

75 % Carlos

Math

33.3 %

66.7 % Casiano, M.

Special Ed.

75%

Cohen

English

75%

25% Contreras

For. Lang.

33.3 %

66.7 % Everett

English

33.3%

66.7 % DePackh

Soc. Studies/Lit. Coach

66.7 %

33.3 % Dettenmaier

Math

33.3 %

66.7 %

Dixon

Soc. Studies

66.7 %

Buckly Phys. Ed.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Edelman

Science

50 %

50% Epstein

Soc. Studies

66.7 %

33.3 % Finley

Spec. Ed.

33.3 %

66.7 % Freehling

E.S.L.

16.6%

66.7 %

16.6% Gillette

Wood Shop

33.3 %

66.7 %

16.6% Gordon

English

66.7%

16.6 %

16.6 % Gregorian

Math/Coach

25%

50 %

25% Hartman

Spec. Ed.

100 % Hernandez, J.

Math

33.3 %

66.7 %

Hernandez, M.

Math

100%


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Ton

Math

100%

Trouillon

Special Ed.

66.7 %

16.6%

16.6 % Varay

Spec. Ed.

33.3 %

66.7 % Villalobos

Health/Life Skills

66.7 %

16.6%

16.6% Weber

Spec. Ed.

66.7 %

16.6 %

16.6% Kobielusz

Math

100%

Young (RSP)

Spec. Ed.

100%

Kearns, Margaret

Asst. Principal

100%

Teiffer, David

Asst. Principal

100%

Hamashita, P.

Principal

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Nakasone, J.

APSCS

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Holloway, E.

English

75%

25% Kaye

English/Lit. Coach

66.7 %

16.6 %

16.6 % Kumar

Science

66.7 %

33.3 %

Levin (RSP)

Spec. Ed.

100% Martino

For. Lang.

33.3%

66.7 %

Matthews

Soc. Studies

33.3 %

66.7 % McLaughlin

Science

33.3 %

66.7 % Michaels

Health/Life Skills

100%

Milaney

Science

66.7 %

16.6 %

16.6% Moreno

E.S.L.

66.7 %

16.6%

16.6 % Noel

English

100%

Baldiwala

English

33.3 %

66.7 % Olenick

Tech/Yearbook

66.7 %

33.3 % Palos

Math

66.7 %

33.3 % Park

Math

33.3 %

66.7 % Ralph

Science

100%

Rezai

Spec. Ed.

16.6%

66.7 %

16.6% Rodriguez, J.

E.S.L.

33.3 %

66.7 %

Rodriquez, M.

For. Lang.

66.7 %

33.3 % Rotnero

For. Lang.

66.7 %

Rose

Spec. Ed.

16.6%

16.6 %

66.7 % Rosenberg

English

66.7 %

33.3 %

Sabolic (RSP)

Spec. Ed.

100%

Sauna

E.S.L.

33.3 %

66.7 % Sheehan

Art

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Smilanick

Soc. Studies

33.3 %

66.7 % Smith

Phys. Ed.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Song

Soc. Studies

33.3 %

66.7 %

Takasugi

Spec. Ed.

16.6 %

66.7 %

16.6% Tesh

English/Journalism

66.7 %

16.6 %

16.6% Thomas

Science

33.3 %

66.7 %

Tibbetts

Social Studies

33.3 %

66.7 %


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Nagai, R.

Asst. Principal

100%

Maiale, J.

Dean

50%

50% Morris, L.

Dean

100%

Greller

Counselor

100%

Oldaker, C.

Counselor

50 %

50% Pecora, E.

Counselor

100%

Resnik, S.

Counselor

50%

50% Nogy, M.(Mag.)

Counselor/Career Center

25%

25%

Rosso, S.

College Counselor

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Heller, J.

Athletic Director

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Baeza

Testing Coordinator

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Marcus, H.

Title I Coordinator

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Aung

Library Aide

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Avila

SAA

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Berns

Psychologist

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Camaal

Attendance Off.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Camaro-Morales

Title I

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Carroll

Librarian

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Casillas

Freshman Ctr

100%

Drum

Special Ed.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Escobedo

Main Office

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Gerber

Registrar

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Hernandez, R.

Financial Manager

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Hubbard

D.O.T.S.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Hughes

Main Office

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Kemp

Microcomputer Technician

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Konantz

Career Transition

50%

50% Martin

Probation Officer

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Rodriguez

Computer

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Santiago

Parent Center

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Spigel

Adapted P.E.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3% Stone

Psychologist

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Sawalenko, J.

Textbook Clerk

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %


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Wasserman, M.

Diploma Advocate Advisor

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Watson

Nurse

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Wilson

Attend. Off.

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Brandle

Cafeteria Manager

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Diyarza

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Flores-Guevara

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Moran, C.

Plant Manager

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Forte

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Hernandez, R

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Lopez-Ruiz

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Marasigan

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Ortiz

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Ramirez

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Scamaldo

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Tajimaroa

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Valdivia

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 % Watson

Grounds/Facilities

33.3 %

33.3 %

33.3 %

Additional Notes:

Teachers: Currently, all of our faculty members have selected their preferred SLCs, including our Design Team members. Instructors who teach passport courses (e.g., music) will serve all SLCs. Each SLC recently elected Lead Teachers (based on UTLA contract requirements and the job description written by Design team members). Teachers who possess a K-9 credential will teach their subject matter in the Freshman Center. Any instructor who wishes to transfer to another SLC will be afforded the opportunity to apply, following provisions of the UTLA contract relating to such transfers. SLC Leadership/Administrators: One administrator and one Lead Teacher are assigned to each of our SLCs. Each Lead Teacher receives one class period to coordinate the responsibilities within his or her respective SLC. Lead Teachers will be elected on a yearly basis by his or her respective SLC members. Counselors and Deans: Canoga Park High School has four counselors, including one Special Education counselor, one ESL counselor, and one freshman counselor. Our freshman counselor will continue to service our ninth graders, while our ESL and Special Education counselors will “share” students throughout the SLCs in order to provide equity and access to all students. One of our two deans will exclusively handle the disciplinary issues for our Freshman Center students; our other dean will handle students in our Pillars and Redwoods SLCs


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School-wide Discipline Plan: . Our discipline plan will be consistent with newly established LAUSD policies and procedures. Additionally, CPHS has implemented a schoolwide discipline policy so that all SLC’s will be consistent.. Classified (including Clerical and Custodial): Our Freshman Center employs one full-time clerical person. In 2007 – 2008, we will investigate the opportunity to have at least one clerical position for each SLC. For now, all clerical and custodial staff will continue to provide service to the entire campus. All Special Education assistants will align with the same SLC as their Special Education teacher.


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7. School-wide Programs and Activities

FRESHMAN CENTER

AP Classes N/A

Electives

Athletics, AVID, Band, Intro to Art, Intro to Computers, Foreign Language, Visual and Performing Arts

(including Drama and Play Production), ROTC, Wood Shop

Music Guitar, Mex. Folk,

Choir, Instruments, Keyboard, Jazz Ensemble, Advanced Orchestra

Interventions See Chart Adult School N/A

ROP N/A Community-based organizations TBD

ESL ESL 1 – 4 (All ESL levels available to all students)

Special Ed.

Health/Life Skills English 9 DRWC Alg. 1 ICS

Adapted Phys. Ed. AVID Across all SLCs SAS Across all SLCs


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PILLARS

9TH Grade 10th grade 11th Grade 12th grade

AP Classes N/A N/A

AP English Language

AP US History AP Spanish

Language/Literature AP Chemistry

AP English Literature

AP Government/Econ

AP Psychology AP Spanish

Language/Literature AP Calculus AP Statistics AP Physics

Electives N/A

Academic Decathlon,

Athletics, AVID 2, Band, Foreign

Language, Intro to Art,

Intro to Computers, Leadership, New Media, ROTC,

Visual and Performing Arts

Academic Decathlon, Athletics,

AVID 3, Band, Intro Art, AP Studio

Art, Painting, Foreign Language,

Visual and Performing Arts,

Intro to Computers, New Media, Digital

Imaging, Information

Processing, ROTC


AVID 4, Band, Intro Art, Foreign Language, Visual

and Performing Arts, Intro to Computers,

ROTC

Music N/A

Guitar, Mex. Folk, Choir, Instruments,

Keyboard, Jazz Ensemble,

Advanced Orchestra



Advanced Orchestra



Advanced Orchestra Interventions See Chart Adult School N/A N/A N/A N/A

ROP N/A N/A General Work

Experience Career Explorations

General Work Experience

Career Explorations Community-

based organizations

N/A N/A N/A N/A

ESL All levels available to all students

All levels available to all students



Special Ed. N/A

English 10 World History

Biology Algebra I

American Lit/Comp US History

Expository Composition/

English Lit./Modern Lit.

AVID Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades SAS Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades


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REDWOODS

9TH Grade 10th grade 11th Grade 12th grade

AP Classes N/A N/A

AP English Language

AP US History AP Spanish

Language/Literature AP Chemistry

AP English Literature

AP Government/Econ

AP Psychology AP Spanish

Language/Literature AP Calculus AP Statistics AP Physics

Electives N/A

Academic Decathlon,

Athletics, AVID 2, Band, Foreign

Language, Intro to Art,

Intro to Computers, Leadership, New Media, ROTC,

Visual and Performing Arts


AVID 3, Band, Intro Art, AP Studio

Art, Painting, Foreign Language,

Visual and Performing Arts,

Intro to Computers, New Media, Digital

Imaging, Information

Processing, ROTC


AVID 4, Band, Intro Art, Foreign Language, Visual

and Performing Arts, Intro to Computers,

ROTC

Music N/A



Advanced Orchestra



Advanced Orchestra



Advanced Orchestra Interventions See Chart Adult School N/A N/A N/A N/A

ROP N/A N/A General Work

Experience Career Explorations

General Work Experience

Career Explorations Community-

based organizations

N/A N/A N/A N/A

ESL N/A All levels available to all students



Special Ed. N/A

English 10 World History

Biology Algebra I

American Lit/Comp US History

Expository Composition/

English Lit./Modern Lit.

AVID Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades SAS Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades Across all grades


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Small Learning Communities



School-wide Programs and Activities

TARGETED STUDENTS LEARNING STRATEGIES

FOR READING/LANGUAGE ARTS

PROGRAM REQUIRED BY DISTRICT (YES/NO)

At-risk incoming freshmen Summer Bridges No CAHSEE Retake Students

(Grades 10 – 12) CAHSEE Boot Camp/Beyond

the Bell (after school, Saturdays)

No

Students who read below the 25th – 30th percentile

DRWC (Language!) Yes

All freshmen (excluding SAS students)

Freshman Success (provides support within the school day)

No

AVID Students College Tutors No Special Education Learning Center No

All Students After-school tutoring No All at-risk students IMPACT support groups No All at-risk students Dropout Prevention Specialist Yes

TARGETED STUDENTS LEARNING STRATEGIES FOR MATHEMATICS

PROGRAM REQUIRED BY DISTRICT (YES/NO)

At-risk incoming freshmen Summer Bridges No CAHSEE Retake Students

(Grades 10 – 12) CAHSEE Boot Camp/Beyond

the Bell (after school, Saturdays)

No

Math/Science Students (all grades)

R.E.A.C.H.E. Tutoring (UCLA students) No

All freshmen (excluding SAS students)

Freshman Success (provides support within the school day)

No

AVID Students College Tutors No Special Education Learning Center No

All students After-school tutoring No All at-risk students IMPACT support groups No All at-risk students Dropout Prevention Specialist Yes


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7. Student Choice Recruitment Plan All ninth grade students enter the Freshman Center SLC and remain with that SLC for the entire year. However, students are introduced to their SLC options repeatedly and often; so that they transition smoothly . We reach out to the feeder middle school families and our community throughout the year. We present brochures, community picnics, and professionally-led parent center classes that share our facility with other schools and are open to the entire community. In March, we go to middle schools to recruit freshman and to meet with the middle school teachers. In May, we present our small learning communities to the incoming and outgoing freshman at our school through word of mouth through student representatives. Our Pillars and Redwoods SLCs are open to all students in grades 10 - 12. All freshmen take a career survey and online career aptitude test as a part of their Life Skills coursework. This includes members of every special population on campus. Everyone meets with their counselor and discusses career options and aspirations. At this point, all students design a four-year plan. This past school year, we had a 9th grade student create a video and present it to the incoming 9th grade students to show them our small learning community options. Students and families make their final SLC choices via career interest surveys. Every effort will be made to award the students their first choice as space and programming permits. Student enrollment is based on their choice. Students of all backgrounds and academic levels are accepted and welcomed into the SLC of their choice. Transfer Policy Any student who wished to transfer to another SLC must apply in writing to his/her counselor. Transfers will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and each transfer must have permission from both the student’s parent and administrative approval. Students may transfer only once during their time at Canoga Park High School, and decisions are made with the student’s best interest as the top criterion for the transfer.


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8. Community Resources/Partnerships

A. Existing Community Resources/Partnerships: Existing Community Partners

By SLC Role/Use of Resource by SLC Target Date for Securing Resource (Month/Year)

School-wide Partners (all SLCs)

Northrup-Grumman Engineering

Monthly internship meetings for engineering/math/science/business

students

Secured; ongoing

Pierce College

College courses offered after school on CPHS campus

Secured; ongoing

Chamber of Commerce

Business and community resources for school-wide programs and activities

Ongoing

Boys and Girls Club of America Provide after-school enrichment programs for students

Currently secured; expected implementation date: 9/07

Freshman Center

El Centre de Amistad

Multilingual support and services for students and families

Secured; ongoing

Cultural Bridges

Service/Support for students and families

Secured; ongoing

Mental Health Services

Provides mental health services for students and families

Secured; ongoing

Pillars (BAIT Academy)

CSUN

College coursework; art displays

Secured; ongoing

Twin lmaging Labs

Scan, archive and store documents to preserve and share works via website

and other communication paths

Agreed to support; date TBD

Canoga Park Historical Society

Apply primary and secondary source documents to create displays and

histories

Secured; date TBD

Richard Westcott/NBC

Teach students to create podcasts

Agreed to support; date TBD Canoga Camera

Train in use of photography

Agreed to support; date TBD

Redwoods

Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Woodland Hills

Internships, jobs for Health Science Academy students

Secured; ongoing


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8. Community Resources/Partnerships B. Potential Community Resources/Partnerships:

Potential Community Partners

by SLC

Role/Use of Resource by SLC

Target Date for Securing Resource (Month/Year)

School-wide Partners (all

SLCs)

Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber of Commerce

Provide opportunities for student

service/work/interaction in the community

TBD

Other businesses and organizations TBD TBD

Freshman Center

Community businesses and organizations TBD TBD

Pillars

Madrid Theatre Workshops, performances TBD Los Angeles Music Center Workshops, performances TBD

Department of Cultural Affairs

Speakers, tours, etc. for academic and cultural

enrichment TBD

Other community businesses Jobs, internships, etc. TBD

Redwoods

Getty Center Exhibits, performances,

speakers TBD

Los Angeles County Museum

of Arts and Sciences Exhibits, performances,

speakers TBD

Canoga-Owensmouth Historical Museum

Exhibits, speakers TBD

Other community businesses Jobs, internships, etc. TBD


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Facilities proposal for contiguous space At this point in SLC development, planned physical alterations to our campus are in the beginning research stages. We met with Architects of Achievement in January 2007 to get preliminary findings and start the discussions for reconfiguring our campus. Additional discussions among the administration throughout the semester have led to the possibility of designating certain buildings for each Community, with teachers perhaps moving to different classrooms in the fall to facilitate a community learning environment. In surveying the school campus, we have determined that several smaller classrooms in our academic buildings can easily be earmarked for SLC collaboration centers.

As we progress further in SLC development, we will continue to research and plan with our faculty, administration, students, parents, community partners, and district personnel to determine the most effective processes for converting to contiguous space.

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V. SCHOOL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CHECKLIST The Office of School Redesign will provide SLC Design Teams professional development and technical support. What are the greatest challenges that you can foresee at this time to completing your work? What assistance do you need? Please check all that apply and attach to your letter of intent. Foreseeable Challenges Check All That Apply

Attribute analysis

Vision creation/identity X

Student outcomes

Matrix X

School to work transition

Academic requirements: A-G X

Content integration X

Assessments/evaluation x

Alterations to facilities X

Resilience building X

Youth development strategies X

Advisories X

Leadership roles X

Bell schedules

Contract issues/waivers

Best practices

Articulation

Budgets X

Sustainability X

Community partnerships X

Parent outreach and involvement X

Student outreach and involvement X

School staff outreach and involvement X

Union (UTLA) agreements

Working with the Local District X

Enrollment drop ; School reputation; Resistance to SLC development X


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VI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledge, as appropriate, all staff, professional experts, community partners and others who have helped the school prepare, develop and implement small learning communities on campus and/or various sections of the SLC manual.

Administration: Pam Hamashita, Principal; Robert Nagai, Assistant Principal; Joey Nakasone, APSCS; Jose Contreras, Assistant Principal; Nancy Delgado, Assistant Principal. SLC Design Team: Tom Armstrong, E.L.D.; Ellen Cohen, English; Carole Giacona, English; Georgene Gregorian, UTLA Chair/Math/Instructional Coach; Pam Greller, Freshman Center Counselor; Juan Hernandez, Math; Nick Maccarone, Social Studies; Valerie Olenick, Art/Technology; Gordon Ralph, Science; Andree Rezal, Special Education; Tammy Trouillon, Special Education; Lisa Weber, Special Education.

Faculty: Howard Marcus, Title I Coordinator; Caryn Michaels, Freshman Coordinator; Larry Noel, English; Sunny Park, Math; Lillian Ruben, Special Education; Richard Tibbetts, Social Studies.

District Personnel: Jean Brown Superintendent, Local District 1; Barbara Garry, High School Program Coordinator, Local District 1; Ron Oswald, Interim Director of High Schools, Local District 1; C.J. Foss, LAUSD Office of School Redesign/Local District 1.

Smaller Learning Communities School SLC Impact Report · 1/10/2008 Los Angeles Unified School...

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Transcript of Smaller Learning Communities School SLC Impact Report · 1/10/2008 Los Angeles Unified School...