ERIC ED386523: Jefferson County Public Schools. 1993-94 Annual Report to the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

35 Pages·1994·1.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
UD 030 590
ED 386 523
1993-94 Annual
Jefferson County Public Schools.
TITLE
Foundation.
Report to the Edna McConnell Clark
Louisville, Ky.
Jefferson County Public Schools,
INSTITUTION
York, N.Y.
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, New
SPONS AGENCY
PUB DATE
[94]
boxes may
35p.; Photographs and text in highlighted
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Evaluative/Feasibility (142)
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EDRS PRICE
Academic Achievement; *Disadvantaged Youth;
DESCRIPTORS
*Educational Change; Educational Planning;
Junior High
Expectation; Grants; Intermediate Grades;
Program
Schools; *Middle Schools; Participation;
Evaluation; *Program Implementation; Staff
Teaching
Development; Standards; State Legislation;
Methods; *Urban Schools
*Jefferson County
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation;
IDENTIFIERS
Education
Public Schools KY; Kentucky; Kentucky
Reform Act 1990; Reform Efforts
ABSTRACT
in
In 1988, the Jefferson County Public Schools,
from the
Louisville (Kentucky), received an initial planning grant
Clark
Program for Student Achievement of the Edna McConnell
content, high
Foundation to focus on three "highs" in education--high
three
expectations, and high support. The school district chose
their
middle schools to participate in this reform project due to
schools extended this
large populations of disadvantaged youth. These
high energy and
"high" concept to include high involvement and
staff and
adopted the High-Five logo as a visible reminder to
legislature enacted
students. During the grant period, the Kentucky
staff of the project
the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). The
aligned with the KERA
schools found that their reform efforts closely
in meeting the
objectives, and this alignment gave them an advantage
goals and the KERA
KERA expectations. Progress toward the High-Five
three schools
mandates is detailed. Evaluation of the efforts at the
and the need for
has demonstrated the importance of staff development
practical and real life
more programs and activities that focus on
instructional
experiences for students and teachers. A number of
goals.
strategies and processes were found to support project
ideals
Increasing numbers of teachers are becoming devoted to program
achievements.
and goals. Two graphs and 25 tables il.,ustrate program
(SLD)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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Jefferson County Public Schools
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official OERI position or policy
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141101
ANN-
4,
aar COPY AVAIL,Cia!
Table 61 Contents
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Jefferson County l'uNit Sdiools 1993-94 Annual Report to the Edna !Act:mm..11 Clark Found.Thon
ioward K.
Stephen \V.
lardin.
Daeschner.
Director.
Superintendent,
Cktrk Projects.
Jefferson County
.lefterson County
Public Schools
Public Schools
1
INN
Nlary Grace
Cheryl
George
Jaeger,
(lemons.
De Marsh.
Principal
Building
Principal
Coordinator
--3"
e.:411-
o444.r.
t?""9111Mr,
owongussa-T
Western Middle School
Southern Middle School
Iroquois Middle School
2201 Vest Main Street
530 Bellevue Avenue
5650 Southern Parkway
IA misvillc, Kentucky 10212
Louis ilk% Kentucky ,t021.t
misvi I Ie. 1\e11tt«.1:v i02.1=1
(io2) r"O
(Cu
18-S-83.6
(C(12) 48'1-8331
lark Inundation
diersun County PUNK NI, I100, lTh 91 Annual Itcport to Ilk. Illna
(
4
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and
the Jefferson County Public Schools
know what we Found
( I() VOU
UI
over
se,en
have
\ o
dltlrences
ei
tW
about things
..11C:R.- is no quick-fix. \Ve started into
talk
tbak we
gel
book 1
.years. are
lo the
and tl)en
re.aM loT
a class
io gel
his thing looking for :1 program to put
more
a lot
to write
School'
hoquo4Midtife
school
high
Brown,
everything. There.s
into place to) c
WI!
--Keign
a hunch of different programs.
...
It*s
change!"
-One of the higgest changes I noticed :tround this
school is that more people present at conferences, and
more people write and gain funding through grants.
There are Outside organizations who seek us out be-
cause they want to be involved in what is happening.-
11111026...__
-I realized that it wasn't
the kids who had to
change. hut me."
-I think we have come a long way
gettin:..2,- to) the root of the problem. which was
ifl
our attitude.**
5
2
11.1krson (mum Public Sditiols 1993 01 Annual Ruport to the I.dna McConnell Clark Foundation
1111I
Edna McConnell Clark
Foundation and
the Jefferson County Public
Schools
six years of training, restructuring,
During the first two years of the project, the en-
and planning. made possible through
tire school community dedicated a great deal of
the Edna McConnell Clark Founda-
collective time and energy to establishing a cli-
tion, teachers and students at Iroquois, South-
mate for change in the three schools and to con-
ern. and Western middle schools in Louisville.
vince the staff that they could, in fact, make a
Kentucky. often speak these words in classes,
positive difference in the lives of urban middle
meetings. and discussion groups. These
quotes
school youth. The focus of the staff develop-
and other similar quotes throughout the
report
ment concentrated on the project "highs," espe-
represent how the perceptions and attitudes of
cially high expectations and high content, .and
the staff and students have changed since 1988.
teachers participated in staff development, train-
ing sessions, and retreats that supported these
In 1988. the Jefferson County Public Schools in
"highs."
Louisville, Kentucky, received an initial planning
grant of S10,000 from the Program for Student
Achievement of the Edna McConnell Clark Foun-
dation in New York City to focus on the three
-highs"high content, high expectations, and
high support. The District chose Iroquois, South-
ern, and Western middle schools to participate
in this reform program due to their large
popu-
lations of disadvantaged youth.
During the planning year. the three schools
ex-
tended the three "highs" of the Edna McCoonell
Clark Foundati(m to include high involvement
and high energy. As a visible reminder
to staff,
students, and community, the schools adopted
the I ligh logo (high content, high exp ctations,
high support, high involvement, and high
en-
ergy). Also, in this planning year a planning and
implementation team composed of administra-
tors and teachers from all three schools and the
Central Office became overseers of the project.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
3
jeffe6in oultv
hht- School% es.r
nnuaI Repon to the Edna Maainnell Cluk Foundation
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and
the Jefferson County Public Schools
The staffs decided to restructure their schools
by changing their administration, by redesign-
ing the school day, and by reallocating teachers
frim".
planning time. Iroquois' and Western's former
counselors and assistant principals became grade
4
Par
administrators who now handle counseling mat-
ters as well as discipline procedures. Through
tudents needs are met
this restructuring, the
ot);,
and the grade administrators, who work with a
limited number of teacher teams in the school.
are more effective in dealing with students. Each
school restructured its teams to provide flexible
scheduling and block scheduling, allotting more
As the schools met success in high expectations,
time for projects, collaborative planning, and the-
the staffs recognized the need to focus their at-
matic teaching.
tention on high content, high involvement, and
high energy. Teachers and staff chose programs
During the period of the grant, the Kentucky
and initiatives that stimulated student interest and
Legislature enacted the Kentucky Education Re-
encouraged students to remain in school. Exten-
form Act (KERA). While studying the expecta-
sive staff development involved teachers and staff
tions of KERA, the teachers and staffs of Iroquois.
in 35 different programs between the years of
Southern, and Western found their restructuring
1989 and 1993, and each teacher received train-
initiatives closely aligned with KERA, and this
ing in at least three new learning strategies. These
alignment actually gave them an advantage in
programs included new strategies and classroom
planning to meet the KERA expectations.
activities as a focus for strengthening the con-
Through the assistance of the Center for Early
tent areas. As a result of such training and the
Adolescence, the teachers formed FOKUS For
implementation of these programs, a need de-
Our KERA Understanding and Support) to ex-
veloped for teacher support groups in each of
plore the similarities of KERA outcomes with the
the schools to help facilitate the implementation
I lighc programs and strategies.
of these programs and to lower the frustration
level of trying new techniques and strategies in
isolation. Teachers helped establish collegial
groups, such as the Math Council and the Sci-
enc,- Alliance, which not only serve as support
groups hut as learning centers in the content
areas.
Jefferson Lounty Public Schools 1993-94 Annual Repoll to the Edna NhConnell Clark Foundation
and
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
Schools
the Jefferson County Public
and activi-
The I figh' pn)grains provide resources for the staffs to receive training in new strategies
Education Reform
ties in order to reach the goals of the project as well as the goals of the Kentucky
the effectiveness of the
Act. The scliool staffs. with the guidance of the FOKI'S Committee, evaluated
and the assessment strate-
programs in relationship to the goals of KERA. the middle school vision,
the six KERA
gies used in KERA. The following chart indicates the relationship of the programs to
gcmls.
Goals
High Programs
with KERA Learning
Primary interface of
..-.
.
Goal.5 :
-Goall
Goaf 6
Goal 4.-
-Goal--3"
Qoat-2
_
Thinking and
Responsible
Science, Social
Communication
Problem-
Integration of
Group
Studies, Humanities,
and Mathematics
Solving Skills
Membership
Knowledge
Practical Living
Skills
Self-Sufficiency
Program
Algebra Project
Children's Express
Cooperative Discipline
Cooperative Learning
EPIC
FOKUS
Foxfire
.
Homework
HOTS
Integrated Language Arts
Invitation to Invention
Job Shadowing
Mathematics
MDC
YES/Service Learning
Peer Tutoring
_
PROMMISE
Science
_
Social Studies
Socratic Seminars
-*riling
to Learn__
Youth Sevices Cen-ters
BEST COPY
AVAILABLE
8
lellermin county l'uNic School,. 1995-q1 Annual Repirt to the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
MINN
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and
the Jefferson County Public Schools
The school staffs also studied the programs in relation to the middle school vision of Jefferson
County Public Schools. The following chart indicates how the programs help meet this vision.
Primary Interface of High' Programs with Middle School Vision
Action-
Academic, Social,
Oriented
Alliances with
Emotiqnal and
Equitable
Learning
Post-Secondary
Diversity and
Educational
Parents and
Physical
Community
Processes
Preparation
Prograrh
Common Values
Opportunities
Development
Algebra Project
Children's Express
Cooperative Discipline
Cooperative Learning
EPIC
FOKUS
1
Foxfire
Homework
I
HOTS
I
Integrated Language Arts
Invitation to Invention
Job Shadowing
I
Mathematics
L
MDC
YES/Servite Learning
Peer Tutoring
PROMMISE
Science
Social Studies
.
Socratic Seminars
Writing to Learn
Youth Services Centers
9
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Jefferson County l'uhlft Sdamls l99.1-9-) Annual ltel.on to the Edna McConnell Clark Found:rion
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and
the Jefferson County Public Schools
Another aspect studied by the school staffs was the effectiveness of these programs to the assess-
ment strategies of KERA. The chart below indicates which programs contain strategies or activities
that relate to writing portfolios, math portfolios, performance events, and pen-ended responses.
Primary Interface of High' Programs with Assessment Strategies
erformance
Events
Writing Portfolios
Open-Ended Responses
Mathematics Portfolio
Program
's'
P
.
Algebra Project
Children's Express
Cooperative Discipline
Cooperative Learning
EPIC
FOKUS
Foxfire
Homework
HOTS
Integrated Language Arts
Invitation to Invention
Job Shadowing
Mathematics
MDC
YES/Service Learning
Peer Tutoring
PROMMISE
Science
Social Studies
Socratic Seminars
_____
Writing to Learn
Youth Services Centers
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
1 0
Jefferson Coon ly Public Schools l993-91 Annual Reixin to the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation