UAI High School Goals for 2014-2015

2014-2015 Goals and Expectations

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Update on Progress and Achievements from Last Year

Last year, we established three main goals around Environment, Progress, and Performance.  While we are still awaiting data from the DOE on the Learning Environment Survey and College Matriculation data, initial analysis of available information indicated achievement of many of last year's goals.

Last year, Learning Cultures went school-wide in the High School.  All classes and grades (except for the courses taught at NYU Poly) used the formats to structure the learning environment.  In addition, last year the UAI High School shifted from semester-based to an annualized school year.  Having 6 congruous marking periods as opposed to two separate chunks of three gave students more time to reflect on strengths and weaknesses and achieve goals.  With both of these two major shifts in place, here are the things we were able to achieve:

Preliminary Analysis of Student Progress & Performance in 2013-2014

Student Progress
Last year, we set a goal to have 80% of all student pass courses and earn credits.  For all grades, we met that goal with 80.8% of 9th graders, 82.7% of 10th graders, 90% of 11th graders and 100% of 12th graders meeting that goal.  Last year, we also set a targeted goal for 80% of students in our lowest third and/or with IEPs to pass courses and earn credit.  We achieved this goal with our 11th and 12th graders.  We did not achieve the goal with 9th and 10th graders, however, we increased passing rates over 5% in each grade.  Just like last year, we continue to improve upon Regents passing rates. This year, an average of 2 out of 3 of UAI high school students have completed the required regents for their year in high school (for 9th grade that's one math and one science; 10th is a math, a science, and Global; 11th is all 5 Regents required for graduation).

Student Performance
Our most impressive performance this year was the 13% increase in our graduation rate.  This year, as of August 2013, 90.9% of our seniors graduated college, and 97.9% of them are enrolled in college for the fall.  The Class of 2014 brought many honors to UAI.  More UAI grads were admitted into 4 year private and public universities than ever before including schools like Cornell University, Connecticut College, and Boston University.  Over 98% of our graduates are currently enrolled and/or attending college.  As our second graduating class, the Class of 2014 definitely set the bar for classes to come!

The Learning Environment
Typically, we have the Learning Environment Data back from the DOE by now, but we're still waiting...However, anecdotal evidence from a variety of informal staff surveys and in conferences with teachers, parents, and students indicate an increased satisfaction with our school this year.  Teacher teams used their targeted focus to structure peer visits and develop a network of support, and last year we introduced peer coaches to build on this success and support.  In addition to the goals that we set at the beginning of the year, two main objectives developed during the year last year:  School Culture and Student Attendance.

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Goals for This Year

(1) The Learning Environment:  By continuing (a) our work on team function and collaboration, and (b) using research-based rubrics to provide peer and evaluative feedback, and (c) focusing feedback on key rubrics (Classroom Environment, Social Norms, Unison, and Conferences), we will continue to improve the school learning environment and increase parent, teacher, and student satisfaction on the Learning Environment Survey.

(precise increase TBD after we get this year's survey data)

(2)  Student Progress Goal:  By increasing opportunities for assessment and analysis of student performance on assessment, teachers will empower students to make more informed choices during Work Time.  Unit Arcs will be streamlined to accommodate student needs.  Conferences will be higher Quality.  Thus, course passing rates and average regents completion rate will continue rise.

For all students, at least 80% of all students will continue pass each individual course.  

For students with IEPs and/or in the lowest 3rd, at least 80% of students will pass each individual course.

(3)  Student Performance Goal:  With continued focus and development on core LC formats (Unison Reading, Conferences, and Work Time), we will continue to have strong College Readiness Metrics and Graduation Rates.

Increase graduation rate from 90.9% to at least 93%.
Increase percent attending 4-year public or private universities from 44% to 60%.
Aim for at least a 98% 6-year graduation rate*(our first metric of this sort).Increase enrollment in 4-year (public or private) universities from 44% to at least 50%, and maintain overall college matriculation at 98%

(4)  NEW GOAL - Attendance & School Culture:  With a combination of advisor contact home, attendance committee initiatives, and school culture committee work, we will create an environment in which students want to come to school everyday, and on time.

Increase average daily attendance from 88.5% to 95%.
Hold monthly student assemblies to build school spirit and celebrate student achievement.
Increase communications home via advisors' calls home, parent newsletters, and increased parent conferences.
Increase communications both at home and within the school community using a regularly scheduled (monthly for community, weekly for UAI staff) newsletter.

(5)  NEW GOAL - College and Career Readiness:  Better integrate the network of partner services to prepare students and their families for the academic, socio-emotional, financial and in some cases legal (with respect to immigration status) of college enrollment and college success.

Job Club and Girls Inc daytime classes will introduce College and Career awareness activities at each grade levelHold monthly lunch with Leaders (sponsored by Girls Inc) to build student career awareness and interest in STEM fieldsTrain Job Club and Social Workers in Options Training Institute to be able to counsel and run parent workshops on college, financial aid, immigration status and resources, and other needs parents express with respect to the college preparation process.

To achieve these goals, we need to do the following:

• Guarantee Opportunities for Learning  (same as last year)
  (1a) at least 4 Unison Reading/Table Share groups per marking period
  (1b) students with IEPs have at least 2 UR/Table share groups with the ISS teacher.
  
  (2) at least 1 conference for all students per marking period
  (3) at least 2 conferences for students in the lowest third per marking period
  (4) at least 4 conferences for students with IEPs* per marking period "
  
  (5) at least 1 share for all students per marking period
  (6) All unit arcs must have clearly identified methods of self-assessing and tracking progress
  (7) All unit arcs must clearly identify Performance (summative assessments) activities and
        Student Selected Progress Activities (activities for practice, growth & learning)
  (8) Schedula Grades must be updated for student/advisor reference at least weekly
  
  *This year, Special Ed teachers will also be evaluated using the records.  Therefore, co-teachers must work collaboratively to make sure groups and conferences are coordinated and planned well.

• Strengthen Community
  - Focus on Social Norms and Building Grade Team Capacity
  (1) Unified implementation of the Ladder of Self-Regulation
  (2) Building Collegial Support and Feedback Loops on key rubrics Social Norms; Classroom Environment; Unison Reading, Conferences, and Work Time
  (3) Grade Team Periodically Reviews Student Course Pass Rates, Works to Develop a Variety of Interventions, and Tracks Response to Interventions over the course of the year.
  (4) Subject Teams Periodically Review benchmark assessment data to collaboratively analyze and problem solve (develop resources, structure units, etc.) around student progress towards Regents mastery.
   
• Strengthen Independent Work Time (and build student autonomy)
  - Focus on Classroom Environment Resources and Stations (Subject Team)
  (1) Develop common background ability activities or stations for subject area across grades
  (2) Develop tasks that can successfully be completed independently during work time
  (3) Develop/Use Standards Checklists to track coverage of content and student mastery
  (4) Build Collegial Support and Feedback Loops on Classroom Environment and Resources
  (5) Use Data to target student need and build supports and interventions into work time
    activities to respond to student need and measure student growth (response to intervention)