Executive Summary. Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Sr. High

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1 Miami-Dade County Public Schools Mr. Juan Carlos Silva, Principal 8600 NW 107 Avenue Doral, FL Document Generated On March 25, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 5 Additional Information 6

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. <br><br> The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High School (Reagan/Doral) is a state-of-the-art senior high school that opened in August It is located on approximately 20 acres of land within Miami-Dade County Public School's Central Regional Center. The address is 8600 NW 107th Avenue, in the City of Doral. The demographics of the school include single family homes, townhomes and apartments. The growth in this area is a constant factor. The staff demographics consists of 91 full-time instructional personnel, 74% are Hispanic, 15% are White, 8% are Black, 1% are Asian and 2% are Other. The school contains 250,000 square feet of classroom space, ten computer labs and a full service media center. The school has a 700 seat theater/auditorium, indoor air conditioned cafeteria, and a gymnasium that can accommodate 2,100 students. Currently, of the 2,100 students, 88% are Hispanic, 8% are White, 1% are Black, 2% are Asian, and 1% Other. Five percent (105) are enrolled in the Special Education (SPED) Program. Fifteen percent (305) are English Language Learners (ELL). Ten percent (217) are in the Gifted Program. Forty-three percent of Reagan/Doral students participate in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. The Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High Feeder Pattern proudly has all "A" schools. Our feeder pattern does not have a traditional middle school, we are actually comprised of three K-8 Centers, John I. Smith (Kindergarten - Grade 8), Eugenia B. Thomas (Kindergarten - Grade 8 students) and Dr. Rolando K. Espinosa (Kindergarten - Grade 8). Also, one of the biggest changes that we have experienced in the last three years is the location of our South Campus. Our ninth grade students are housed at our South Campus, which is located at what used to be Doral Middle School, with the exception of our students in our AICE Cambridge program. The South Campus was created to alleviate the crowding at the main campus. Due to boundary constraints, the majority of Reagan/Doral students live in the Doral area and transition from the three K-8 Centers. The City of Doral's Mayor and its citizens are proud to reside within the only city within Miami-Dade County to have all "A" schools. Page 2

5 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Vision Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High School recognizes that all students can learn. We strive for the development of character, literacy, and love of humanity. In doing so, we are committed to create an educational communal relationship where students can reach their potential through a rigorous and relevant environment. This nurturing setting fosters the development of productive citizens who consequently become life-long learners. Mission Reagan/Doral provides our students the opportunity for a quality education by implementing a challenging and innovative curriculum delivered in a state-of-the-art facility. We encourage positive school reform by establishing a partnership with our parents and community, instilling cultural awareness, and promoting relevant learning to motivate students in today's global setting. Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High School (Reagan/Doral) is committed to maintaining and promoting the interest of its stakeholders through its commitment to the school's mission and vision. From the commencement, the school developed the vision and mission statement along with all stakeholders. Faculty members, parents, students and community leaders were asked to collaborate to create a vision and mission that would depict our community and long term goals. This process ensured that every stakeholder had the opportunity to contribute to the school's on-going mission. Currently, our school's mission and vision statements are posted in classrooms, offices, and public areas of the school, as well as on the school's website and as a banner on the school's television channel and the school newspaper. Because all staff members participated in the process of developing our mission and vision, there is an understanding of and investment in our shared purpose. In order to increase student awareness of our new educational mission, teachers were encouraged to engage in classroom discussions during homeroom in order to facilitate student understanding. The faculty also undertook the process of familiarizing our students with the mission and vision statements by introducing the concepts contained in the statements to students enrolled in Critical Thinking classes. In addition, our school's television news network, Bison TV, ran promotional spots that featured the statements. In this manner, students share an understanding of and commitment to Reagan/Doral's educational mission and vision. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, each department was asked to develop goals to promote an understanding of the school's vision to the students. Our faculty is deeply invested in achieving educational goals within each department and across the curriculum. We believe that these goals promote student success. The leadership team encouraged each department to compile a list of "goals" to promote student success. This activity was designed to encourage collaboration within departments. As a result, each department engaged in dialogue which helped the faculty to remain focused on the goal of student achievement. The leadership of Reagan/Doral ensures that the school's vision and goals guide the teaching and learning process by offering students a quality education delivered by a high qualified staff. Our educational philosophy is one of high expectations. As such, the leadership team which is comprised of the Principal, four Assistant Principals, the Activities Director, the Athletic Director, the Business Manager, Testing Chair, and Student Services Chair works to ensure that each student has an educational plan that suits his/her needs. The leadership team meets weekly to ensure that individual student needs are met through various programs that incorporate differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of our students. Reagan/Doral provides many special programs in order to better serve our students. The school facilitates Page 3

6 Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) by offering a variety of special programs to accommodate all students. Gifted courses, via the collaborative/consultative model, are offered in the core subject areas. AICE Cambridge, Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses are offered for those students who make a commitment to excel within a rigorous curriculum. Additionally, we have engaged in a partnership with Florida International University offering our students the opportunity to participate in a dual enrollment program. Those students participating will be eligible to graduate not only with high honors, but with 60 cumulative college credits. Reagan/Doral has 105 students that participate in the SPED Program to receive instruction through mainstream and inclusion courses. Students that are enrolled in the English Language Learner (ELL) program are scheduled into a Developmental Language Arts course to assist with development of the English language. Reagan/Doral is an academy based high school offering students three academies of choice: Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education Program, Classical Arts, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Cambridge is an international preuniversity curriculum and examination system for academically able students. Students in grades 9 and 10 take preliminary Advanced International Certificate of Education courses entitled "Pre-AICE" with advancement to the Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (AICE) during their junior and senior years. The Classical Arts Academy offers curriculum that is balanced and sequential. Strands in Classical Arts include; Band, Orchestra, Chorus, Piano, Guitar, Dance, Drama, and Visual Arts. Students enrolled in the Cambridge Academy may choose electives from the Classical Arts Academy. The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Academy is designed to enhance and promote students' information technology and communications competencies. Strands include; Web Design, Journalism, Broadcasting/TV Production, and Film/Photography. ICT Academy courses are open as electives to all students. Additionally, we engage in a partnership with George T. Baker Aviation School that was established with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This endeavor proffers our students the opportunity to receive training to work in the field of aviation and aviation mechanics. Page 4

7 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. At Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High, we pride ourselves with several notable achievements that we have received, such as: We have had Global Recognition with our AICE Cambridge Program; 1 Top in the World (English Language) and 1 Top in the World (Spanish A Level). Top in the World recognizes learners who have been awarded the highest marks in a subject in the world for Cambridge International AS and A Level. Also, we have had 25 Top in the USA Awards (AICE Cambridge Program) in the following content areas: Spanish Language, Spanish A Level, Foreign Language French, Economics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Thinking Skills, English Literature, History, Mathematics & Psychology. Top in the USA recognizes learners who have been awarded the highest marks in a subject in the USA of Cambridge International AS and A Level. We have demonstrated in our Advanced Placement program. We were ranked #19 in the National School Rankings for the number of AP exams with scores of 3 or above by Hispanic/Latino Students for the 2012 AP exam administration. We have received the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) 4 out of the last 4 years. Since 2008, we have been recipients of AP Scholar Awards and have had several National Merit Scholarship Qualifiers and Finalists. Our students have competed in numerous academic competitions and have excelled in the following: Posse Scholar Winners 3 out of the last 4 years, David Essner Mathematics Competition Winners 3 out of the last 4 years, and a Recipient for Silver Knights in English (2012). The Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards is one of the nation's most highly regarded student awards programs. The purpose of this Awards program is to recognize outstanding students who have not only maintained good grades but have also unselfishly applied their special knowledge and talents to contribute significant service to their schools and communities. We have also been ranked in the top three high schools for the best attendance 3 out of the last 4 years for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. We have received a 90% or higher in Graduation Rates 4 out of the last 4 years and have been named a top rated "A" school, by the Florida Department of Education, since our school opened. Moreover, our biggest accomplishment is definitely the prestigious universities that our students have been admitted /attend: Brown University, Columbia University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Case Western Reserve University, Cornell University, Princeton University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Duke University, Harvard University, Dartmouth University, University of Pennsylvania, John Hopkins University and Yale University. Page 5

8 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. In order to ensure that the school's vision, purpose, and goals guide the teaching and learning process, RRDSH is using Florida's Continuous Improvement Model (FCIM), an evidenced- based and performance-driven school-wide improvement model that encompasses data disaggregation and analysis. The use of FCIM allows for data to drive instruction, instructional strategies, assessments, professional development and curriculum alignment. Instructional Leaders have disaggregated FCAT data, EOC date, diagnostic test data, and trend data to identify instructional subgroups, along with strong and weak objective areas. This information is communicated to the subject area teachers who are then trained to disaggregate data for their students. Instructional Focus Calendars/School-wide Instructional Plans have been developed for Reading, Mathematics, Writing, Social Studies and Science. The teachers revise the Instructional Focus Calendars on a yearly basis in order to ensure that curriculum and instruction is aligned to the student's current needs. The teachers then implement a challenging curriculum that is strong in rigor and relevance. As the year progresses, we employ several instruments to assess student progress and make adjustments to the teaching process. This process allows teachers to engage in an ongoing system of reflection. Students are also recommended to tutoring programs in order to assist in the achievement of mastery not only on state and national examinations, but also within the courses required for graduation. We have accomplished several athletic achievements and several of our "student athletes" have received scholarships to prestigious universities such as: Dartmouth, Stanford and Duke. We pride ourselves in being featured numerous times in our local papers for academic excellence, community contributions, college admissions, and for having an outstanding faculty and administrative team. Approximately, 75% of our students attend a four year college after graduating high school. Page 6