Executive Summary. West Florence High School

Transcription

1 Florence School District #1 Mrs. Pamela D Quick, Principal 221 N Beltline Dr Florence, SC Document Generated On January 16, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5

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? serves approximately 1,717students in grades It is located in the northeast corner of South Carolina and is one of three high schools in Florence. It is approximately 75 miles east of Columbia and within one hour's driving time from the coast. Florence County's population (134,457, 2010) has increased steadily as new businesses such as QVC, Monster and Otis Elevator have moved into the area. The Florence area is served by numerous associations, clubs and professional organizations. Francis Marion University, Florence- Darlington Tech, and Virginia College are located just minutes away from the school. In the last 3 years, West has partnered with two of the colleges to offer dual credit courses.there is adequate air, rail, and highway transportation available in the area. There are two major health care facilities located in Florence, and West has also partnered with McLeod Hospital for our Health Careers class. The city of Florence includes several malls, and a revitalization effort for the historical district is moving rapidly forward. Recreational areas include tennis courts, swimming pools, parks, nature trails, fitness centers, and a large softball/baseball complex. Cultural outlets include the Florence Little Theater, The Francis Marion Performing Arts Center, the Florence Museum, the Florence Civic Center and the Florence County Library. A review of the school population indicates 50% white, 43% African-American, and 7% other. 91% of our seniors go on to a 2- or 4- year college. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds account for 36% of our population. 11% of our population receive some type of special education services. Of the 99 certified faculty members, 71% hold advanced degrees and 10 of them are National Board Certified. The school has 5 assistant principals, 2 media specialists, 4 guidance counselors,1 behavioral health counselor, 2 career development facilitators, 2 nurses, 9 classroom assistants, 6 administrative assistants, and 1 bookkeeper. At the Career Center, there are 16 teachers serving our students. West Florence also has a School To Work Coordinator and a Jobs For American Graduates coordinator. In the cafeteria there are 8 workers, and our custodial staff consists of 9. The unique challenges West has faced include an ever-growing student population. We currently have 20 mobile units, and it is anticipated that more will be needed in the near future. 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. The mission of Florence School District One and is to Educate! Prepare! Inspire! Our vision is for students to be productive and responsible citizens who are successful in an ever-changing society. Beliefs: Learning is a lifelong process. Cultural diversity changes the learning process. A challenging curriculum and high expectations promote high levels of achievement. The quality of relationships impacts student learning. Every person in the organization contributes to the success of the children. The child is the center of all decision making. An informed and educated public is a supportive public. A safe and orderly environment is essential for learning. Page 3

6 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. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to enabling all students to become confident, self-directed, and lifelong learners. We are also committed to providing a healthy school environment for both our students and our staff. We are one of only two high schools in the state to win the Bronze Award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This year's academic achievements were outstanding for our students. Sixty three percent of our student body ended the year with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Juniors and seniors earned 1,055 hours of college credit. Our seniors received over 5.1 million dollars in scholarships, and 70% graduated with honors. Six of these graduates were given the South Carolina Board of Education Academic Honors Award. One hundred and nine seniors received Life Scholarships, and 16 were named Palmetto Fellows. Our students continue to excel on standardized tests, often exceeding the state average. We received the Palmetto Gold Award for the Absolute Rating on our School Report Card. Our student athletes experienced many accomplishments as well. We won Region titles in football, baseball, girls' soccer, girls' tennis, and boys' tennis. Three of our athletes were named North/South All Stars, and nine received athletic scholarships. Twelve were named Scholar Athletes by the South Carolina High School League. West Florence High School is also fortunate to have a faculty that is committed to improving their content knowledge and instructional skills through staff development, further certification, and advanced degrees. 71 percent of our teachers have advanced degrees, and ten of them are National Board certified. Our Teacher of the Year won the District Teacher of the Year Award as well. Our goals for the future continue to be to increase student achievement, to prepare students for the technological advances in our society, to reduce the retention rate in all grades, and to assist students with career choices in preparation for the workplace or post secondary education. Page 4

7 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. West Florence uses a school-within-a-school organizational pattern. The School of Foundational Studies, a freshman academy, was implemented and has proved to be a great success with the retention rate of 9th graders dropping from 30% to 5% last year. The School of Foundational Studies operates on an 8-period per day system compared to the 4 X 4 block scheduling for the upper grades. In addition to the School of Foundational Studies, there are three more communities or career schools. They are the School of Engineering, Science and Technology, the School of Health, Human Resources, and Education and the School of Business and Finance. West Florence offers 17 athletic teams at the 4A level including football, volleyball, basketball, cross country, track, baseball, softball, tennis, swimming, soccer and golf. There are 30 extracurricular clubs or organizations available for students to join. Page 5