Executive Summary. Rancho High School

Transcription

1 Clark County School District James Kuzma 1900 Searles Avenue Las Vegas, NV Document Generated On April 23, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 4 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 6 Additional Information 7

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? opened in 1954 in the midst of the Rat Pack era, racial segregation, atomic testing expansion, and the proliferation of organized crime. RHS was the third high school founded in the Las Vegas Valley after Las Vegas and Basic. RHS is a comprehensive public magnet high school serving students in grades nine through twelve. It is located in the city of North Las Vegas, an urban city that makes up a part of the Las Vegas Valley. North Las Vegas is located in Nevada's largest county, Clark County, and has approximately 227,585 residents, according to the 2010 census report. Amid the housing boom and subsequent bust, North Las Vegas was the fastest growing part of the Las Vegas Valley due to a more affordable housing market. However, during the first six months of 2009, the city racked up the highest rate of foreclosure of any major metropolitan area in the U.S., and has faced recent threats of bankruptcy. RHS's surrounding neighborhood is a stark contrast to the newness that projects. RHS is a neighbor to public housing complexes, homeless shelters, dilapidated and abandoned apartment housing, and cemeteries. The community has seen a shift in the last 15 years or so in demographics. What used to be predominantly African-American neighborhoods have evolved into a predominately Hispanic community. This is reflected in the Hispanic owned businesses including markets and restaurants. In the 2010 Census report, the racial breakdown of the North Las Vegas community lists 47.4% of the population as white, 19.9% black or African American, 0.8% as Native American and Alaska Native, 6.3% Asian, 0.8% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and 5.8% listed as other race. Hispanic or Latino represents the fastest growing group in the community at 38.8% of the population. RHS has consistently been one of the largest High Schools in the State of Nevada. Enrollment for the school year was one of the largest at 3,644 students. Although, RHS still remains one of the largest schools, there has been a slight decline since The average enrollment since 2008 has been approximately 3100 students. RHS is 70.3% Hispanic, 11.8% Caucasian, 8.9% African-American, 6.4% Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.7% Native American, and 1.9 percent Two or More Races. Up until this year, RHS was identified as an Empowerment School supported by the (SIG) School Improvement Grant from 2010 to Empowerment Schools were delegated greater autonomy, engagement, and accountability for the best deployment of their resources to increase student achievement. During that period of time, part of the autonomy included the professional coaching of unsatisfactory teachers, and giving them the choice to opt out of their teaching position at RHS. The additional funding and autonomy allowed for RHS to make significant progress in student achievement. Attendance has been a top priority in that we have worked to reduce the number of truant students and students that do not attend school on a consistent basis. As of , our (ADA) Average Daily Attendance for students has been 93.0%, a 1.4% decrease from the prior year. The following is an ADA breakdown by ethnicity: 92.4% Hispanic, 94.6% Caucasian, 92.7% African-American, 97.6% Asian/Pacific Islander, 94.6% Native American, and 94.8% Two or More Races. Our IEP, ELL, students have the lowest ADA at rates of 90.1% IEP and 89.5% ELL. In order to curtail truancies, we have a truancy diversion program in partnership with a local judge. In addition, we have required teachers to do progress monitoring--which tracks attendance. Due to the efforts over the past four years, our graduation rate as steadily increased, with a significant spike in this most recent year. In , our graduation rate was 56.72%. In we hit a significant milestone by increasing our graduation rate to 71%. Student performance on the (NHSPE) Nevada High School Proficiency Exam has also steadily increased as our students perform at or above that of the district's and the state's in math and science. In , students performed at 76.3% for math and 71.1% for science. Our reading and writing percentages of 73.8% and 73% are slightly lower than the district's averages of 79.8% and 73%. All of our subgroups have shown gains in the percentage rate at or above proficiency in all tested areas. However, our subgroups that need Page 2

5 the most improvement are in our IEP, ELL, FRL, and African-American and Hispanic student populations. In mathematics, our overall student performance was 73.3% in and 75.9 in The subgroups that made progress yet still underperformed were 59.2% African- American, 33.1% IEP, 29.2% ELL, and 67.7% for FRL. In science, the overall student performance was 76.4%, a 2.9% increase from the prior year. The subgroups that struggled, yet gained a slight improvement were 57.5% African-American, 35.2% IEP, 19.8% ELL, and 67.1% for FRL. Students that took the reading exam performed with an overall percentage of 77.2 percent, just two percentage points under the state average. The subgroups that are in need of the most improvement are 66.4% African-American, 32.8% IEP, 17.9% ELL, and 71.8% for FRL. The performance on this exam was up 2% or more for each of the subgroups mentioned. On the writing exam, students' overall performance was at 73.5%, 6.5% under the state average. The same subgroups struggled in this tested area and performed at 53% African-American, 33.7% IEP, 16.6% ELL, and 62.7% for FRL. is structured around a seven period schedule, allowing more time built in for students to take additional credits in order to be eligible for graduation. Every Thursday, students are on a modified schedule in which they come in at 8:00 am instead of 7:00 am. This allows teachers time to collaborate and discuss students work, lessons, and data. We offer a multitude of different electives--particularly in the CTE realm. CTE program tracks include: Culinary Arts, Fashion Design, Digital Media Arts and Design, Automotive Technology, and Aircraft Maintenance. Another highlight of our school is our Aviation and Medical Magnet programs. RHS's award-winning magnet programs have been in place for almost two decades and have been honored by the Magnet Schools of America with the School of Excellence Award this year and the School of Distinction Award for the previous two years. Within the two academies we offer the following programs: (EMT) Emergency Medical Technician, sports medicine, pre-medicine, and biomedical engineering. Programs in the Aviation Academy include: private pilot, aeronautical engineering, aircraft maintenance, and our newest (UAV) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Program. Students in our CTE and Magnet programs partake in various organizations such as the (RWDC) Real World Design Challenge, SkillsUSA, (WIA) Women in Aviation, and (HOSA) Health Occupations Students of America. In addition to our magnet and CTE electives, students can take courses in our performing arts program. These programs include: ballet folklorico, mariachi, choir, orchestra, band, and theater. Students in these programs perform consistently in competitions, evening performances, festivals, and plays. Students also have opportunities to take 20 AP courses as well as courses in foreign language. Two years ago, RHS implemented the CrossFit program in which our students compete on a national level. We also offer dozens of sports and intermural programs. RHS students also have over 40 different clubs and organizations to choose from as part of their extra-curricular student life. 's rich traditions and deep root in the community for almost 60 years make it a positive and exciting learning environment for students and parents. Our parent groups are a stronghold on the RHS campus. Twice a month, we have over 100 parents participate in parent trainings and meetings. A few mainstays of RHS's rich tradition is our Multicultural Fair and the infamous "Bone Game". The Bone Game is the oldest tradition in Nevada High School football where each year we play the Las Vegas High School Wildcats to compete for the "Sir Herkimer's Bone". This past year marked the 56th year of the annual Bone Game. Another tradition is the Crossover Assembly, which is the last assembly of the year. At the assembly each class shifts to their new locations on the bleachers, and the seniors move to the floor and are congratulated by the teachers and staff before they exit the building for the last time. Page 3

6 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. 's mission is to develop and support innovative education where all students develop the academic, workplace, and citizenship skills for postsecondary success. In order to successfully fulfill this mission, RHS offers six Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which include the following: Graphic Design, Digital Photography, Video Production, Culinary Arts, Fashion Design, and Automotive Service Technology. Students enrolled in RHS's CTE programs participate in job-shadowing and internship opportunities. Additionally, CTE programs are supported by community partners that offer resources and mentoring in the aforementioned fields. In addition to these CTE programs, RHS also offers six award-winning magnet programs which include four Aerospace programs in the realms of Engineering, Private-Pilot, Aircraft Maintenance, and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program. Additionally, RHS offers programs in Biomedical Technology and Pre-Medicine--which includes an Emergency Medical Training (EMT) program as part of a terminal course offering. Admission into RHS's magnet programs require students to complete an application through the Clark County School District. Students must hold a 2.0 GPA, demonstrate proficiency on standardized tests, show above average attendance rates, and have excellent citizenship. Once accepted, students must maintain these standards. Graduates of RHS are eligible to receive a standard, advanced, or advanced honors diploma and can graduate with certifications in the CTE programs. There are a multitude of supports in place for students at RHS. These interventions are focused on the academic, emotional, and physical aspects of a student's life at RHS. These supports also align with the core values that were defined as a collaborative whole, including support staff, teachers, administration, and parents. At RHS we value: innovation, diversity, community, academic achievement, and respect and responsibility. At RHS, all non-magnet freshmen are enrolled in Freshman Studies. The purpose of this class is to provide blended learning support for students in core areas. Students complete academic modules on a program called APEX in addition to support from a classroom teacher. Students can also make up credits and complete their health and computer credits. For our at-risk students, we enroll them in a course entitled RAM. Students in these classes are provided supports such as: career guidance, community service opportunities, tutoring, and exposure to community resources to ensure their academic and emotional well-being. Counselors and administrators are divided by grade level and follow the students until they graduate. This ensures personalization and a strong sense of responsibility to ensure that students' needs are being met. All counselors maintain intervention tracking sheets which highlight credit deficiency and the supports provided in order assist students in successfully graduating. We also have a college counselor located in our parent center in order to provide college and career guidance and resources for RHS families. Our parent liaison holds monthly meetings with our Spanish-speaking parents. Additionally, she has also formulated a partnership with the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) in providing ELL classes on campus for our parents at night. Students that have been designated as homeless have access to our Title 1-Hope center each day. Students have access to a food and clothing bank to ensure that they do not go without the basic necessities. We are also Communities in Schools (CIS) designated high school. CIS assists us in determining student needs and establishing relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers, and parent and volunteer organizations to provide needed resources. This year, in order to support our movement towards the implementation of more technology at RHS, we spent over $100, 000 in upgrades to our WIFI system. This increased the number of access points, therefore, allowing more students to utilize ipads, laptops, and their own devices in the classroom. The use of advanced technology further supports our mission to prepare students for the 21st century. Professional Development trainings and in-services are frequently offered, including trainings called "Tech Tuesdays" to support the use of technology in all classrooms. All teachers utilize websites and Google calendars to post lessons and homework. Teachers and students have access to Promethean and Smartboards, laptops, computer labs, and ipads. In addition, the core areas have installed calculators, Page 4

7 readers, books, dictionaries, and a variety of resources for daily student use. Students extend their learning day through a blended learning model in some areas for extra support. In February of this year, we trained 35 teachers and administrators in Project-Based Learning (PBL) using trainers from the Buck Institute for Education (BIE). PBL activities simulate real-world experiences, preparing the students for entry into the world of work, post-secondary training, or college and university life. The use of project-based learning at RHS fosters critical thinking skills and teaches students to become effective problem solvers. The implementation of PBL has started in the CTE, Magnet, Art, and in the core subject areas. (STPT) Structured teacher planning time occurs once a week and is made possible by a modified bell schedule where students arrive one hour later than normal. The focus of STPT is departmental and focuses on common assessments, curriculum, vertical alignment, project planning, analysis of student work, student progress, and data analysis. Page 5

8 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. is designated as a Three Star School according to the Clark County School District's School Performance Framework. Last year, 's graduation rate was 73.84%. This was a 16% percent increase from the prior year--which was 57.8%. Students that took Advanced Placement Exams in the school year performed well. Students that took the English Language and Composition Exam performed 10% better than the prior year at a 57% pass rate. Students also performed well on the AP English Literature and Composition at 65.5%, a 63.6% on AP Human Geography, 78.6% on AP Physics, and 69.2% on AP Spanish Language. RHS students had a 100% pass rate on Calculus BC and Physics C examinations. Students also performed extremely well on the AP Calculus AB exam at 87.8%. RHS's Magnet Programs have been recognized by the Magnet Schools of America as a School of Merit for two consecutive years. This year Rancho was recognized as a School of Excellence. In our Aviation Academy, students have received the following awards and accolades: - 3rd place: National Real World Design Challenge (RWDC)-Air Challenge (2012) - Merit Award for Best Essay for RWDC Transportation Challenge (2012) - Students commissioned to Air Force and Coast Guard Academies and West Point (2012) - Student commissioned to the Air Force and Marine Corps Academies (2011) - Aviation Academy named an MSA School of Distinction (2010 and 2011) - Three Aviation students named Commended Students and one named Semi-Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (2011) Students at Rancho also belong to Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) such as SkillsUSA and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and regularly compete in local, state, and national competitions. Two Culinary Arts students were selected in February 2014 to compete in the State SkillsUSA Regional Competition. Areas for improvement Although RHS has an overall 94.6% Average Daily Attendance (ADA), attendance seems to be one of RHS's primary areas for concern. At the first semester of the school year, 379 students received denial of credit notices for excessive absences. The interventions have been teacher intervention logs which track things such as phone calls home and the implementation of a Truancy Diversion Court on campus. Although these interventions have proven to be somewhat of a deterrent, there is still much to be done. RHS also has a significant issue with tardies. Other areas for improvement are to reduce the number of student who fail Algebra I, increase the level of differentiation in instruction, and to increase student performance on all areas of the NHSPE. Page 6

9 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. No Additional Information Page 7