The Next Generation:

Two Reformed Comprehensive High Schools Proposal

Proposal Summary

The proposal for two reformed comprehensive high schools will hold high expectations and address equity issues. The students will spend a portion of each day in a small learning community. An example of a small learning community is a freshman academy based on academics, career connections, technology, and student success.

After the freshman year, students will participate in various career- or theme-based academies that will be designed in a collaborative process by each of the high schools and allow for in-depth studies of areas of interest, and for various service learning projects, internships, and/or work study programs in the community. Seniors will design and present an individual or group project based on topics of interest which will involve work with both an in-school advisor and a community mentor. 

Students will be encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities, athletics, and clubs. Research shows that such participation enriches the educational experience and encourages academic success. Attaining best practices in teaching through on-going collaboration and professional development will be a basic tenet.

These comprehensive high schools will share attributes common to other proposals such as advisories and high expectations.  Additionally, they will offer shared leadership, increased graduation by demonstration of skills, and a wide variety of activities, athletics, and clubs. JDHS has “grown” in athletics and activities over the years by involving community support groups; it may take some time before all athletics and activities are fully developed.

The proposal for two reformed comprehensive schools will hold high expectations and address equity issues. The students will spend a portion of each day in a small learning community. An example of a small learning community is a freshman academy based on academics, career connections, technology, and student success. 

After the freshman year, students will participate in various career- or theme-based academies that will be designed in a collaborative process by each of the high schools and allow for in-depth studies of areas of interest, and for various service learning projects, internships, and/or work study programs in the community. Seniors will design and present an individual or group project based on topics of interest which will involve work with both an in-school advisor and a community mentor. 

Students will be encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities, athletics, and clubs. Research shows that such participation enriches the educational experience and encourages academic success. Attaining best practices in teaching through on-going collaboration and professional development will be a basic tenet.

These comprehensive high schools will share attributes common to other proposals such as advisories and high expectations.  Additionally, they will offer shared leadership, increased graduation by demonstration of skills, and a wide variety of activities, athletics, and clubs. JDHS has “grown” in athletics and activities over the years by involving community support groups; it may take some time before all athletics and activities are fully developed.

Section One:  Program Proposal Description

Overall Description of Program Proposal

This proposal is for two reformed comprehensive high schools, Juneau Douglas High School and Thunder Mountain High School, which would hold high expectations for all students and address issues of equity.  In this model, students would engage in small learning communities for a portion of each day; however, the school day would include study out of the small learning communities, as well.  It is anticipated that students would spend over half their day in a small learning community (SLC) environment.  One of these SLC strands would be a freshman academy. The curriculum for this academy will be based on four strands: 1) academics, 2) career connections, 3) technology and 4) student success.  The freshman academy would include courses in English, math, science, health, and career exploration/technology. As sophomores, juniors, and seniors, students would participate in various career- or theme-based academies that will be designed in a collaborative process by each of the two high schools.  Sophomores and juniors would have the opportunity to participate in various service learning projects, internships, and/or work/study programs in the community as part of their school day.  Seniors would have the opportunity to design individual or group projects with the goal of engaging students in extended learning on topics of interest. For these projects, seniors would work with an in-school advisor and a community mentor. Toward the end of the year, seniors would present their work to an assessment panel that would include members of the community and the school.  Students would be encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities, athletics, and clubs, as research shows that such participation enriches the educational experience and encourages academic success.   Schedules for each academy would be flexible so that the teams could determine how their blocks of time with students could be best utilized.  Attaining best practices in teaching through on-going collaboration and professional development would be a basic tenet of each school.

Attributes of Reformed Comprehensive High Schools Include:

• High expectations for all
• Issues of equity addressed
• Goal of personalizing the larger school through small learning communities
• Flexible scheduling
• Interdisciplinary approach in core courses; heterogeneous grouping
• Collaboration between teachers, students, parents, and community
• Shared leadership
• Increased graduation by demonstration of skills
• Career and tech programs integrated into mainstream
• Continuous effort to improve teaching practices through professional development, peer observation, critical friends groups
• Wide variety of activities, athletics, and clubs

• Choice of programs, projects, academies, electives and activities
• Increased engagement during senior year
• Curricula organized thematically according to interests, learning styles, career options
• Advisories
• Personalization is a specific goal
  

What makes our proposal different from the others?

• A "reformed comprehensive high school" employs best teaching practices to help achieve student success.
• It provides for a variety of athletics, activities, and clubs. Two schools means a possibility of doubling the opportunities for student involvement in extra-curricular activities.
• Students would be identifying with one of two high schools: this could enhance both high schools' positions within the community and students might have stronger alliances to their schools. While the concept of two high schools may take some getting used to, it could potentially help unify Juneau with other Southeast communities with whom we compete in extracurricular activities/athletics.
• The freshman year, through an academy/SLC approach, is designed to address specific needs of students so they have equal opportunities to succeed.
• As sophomores, juniors, and seniors, students participate in career- or theme-based small learning communities aimed at engaging students in topics of interest.
• The senior year is focused on a senior project, with an in-school advisor and a mentor from the community.
• This proposal has “book ended” the high school experience, as it addresses both the transition to and the transition from high school.

Goals of the Reformed Comprehensive High Schools Proposal

1. Interdisciplinary teaching and collaborative teams.
2. Engaging, relevant curriculum and instruction through personalized learning communities.
3. Inclusive program and instructional practices that address the needs of all learners.
4. Teams engage in continuous program improvement by utilizing a variety of data to improve student success,  by applying stakeholders’ and colleagues’ input to attain best teaching practices, and by pursuing professional development goals that enhance the viability of small learning communities.
5. Support for the concept of small learning communities within the larger high school is essential to this proposal.

What would the proposal look like from a student's perspective?

Students would be known well by their teachers and peers, as a result of participating in small learning communities and/or academies during their high school years.  This would help eliminate anonymity and offer support to students in danger of "falling through the cracks."  Because students would have a great deal of choice regarding academies, small learning communities, electives, internships, and projects, their engagement in learning would be enhanced.  With the support of the 9th grade academy, which is aimed at preparing students for a successful high school experience, students would become more successful in their academic pursuits.  Students would learn in a safe and personalized environment, and each member of the learning community would be held to high expectations. Through advisories, students would receive additional support in making decisions affecting academic success, school activities, and college/career planning.  Parents would be regularly notified about student successes and challenges, which would allow students to recognize that they are accountable for decisions they make.  Students would be encouraged to participate in a wide array of activities, athletics, and clubs, in order to enhance the high school experience. 

Alignment with Best Practices and Research

The small learning communities (SLC) approach is designed utilizing the research-based recommendations of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and other research.

Model for Program

The model is a reformed comprehensive high school based on the Five Domains of Research-Based SLC Practice from the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory (Portland, OR).  Following this research-based approach, the schools will be designed to incorporate academies and small learning communities facilitated by interdisciplinary teams.  (For more specifics, see Overall Description and Attributes sections, above.)

How Program Addresses Data and Implications

The local data demonstrates that students are not successful for a variety of reasons.  Indicators of risk include younger students, minority students, low-income students. Fewer male students finish high school successfully than females.

This program's SLC model creates a more personalized educational environment for students who may feel a sense of anonymity within the present system. Creating smaller learning communities within JDHS and TMHS makes for more personalized schools where students are known better by adults and other students.

Allowing students to choose smaller academies and learning communities within the larger facility, while also providing a wide range of activities, athletics, and clubs, promotes student engagement in projects and activities of interest and enhances the high school experience through personalization, while emphasizing improved performance and higher rates of student success. Students' choice among programs that better suit their interests and learning styles creates more relevance and engagement. This should lead to greater student success and fewer students leaving school early.

Description of Classroom Instruction

• Collaboration between students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members.
• Relevant and engaging theme-based or project-based instruction.
• Interdisciplinary approach (teachers from various subject areas working together).
• Student-centered.
• Career pathways (as an option for academy- and SLC-based instruction).
• Beyond the schoolhouse walls (utilizing the community for vocational education through an expanded Co-op program, service learning, internships, and community mentors).
• Choice of electives and extra-curricular activities.
• Essential skills through an integrated course of study organized by topics and themes of interest to students and relevant to their various cultural backgrounds.

Utilization of School/Community Facilities

As is the current practice in Juneau, school facilities would be shared for purposes of Community Schools programs and CBJ Parks and Recreation activities.  Current facilities at Diamond Park would be utilized for PE classes, with anticipation of the eventual completion of a turf playing field and rubberized running track, as well as the completion of an auditorium/community performing arts center.  Our proposal suggests a feasibility study to determine if the current wood and metals shop, as well as the UAS automotive technology shop, could become part of a community vocational education center to be utilized by students from JDHS, TMHS, Yaakoosge, and UAS on a shared basis.  Staggered start times for the two high schools and/or an expanded school day may be necessary to accommodate such use.  Continued discussions regarding the construction of a pool, either by the CBJ or JRC, should be encouraged.  The design for TMHS is conducive to the implementation of small learning communities; for example, it has integrated science classrooms into each classroom wing, rather than in an isolated wing.  On-going discussion is anticipated regarding shared use of facilities.

Section Two: Rationale for Program Proposal

Action Belief Statements

    WE BELIEVE:

• Our main purpose is to create a learning environment that fosters success for all students.
• All members of our learning community deserve choices that ensure equity, challenges, and engagement in a personal, caring environment.
• Mutual respect, open communication, and shared responsibility are essential components of our learning community.
• Collaborative environments are necessary to support the process of continuous learning for staff and students.
• Attaining best practices in teaching through ongoing professional development is essential for success of schools.
• Family and community involvement is essential for the support of all school programs.
• Our graduates will be confident, responsible, resilient, and prepared with 21st century skills for careers and/or educational opportunities in Alaska and beyond.

Interests of Community

The community, in previous elections, has provided some input as to what it wants to see in a new high school.  The community said it wanted "two comprehensive high schools."  This proposal for "reformed comprehensive" high schools -- two high school that offer a wide variety of choice in academics, electives, athletics, clubs, and extra-curricular activities -- is responsive to the community's voice.  This proposal places a priority on the comments offered at numerous community forums on future high school educational programs for our students.District’s strategic plan, goals and work JDHS is currently undertaking    JDHS is currently working to implement a research-based "small learning communities" approach, with a plan to have four small learning communities in place by the 2007-08 school year (2 freshman academic blocks, CHOICE, and Early Scholars).  The concept of utilizing small learning communities within the larger school is integral to the reformed comprehensive high school philosophy. 

Section Three: Implementation and other factors

School boundaries   

A district boundary commission would set school boundaries.Activities and athletics    The goal of a reformed comprehensive high school is to offer a full range of athletics, activities, and clubs.  Just as JDHS has "grown" its athletics and activities over the years by involving community support groups, it may take some time before all athletics and activities are fully developed. 

What would be the recommendation for the beginning year and possible enrollment?

The first year should focus on enrolling about half of the freshmen and sophomores in the Juneau School District system for that year (2008-09) in each of the two high schools.  Students continuing in the school system as juniors and seniors in 2008-09 should be given the choice of attending Juneau Douglas High School or Thunder Mountain High School.  The goal would be to "grow" the school to full capacity within the following two years through the addition of half the freshmen district-wide to each school in 2009-10 and 2010-11.  Students who would be continuing in the Juneau school system at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year as juniors and seniors would be polled as to school of preference, with concurrence of parent(s) or guardian(s), in a timely manner in order to facilitate planning and staffing decisions.

Describe issues, other obstacles, and questions associated with the Program Proposal.

• We need to address the school facilities as an issue. What about wood shop, music, etc.?
• Could the present woodshop, auto shop, and metalworking shop become the Juneau Community Vocational Education Center (similar to the M.L. King Career Center in Anchorage) and serve all local public high schools? 
• How can we effectively utilize the different facilities to accommodate the needs of students?  There is a municipal election scheduled for April of 2007 regarding a bond issue to cover such facilities at Diamond Park as a turf field (similar to the Adair-Kennedy Field) and a rubberized running track, as well as an expansion of the "café-torium" at TMHS into more of a full-scale auditorium/performing arts center. 
• Some itinerant teachers may be required, especially in the first two years as the new school grows toward its full capacity. 
• Some means of transporting students (bus tokens provided by the school or a school bus) to and from the vocational education center, if this idea were adopted, would be necessary. 
• An alternate approach to vocational education would also be emphasized through service learning, internships with local businesses and agencies, and a Cooperative Education (work/study) Program.

Overall, how will this program proposal meet the needs of all students in Juneau?

• The reformed comprehensive high school model will meet the needs of all Juneau School District students by allowing them to choose specific academies that best meet their individual needs, interests, and passions.  
• This proposal addresses the research-based small learning communities model for instruction and provides a personal, caring approach to educating Juneau's students.