Advanced Placement Program Evaluation

(February 25, 2014)

Presented by: Superintendent Barbara Deane–Williams

Deputy Superintendent Shaun Nelms

James Giordano

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and

Administrative Services

Jeffrey Henley Executive Director for Instructional Technology

and Strategic Initiatives

Kathleen Graupman Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning and

Support Services

Barbara Tomasso Assistant Superintendent

for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Jamie Warren Assistant Superintendent

for Human Resources

EnVision Greece 2017

GOAL 1 ACCELERATE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

FOR ALL STUDENTS BY PROVIDING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RIGOROUS

CURRICULUM AND ALIGNED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND

ASSESSMENTS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS AND ALL SUBJECTS

EnVision Greece 2017 STRATEGY 1.4 Increase identification, participation and performance in rigorous secondary curriculum offerings developing multiple graduation pathways and enhanced Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. • Conduct a districtwide audit of college credit course offerings • Implement high-quality pre-AP/IB strategies and courses in middle and

high schools to provide students with expanded access to advanced course offerings using the Broad Education Foundation Tool Kit for Expanding Advanced Placement Access (AP) and recommend a plan to close access and achievements gaps

• Implement research proven strategies to increase the number of AP/IB exams administered, while increasing student exam performance and employ strategy to increase participation of under-represented students

• Develop and implement a plan to increase participation and performance of students taking the SAT/ACT – The AVID program is being piloted at Olympia with full

implementation being anticipated in 2014-15

Committee Composition

4

Name Position/ Role Toyia Wilson Turnaround Initiative Principal and Committee Chair

Gina Biondillo Assistant Principal (Arcadia High School)

Lori Dornberger Parent (Arcadia High School)

Jeffrey Henley Executive Director for Instructional Technology and Strategic Initiatives

Deb Hoeft Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services

Sheila Kohn Teacher on Special Assignment/ Coordinator, STLE Grant and Program Evaluator

Tom Mariano Director, Mathematics and RtI

Edel Maeder Science Coordinator

Mason Moore Assistant Principal (Arcadia Middle School)

Lakisha Rowe Teacher (Arcadia High School)

Kathy Richardson Coordinator of Technology and Business

Mark Rumfola Counselor (Olympia)

Chris Sloane Principal (Olympia)

Robert Stalter APPR Teacher Leader and AP Teacher (Arcadia High School)

Committee Charge

• Review national models to determine the “best practice” used to support increased AP participation and performance

• Analyze Greece AP data to best align the

needs to Greece with the use of elements identified from the national review of models with a focus on three areas

Areas of Focus

• Increase access to AP for all students, especially for identified sub-groups

• Develop and expand systems to support AP programs and participation in the core academic areas of English, math, science and foreign language

• Identify next steps in developing and expanding pre-AP courses or programs to provide middle and high school students with the critical thinking skills, content knowledge and study habits necessary for successful participation in their educational career as well as AP courses and exams

Action Steps

• Identify prospective AP students that may have been missed in the past

• Develop a structure to provide academic support for AP students, especially newly identified AP students

• Build awareness of the advantages of AP with parents and students who may have been missed in the past

• Provide AP professional development to support buy-in from faculty, principals and other key personnel

Action Steps (cont.)

• Develop a vertically aligned course progression that supports an increase in AP enrollment

• Provide training and support for current and new AP and pre-AP teachers

• Establish school goals for AP expansion that are data driven, research supported, nationally modeled and in alignment with the EnVision Greece 2017 Strategic Plan

• Maximize the financial support available and remove barriers of entry for economically disadvantaged students and families

Why AP?

Preparing to be College & Career Ready

• Advanced course work starting in middle school

• advanced course work in high school

• PSAT • Advanced Placement (AP)

course work

College & Career Ready

What it is… All students have the

skills to make the best choices Mastery of critical reading,

writing and mathematical skills at the commencement level

Students who meet these requirements have the skills necessary for college or an advanced career choice

What it is not… all students go to college

regardless of their desires or choices

Advanced Placement

Cost Comparison

AP $89

per/class

Community Colleges

$135 per/credit =

$405 per/class

SUNY Colleges $263 per credit =

$801 per/class

Private Colleges

range $754 to $1,248

per credit = $2,262 to

$3,744 per/class

Comparison of Education to Earnings

$451

$638 $719 $768

$1,053

$1,263

$1,665 $1,551

Some HS NoDiploma

HS Grad Some TrainingNo Degree

AssociateDegree or

SpecializedTraining

Bachelor'sDegree

Master'sDegree

ProfessionalDegree

DoctoralDegree

Median Wkly Earnings

GCSD Targeted Sub-Groups

GCSD AP Enrollment

28% 28% 26% 29% 32%

0%

50%

100%

08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13

AP enrollment* is generally increasing, with all grade levels showing increases of 5-7% from 2010-11 levels. The greatest increase in enrollment has been at Grade 10.

Grades 10-12

*Percent of students enrolled in at least one AP

GCSD AP Performance

52% 46% 46% 48% 45% 46% 46% 47% 50%

44%

2003-04(n=1,205)

2004-05(n=1,382)

2005-06(n=1,527)

2006-07(n=1,751)

2007-08(n=1,722)

2008-09(n=1,658)

2009-10(n=1,683)

2010-11(n=1,552)

2011-12(n=1,601)

2012-13(n=1,655)

Percent of AP exams with scores of 3, 4 or 5

District

n=total exams taken

627 exams 728 exams

Anecdotal Information • Collected from committee members who

represent stakeholders from across the district

• Includes information received from the outreach to districts that have been identified as high performing AP districts

Anecdotal Information What kind of supports are in place for students who struggle in AP?

• Currently, compared to high performing AP districts Greece does not have a system of support for struggling AP students

• High performing AP districts have protocols used district-wide to support students both financially and academically

Anecdotal Information What kind of professional development is in place to support AP teachers?

• Summer training limited by course offerings

• Limited sessions offered throughout the school year

• High performing AP districts have district leadership who coordinates efforts to provide high quality professional development

Anecdotal Information How are parents informed of the benefits of acceleration and AP?

Each school has a different system for communicating with parents

– Events are mostly open to identified students – Informational, very little education on the

benefits

Recommendations that Support the Objectives

• One: Expand implementation of AVID College Readiness Initiative to other schools

•

• Two: Create an AP Expansion Initiative with an infrastructure of support led by a College and Career Director (CCR Director) at district office

• Three: Remove the financial barriers that may be prohibiting economically disadvantaged students from enrolling in AP

~OR~

Recommendations

Recommendations that Support the Objectives (cont.)

A combination of the most effective elements from each of the three

recommendations to provide the most support while remaining fiscally

appropriate for the Greece Central School District

Recommendations

What is AVID?

• AVID - Advancement Via Individual Determination

• College readiness system for elementary through higher education that is designed to increase school-wide learning and performance

• AVID College Readiness System (ACRS) accelerates student learning, uses research based methods of effective instruction, provides meaningful and motivational professional learning

• Catalyst for systemic reform and change

Why AVID?

Grade Point Average AVID students are out performing non-AVID students at Olympia as well as non-AVID students districtwide

Core Area Course Grade Point Averages AVID students are seeing gains in more core area courses than non-AVID students at Olympia as well as non-AVID students districtwide

Why AVID? (cont.)

Scholastic Reading Inventory AVID students are now caught up to their non-AVID peers in reaching the “above grade level and Career Ready” threshold in two of the three AVID cohorts (SRI Lexile scores for grade level performance)

Discipline Referrals and Absences Overall, AVID students are less likely to be disciplined or to be absent from school than their non-AVID peers

Why AVID? (cont.)

AVID Building-wide Classroom Observation Data • College going culture now exists at Olympia • Overall, a few AVID strategies are being

implemented in non-AVID core area classrooms, increasing the exposure of AVID supports to non-AVID students

One: Expand Implementation of AVID Identify prospective AP students that may have been missed in the past

• Strict recruitment protocol for selecting students

• Academic middle is defined as students achieving averages of B, C and D averages

• Students who desire to go to college and are willing to work hard

• Students tend be the first in their families to attend college, ethnic minorities or are from economically disadvantaged families

Recommendations

One: Expand Implementation of AVID Develop a structure to provide academic support for AP students,

especially newly identified AP students

• AVID elective course meets twice a week

• Access to tutoring, leadership opportunities, mentoring and access to information about college

• Visits to local community colleges and universities

• Focus on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, reading and study skills (WICOR)

• Building-wide use of AVID strategies

Recommendations

Two: Create an AP Expansion Initiative led by a College and Career Readiness Director

• Work with schools to develop a system for tracking student identification and progress

• CCR Director coordinate with assistant principals to monitor and adjust district-wide

• Develop district level professional development for all stakeholders

• 3-5 year shift from college consortium delivered training to district delivered

Recommendations

One and Two: Expand Implementation of AVID and CCR Director

Develop a vertically aligned course progression that supports an increase in AP enrollment

• Develop skills needed for rigorous course work early

• Comprehensive support for teachers, students and parents

Recommendations

One and Two: Expand Implementation of AVID and CCR Director

Build awareness of the advantages of AP with prospective parents and students who may have been missed in the past

• AVID promotes parent nights

• Program designed to teach parents so they can better support students work at home

• Provides opportunities to learn about the benefits of college and AP

Recommendations

One and Two: Expand Implementation of AVID and CCR Director Provide AP professional development to support buy-in from faculty,

principals and other key personnel

• Intense professional development

• AVID redefined the roles of teachers and counselors

• Teachers become advocates and guides for students while counselors move to the role of facilitator

• AVID provides instructional interventions and resources designed to assist schools in their efforts to close achievement gaps among student populations

• Interdisciplinary AVID Site Team

Recommendations

One and Two: Expand Implementation of AVID and CCR Director

Provide for training and support for current and new AP and pre-AP teachers

• AVID Summer Institute and receives specialized training in the AVID methodologies

• Monroe County AP Training Consortium with St. John Fisher College and Nazareth College

• Differentiated training for AP teachers on an annual basis in the summer

Recommendations

One and Three: Expand Implementation of AVID and Remove Financial Barriers Maximize the financial support available and remove barriers of entry for

economically disadvantaged students and families

• Financial support for PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP exams

• Discounts to economically disadvantaged students

Recommendations

Cost Comparison

Recommendations

Combination of Recommendations 1, 2 and 3

Nuclear Recommendation

$256,430 Provides most

support Most cost effective

Recommendations

Benefits of the Nuclear Recommendation

• Comprehensive – supports every item of concern identified

• Under the direction of the CCR Director, in 3-5 years professional development will be developed in-house alleviating that cost

• Flexibility – districtwide implementation can be completed over a three year period by bringing on one campus a year – Considerations can be made to use a different

combination of items to ease budget impact

Recommendations

Next Steps

• Survey staff to further identify needs

• Create a parent outreach to identify the needs of parents

• Use district data from AP Potential to target AP subjects to gain the biggest impact

• Use AVID data to support the implementation of the recommendations outlined

Recommendations for Implementation 2014-15

• Develop and support professional development for key stakeholders - Administrators - Counselors - Teachers - Parents

• Communicate expectations that support the Strategic Plan goals for acceleration

• Use multiple measures to identify students – PSAT, student performance, teacher and parent input