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Bellevue High School: Three-Year School Improvement Plan

2015-16 to 2017-18 September 2015 (Year 1)

Bellevue School District Mission: To provide all students with an exemplary college preparatory

education so they can succeed in college, career and life.

Preparing students for academic success in core content areas through achieving proficiency in literacy, math, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) as measured by state assessments. Preparing students for college and career success by meeting college academic distribution requirements (CADR) and earning at least 20 (quarter) college credits and/or professional certification. Preparing students for a positive and productive life through the development of interpersonal skills and a commitment to the community.

District Goals All students will reach or exceed academic proficiency Eliminate the achievement gap All students,

including those who already meet or exceed academic proficiency, will show measurable progress School Purpose & Mission Statement

Our Mission: We Are Bellevue. We are a community dedicated to learning. We are students, teachers,

parents, staff, family, alumni, and neighbors. Together, we strive for excellence in all we do. We educate our

minds and strengthen our hearts. We are preparing for college and for life.

Characteristics of Successful Schools The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction identifies the following nine characteristics of

successful schools: clear and shared focus high standards and expectations for all students effective

school leadership high levels of collaboration and communication curriculum, instruction and assessments

aligned with state standards frequent monitoring of learning and teaching focused professional

development supportive learning environment and high levels of family and community involvement. Through the framework of Professional Learning Communities, our school will use the nine characteristics as a guide to refine our work. The specific strategies we are implementing this year that embody the nine characteristics of successful schools are incorporated in our plans detailed throughout this document.

Contents School Profile School Background Progress Towards Goals School Improvement Plan Highlights Appendices

2 4 6 7 9

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BACKGROUND

Instructional Program Overview

Bellevue High School is a high-achieving, comprehensive high school serving over 1,600 students. Students attend a seven period day comprising required academic classes in core content areas as well as a variety of electives in different disciplines such as World Languages (French, Japanese and Spanish), Career and Technical Education (business education, computer science, culinary arts, automotive, and broadcasting), Fine Arts (visual and performing), Physical Education, and additional academic electives. Students are able to accelerate in math, science, and world languages based on ability. Bellevue High School offers a robust Advanced Placement program that is characterized by open access to all students. Students currently may select from 28 different AP course offerings in a variety of disciplines. Students have the opportunity to earn college credits through the AP program, Tech Prep and WANIC, College in the High School and Running Start. Bellevue High School has automotive and broadcasting programs that are accessible to students from other districts through the Washington Network for Innovative Careers consortium.

Every staff member holds high expectations for each student at Bellevue High School. To support these high expectations for diverse learners, teachers participate in Professional Learning Communities to develop their instructional expertise. Specific Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocols are used to support our English Language Learners throughout the building. A variety of teams use data and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to identify and support struggling learners. To assist each and every student in reaching these expectations, all teachers offer tutorial after school from 2:35 to 3:05 pm and students are encouraged to attend tutorial for extra support and individual time with teachers as well as pursue opportunities to raise achievement on individual assignments and assessments. An extended tutorial, staffed by a certificated teacher, is offered in the library two days a week until 5:00pm for students to get additional assistance and access technology resources. A College and Career Center is available until 4:00 pm provides guidance to students on the college selection process and potential career and employment opportunities. After school, students may access a wide range of clubs, activities, and athletic offerings.

Key Successes This Past Year

o A successful Read 180 Program was implemented. The program was revamped to target students

who would benefit from the intervention. Fifteen of the 17 students in the program met or exceeded

the expected Lexile Growth. Eight of those 15 have reached a Lexile score in the standard range for

their grade level.

o Over 50% of the Bellevue High School staff has been trained in SIOP strategies. This has been

implemented in every department. Staff are participating in collaborative planning session with

instructional coaches to develop lessons and assessments which utilize the strategies and make

learning more accessible to ELL students and those developing their academic language.

o The Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone foundation debuted. Our promotion of the classes resulted

in four sections with 132 students taking the initial AP Seminar course. The second course, AP

Research, is offered the following year. The Seminar course targets a variety of students with non-

content specific research, analysis, and writing activities specifically geared towards college readiness.

o Overall participation in AP courses continued to increase. Our policy of encouraging students to

challenge themselves through AP has resulted in 300 additional AP exams over the last five years, and

150 over the previous year. The AP pass rate has been steady for the last three years at approximately

80%.

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o SBA testing demonstrates college readiness. In the initial year of the Smarter Balanced Assessment

(SBA) 93% of 10th grade students met the 11th grade standard for ‘college readiness’ in English

Language Arts (ELA).

o Our AVID program continues to expand. Three years ago Bellevue High School offered no AVID

classes. Last year we recruited and accepted full classes for 9th, 10th and a new 11th grade class.

o More students are gaining college credits by passing language exams. Bellevue High School students

took advantage of earning World Language credits through proficiency testing. This recognizes

students’ knowledge in their home language or other means of acquiring proficiency. Through this

process more students are able to meet the basic College Admissions Distribution Requirements

(CADR’s)

Highest-Priority Opportunities for Growth

Over the next three years, our highest priorities are to:

Reach 100% graduation rate.

Eliminate the achievement gap in students being college and career ready between African

American/Black and Hispanic students, and other racial groups as measured by:

o Grade Point Average

o Meeting CADR Requirements

Have 90% of students report that they feel like they belong at school. We are currently at 50%.

o Connections with adults as measured by the Panorama Survey or similar tool

o Involvement in school based athletics, extra-curricular activities, or co-curricular activities

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PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS

Academic Success

Our goal every year is that every student meet standard on their math, science, and English/Language Arts exam required for graduation. The current goal is to have all students meeting standard by the intended level in which the standard is to be met. This fluctuates with each grade level, but included Math End of Course, Biology End of Course, Smarter Balanced Assessment in English Language Arts, Smarter Balance Assessment in Mathematics.

Past Progress

Measure 2012 2013 2014 2015

Reading HSPE pass rate (first attempt) 91 92 90 N/A

Writing HSPE pass rate (first attempt) 94 94 92 N/A

SBA pass rate (first attempt) 93

Biology EOC pass rate (first attempt) 80 83 84 93

Note: We are currently not using high school state Math and English Language Arts exams as a progress indicator because the state assessment system is changing every year for the next several years.

College & Career Readiness

Our goal every year is that every student meets our standards. We know that, as a school community, we

may fall short of our goal, but that never diminishes our determination, our ability to learn from our mistakes, and our belief in our students, our parents, and our staff.

Past Progress

Measure 2012 2013 2014 2015

5-Year graduation rate 91 93 91 N/A

% of graduates meeting minimum college admissions requirements (CADR)

77 82 82 N/A

% of graduates passing 4+ college-level courses during high school (with a C or better)

45 51 49 N/A

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Positive & Productive Life

Historical Data 3-Year Goals

Measure 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Connecting with at least one adult.

N/A N/A 35% 50% 65% 80%

Participation rates in activities & athletics

70% 70% 71% 80% 85% 90%

Note: See Appendix A for a description of measures.

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN HIGHLIGHTS: How we are accomplishing our goals

Academic Success

Revamp of the Algebra Course: The Algebra 2 course is the gateway to college level math courses. Students who

do not develop fundamental skills in Algebra and Geometry struggle to meet the rigor of this course. Math

teachers created a mechanism to use Cognitive Tutor to teach Algebra 1 curriculum and pinpoint previous holes

in their mathematical knowledge and skills. Additionally, some teachers are exploring the use of Khan Academy

for students to show mastery and develop fluency in Geometry and Algebra 2.

SIOP School-Wide: We continue to expand training for all staff. A teacher and instructional coach-led team plan

activities as well as professional development. There are currently two lead classrooms open for staff visits to

see the SIOP strategies in action. Four other teachers designated as lead teachers are working to a high degree

to showcase the SIOP strategies in their classroom. The six teachers represent the Math, CTE, English, World

Language, PE/Health and Social Studies departments. This provides a wide array of environments to see the

strategies used effectively in classrooms. A group of teachers has a PLC focused on improving the use of SIOP

strategies in their classroom.

READ 180: The Read 180 program continues to target students who show low reading performance when they

enter high school.

Teacher Leadership and Professional Development: Each department has developed goals that support the

priorities of the school. These goals are developed, monitored and evaluated by groups of teachers. Additionally,

each teacher actively participates in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) that is tackling a problem of

practice within their classroom.

College and Career Ready

AP Capstone Courses: The AP Capstone team will continue to recruit a diverse variety of students for the course.

The class is being developed as an opportunity for high level students to earn the full AP Capstone Diploma and

for students wanting to be college ready but who are not quite at the content specific college level. The team

will continue to bring online the second course of AP Research for the next year, while maintaining the current

level of participation.

Research Technology Specialist: We now have a full time person dedicated to preparing students to conduct

research at the college level. This includes conducting research using databases, encouraging independence and

ethical decision-making when seeking information and how to locate and utilize quality sources for effective

research.

College Credit for High School Courses: Bellevue High School has implemented a personalized approach for

course registrations including individual appointments with counselors. At the junior level, parents are invited

to be part of the process. There is an emphasis on selecting a rigorous course load which meets the students’

goals and talents as well as stretching their academic capacity. The courses offered are based on student

demand. BHS continues to offer a wide variety of AP courses. Just this year, we have added both the AP Seminar

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class and the AP Music Theory course. BHS is also committed to offering College in the High School credit, Tech

Prep college credit, and certification in Microsoft Office and Automotive.

AVID classes: The AVID program at BHS continues to be revised so that it targets students who may not know

how to access higher learning or how to adequately prepare for college. The AVID Site Team will continue to

revise its recruitment and screening methods to connect those students who will benefit from the program. The

goal is to create sustainable classes for those students who fit the profile.

College and Career Supports: Bellevue High School has expanded its College and Career Center to have a greater

focus on supporting the college preparation and admissions process through increased visibility, summer

application workshops, enhanced collection of materials, college specific work space after school, and the use

of College Corp volunteers to assist students after school.

Special Education PLC: Special Education teachers are engaged in a Professional Learning Community (PLC)

which is focused on decreasing the number of D and F grades their caseload students have in general education

classes. They are working on: motivational strategies; creating greater access for students to post-secondary

institutions and programs; and analysis of current strategies which need improvement.

Science PLC: Science teachers are engaged in a PLC which is focused on the reading and writing components of

the CCSS in ELA that relate to Key Ideas and Details; Craft and Structure, and Integration of Knowledge and

Ideas.

Positive & Productive Life

Proactive Classroom Management Strategies: Bellevue High School staff have agreed to implement a minimum

of three PCM strategies for this year. As a whole staff, they have agreed to providing 5 to 1 positive to corrective

comments, greeting students at the door in a welcoming fashion and having an organized classroom that

includes a daily agenda and physical layout conducive to the learning task.

Charter Process: Bellevue High School will be using the charter process to outline the attributes, behaviors, and

feelings they need to be successful. This will be a multistep process the whole teaching staff will undergo during

our professional development time. Two teachers have piloted the process in the Algebra 1 classes. Though

historically these classes have contained struggling, reluctant students of mathematics, these teachers have

created a positive learning environment where students are more willing to engage with the material.

Focus on Relationships: An action team has been working on ensuring that students are connected to adults in

the building. They are surveying students and looking for ways to connect disaffected students with an adult

who they can trust. Staff professional development for the year is focusing on really getting to know the students

in their classes.

Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS): Initial steps were taken to start the year in a positive manner

by revising our student expectations to include less punitive and more supportive language. A new team is being

formed this year to analyze school wide practices and recommend ways to encourage positive behaviors.

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Fine & Performing Arts PLC: The Fine and Performing Arts teachers are intent on developing the role of students

as appropriate audience members. Teachers have developed tools to provide direction and measure growth.

They include a Kindness Circle, a Respect Triangle, and a Sensitivity Square.

Equity Team Goals: The school’s Equity Team is focused on assisting teachers to enhance their depth of

knowledge about the experience of minority students at BHS. This will be complimented by a new student group,

Bending the Arc, which is focused on student involvement in racial equity.

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APPENDIX A: Description of Measures

5-Year Graduation Rate

The percent of students who graduate within five years of starting high school. We track the 5-year graduation rate in addition to the 4-year graduation rate because some students, such as those newly arrived in the country or with special needs, plan for a 5-year course of study.

% of graduates meeting

minimum college

admissions

requirements

College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs) are the WA State 4-Year college-admissions requirements. These are the minimum standards that high school students must meet if they want to apply to a public four-year college or university in the state. Details can be found at http://wsac.wa.gov/college-admissions.

Graduates passing 4+ college-level courses during high school

Research has shown that students who have already experienced college-level courses by the time they enter college are better prepared and more likely to be successful in college and complete a college degree.

Biology EOC pass rate

The percent of students who meet or exceed state standards on the Biology End-of-Course exam the first time they take the test.

APPENDIX B: Glossary

AVID: Advancement Via Individual Detemination AP: Advanced Placement CADR: College Academic Distribution Requirements ELL: English Language Learners HIB: Harrassment, Intimidation and Bullying PBIS: Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports SBAC: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium SEL: Social Emotional Learning SIOP: Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol