plc evidence of effectiveness 1

PLC Evidence of Effectiveness 1


Professional Learning Community Evidence of Effectiveness

Satellite High School

School Information

School Name: Satellite High School

District Name: Brevard Public Schools

School Address: 300 Scorpion Court, Satellite Beach, Florida

School Phone: (321) 779-2000

School Fax: (321) 773-0703

Principal: Mark E. Elliott

Principal email: [email protected]

Web Address: http://scorpnet.brevard.k12.fl.us

Demographics

Number of Students: 1, 288

Percent Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 13%

Percent of Limited English Proficient: .007%

Percent of Special Education: 12%

Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

- White 85.17%

- Black 2.48%

- Hispanic 5.51%

- Asian/Pacific Island 1.47%

- Other 5.37%

Present Student Achievement Data at 3 points along a continuum to demonstrate trends.

For example, provide data for grades 1, 3, and 5 or similar intervals. The data report

should always include the most recent school year and should always offer a basis of

comparison (for example, state scores, national scores, or scores from similar schools). If no

data is available place N/A.



Scale: % at or above proficient compared to state

Source: Florida Comprehensive Assessment (FCAT), 2006-2012

Special note: Writing is only tested in 10th

grade and science is only tested in 11th

grade. In

2011, FCAT 2.0 Next Generation Standards began testing only reading and writing. Math

testing moved to “end-of-course” exams.

FCAT SHS/State SHS/State

Grade: 9th Math Reading

2012 N/A 74% /52%

2011 N/A 74% /48%

2010 89% /67% 77% /48%

2009 92% /68% 70% /47%

2008 90% /65% 72% /46%

2007 83% /60% 70% /41%

2006 86% /59% 71% /40%

FCAT SHS/State SHS/State SHS/State

Grade: 10th Math Reading Writing

2012 N/A 72% /50% 92% /84%

2011 92% /N/A 63% /39% 84% /75%

2010 91% /73% 62% /39% 80% /72%

2009 89% /69% 61% /37% 83% /77%

2008 87% /69% 65% /38% 85% /78%

2007 90% /65% 63% /34% 88% /79%

2006 90% /65% 54% /32% 92% /78%

FCAT SHS/State

Grade: 11th Science

2012 N/A

2011 67% /40%

2010 65% /38%

2009 62% /37%

2008 73% /38%

2007 71% /37%

2006 66% /35%



Scale: Satellite ACT mean scores compared to state

Source: ACT (American College Testing)

Special note: In 2010, ACT became a mandatory test for all 11th

graders in Brevard County. Prior to

this time, there was no means of assessing our student population’s learning gains once they had

passed FCAT.

SHS/State SHS/State SHS/State SHS/State

Graduating Class Math Reading English Science # Tested

2012 21.8 / 20.0 22.9 / 20.5 21.3 / 18.9 21.6 / 19.3 257

2011 21.3 / 19.9 21.8 / 20.2 21 / 18.8 21 / 19.1 264

2010 21.5 / 19.7 22.2 / 20.1 20.6 /18.6 21.3 / 19.1 303


Scale:

(column one – student pass rate) Satellite pass rate

compared to global

(column two – course success rate) % of Satellite AP

courses with results that exceed global pass rates

Source: Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Scores

Special note: In 2011, the state of Florida began to include student

enrollment in Advanced Placement classes and student

achievement on Advanced Placement exams as a component of the

state-wide school grading system.

SHS/Global

AP

Student

Pass Rate

Course Success

Rate (% of Satellite AP

courses that exceed

global pass rates)

% of Satellite

students

enrolled in AP

coursework

# of Satellite

students

enrolled in

AP

coursework

2012 67.6%/ 59.3% 83% 31% 364 of 1160

2011 67.6% /59.4% 86% 37% 411 of 1109

2010 62.8% /61.0% 50% 39% 443 of 1145

2009 53.9% /59.9% 44% 45% 532 of 1177

2008 51.4% /59.5% 56% 53% 737 of 1401

2007 54.5% /60.7% 41% 42% 671 of 1588

Please comment on any aspect of the data that you believe is particularly significant.


In reviewing our data, it is important to consider our ability as a PLC to improve our results

consistently despite significant adversity: 1) In 2005-2006, Satellite High School enrollment was

over 2,100 students, but in 2006, a new school opened, which decreased our enrollment over

several years by nearly 50%, to just over 1,100. This drop in enrollment posed additional

challenges in maintaining and /or exceeding our previous results and expectations, especially in

our AP programs. In 2007, the new school opened to grades 9 and 10, bringing our enrollment

down by 400 the first year and decreasing each year following. At our peak enrollment, Satellite

High could easily support 18 AP classes. However, as enrollment decreased, so did our AP

offerings and course enrollment. 2) From 2006-2009, our school was completely renovated. The

campus was essentially a construction site, which created more challenges for our students,

teachers, and administrators. 3) Beginning in 2009, a significant wave of space-center lay-offs

occurred within Brevard County (“The Space Coast”), which dramatically affected the

population of “Satellite” High School, a school which was founded on the space program in

1961. However, even though the lay-offs occurred in ’09, many families anticipated them in

advance and chose to leave the district prior to ’09 rather than face the layoffs. This significant

event affected our enrollment as well. 4) This year, in 2012, to account for Satellite’s under-

enrollment, due to redistricting and the loss of the space shuttle program, boundaries have shifted

once again, causing a sudden increase in student enrollment, especially at the 9th

-grade level.

This year alone, we have added five additional teaching positions to our staff. The acclimation

of these new teachers has created yet another shift in our PLC. With these new faces and diverse

backgrounds, our challenge now is to maintain what we have worked so hard to build – a sense

of “close-knit” community.

Prior to 2007, FCAT was our primary means of assessing and drawing conclusions about our

students’ achievement levels. However, since then, we have diversified our analysis by including

ACT (American College Testing) and AP (Advanced Placement) exams. This decision has

provided a far better picture of our students’ overall performance at all academic levels.

In the 2009-2010 school year, ACT testing became a district-wide requirement for all 11th

graders. Therefore, we began to focus our 11th

grade PLT’s SMART goals on our 11th

grade

students’ ACT performance, and we are pleased with the results. As shown in the provided data,

every category on the 2012 ACT improved from 2011; a testament to the impact of the 11th

grade

PLT’s “ongoing analysis of results as a critical element in the teaching and learning process” (All

Things PLC). In fact, in 2012, Satellite High School’s performance on the ACT was the highest

among all traditional high schools in Brevard County! This year, with continued focus on the

ACT for SMART goals, we hope to see even more success.

In the 2010-2011 school year, the state of Florida began to include student enrollment in

Advanced Placement classes and student achievement on Advanced Placement exams as a

component of the state-wide school grading system. To ensure a successful outcome, we chose to

examine an AP team that was working well and to use it as a model. We defined “working well”

through what the chart above refers to as “course success rate.” For a course to be considered

“successful,” we expect results that exceed global pass-rates (without sacrificing a broad range of

skill levels), despite the aforementioned drop in school enrollment due to the new school

opening, the loss of the space shuttle program, and one additional challenge: increased options

for our students. Both Florida Virtual School and dual enrollment at local colleges, like Brevard

Community College or Florida Institute of Technology, have provided choices for our students


that were not as accessible in years passed. For example, in years past, we have offered both

Calculus AB and BC in a combined classroom. However, we found that our BC students are

better served by not being in a combined class and those students are taking BC online this year.

Additionally, in 2010, Brevard County Public Schools presented its “Strategic Plan,” which

included the following increased expectations for dual enrollment:

1.1.5 Annually, the aggregate number of students awarded a postsecondary

degree/credential (AA, AS, AAS degree, CCC, PSAV) from a postsecondary institution

will increase by five percent (5%)

Dual Enrollment is an excellent opportunity for students to earn, not only college credit while

still in high school, but also a college degree while still in high school. Many parents have

favored these initiatives and encouraged their children to earn their AA degrees in high school in

order to save money later. For example, in 2005, the number of students in Brevard County who

earned their AA degree was 45, whereas in 2011, 211 students earned their AA degrees. At

Satellite, in 2008, 10% of our students was dual enrolled; in four years, that percentage has

increased to 12% in 2012.1

Despite the external forces that have led to decreased AP enrollment overall, Satellite’s two AP

English programs (AP English Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition)

have maintained, not only “success” as defined above, but also high enrollment. Since 2007-

2008, when we began to feel the effects of the new school opening, of dual enrollment and

virtual school, and of the space center lay-offs, they are the only AP programs in the school to

surpass global pass rates, while still maintaining large programs (over 50 students) annually. In-

depth examination into the English team’s results indicated the following:

AP English Language

YEARS No. Tested SHS Pass

Rate

Global Pass Rate

2012 70 79% 60%

2011 78 68.8% 61.1%

2010 56 80.4% 60.8%

2009 66 83.3% 69.2%

2008 78 78.2% 58.2%

1 See page 15 for additional insight into the success of Satellite’s dual enrollment (“Collegiate High”) program.


AP English Literature

YEARS No. Tested SHS Pass

Rate

Global Pass Rate

2012 57 70% 57%

2011 56 64.3% 57.1%

2010 70 67.1% 57.4%

2009 87 67.8% 65.4%

2008 97 75.3% 60.4%

These results can be attributed in part to its teacher-initiated and teacher-led, interdependent

vertical team. This team, consisting of one 9th

grade teacher, two 10th

grade teachers, one 11th

grade teacher, and one 12th

grade teacher, has set specific, measurable goals or SMART goals

each year since the 2005-2006 school year based on College Board data. Their goals have

focused on maintaining and/or improving student performance on the AP exam, from overall

pass rates to specific skills. One of the most significant endeavors involves a student

“mentorship” program, in which AP English upper-classmen mentor pre-AP underclassmen

through a novel study. The results of this activity have helped to maintain and even bolster

enrollment and AP exam scores in this subject area.

The notable results of this team have led Satellite’s PLC to learn from each other, specifically

through the “Show What You Know: synthesis writing across the curriculum” training initiated by

the AP English vertical team in 2011, in which presentations to the literacy team, grade-level

PLTs, and the Satellite High School PLC were offered to share and discuss samples of student

writing and, ultimately, to improve research-writing across the curriculum. Consequently,

content-area teachers have assigned research writing, and the AP English vertical team has

gained valuable insight into other departments’ research writing strategies, from the social

studies department (specifically from AP history teachers who teach “Document-Based

Questions”) to the science department. In fact, in the fall of 2011, the science research teacher

and the AP English Language and Composition teacher co-taught a lesson to improve students’

research-writing performance. This lesson was significant, because each department represented

had previously struggled to establish consistency in their assessment of student writing. For

example, while the English department necessarily encouraged the controlled use figurative

language, the science department necessarily rejected its use altogether, which, in turn, caused

confusion for young writers. But by team-teaching, the two departments were able to maintain

each department’s expectations by encouraging stylistic versatility.

In short, since formulating SMART goals and implementing PLTs across all content areas, our

overall AP course success rate has improved2. The most noticeable improvement can be seen

even before the synthesis writing workshop, between 2010 and 2011. In 2010, only 50% of our

courses exceeded global pass rates but in 2011 that score increased to 86%! But since the

2 An AP course is considered “a success” if its pass rate exceeds the global pass rate, while maintaining an “open-

door” policy for all students who choose to enroll in the course regardless of current skill level.


workshop, the 2012 results indicate a tremendous growth in argumentative writing. The synthesis

responses improved by .1% and the residual effects of focusing on logical, controlled

argumentation surfaced within students’ open-ended argumentative responses (question 3# of the

AP English Language and Composition exam), which improved by .9%; nearly a full point in

only one year3.

Additionally, in the 2010-2011 school year, the statewide assessment programs began a

transition to student achievement assessment based on the Next Generation Sunshine State

Standards. The standards will be assessed using both the Florida Comprehensive Assessment

Test® 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) and Florida End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments. Selected grades and

subjects will continue to participate in FCAT assessments until the transition is complete

(Florida Department of Education, 2012).

In 2011, the State Board of Education established new Achievement Level standards for FCAT

2.0 Reading. Reporting based on these achievement level standards began in Spring 2012, and

schools were cautioned that “because the FCAT 2.0 is based on more demanding content

standards and the achievement standards are more rigorous, scores may appear lower on the new

scale than on the previous scale for certain grades and subjects” (Florida Department of

Education, 2012).

In addition, FCAT writing increased expectations regarding grammar and usage. To account for

a relatively abrupt shift in expectations, the scoring percentages in FCAT Writing for 2011 are

based on a percentage of students who scored a 4 or above, and the scoring percentages in 2012

are based on students who scored 3 and above (Florida Department of Education, 2012).

Knowing that changes were forthcoming, our school began to take measures. In the 2010-2011

school year, the 10th

grade English team, having analyzed the data, recognized the steady

decrease in Satellite’s student performance from 2006-2010 and were concerned that added rigor

would cause more rapid decline. Thus, as a preventative measure as well as a means of

improving student achievement at all levels of Florida Writes, the team planned and

implemented a system whereby all content-area teachers would score our 10th

graders’ Florida

Writes pre-test. In so doing, the team would ensure that all teachers on campus agreed on the

criteria used in judging the quality of student work. The plan was implemented for the first time

in 2011. All teachers were trained by teachers during a departmental PLT meeting on September

23, 2011, using the same models of student writing. Two weeks later, at the next departmental

PLT meeting, all teachers scored approximately six papers, consulting each other and the 10th

grade English teacher-leader for assistance. This team’s SMART goal – to improve Satellite

High School 10th

graders’ performance on all levels of Florida Writes – has led to the

improvement recorded since 2010 in the provided data (though precise measurement is difficult

given the previously mentioned changes in requirements for a “passing” essay as well as the

changes in what level is considered passing).

3 All AP data supplied by College Board.


Please present additional information that indicates how your efforts to build a

professional learning community have had a positive impact on students and/or teachers.

Since the beginning of the PLC journey in 2006, Satellite High School now incorporates

Professional Learning Teams (PLT) in every academic area and at every grade level. Teams

meet a minimum of twice a month to discuss pedagogy, common assessment, and analyze data to

focus instruction, working interdependently and monitoring student progress. For proficient and

advanced students, our Advanced Placement programs offer a means of extending student

learning. These courses’ success rates have soared from 50% in 2010 to 86% in 2011 and 83% in

2012. Our 11th

grade PLT’s efforts have contributed to Satellite’s 2012 ACT scores - the highest

of any traditional high school in Brevard County! For struggling students, our credit retrieval

program allows students to make up failed courses during zero hour during the school year as

well as in summer school. Our Response to Intervention (RTI) PLTs follow “at risk” students,

and students who have scored in the lowest 25% based on FCAT reading scores by meeting with

parents and implementing interventions. Consequently, from 2007 to 2011, our graduation rate

has increased from 97.6% to 99%. Last year (2012) our lowest 25% readers in the 9th

and 10th

grade made learning gains at 74%, which is the highest ever recorded.

Success breeds success, and as our student-achievement levels continue to rise due to our

increased interdependence, so too does our teachers’ willingness to work interdependently. Most

significantly, in the 2011–2012 school year, a group of social studies, English, and music

teachers proposed an idea which would require a total PLC collaborative effort. Their proposal

entailed an integrated, thematically-based curriculum on the 1920’s era to be implemented in the

2012-2013 school year. After reviewing the proposal, administration approved it, and in the

spring of 2012, two official meetings to invite interested faculty into the program were held by

teacher-leaders. Then, over the summer, teachers began to brainstorm curriculum-development

ideas. After meeting again as a team during pre-planning week, teachers have now formed

committees and have begun to excite their students’ interests in the 1920s theme. Integrated

lessons and team meetings will continue until February, when the effort will culminate with a

“Decades Day,” in which students will display and/or perform learned concepts, whether

historical, literary, musical, theatrical, scientific, or economic. In the evening, families and other

community members will be invited to view students’ work. As a result of the event, we hope to

see a new tradition, in which each school year will showcase a different “decade.” Already, this

effort has helped our school on three levels: students are beginning to synthesize their

coursework (which we hope will affect high stakes assessment results); our PLC has taken

ownership of its instructional ingenuity; and our community has begun to see a team-oriented,

indivisible force, which we will verify through parent surveys following the event in February.

Thus, the initiative taken in proposing and planning “Decades Day” as well as the enthusiasm

shown by teachers, administrators, and students alike evidence the positive - even profound -

impact of building a PLC.

Please elaborate strategies you have found to be effective in the following areas:


1.) Monitoring student learning in a timely manner.

Satellite establishes individual student needs based on the previous year’s summative

assessments (FCAT, EOC, ACT, and AP exams) and monitors students on a consistent basis

through formative assessments. As part of our regular monitoring of student performance, grades

9-12 take a computerized monitoring tests called the FAIR (Florida Assessment for Instruction in

Reading) three times per year. Additionally, SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) tests are used

by reading teachers to monitor the progress of the lowest 25% of our student population as

identified by FCAT scores.

To ensure consistency in curriculum within departments, teams of teachers have been developing

and implementing common assessments. Time has been offered bi-weekly for teachers to meet

and develop assessments. Their work has been collected and reviewed by administration.

Consistency is also ensured by encouraging teachers to observe each other. We encourage

teachers to observe at least two of their colleagues throughout the year. Three teachers have been

selected as “peer coaches” and have been trained on proper procedures for conducting

professional peer observations and for offering constructive feedback. Teachers are then

encouraged to use this feedback for reflection and goal-setting.

Using Edline, our district’s adopted on-line grade book and teacher-parent communication

program, student grades, attendance, and class memos are reported to the students and their

parents weekly. This allows all stakeholders to monitor student performance consistently. In

addition to Edline, every 4.5 weeks (half of a marking period), interim grade reports are released

in hard copy form to students and parents in order to ensure that our school maintains a diverse

means of communication. Thus, Edline reports, interim grades, and report card grades

consistently monitor student performance and identify struggling students, consequently

allowing teams to plan and implement interventions.

2. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support

for learning.

Initially, Satellite’s PLT grade level teams identify at-risk students at the beginning of each

semester. Smaller teams (4-6 teachers and counselors) target identified students and contact

parents and students. Data-based decision making is utilized: teams review data, set in place

progress monitoring, collaborate and identify specific learning benchmarks, share information

strategies, record students’ progress, meet with their designated students’ families, and follow up

throughout the year. Intervention levels in RTI increase from level one to level three with added

support along the way. Satellite High School’s SMART goals expressed in the School

Improvement Plan (SIP) are directly related to deficiencies in student achievement gaps which

are the basis for the SIP. Data-driven, differentiated instruction for each student where gaps in

learning are identified is the first benchmark of this process.

At the lowest level of intervention, teachers at Satellite High School offer frequent before/after

school review and help sessions. Most teachers are available on at least one specified day a week


and by request on other days. Additional academic support is offered through these programs:

Peer Mentoring – Peer Student Counseling, ROTC tutoring, National Honor Society tutoring,

and teacher tutoring. These tutoring programs are available upon teacher request during the

school day or before and after school. In 2010, a “Lunch Bunch” program was established which

offers a quiet working environment in one of our teacher’s classrooms during lunch every day.

Students who attend the “Lunch Bunch” are permitted to attend voluntarily or they may be

referred by a teacher or counselor. On any given day, there are at least five students in the room

during each lunch period. But Lunch Bunch requires students to make the choice to accept help,

and we knew that some students were not ready to make such a choice. Therefore, most recently,

in 2012, Satellite High School began to offer a collaboratively led program, called “Monday

School.” In this program, every Monday after school, those students who have been referred to

administration by teachers for minor behavior-related infractions work with both teachers and

peer tutors on their homework and on skill-building. They work from the understanding that

behavior impacts academic proficiency and increased academic proficiency improves behavior.

Extensive study of educational psychology assures that with increased academic confidence,

students’ tendencies to “act out” (which causes disruptive behavior in the classroom) or “avoid”

work (which causes students to skip school) due to academic insecurity or fear of failure may be

reduced. According to Mike Rose, in his 1989 book, Lives on the Boundary,

Every day in our schools and colleges, young people confront reading and writing tasks

that seem hard or unusual, that confuse them, that they fail. But if you can get close

enough to their failure, you’ll find knowledge that the assignment didn’t tap, [...] you’ll

find clues, as well, to the complex ties between literacy and culture, to the tremendous

difficulties our children face as they attempt to find their places in the American

educational system. [...]. (8)

As suggested by Rose, in order to “tap” the knowledge of students who have fallen or are

beginning to fall through the cracks, Satellite needed more time outside of the regular school day

to attend to our “at-risk” students’ needs. Thus, the increased collaboration on Mondays after

school amongst administrators, teachers, and students enhances the learning environment by

using increased academic support as a means of behavior modification.

Students who consistently do not meet benchmarks, however, will receive even more attention

from our school, though an academic RTI (Response to Intervention) program. In this program,

students are moved up to the second intervention level. The members of the team solicit

comments and information from the students' teachers, counselors, and parents, as well as the

students themselves. Through face-to-face, student-led meetings with the students and parents,

the teams form action plans to improve students’ school performance. Depending upon the

circumstances, any or all of the following interventions may be a part of the plan:

Weekly/biweekly grade reports (paper, taken by the student themselves to each teacher)

Negotiated plans of grade recovery between teachers and students


Bi-weekly parent contact

Bi-weekly or semi-quarterly student/team meetings

Attendance contracts

Monday school for students to complete make-up work and receive tutoring

Meetings with guidance counselors regarding special health/absence/other issues, perhaps

beginning a process which may culminate in a child study team

Schedule changes if students have been misplaced in a class which is either too advanced

or not advanced enough

Referral to the zero-hour MAP program (credit retrieval) for students who are behind in

earned credits, but are tested as average or above average on FAIR/FCAT/ACT testing

Referral to Guidance Counselors for referral to Child Study Team for Exceptional

Education and/or Gifted Services, as well as possible 504 Plans.

At the third level of intervention, students who perform below proficiency on the state tests in

reading are automatically scheduled for Intensive Reading classes. An increase in their test

scores to proficient will “test them out” of the class at the next test date. Satellite High School

supports 182 9th

, 10th

, and 11th

grade students who participate in our required Reading

Remediation Program. Another 85 students participate in our required Mathematics Remediation

program. The literacy team meets once a month and host a Reading Open House for parents of

students who participate in the Reading Remediation program. Students who are classified as

ESE, and are mainstreamed into regular classrooms, are enrolled in a Learning Strategies class as

9th

graders, and each year thereafter as determined by their ESE caseworker in collaboration with

the Learning Strategies teacher and other classroom teachers.

ESE teachers monitor IEP progress every five weeks interfacing with mainstream teachers about

student progress. ESE teachers also regularly consult with the students to ensure they are making

adequate progress on their IEP goals. This cooperative effort between ESE and general education

teachers with ESE students significantly enhances the growth and progress of the Exceptional

Education students. Satellite also maintains an effective Co-Teaching Inclusion model for our

ESE population. These teaching teams work interdependently with at-risk students and students

with disabilities to improve curriculum and instructional delivery methods.

In 12th

grade, we require “College Readiness” courses for any student who scored under college-

readiness standards on the ACT, which, as aforementioned, is taken by all juniors in our district.

This coursework, if course requirements are met and exams are passed, satisfies the Brevard

County Community College’s preparatory reading, writing, and math coursework allowing

students to enter credit-worthy courses upon graduation rather than using extra time and money

to fulfill remedial requirements out-of-pocket.


3.) Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams

that focus efforts on improved learning for all students.

Though individual teams similar to the aforementioned AP vertical team had been in place

previously, Satellite High School has been building teacher capacity to work in high-performing,

collaborative teams - officially - since the 2006-2007 school year, through development of the 9th

Grade “House” in 2006-2007, SAFA (Satellite’s Academy of Fine Arts) in 2008-2009, the

Collegiate High School program in 2008-2009, departmental and grade-level PLTs in 2010, and

RTI teams in 2010. These teams focus on SMART goals for disciplines.

The team with the most access to all students in the school is the 9th

grade “house,” formed in the

2006-2007 school year. Because the team impacts all in-coming Satellite students and represents

their “starting point,” we have designated its formation as the official “starting point” of our

journey toward becoming a National Model PLC. This team’s goal was to provide support for

teachers and students in the transitioning period from middle school to high school. The School

Advisory Council identified 9th

grade to be a critical stage for intervention in preventing students

from losing motivation, failing, dropping out of school and grade retention. Using the “house”

concept, the Ninth Grade Center has a dedicated faculty for 9th

grade, classes and lockers are

located together, team teachers meet on a regular basis and tackle the challenges that students

face during this transitional phase. The team of teachers establishes policies and procedures for

turning in assignments, taking test, general organization and note taking, study skills, and

intervention strategies for those students whom the team identifies as “at risk”.

SAFA (Satellite High School’s Academy of Fine Arts), a career academy, was formed in the

2008-09 school year. It was devised initially to showcase our top-rated school of music. The

orchestra, for example, has been invited twice in 10 years to Chicago’s Midwest Clinic and the

program as a whole has won countless district and state awards. But SAFA, more broadly, was

intended to add scope to our fine arts department as well as our school, by providing additional

academic choices for our students. Its goal is to “enable students to fulfill college entrance

requirements in addition to acquiring performance/work-related knowledge and skills” (Nelson).

More specifically, this team’s goals consisted of providing “a relevant and rigorous curriculum,”

expecting “an increased number of accelerated courses in a student’s four-year schedule,”

designing “academic and technical coursework that will prepare students at all levels for the 21st

century workplace and post-secondary degree opportunities,” developing “articulation with

middle schools and elementary schools to promote interest in the fine arts,” and developing and

maintaining partnerships with sectors of the fine arts industry, colleges, and universities”

(Nelson). As a “choice” program within the district, enrollment in SAFA is based on student and

parent choice and an audition/interview process for correct placement. Students, both in and out

of our zoned “area,” may apply to attend SAFA if they meet the academic requirements. To

graduate with a SAFA distinction, students need a minimum of 12 credits, which necessitates

implementation of a “0” hour class (before the regular school day begins). The academy’s

structure includes cross-grade articulation, cohort scheduling, and tutoring. Additionally,


credentialed teachers, counselors, and administrators work alongside a steering committee which

consists of college professors and local / national industry talent in order to plan curriculum and

ensure that it is sequenced, integrated, rigorous, and relevant.

In 2009-2010, two fully integrated instructional units were developed to support and extend the

school plays for SAFA students: White Christmas in the fall and The Picture of Dorian Gray in

the spring. Both productions involved the total integration of all SAFA fine arts classes in

addition to the academy academic teachers’ contributions. Our visual arts department,

recognized as an EVA award winner (Excellence in Visual Arts) provided all the visual

contributions from the design, color scheme and painting of sets to the realistic portrait of the

actual student who played the lead in Dorian Gay. Likewise, our digital arts department was able

to create the video processing that made the “portrait” actually age throughout the production!

SAFA’s academic courses integrated relevant literary and historical connections (e.g. Gift of the

Magi and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray) as well as community outreach activities

(e.g. care packages to soldiers stationed in Iraq, a White Christmas Community “meet and greet”,

and a student mentorship project).

Since these first two production, SAFA’s integrated collaboration has also occurred on

productions such as The Miracle Worker, Wait Until Dark, and How to Succeed in Business

Without Really Trying, where the visual arts department displayed paintings, drawings and

ceramic work at every concert.

In January of 2012, a “Coffee House” activity planned and carried out by SAFA students and

teachers, helped to promote literary, musical, and artistic developments of the Beat generation.

This activity has now become an annual event, the next to occur in December 2012. These

integrated activities have not only become the standard for SAFA’s present and future endeavors

but they have also become models for other PLTs on campus.

SAFA outcomes are measured in a variety of ways: enrollment; district, state, and national

competitions; FCAT results; AP exam results; graduation rate; college-bound rate; and job/career

acquisition post-graduation.

The Collegiate High School Program is a designed in partnership with Brevard County Public

Schools and Brevard Community College whereby students can obtain a high school diploma

and an Associates of Arts (A.A.) degree upon completion of senior year of high school. Students

who are eligible and that have an interest in the Collegiate High School program must make an

early decision prior to the beginning of their sophomore year in high school. In an early attempt

to present opportunities to incoming freshmen, the Satellite High School Guidance Department

facilitates information regarding the Collegiate High School program during the registration

process to our “feeder” middle schools. In collaboration with the middle school guidance

departments and teachers, eligible students have prior knowledge regarding the requirements for

the acceptance into Collegiate High School before attending Satellite High School. All eligible

students must have and maintain an unweighted GPA of 3.00 and have proficient FCAT scores.

Again this same collaborative effort to reach all students eligible is made possible through the


facilitation with teachers at Satellite High School in Career Research, English I and the Gifted

Student Program. Early awareness allows students to consider their academic discipline and to

maintain a high standard for Collegiate High School eligibility. This opportunity is offered to

students who want to pursue academic rigor. Statistically, 90% of the students that begin the

Collegiate High School complete the program receiving their A.A. degree and diploma. Students

are encouraged to maintain their academic excellence by setting goals, seeking assistance when

needed, and building relationships with teachers and counselors. In a reciprocal manner teachers

and guidance counselors encourage and assist in advisement in academic concerns. Collegiate

High School enrollment has increased within the past three years and more students are

graduating with their A.A. degree and diploma.

Overall, students participating in the dual enrollment program earn higher grades than “regular”

students enrolled in the same classes. Two of the most common courses taken by dual enrolled

students are MAC 1105 – College Algebra and ENC 1101 – Freshman Composition. Examining

grades in those two courses shows that dual enrolled students are more likely than

“regular/traditional” students to earn a C or better…” according to

DUAL ENROLLMENT IN THE FCS NOVEMBER 2011, EDITION 2011-09 Page 3 of 3

Satellite High School Collegiate High Enrollment Statistics:

2011-2012: Freshman Enrollment-310 / ColHS eligibility; 113 freshmen / 30 students enrolled

(27%)

2010-2011: Freshman Enrollment-337 / ColHS eligibility; 113 freshmen / 11 students enrolled

(10%)

2009-2010: Freshman Enrollment-347 / ColHS eligibility - 137 freshmen / 7 students (5%)

2008-2009: Freshman Enrollment-340 / ColHS eligibility - 146 freshmen / 12 students enrolled

(8%)

Besides the three larger teams, smaller teams (similar to the aforementioned AP English vertical

team) have formed. For instance, in Social Studies, American History teachers formed their own

teams, while in Science, the Chemistry, Integrated Science, and Science Research teachers

formed or strengthened their teams. Though most of these teachers choose to spend time outside

of the school day as well, Thursday morning from 8:00 to 8:30 is set aside for PLT and RTI

meetings. These teams use PLT meeting time to analyze data, develop and modify common

assessments, map out curriculum, and integrate lessons to ensure that all students within that

specific subject area demonstrate equitable learning gains, whether they are underperforming or

already proficient. They also use PLT meeting time to share effective lessons and plan collective

efforts – from student-led projects to community events. In essence, they learn from each other.

The Science Research team, for example, is one that has been successful for a decade, regularly

setting an example for teams across the campus. Its success-rate is indisputable. At the Regional

Science Fair, for example, in 2012, our Science Research students won 10 of the 13 first places


and both Best of Show and Runners-up. So the team sent 10 students to the State Fair and two to

the International Science Fair. At the State Science Fair, all 10 students placed. At the

International Science Fair, both students placed 4th

in the world in their category (microbiology

and electrical engineering respectively). These are typical results for Satellite’s Science Research

team. Likewise, in the “Biogenius” competition, another international competition formed four

years ago, Satellite has won first for the state of Florida three times, with one student advancing

to 4th in the world.

Both administrators and teacher leaders facilitate and monitor the progress and outcomes of these

teams. The administration’s primary role is to distribute school-wide student achievement

results, to encourage teachers to problem solve, to share relevant research/articles on pedagogy

as well as on the importance of collaboration, to mediate when there are conflicts, to hold all

teams accountable for writing and working toward SMART goals, and to share and celebrate the

in-process and outcome measures of successful teams.

Starting in 2010, the district, in an effort to align its teachers’ instructional strategies, asked all

teachers to undergo six BEST (Brevard’s Effective Strategies for Teaching) training modules.

Our school supported and engaged our teachers in BEST training in order to create a common

language between and within teams. This training needed a cadre of BEST trainers, including six

teacher leaders and the administration. They occurred prior to the school year and during district

and school in-service days. The training was conducted entirely by the six teachers, and these

teachers have become resources for our entire staff. As a school, we have used BEST strategies

as the foundation for our common assessments, curriculum mapping, and lesson planning, all of

which were discussed and developed during our designated meeting times.

Additionally, Brevard County’s new appraisal system expects “highly effective” teachers to

collaborate with their colleagues, set professional “stretch goals” (that align with their team’s

SMART goals) for their assigned students, align these goals with the SIP (school improvement

plan) and district initiatives, and accept responsibility for the entire school’s performance. Our

belief in and support of this new appraisal system has created a powerful incentive for teacher

support of the PLC Model. Even those courses not directly connected to high stakes tests have

become directly involved in high-performing teams. They understand their role in promoting the

skills and character traits necessary in achieving success. Most recently, for example, our ROTC

program, involving a team of teachers, has developed a new “student leadership” expectation,

whereby part of its students’ evaluation involves a willingness to lead discussions in class, model

good behavior, and complete assignments in a timely manner. In the past three years, ROTC has

increased enrollment from 90 students in August of 2009 to 134 in August of 2012. It has won

the Distinguished Unit award in 2010, 2011 and the Distinguished Unit with Merit award in

2012. Its drill team won 1st place in both the Exhibition and the Regulation competitions at the

2011 Space Coast Invitational Drill Meet. In 2012, its academic bowl team was among 16 teams

out over 200 teams competing worldwide to advance to the national Junior ROTC Leadership

and Academic Bowl Championship held at George Mason University. Its Relay for Life team

raised more funds for the American Cancer Society than any other student team at Satellite High


School. Putting him in the top 10% of over 900 of his peers nationally, MSgt Mik Williams won

the Outstanding Instructor award in 2011 and 2012. In short, the success of this program is a

direct result of both the district’s new appraisal system and, correspondingly, Satellite’s own

“community building” spirit.

Finally, this year, Brevard County is adding seven abbreviated school days for the sole purpose

of allowing more time for teacher collaboration. So, in order to continue building teacher

capacity to work within the PLC, as a school, we plan to honor the intent of these abbreviated

days and use them for continued curriculum and common assessment innovation.

List awards and recognitions your school has achieved:

Awarded an “A” School designation from the Florida Department of Education seven

out of the last 10 years (Otherwise, no rating has been less than a “B.”).

Designated as a Florida Music Demonstration School (2005-2014)

Designated as a Florida Power Library School (2011)

Designated as a Brevard County Art Demonstration School (2006-2012)

Principal, Mark Elliott, 2011 Florida Music Educators’ Association Administrator of

the Year

Brevard County Cape Coast Conference All Sports Trophy (1999-2008)

Five Star School for the last 10 years

Golden School Award for the last 24 years

Silver School Award for the last 10 years

Invitation to Brevard County Schools Leadership Team meeting to present “In the

House” – presented by teacher leaders within The Ninth Grade House (2008)

Invitation to Brevard County Schools Leadership Team meeting to present “PLC

Presentation” – presented by a teacher leader within the AP English team (17

November 2010)

Invitation to Brevard County Curriculum Contacts meeting to present “In the House”

– presented by teacher leaders within The Ninth Grade House (2008)

Two Brevard County School Foundation grants totaling $5,000 to date earned by the

Ninth Grade Team


PLC Letter of Commendation (issued August 2012) for Satellite High School’s “SIP

Presentation” (including PLC concept strategies) – presented by School Advisory

Council Chair (12 April 2012)


Works Cited

AllThingsPLC. Research, Education Tools and Blog for Building a Professional Learning

Community. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2012. <http://www.allthingsplc.com/>.

"College Board." AP Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2012.

<http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf>.

Florida Department of Education 2012 Data and Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2012.

<http://www.fldoe.org/>.

Nelson, Mark. Satellite Academy of Fine Arts Executive Summary. Brevard County Public

Schools, n.d. Web.

Rose, Mike. 2005 [1989]. Lives on the Boundary. New York: Penguin Books.

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