Appendix J – High School Strategies Example

Counselors will:

• Actively target and enroll poor and underrepresented-ethnicity students for recruitment into college prep courses.
• Assist in setting up a monitoring system to assess student performance and provide services where needed.
• Involve families in students’ academic planning, course selections, and options regarding postsecondary choices.

Teachers will:

• Implement successful instruction using high standards, latest research, technology, cooperative learning, and high-level thinking skills.
• Actively seek professional growth experiences.
• Strive for partnerships with parents regarding students’ academic experience.
• Use assessments and other data on a regular basis to analyze and improve students’ learning.

Administrators will:

• Set up a system to monitor progress toward increasing the numbers of poor and underrepresented-ethnicity students who enter postsecondary institutions.
• Evaluate teachers and counselors in ways that recognize improvements in using assessments to guide student progress toward preparing for education and work after graduation.
• Facilitate structuring time for staff development related to the plan’s objectives.
• Promote collaboration between teachers, counselors, administrators, students, and parents to meet the plan’s objectives.
• Analyze student achievement data with staff and use data for improvement of student learning.

Students will:

• Demonstrate increased awareness of and enrollment in the required courses needed to meet their future career aspirations.
• Use a variety of vehicles to voice their ideas and concerns in the school reform process.
• Feel capable of achieving at high levels and know that their individual aspirations are important.
• Attend school regularly and on time.
• Participate more in school activities.
• Decrease involvement in incidents that lead to suspensions, expulsions, and other disciplinary actions.

Parents and communities will:

• Use a variety of vehicles to voice their ideas and concerns in the school reform process.
• Show an increase in knowledge of courses their children should be enrolled in to reach their college and career aspirations.
• Become informed advocates for closing the achievement gap.
• Participate in and encourage their child’s educational growth.

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1Permission to use has been granted from Johnson, R. S. (2002). Using data to close the achievement gap: How to measure equity in our schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. www.corwinpress.com