Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
1 Need for more accurate attendance data. attendance
1
Need to improve communication with parents including phone, Internet, email,
which implies improved community access to internet beyond school campus Communication
1 Need for smaller groupings of high school students with high expectations and
strong relationships. Rigor Relationships Small groups
1 Need for addressing soft skills and social support of students specifically with system
students in distress. soft skills support
2
Communications is probably the most compelling pattern, real communication
entails relationship building communication
2 Alienation from the academic program is a recurrent theme. Lack of engagement,
connection, etc. How do we ensure that all students have a meaningful connection
to the school? relationships
2 RIGOR: How do we motivate students and build stamina to persevere? Rigor
3 9th grade
Ninth grade transition – more guidance, separate academy. academy
3
Communication – between all stakeholders; be proactive. Communication
3 Set high standards & expectations – be consistent. Rigor
4
Communication: school to parents. School to students. Communication
4 Motivation of students. Other
4 The achievement gap and what is being done vs. what can be done. Other
4
How the school system is trying to develop the "soft skills" in students. It seems
like they are trying to do this through punishment (i.e. Tardy Policy & Absences) soft skills
5 Attendance is a real problem on lots of different levels. attendance
5 There are big issues regarding communication that need improvement – also
should be addressed early communication
5 There are big issues relating to dropouts. School reform should be aimed at
improving AHS for these students. Drop outs other
5 Although some ideas for improvement can be developed in this long-term process
planning, some things can & should be done now. Other
Page 1 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
6 Enforce
The school infrastructure was targeted in several I&I groups as being inadequate. standards/polici
(i.e. dropout prevention, attendance & disparities) es
6 Each group seemed to express concerns of the faculty and staff's role in the
problem areas particular in the I&I dropout group. other
7 Communication communication
7 Caring other
7 Course rigor and relationship to real world Rigor
7
Community Support system support
8
Difficulty of having open communication among school, students and parents. communication
8 Preparation of students to enter high school is inadequate. HS level skills
8 Difficulty of imparting importance of education to disaffected students. other
8 Disconnection between students and teachers relationships
9 9th grade
9th grade academy – or – stronger orientation for 9th graders academy
9 Communication – with students, with school, with community. communication
9 Mentoring of students by teachers, staff, administrators. mentoring
10 Communication: need strong link between the schools & the community &
parents. Explaining how a student can drop out of school so easily communication
10 Need to address drop out rate of black (mostly males) and create a "catch-up"
school within our high school to get kids back on track and back into the
classroom. drop out idea
10 How about a "Soft Skills" summer school for in-coming 9th graders who 8th grade
teachers think can be "at-risk" students? This will help to establish a
relationship with their kids and have them be introduced to the Senior High life.
Maybe we could have guidance counselors staff this and/or teachers to assist.
Outside presenters could possibly be a source of expertise. soft skills relationship idea
11 9th grade
Ninth grade Academy – but will that just push the transition to 10th? academy
11 Dropout Prevention Program – "Do Now's" should be done now! do now
11 Guidance department seems really defensive… other
11 Advisory relationships at the high school 1-2 week. Keep same advisor for four
years! relationships idea
Page 2 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
11 The very able black males at the middle and high school must be pushed to
succeed at high levels of rigor. We are losing them! rigor
12
The problem seems to be with the 9th grade. Not with the entire school. 9th grade
reform might be more appropriate than whole school reform. Statistics from each 9th grade
group clearly showed the problem being mainly in 9th grade. academy
12 Communication seems to be an issue. We heard a lot about how teachers don't
even have a working phone system. communication
12 Parents and the community seem to be misinformed or feel "out of the loop" about
what is happening at AHS. communication
12 Every group's research indicated that these issues are nationwide and NOT
unique to AHS. "There are no easy solutions" as one group said. other
13 Improve communication between teacher, students, parents communication
13 Students need to have a connection to school (must feel a part) relationships
13 9th grade
Need some sort of 9th grade transition program – 9th grade academy or AVID academy AVID
14 Freshman year is vital for the success of kids entering and staying in high school.
I'd like AHS to consider a "Freshman Academy" to reinforce math, basic skills, soft 9th grade
skills, study skills, Latin & Greek roots, etc. academy
14
Opening our hearts, hands and doors to all members of our community is vital. communication
14 AHS needs resources to meet the needs of all our kids. resources
14 High level classes, high expectations for all students and parents, and not
accepting less than the best from our kids and teachers is essential. rigor
15 9th grade
9th grade academics academy
15 Communication – parents, teachers, children and community. communication
16
Many comments made are extremely irrelevant. As a student of AHS, I feel like
studying more of what goes on by interviews or surveys. This presentation was far
too opinionated, although our opinions coincided with fact at times. Student Input
16 Need more student input. Student Input
17 Communication is essential! School-Parents, Parents-School, Student-School &
Parents communication
17 Need to have some type of mentoring program for at-risk students. They need an
advocate! Mentoring
Page 3 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
17 Teachers need a raise. Other
17 Need a good transition from middle school to high school. Other
17 Family/home life not conducive to the student doing well in school. Students do
not have the support they need! system support
18 Communication with parents must be radically improved to engage at-risk
students. communication
18 Kids who are falling behind need to be supported to get information from missed
classes provided by teachers Other
18 Teachers & staff need more training and accountability to follow up through
relationship with students who demonstrate they are not engaged by poor
attendance, behavior issues, poor academic performance and indications they are
planning to drop out. relationships Idea
18 Relationship is the key factor in keeping kids engaged. Teachers must be required
to demonstrate evidence they are engaged with their students. relationships
19 9th grade
9th grade academy academy
19 AVID program works AVID
19 Better communication between parents/school, middle school/high school,
teachers/students. communication
20 More reading time in classes, library/book of choice Idea
20 Take photos/video of dress attire and show it – no faces. Idea
20 Educated parents (Saturday school is an example to allow parents to help their
child) Free if parents show. Other
20 Soft Skills – tough love is needed/required. Students are begging for "tough love"
and that will override peer pressure. Soft skills
21 9th grade
Freshman academy/importance of 9th grade academy
21 AVID is a good program AVID
21
Communication both ways - school-parent/community, parent/community-school communication
21 Meetings need to start on time! Other
22 9th grade
A 9th grade academy might be a good idea. academy
22
Communication is critical. School - home; home - school; school - community. communication
Page 4 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
22 It's very important for teachers to form positive relationships w/their students and
show that they care and be good role models. relationships
23 Information regarding actual daily behaviors of students needs to be addressed.
Some students don't want to be in school. Other
23 Schools are blamed for events (commonly) that influence positive and negative
atmosphere in the school community. Other
23
Teachers are encouraged to maintain a high rating for student achievement, but
poses a difficult task when class/assistance extra helper are not available. RIGOR Other
23
Community involvement does not come often enough, only when things are
negative. Community needs to start and not stop at the middle and HS levels. system support
24 9th grade
Transition Academy works elsewhere academy
24 Parent-Teacher communication is breaking down communication
24
Small class size is important. Small class size
24 Teachers are
Teachers are good and bad. Their morale and leadership affects everything. key
25 Need for a 9th grade academy. Need for smaller teacher/student ratios. Need for 9th grade
smaller counselor/student ratios academy
25 Parent-teacher communication is key. Teacher morale is strongly affected by
class size, discipline issues. communication
25
Community criticism of AHS is rampant. Support is not. system support
26 9th grade is a pivotal year in terms of attendance, dropout, curriculum, etc. Many 9th grade
of the I&I groups recommended 9th grade academy academy
26 Role modeling is critical as well as mentoring. Programs such as AVID were
mentioned by almost every group as a positive influence. AVID mentoring
26
Involve the entire community – Business community to teach kids soft skills. system support
26 Teachers influence all the issues & indicators. Teachers need to interact with kids Teachers are
in a positive manner. key relationships
27 The need for some type of program directed at 9th graders to help with transition, 9th grade
soft skills, course selection, etc. academy
27 Communication between teachers/school and parents needs improvement communication
Page 5 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
28 communication communication
28 Relationships relationships
28 academic rigor and engagement rigor
28 small groups small groups
29 Will the software for absences be able to send reports out for the 3, 6 and 9
absences or will this fall on the teachers who will have to write out addresses for
each student? How are materials addressed that are sent out in mass mailings to
students? Can addresses be printed onto envelopes? Tardies and absences are
supposed to be reported. Attendance Idea
29
AVID was mentioned several times by different groups. I would like to see skills
learned in AVID shared with more students, perhaps all of the 9th grade. AVID Idea
29 Can the police help with the areas that the dropout committee reported on that
need more supervision? Idea
29 I know we invited students to the groups, but I wonder about talking to more
students that we are having problems with and see what their thoughts are on
ways to keep them engaged in their learning. Student Input
30 9th grade
9th grade academy came up in 4 groups – we need to consider developing one. academy
30 Communication –all directions. Needs to include listening and making
assumptions about students/school/faculty. communication
30 Students who enter HS without HS level skills – look at what needs to happen
differently at AHS. HS level skills
30 Role of External Issues – identify ways to incorporate other community groups to
help with many of these external issues. system support
31 Need for improved communication in both directions. communication
31 Intentional instruction in what students need to set, strive for, and attain
educational goals. Other
31 Structuring education institutions in a way that enables students to develop
meaningful relationships (smaller learning communities) relationships small groups
31 Establishment of clear criteria to govern course enrollments. General "raising the
bar" in terms of academic expectations. rigor Idea
32 Preparing students in middle school to be ready for all high school courses - extra 9th grade HS Level
prep time – 9th grade academy academy skills
32 Communication for every task force objective: drop out issues - to prevent; course
enrollment; student/family support - success; attendance communication
Page 6 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
32 Lack of communication from middle school through high school about courses,
students abilities Communication
32 Lack of advisor, advocate for students without support system. Other
33 Dropouts – (Excellent Report) It sounded like the best way to address this is to
use/implement the AHS policy that's already in place. Why do we do this? Is it the
quality of counselors or what? Let's fix whatever the people issues are and
implement this. Idea
34 9th grade
9th grade academics as a transition to high school academy
34
Strong teacher/student communication/relationship building communication Relationships
34
Communication between home and school, school and home can be problematic. communication
35 9th grade
9th grade academy transition academy
35 Improving attendance Attendance
35 Improving communication communication
35 Dropout prevention Drop out
36 There are communication issues in all five areas. Parents and students are not
getting accurate, timely and relative information from the school system upon
which their decisions are to be made. Parents and students also need to
communicate with the schools. communication
36 Parents need to be brought into the process as soon as it is possible for
intervention, possibly tied to enrollment process. communication
36 Enforce
There is a need to enforce current standards for discipline, dress code, respectful standards/polici
behavior and attendance. es
36
Necessary skills for success are not being taught effectively at elementary and
middle school levels. The effect is too many students reach high school with out
the needed skills to succeed and achieve. Small class intervention is needed. HS level skills
37 Problems with attendance - students easily leaving the campus; getting behind in
school and giving up Attendance
37 Communication problems between the school, parents and students particularly
about attendance, dropping out and course selection. communication
Page 7 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Respondent
Respondent Comment Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
37 Students being disconnected from school; lack of teachers they can identify with system
or be inspired by; lack of home and community support. relationships support
38 A common theme expressed by several sub-groups was the advantage of a 9th grade
freshman academy. This sounds like an idea that should be explored. academy
38 There is a serious misunderstanding (or lack of understanding) of what actually
happens at AHS. The crop out task force, for example, seemed to place an
enormous amount of responsibility (or blame) on teachers and staff for the drop
out rate. The first anecdote given by the drop out task force (about the girl given
the dropout form) didn't mention that it was a secretary (no longer at AHS) who
gave the girl the form. The implication was that the faculty and staff at AHS are
indifferent to student success. For as long as I've been at AHS, there have been
community members who have criticized the AHS drop out rate without having
observed the school. Too many community members want the impossible: high
standards, low drop out rate, better grades, more encouragement, greater
expectations. The community needs first to understand the constraints on AHS -
legal restrictions, community and home resource limitations, the varied demands
of the job (curriculum, discipline, social support); then the community needs to
decide what problem it wants the school to address and what sacrifice it is willing
to make. Do we tighten standards and scrifice the drop our rate? The school can Other
Page 8 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
13 9th grade
Need some sort of 9th grade transition program – 9th grade academy or AVID academy
32 Preparing students in middle school to be ready for all high school courses - extra prep 9th grade
time – 9th grade academy academy
3 9th grade
Ninth grade transition – more guidance, separate academy. academy
9 9th grade
9th grade academy – or – stronger orientation for 9th graders academy
11 9th grade
Ninth grade Academy – but will that just push the transition to 10th? academy
12 The problem seems to be with the 9th grade. Not with the entire school. 9th grade reform
might be more appropriate than whole school reform. Statistics from each group clearly 9th grade
showed the problem being mainly in 9th grade. academy
14 Freshman year is vital for the success of kids entering and staying in high school. I'd like
AHS to consider a "Freshman Academy" to reinforce math, basic skills, soft skills, study 9th grade
skills, Latin & Greek roots, etc. academy
15 9th grade
9th grade academics academy
19 9th grade
9th grade academy academy
21 9th grade
Freshman academy/importance of 9th grade academy
22 9th grade
A 9th grade academy might be a good idea. academy
24 9th grade
Transition Academy works elsewhere academy
25 Need for a 9th grade academy. Need for smaller teacher/student ratios. Need for smaller 9th grade
counselor/student ratios academy
26 9th grade is a pivotal year in terms of attendance, dropout, curriculum, etc. Many of the 9th grade
I&I groups recommended 9th grade academy academy
27 The need for some type of program directed at 9th graders to help with transition, soft 9th grade
skills, course selection, etc. academy
30 9th grade
9th grade academy came up in 4 groups – we need to consider developing one. academy
34 9th grade
9th grade academics as a transition to high school academy
35 9th grade
9th grade academy transition academy
38 A common theme expressed by several sub-groups was the advantage of a freshman 9th grade
academy. This sounds like an idea that should be explored. academy
29
Will the software for absences be able to send reports out for the 3, 6 and 9 absences or
will this fall on the teachers who will have to write out addresses for each student? How
are materials addressed that are sent out in mass mailings to students? Can addresses
be printed onto envelopes? Tardies and absences are supposed to be reported. Attendance
1 Need for more accurate attendance data. attendance
5 Attendance is a real problem on lots of different levels. attendance
35 Improving attendance Attendance
37 Problems with attendance - students easily leaving the campus; getting behind in school
and giving up Attendance
Page 9 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
29 AVID was mentioned several times by different groups. I would like to see skills learned
in AVID shared with more students, perhaps all of the 9th grade. AVID
26 Role modeling is critical as well as mentoring. Programs such as AVID were mentioned
by almost every group as a positive influence. AVID
19 AVID program works AVID
21 AVID is a good program AVID
13 Need some sort of 9th grade transition program – 9th grade academy or AVID AVID
1 Need to improve communication with parents including phone, Internet, email, which
implies improved community access to internet beyond school campus Communication
3
Communication – between all stakeholders; be proactive. Communication
4
Communication: school to parents. School to students. Communication
2 Communications is probably the most compelling pattern, real communication entails
relationship building communication
34 Strong teacher/student communication/relationship building communication
10 Communication: need strong link between the schools & the community & parents.
Explaining how a student can drop out of school so easily communication
5 There are big issues regarding communication that need improvement – also should be
addressed early communication
7 Communication communication
8 Difficulty of having open communication among school, students and parents. communication
9 Communication – with students, with school, with community. communication
12 Communication seems to be an issue. We heard a lot about how teachers don't even
have a working phone system. communication
12 Parents and the community seem to be misinformed or feel "out of the loop" about what
is happening at AHS. communication
13 Improve communication between teacher, students, parents communication
14 Opening our hearts, hands and doors to all members of our community is vital. communication
15 Communication – parents, teachers, children and community. communication
17
Communication is essential! School-Parents, Parents-School, Student-School & Parents communication
18 Communication with parents must be radically improved to engage at-risk students. communication
19 Better communication between parents/school, middle school/high school,
teachers/students. communication
21 Communication both ways - school-parent/community, parent/community-school communication
22 Communication is critical. School - home; home - school; school - community. communication
24 Parent-Teacher communication is breaking down communication
25 Parent-teacher communication is key. Teacher morale is strongly affected by class size,
discipline issues. communication
27 Communication between teachers/school and parents needs improvement communication
28 communication communication
30 Communication –all directions. Needs to include listening and making assumptions about
students/school/faculty. communication
31 Need for improved communication in both directions. communication
32 Communication for every task force objective: drop out issues - to prevent; course
enrollment; student/family support - success; attendance communication
34 Communication between home and school, school and home can be problematic. communication
35 Improving communication communication
Page 10 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
36 There are communication issues in all five areas. Parents and students are not getting
accurate, timely and relative information from the school system upon which their
decisions are to be made. Parents and students also need to communicate with the
schools. communication
36 Parents need to be brought into the process as soon as it is possible for intervention,
possibly tied to enrollment process. communication
37 Communication problems between the school, parents and students particularly about
attendance, dropping out and course selection. communication
32 Lack of communication from middle school through high school about courses, students
abilities Communication
11 Dropout Prevention Program – "Do Now's" should be done now! do now
35 Dropout prevention Drop out
10
Need to address drop out rate of black (mostly males) and create a "catch-up" school
within our high school to get kids back on track and back into the classroom. drop out
5 There are big issues relating to dropouts. School reform should be aimed at improving
AHS for these students. Drop outs
36 Enforce
There is a need to enforce current standards for discipline, dress code, respectful standards/polici
behavior and attendance. es
6 Enforce
The school infrastructure was targeted in several I&I groups as being inadequate. (i.e. standards/polici
dropout prevention, attendance & disparities) es
8 Preparation of students to enter high school is inadequate. HS level skills
30 Students who enter HS without HS level skills – look at what needs to happen differently
at AHS. HS level skills
36 Necessary skills for success are not being taught effectively at elementary and middle
school levels. The effect is too many students reach high school with out the needed
skills to succeed and achieve. Small class intervention is needed. HS level skills
32 Preparing students in middle school to be ready for all high school courses - extra prep
time – 9th grade academy HS Level skills
29 Can the police help with the areas that the dropout committee reported on that need
more supervision? Idea
20 More reading time in classes, library/book of choice Idea
20 Take photos/video of dress attire and show it – no faces. Idea
33
Dropouts – (Excellent Report) It sounded like the best way to address this is to
use/implement the AHS policy that's already in place. Why do we do this? Is it the quality
of counselors or what? Let's fix whatever the people issues are and implement this. Idea
29
Will the software for absences be able to send reports out for the 3, 6 and 9 absences or
will this fall on the teachers who will have to write out addresses for each student? How
are materials addressed that are sent out in mass mailings to students? Can addresses
be printed onto envelopes? Tardies and absences are supposed to be reported. Idea
29 AVID was mentioned several times by different groups. I would like to see skills learned
in AVID shared with more students, perhaps all of the 9th grade. Idea
10
Need to address drop out rate of black (mostly males) and create a "catch-up" school
within our high school to get kids back on track and back into the classroom. idea
Page 11 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
11
Advisory relationships at the high school 1-2 week. Keep same advisor for four years! idea
18
Teachers & staff need more training and accountability to follow up through relationship
with students who demonstrate they are not engaged by poor attendance, behavior
issues, poor academic performance and indications they are planning to drop out. Idea
31 Establishment of clear criteria to govern course enrollments. General "raising the bar" in
terms of academic expectations. Idea
10 How about a "Soft Skills" summer school for in-coming 9th graders who 8th grade
teachers think can be "at-risk" students? This will help to establish a relationship with
their kids and have them be introduced to the Senior High life. Maybe we could have
guidance counselors staff this and/or teachers to assist. Outside presenters could
possibly be a source of expertise. idea
9 Mentoring of students by teachers, staff, administrators. mentoring
17 Need to have some type of mentoring program for at-risk students. They need an
advocate! Mentoring
26 Role modeling is critical as well as mentoring. Programs such as AVID were mentioned
by almost every group as a positive influence. mentoring
6 Each group seemed to express concerns of the faculty and staff's role in the problem
areas particular in the I&I dropout group. other
4 Motivation of students. Other
5 Although some ideas for improvement can be developed in this long-term process
planning, some things can & should be done now. Other
4 The achievement gap and what is being done vs. what can be done. Other
7 Caring other
8 Difficulty of imparting importance of education to disaffected students. other
11 Guidance department seems really defensive… other
12 Every group's research indicated that these issues are nationwide and NOT unique to
AHS. "There are no easy solutions" as one group said. other
18 Kids who are falling behind need to be supported to get information from missed classes
provided by teachers Other
20 Educated parents (Saturday school is an example to allow parents to help their child)
Free if parents show. Other
21 Meetings need to start on time! Other
23 Information regarding actual daily behaviors of students needs to be addressed. Some
students don't want to be in school. Other
23 Schools are blamed for events (commonly) that influence positive and negative
atmosphere in the school community. Other
31 Intentional instruction in what students need to set, strive for, and attain educational
goals. Other
32 Lack of advisor, advocate for students without support system. Other
Page 12 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
38 There is a serious misunderstanding (or lack of understanding) of what actually happens
at AHS. The crop out task force, for example, seemed to place an enormous amount of
responsibility (or blame) on teachers and staff for the drop out rate. The first anecdote
given by the drop out task force (about the girl given the dropout form) didn't mention that
it was a secretary (no longer at AHS) who gave the girl the form. The implication was
that the faculty and staff at AHS are indifferent to student success. For as long as I've
been at AHS, there have been community members who have criticized the AHS drop
out rate without having observed the school. Too many community members want the
impossible: high standards, low drop out rate, better grades, more encouragement,
greater expectations. The community needs first to understand the constraints on AHS -
legal restrictions, community and home resource limitations, the varied demands of the
job (curriculum, discipline, social support); then the community needs to decide what
problem it wants the school to address and what sacrifice it is willing to make. Do we
tighten standards and scrifice the drop our rate? The school can not solve the Other
17 Need a good transition from middle school to high school. Other
5 There are big issues relating to dropouts. School reform should be aimed at improving
AHS for these students. other
23 Teachers are encouraged to maintain a high rating for student achievement, but poses a
difficult task when class/assistance extra helper are not available. Other
10 How about a "Soft Skills" summer school for in-coming 9th graders who 8th grade
teachers think can be "at-risk" students? This will help to establish a relationship with
their kids and have them be introduced to the Senior High life. Maybe we could have
guidance counselors staff this and/or teachers to assist. Outside presenters could
possibly be a source of expertise. relationship
11
Advisory relationships at the high school 1-2 week. Keep same advisor for four years! relationships
18
Teachers & staff need more training and accountability to follow up through relationship
with students who demonstrate they are not engaged by poor attendance, behavior
issues, poor academic performance and indications they are planning to drop out. relationships
31 Structuring education institutions in a way that enables students to develop meaningful
relationships (smaller learning communities) relationships
37 Students being disconnected from school; lack of teachers they can identify with or be
inspired by; lack of home and community support. relationships
2 Alienation from the academic program is a recurrent theme. Lack of engagement,
connection, etc. How do we ensure that all students have a meaningful connection to the
school? relationships
8 Disconnection between students and teachers relationships
13 Students need to have a connection to school (must feel a part) relationships
18 Relationship is the key factor in keeping kids engaged. Teachers must be required to
demonstrate evidence they are engaged with their students. relationships
22 It's very important for teachers to form positive relationships w/their students and show
that they care and be good role models. relationships
28 Relationships relationships
34 Strong teacher/student communication/relationship building Relationships
1 Need for smaller groupings of high school students with high expectations and strong
relationships. Relationships
26 Teachers influence all the issues & indicators. Teachers need to interact with kids in a
positive manner. relationships
17 Teachers need a raise. Resources
Page 13 of 15
Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
14 AHS needs resources to meet the needs of all our kids. resources
31 Establishment of clear criteria to govern course enrollments. General "raising the bar" in
terms of academic expectations. rigor
23 Teachers are encouraged to maintain a high rating for student achievement, but poses a
difficult task when class/assistance extra helper are not available. RIGOR
1 Need for smaller groupings of high school students with high expectations and strong
relationships. Rigor
2 RIGOR: How do we motivate students and build stamina to persevere? Rigor
3 Set high standards & expectations – be consistent. Rigor
11 The very able black males at the middle and high school must be pushed to succeed at
high levels of rigor. We are losing them! rigor
14 High level classes, high expectations for all students and parents, and not accepting less
than the best from our kids and teachers is essential. rigor
28 academic rigor and engagement rigor
7 Course rigor and relationship to real world Rigor
24
Small class size is important. Small class size
28 small groups small groups
31 Structuring education institutions in a way that enables students to develop meaningful
relationships (smaller learning communities) small groups
1 Need for smaller groupings of high school students with high expectations and strong
relationships. Small groups
4 How the school system is trying to develop the "soft skills" in students. It seems like they
are trying to do this through punishment (i.e. Tardy Policy & Absences) soft skills
10 How about a "Soft Skills" summer school for in-coming 9th graders who 8th grade
teachers think can be "at-risk" students? This will help to establish a relationship with
their kids and have them be introduced to the Senior High life. Maybe we could have
guidance counselors staff this and/or teachers to assist. Outside presenters could
possibly be a source of expertise. soft skills
1 Need for addressing soft skills and social support of students specifically with students in
distress. soft skills
20 Soft Skills – tough love is needed/required. Students are begging for "tough love" and
that will override peer pressure. Soft skills
16 Many comments made are extremely irrelevant. As a student of AHS, I feel like studying
more of what goes on by interviews or surveys. This presentation was far too
opinionated, although our opinions coincided with fact at times. Student Input
16 Need more student input. Student Input
29 I know we invited students to the groups, but I wonder about talking to more students that
we are having problems with and see what their thoughts are on ways to keep them
engaged in their learning. Student Input
17 Family/home life not conducive to the student doing well in school. Students do not have
the support they need! system support
7
Community Support system support
23 Community involvement does not come often enough, only when things are negative.
Community needs to start and not stop at the middle and HS levels. system support
25
Community criticism of AHS is rampant. Support is not. system support
26
Involve the entire community – Business community to teach kids soft skills. system support
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Feedback: Issues/Indicators – August 25th Meeting
Sorted by Category
Respondent Comment Category
30 Role of External Issues – identify ways to incorporate other community groups to help
with many of these external issues. system support
37 Students being disconnected from school; lack of teachers they can identify with or be
inspired by; lack of home and community support. system support
1 Need for addressing soft skills and social support of students specifically with students in
distress. system support
26 Teachers influence all the issues & indicators. Teachers need to interact with kids in a Teachers are
positive manner. key
24 Teachers are
Teachers are good and bad. Their morale and leadership affects everything. key
Page 15 of 15