School Improvement Plan - COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Document Sample
Cobb County School District
COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Pope High School
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
2006-2009
Revisions
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___________ Principal Signature
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Pope High School Improvement Plan Area Assistant Superintendent Approval
Cobb County School District
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Table of Contents
Pages
PART 1 PROFILE……………………………………………………………………………… 3
Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………………… 3
Significant Accomplishments………………………………………………………………….. 7
Significant Challenges…………………………………………………………………………. 10
Organizational Characteristics………………………………………………………………… 12
Student Performance Data Analysis ……………………..…………………………………..
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Stakeholder Perceptual Data Analysis …..…………………………………………………..
14
PART 2 SCHOOL MISSION AND BELIEFS………………………………………………... 15
PART 3 ACTION PLAN ………………………………………………………………………. 16
Priorities…………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
Student Performance Action Plan: Goals …………………………………………………… 19
Student Performance Action Plan: Resource Plan ………………………………………… 21
School Performance Action Plan: Goals …………………………………………………….. 39
School Performance Action Plan: Resource Plan ………………………………………….. 40
PART 4 RESULTS …………………………………………………………………………….. 44
Strategy Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………… 45
Georgia Performance Standards Implementation ………………………………………… 46
Benchmark Reporting ………………………………………………………………………… 47
Reflections on Lessons Learned …………………………………………………………….. 49
Next Steps ……………………………………………………………………………………... 50
APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………………………. 51
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PROFILE
Executive Summary
Alan C. Pope High School has a rich and successful past that blends almost seamlessly into the present and creates a vision for a dazzling future. In
an effort to have continued success, we strive daily to push our students and ourselves to the next level. An examination of the data contained in "The
School Improvement Plan" indicates that we have demonstrated considerable strengths in student achievement based on our benchmarks. As we enter
our twenty-first year of existence, we are committed to our school‘s mission: "Inspiring students to achieve extraordinary success." Our motto,
selected by the student body, is "The promise of a great future lies within our grasp." As Pope moves forward, we continue to create more
opportunities to involve all stakeholders in shaping the journey.
A review of past practices supports an intense commitment on the part of Pope to go further and to seek innovative ways to increase student
achievement. We continue to provide new opportunities for teaching and learning as we identify and address academic issues related to the 4X4
block schedule. Ongoing self-reflection presents staff with complex and challenging issues and creates professional learning communities in which
we challenge ourselves to provide curriculum delivery that meets the diverse needs of our entire student body. The integration of rapidly changing
technology into classroom instruction has resulted in the creation of ongoing professional learning opportunities in technology. The entire staff
embraced instructional technology by starting the 2006-2007 school year with new laptop computers and their effective application was clearly
evident in classroom observations and Learning Walks.
In the winter of 2005, our vision to increase student achievement was fortified by a group of deeply committed staff members, students, and parents
who formed "Future Pope". This collaborative group researches instructional initiatives and programs that would meet the challenges to improve
student achievement. Their dedication to improve student performance has led to the formation of various ―Future Pope‖ committees that meet
during the year to plan and implement programs that support the SIP goals. These initiatives target future needs in addressing the physical facility,
cultural diversity, school climate, communications, character education and other relevant topics. In spring 2005, the Pope Foundation was expanded
from an organization devoted to funding the athletic stadium to an umbrella organization that has become a vehicle for funding improvements for the
entire facility and supporting all programs--including academics, fine arts and athletics. Replacing and upgrading the theater seats is a major facility
improvement goal that the Pope Foundation addressed in the past six months. Another Foundation goal is to gain Pope alumni support and involve
them in mentoring students and resource funding.
A challenging initiative that has truly pushed both teaching and learning to the next level of performance has been establishing Pope as an Advanced
Placement Certified School (APCS)—Demonstration Level. Pope‘s overall goal is not to reach only advanced students but to challenge and
encourage all students to succeed at a high academic level. By increasing the rigor of course work in the ninth and tenth grade, we hope to encourage
more students to participate in AP classes during their Junior and Senior years. In addition, Pope implemented PSAT testing for freshmen in 2003 in
an attempt to gain longitudinal student data that is used in conjunction with AP Potential to identify students who would be successful in the AP
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program. Studies indicate that students who successfully complete AP coursework have a significantly higher four-year college graduation rate than
students who do not complete AP courses.
One critical component to academic achievement is the successful transition of students from middle to high school. In the spring and summer of
2006, the Ambassador Program was established, using upper classmen as mentors to give support to rising ninth grades students. The mentors were
trained in the spring in communication and motivation skills, learning valuable life skills themselves. The entering freshmen were invited to a three-
day summer institute of transitioning activities aimed at improving study skills and appropriate social interactions. The mentor training and freshman
institute were repeated in the spring and the summer of 2007. A positive outcome from these programs was the successful bonding of the freshmen
classes that could result in lifetime relationships.
A major academic accomplishment for Pope students has been their continued outstanding performance on the EOCT, SAT, ACT, Advanced
Placement and Georgia High School Graduation tests. All students are able to take advantage of our extended learning tutoring program, SAT and
ACT preparation classes, and Advanced Placement and GHSGT review sessions held at Pope High School prior to each examination. Pope has an
impressive record of special needs students passing the GHSGT, a requirement to earn a high school diploma. Pope is also a host site for ACT and
SAT test administration, allowing students to have the security of testing in familiar surroundings. In the spring of 2007, seventeen Pope juniors
participated in Project 2400, an intense SAT prep program sponsored by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, aimed at raising the SAT scores
for all Cobb students. Pope students also have access to a state-funded SAT Online Course from the College Board and a locally funded test
preparation program, TEST PREP, that offers students opportunities to better prepare for all standardized testing in high school.
Effective communication is a life skill that must be acquired for successful transition to adulthood. Our focus on improving stakeholder satisfaction
and student responsibility includes an emphasis on effective communication. This school performance goal supports the Cobb County School
District Graduate Profile competency of the graduate as an effective communicator, and the CCSD focus of Building Relationships via Enhanced
Communications. Pope High School embraces the values of safety, civility, maximum learning for all, and effective use of resources. These values
are consistent with the ideology of the Cobb County Public Schools and the CCSD focus on Fiscal Responsibility. Pope has also been sensitive of the
need to address safe driving and suicide prevention programs for adolescents. The PTSA promotes and presents defensive driving programs twice
yearly in partnership with local businesses, and parental safe driving awareness programs yearly. The most recent program for parents and students in
September 2007 was ―Car Control Clinic‖ which focused on accident avoidance. Another strategy that we believe contributes to teen driver safety
has been the establishment of after hours Driver‘s Education classes at Pope, providing increased accessibility for our students of an established
effective measure to combat teenage driving accidents and deaths. Our partnership with the Prevention/Intervention Center provides suicide
prevention training to heighten awareness of suicidal signs in teenagers and others. Providing a safe learning environment also presents challenges
that are addressed daily. A relatively new safety and security concern has been the growth of Internet crime, which we have addressed with
awareness programs for all students. A safety and security audit of the Pope campus was conducted in May 2007 by a team comprised of staff,
students, parents and public safety officers, including the CCSD Director of Public Safety, James Arrowood. One of the recommendations from that
audit was to limit outside access to the building during the instructional day. The attendance office and clinic were relocated from the south end of
the building to the north end where they are now both adjacent to the main office entrance. As a result of that move, access to the building during the
instructional day is limited to one set of doors at the main entrance and very limited building access the rest of the time. Another benefit of the
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relocation is that visitors coming in the main entrance can be seem through the new window in the attendance office, and must pass several adults
before coming in contact with students in classrooms. The surveillance cameras that monitor the building and grounds around the clock were
increased from thirty-two to sixty-four in the past year, adding additional monitoring and providing greater potential for identifying criminal acts.
Visitors are required to sign in, and identification must be produced by anyone taking a student from school for any reason.
Our school profile details the commitment Pope is making to stress civility through the character education program. We recognize and embrace the
power of student recognition and the positive effect it has on student performance. "Renaissance" is a strong academic recognition program created to
reward student accomplishments on many levels and is targeted to include improvement in performance as well as outstanding academic
achievement. We also believe that staff recognition is a powerful motivating and affirming strategy and all opportunities to recognize achievement of
staff members are identified and implemented.
We began in 1987 as a new school with a committed faculty and a vision to make Pope a high achieving school in every area, and we continue to be
driven by this vision. Our priorities of increasing thinking and reasoning skills in all content areas and of improving stakeholder satisfaction and
student responsibility support our efforts to meet these challenges. Pope High School is many things, all of which play a part in defining the essence
of what we represent--high achieving students, a dedicated and professional staff, involved parents, and a supportive community. As we look back
into our history, and forward to our vision to assess our position, we will embrace again what made us strong. The commitment to reach beyond our
grasp will assure that we are truly seeking improvement that is consistent with "Inspiring students to achieve extraordinary success!"
Dr. Charlotte Stowers
Principal
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School Improvement Team Members
Dr. Charlotte Stowers Lynn Enzweiler
Dr. Jan Fendig Lynda Brown
Andy Bristow Janie Ledbetter
Nancy Zarbnisky Lori Cotton
Margaret Piper Diana Lossner
Rebecca Hauseman
Phyllis Gould
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Significant Accomplishments
The Cobb County School District is the second largest school system in Georgia and among the 30 largest in the United States. Pope High School,
located in the northeast corner of Cobb County, enjoys a strong tradition of excellence in education, and student achievement remains the primary
focus. Approximately 92% of Pope graduates attend a four-year college. Pope is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Pope was voted a Georgia School of Excellence in 1990, and was one of two Cobb County schools awarded the state Pay for Performance Grant for
the 2002-2003 school year. The Pope Media Center was selected as the Georgia Exemplary High School Media Program in 2003, and one of our
media specialists, Connie Kone, was named Cobb County Media Specialist of the Year in 2004. Parent and community involvement is a hallmark at
Pope. In fact, the PTSA was named most outstanding local unit in the state of Georgia in 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007! Our principal, Dr.
Charlotte Stowers, was named one of the top ten high school principals in Georgia by the state PTSA for 2005-2006. She was also recognized by
Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue as a High Performance Principal in June 2006, for being the leader of a school performing well above expectations.
She was honored by the Rotary Club of East Cobb as the ―East Cobb 2006-2007 Educator of the Year‖ for her involvement in school and community
partnerships. The Pope administration and staff support and encourage student, staff and community recognition of excellence in academics,
athletics, fine arts and character. Parents and community members serve along with teachers to honor "Teachers and Students of the Month" at Pope
character education breakfasts. Georgia Power Corporation and Publix Supermarkets became Partners in Education through the Cobb Chamber
Partners in Education program in October 2002. Marietta's "Theater in the Square" joined as a Pope partner in the winter of 2004, and The Avenue at
East Cobb became a partner in the summer of 2004. The Marietta Kiwanis Club and Carvel Ice Cream joined Pope as Partners in Education in 2005.
Galla‘s Pizza, Texas Roadhouse, and Zaxby‘s became partners in 2005, and Northside Hospital in 2006. Buckhead Wedding Cakes, the Northeast
YMCA and Bravura Fashions will all soon join us as new partners. In addition to the formal "Partners in Education," Pope has strong community
ties with other local businesses and organizations. Elementary schools, civic groups, and junior sports organizations are some of the groups that hold
events in Pope facilities throughout the year, further strengthening school and community ties. Indeed, Pope High School offers a virtual "Town
Hall" for the surrounding community.
In the past six years, Pope has won thirteen state championships; seven in slow pitch softball, four in girls soccer, one in girls basketball, one in boys
swimming, and one in boys cross country. In 2005-2006, Pope produced state champions in wrestling and high jump, as well a region title in girl's Track.
Pope won the state girl‘s high jump championship again in 2006-2007, and that student was selected as the 2007 Female Track Athlete of the Year in Cobb
County. The boys‘ basketball team advanced to the State Tournament for last five years, and in its second year, the Pope Rugby team won its second
consecutive state title in 2003. The boys swimming team won the Area championship and the boy‘s tennis team advanced to the State Quarter Finals.
Musical ensembles from Pope have received regional and/or national recognition for performing excellence. Band and Chorus groups have performed at the
GMEA State Music Conference. The Bands have earned recognition at Bands of America Regional and National events in both marching and symphonic
venues. Pope has a high number of participants in GMEA All State music ensembles each year. Our students comprise one of the largest percentages of
annual participants in District Honor Ensembles and musicians from Chorus, Band and Orchestra participate in the Governor's Honors Program, Atlanta
Symphony Youth Orchestra, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, Emory Youth Symphony, Georgia Youth Symphony, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony
Orchestra and various "by audition only" community ensembles. Our Tri-M Music Honor Society is one of the largest honors organizations on campus.
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Its members participate in a variety of extracurricular musical performances, and serve as ambassadors of community outreach through music. In addition,
the Pope Band Director, Gary Gribble, will serve as the State Band Chairman for 2006.Eric Gray, Pope Orchestra Director, is in his second year of
service as the District 12 Orchestra Chairman.
The "Odyssey of the Mind" teams have received honors at regional and world competitions for the past four years, and the Pope Math Team continues to be
highly competitive with many members winning competitions at state and national levels. During the 2006-2007 school year, three Pope students competing
in the Mock Trial competition won ―Outstanding Attorney‖ category and two students won in the ―Outstanding Witness‖ category. In addition, the Pope
yearbook Panache and the student newspaper, The Greyhound Tracks won the Columbia Scholastics Press Association's highest award, the Gold Medal in
2003-2004. Panache was featured in the 2007 "Lookbook", a mass produced feature spread book, published by Jostens Publishing Company. In
2007, The Greyhound Tracks won one individual "superior" student award for news writing. The new literary magazine, Apostrophe won a silver medal
in the first year of publication. In the 2005-2006 school year, a new debate team was also added to academic clubs at Pope. In 2006-2007, the Pope Debate
Team won 23 awards with four of those being 1st place. The team had seven students selected for the Barkley Forum competition at Emory where
they competed with students from 200 schools across the nation. Two of Pope's students advanced to the Double-Octos round on their record. The
team also had five students to qualify for the National CFL tournament in Houston and two qualified for the National Forensic League tournament in
Wichita. Three of those students were able to make the trips and represented Pope well.
Academic accomplishments are further outlined in the student performance data analysis later in this profile. The following list summarizes some of
the other significant accomplishments for Pope in the 2006-2007 school year:
State of Georgia Governor‘s Office of Student Achievement 2005 and 2006 Silver Award for Highest Percentage Meeting and Exceeding
Standards - Achievement of student scores to meet Annual Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind Law
Ranked 13th in Georgia High Schools on Class of 2007 performance on the SAT
Selected as one of the 1,200 Top U.S. High Schools- Newsweek America‘s Best High Schools in May 8, 2006 and May 28, 2007 editions
Pope PTSA named Most Outstanding Chapter in the state of Georgia in 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007
Achieved Advanced Placement Certified School status in CCSD at the highest level- Demonstration School in November 2005 and December
2006
Ten Pope students selected for Governor‘s Honors Summer 2007 Program
Pope Culinary Arts ProStart team won the State Championship and advanced to the National ProStart Competition
Continued a Character Education Program established in 2001-2002 school year
Continued and increased participation in the Reading is Succeeding Everyday (RISE) program for junior and senior students to mentor
elementary students reading below grade level in feeder schools
Continued a Teacher Apprenticeship program for junior and senior students to serve as teacher apprentices in feeder elementary and middle
schools
Built a strong Partners-in-Education team with thirteen business/industry members through the Cobb Chamber of Commerce by the beginning
of the 2007-2008 school year
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Built the tenth Pope Habitat for Humanity home and supported countless other building projects-building number nine in Spring 2007
Ranked 7th of over 500 schools with the fewest disciplinary incidents-AJC School Discipline Article on August 8, 2006
Athletically ranked 3rd in the Region Cup in 2007
Pope Athletic Hall of Fame inducted inaugural class of honorees in September 2007
Ranked 13th out of 80 schools as the best athletic program in the GACA Dodge Cup in 2006-2007
Pope students averaged record high scores for the school on the ACT in 2006 and 2007
Food Service staff received the Golden Achievement Award for eighth consecutive year
50 Pope students were selected for the GMEA District Honor Band, 9 for All State
The Pope FFA Floral Design Team advanced to the State Competition
Pope chorus performed at Governor Sonny Purdue‘s request for an awards banquet for Title I Distinguished Schools of Excellence in the
Georgia World Congress Center in April 2007
Pope English teacher Mrs. Betty Whitlock inducted into the National Forensic League Hall of Fame in June 2007
Pope Special Services teacher Diana Zentner selected Arc Special Educator of the Year
Pope horticulture teacher Joe Green was selected for a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Award in 2006 and the Inspired Teacher Scholarship
Award in 2007 sponsored by Inspiration Software
Pope Senior Class of 2007 was awarded more than $3,000,000 in scholarships
The levels of achievement so far attained by Pope's students continue to reflect our vision of excellence and our commitment to exemplary
performance. We have extensive parent and community involvement, strong teacher commitment to professional development and administrative
leadership that encourages full stakeholder participation in all areas of school improvement. On every measurable indicator, Pope has a consistent
history of high achievement. Although outstanding, our statistics fall short of the complete picture of the community of Pope High School. Our focus
on the processes of life --learning, communicating, and being a healthy citizen -- is as important as our focus on the products of education. The
benchmarks of our achievement reside in a safe environment of nurturance, support and appropriate challenges. We are proud of our students, and
their successes continue to fuel our vision for sustained excellence.
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Significant Challenges
Pope has successfully met the standards for AYP for the past three years. However, assuring continued compliance with the AYP standards remains a
priority.
Another ongoing challenge each year is the successful integration of our new teachers. We have a teacher mentor program in place, and are
establishing ways to support both these mentors and their protégés. As we approach the AP certified school standards, we are also supporting teacher
training in advanced content and honors curriculum. In fact, our pursuit of the standards of rigor associated with the AP certified model continues to
be a primary challenge. While infusing rigor into our curriculum across disciplines, we hope to sustain exemplary student achievement on state and
nationally normed tests.
Overall stakeholder satisfaction, in general, remains a priority at Pope. As we embrace strategies to increase student achievement, we want to be sure
we are clearly communicating with all stakeholders so that we can work together toward student success. Data from our school improvement surveys
suggest a need to be more specific in our communication with students and parents about ways to increase student performance.
In 2005, Pope faculty members identified a need for a consistent tardy policy in order to protect instructional time and to maximize student
performance. A faculty committee developed a ―Start on Time‖ program to decrease tardies in 2005-2006, and the continuing implementation of this
program is another of our challenges. Data comparing the effectiveness of the SOT program from 2005 to 2007 indicate the program has been highly
successful. After reflection, we feel a need to identify students who are frequently tardy so that we can design and implement strategies that promote
responsibility in those students to decrease the negative impact on their academic performance.
The shift toward teaching and learning based on Georgia Performance Standards has mandated professional development specifically targeted at
designing performance-based assessments and lessons. Funding and supporting ―unpacking the standards‖ with all faculty members is another
challenge we take very seriously In addition, as we incorporate special needs students into the least restrictive learning environments for them, we
will continue to be challenged to differentiate instructional delivery, while maintaining our commitment to rigor and relevance.
A summative list of these challenges follows:
Continuing to meet AYP higher standards for success for Students With Disabilities
Continuing to meet AP Certified Schools Exemplary Standards
Funding of State and County Incentives regarding Professional Development
Maintaining up to date integration of technology instruction
Increasing student achievement on the new writing portion of the SAT
Unpacking of the Georgia Performance Standards
Monitoring teacher implementation of GPS instruction and assessment
Instructional impact of the revised state math performance standards
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Continuing to increase stakeholder satisfaction and student responsibility
Meeting the needs of special needs students
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Organizational Characteristics
Pope's current enrollment is approximately 1916 students, which remains very close to last year‘s after a slight drop in the earlier four years.
Currently, the Pope student body is composed of 971 males and 945 females. Pope‘s student population might be described as statistically
homogenous, as no subgroup is large enough to be statistically significant. Pope's ethnicity distribution has remained relatively stable over the last
few years. Currently our enrollment is approximately 84% Caucasian, 6% African-American, 3% Hispanic, 6% Asian and 2% multi-ethnic. Other
relevant demographic information is presented in the appendix to this document.
Pope is a college preparatory school with high academic standards. Our completion rate for the class of 2007 was 95%, which is historically typical for Pope.
Consistently, over ninety percent of graduating seniors go to college. The faculty consists of 130 educators, 74% female and 26% male, and five administrators,
3 female and 2 male. The student-teacher ratio is approximately 16 to 1. Three teachers are licensed, and over 60% have graduate degrees. Pope teachers are
dynamic and visionary. Staff development opportunities abound in the building as well as at conferences and outside seminars. The faculty is a wellspring of
knowledge and skills, which are frequently, shared with colleagues through in-services and staff development classes. Faculty members continue to present at
local, state and national conferences. Twenty-three faculty members are working on advanced degrees, and six teachers hold National Board Certification.
We have a dynamic professional learning community that taps into the expertise of veteran staff members as well as the enthusiasm and new ideas of new
members.
Perhaps the most significant characteristic of Pope High School that sets it apart from most other East Cobb schools is the block schedule. Several years ago the
faculty decided to look for alternatives for students to have increased academic options. With the implementation of the Block Schedule (four ninety-minute
periods meeting daily), students have 32 opportunities to take academic and/or elective courses, eight more than on the traditional seven-period schedule.
Students at Pope have taken advantage of the flexibility of the block schedule. In 2004, after professional discussions among all stakeholders, Pope decided to
pursue designation as an Advanced Placement Certified School. The APCS philosophy is to encourage students to take at least one AP class and to increase
rigor in all classes. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Pope was recognized at the highest level of the APCS standards as a ―demonstration‖ school. This designation
supports our mission statement and is consistent with our broader purpose of challenging all learners.
In 2006-2007, Pope students continued to participate in the Reading Is Succeeding Everyday (R.I.S.E.) program. Forty-six students traveled to four
elementary schools to assist teachers in providing one-on-one instruction to weak readers. In addition to R.I.S.E., several Pope students have gone to
Murdock Elementary School to assist a non-English speaking student and to teach a Spanish enrichment class for second grade students. Career technology
programs that have been added to Pope High School since 2002-2003 continue to grow in scope and in student involvement. Medical technology, graphic
arts, drafting, computer repair, interior design, telecommunications and horticulture are among the newest of these programs. Several new AP classes have
been added in the last two years as Pope continues to maintain APCS status. The net effect of richer programming seems to be that the numbers of students
remaining on campus for the full day have increased, and programs such as "minimum day" have diminished.
In addition to academics, Pope students were very involved in other activities. Approximately 1000 students competed on athletic teams in the past
year. Over 450 students participate in the band, chorus, and orchestra programs. There are more than 1968 participants in clubs, such as National Honor
Society, Beta Club, foreign language clubs, and Environmental Action League. Pope students‘ spirit and enthusiasm show through their club involvement.
For instance, Pope students have built eight houses for Habitat for Humanity over the last few years, and collected over $11,000 for Relay for Life in 2007.
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Student Performance Data Analysis
Student Performance Data Analysis
Pope High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state on measures of student achievement. For instance, we have maintained
exemplary performances on the GHSGT in the last five years, as well as consistently higher than state and national averages on the SAT, We have
steadily increased the number of students taking at least one AP course from 102 in 2001 to 469 in 2006. The Pope student population is relatively
homogenous with no statistically significant subgroups (as defined by NCLB). However, we continue a close analysis of test data in order to identify
instructional strategies that have proven effective and areas for improvement. Much of this analysis is performed by collaborative data teams who
also examine formative classroom data as they make decisions about teaching and learning. To summarize, we use broad measures as benchmarks for
overall school performance, while maintaining an ongoing focus on formative, classroom-level measures as barometers of what students know and
are able to do.
The following statistics reflect the performance of students on the GHSGT during the 2006-2007 school year:
11th Grade-GHSGT: 94% Meeting and Exceeding Standards (Regular program first time test takers)
11th Grade- GHSGT English Language Arts: 99% Meeting and Exceeding Standard (all students)
11th Grade- GHSGT Mathematics: 98% Meeting and Exceeding Standard (all students)
11th Grade- GHSGT Social Studies: 96% Meeting and Exceeding Standard (all students)
11th Grade- GHSGT Science: 89% Meeting and Exceeding Standard (all students)
Georgia High School Writing Test: 100% Meeting and Exceeding Standard (regular program first time test takers)
The following scores reflect student performance in the 2006-2007 school year:
Graduation Rate: 96.23 Percentile of High Schools
SAT – average score of 1634
ACT – average score of 23.3
The following 2007 statistics are related to benchmarks for being an AP Certified School:
AP sections offered – 41
AP students enrolled – 305
AP Scores of 3 or above – 457
The following EOCT scores reflect the annual percentage of students who passed the EOCT in 2006-2007:
Algebra – 90.1%
Geometry – 92%
9th Lit/Comp – 93%
Am. Lit/Comp – 97%
Biology – 94%
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Physical Science – 91%
US History – 89.2%
Economics – 91.3%
Stakeholder Perceptual Data Analysis
Pope uses many instruments and methods to gain insight throughout the school year regarding stakeholder perceptions. CCSD School Opinion
Surveys given to staff, parents and students offer insight about nine domains of school performance. An analysis of data from the 2006-2007 school
year indicates that parents, students and staff have no significant negative perceptions. Rather, they are generally positive in their perceptions of
school performance. According to the Cobb County office of research, evaluation and student assessment, scores of 2.6 or above indicate neutral to
positive perspectives of domain items. In the parent and staff surveys, all scores fell above 2.6 (except one district item related to parent opinion
about the school calendar), and overall agreement across all domains was above 70%. The student survey data indicated that Pope students score
higher than the district average of all high school students on every domain except for communication. The item that showed the least parent
agreement also dealt with communication, although the item average of 2.8 is neutral. One strategy we hope will improve parent and student
satisfaction is the requirement that all staff members maintain an electronic communication page about classroom expectations and performances.
We designed our local survey questions for parents and students to focus on their perceptions of local school initiatives, such as the tardy policy, the
teacher websites and technology accessibility for students at Pope. These data indicate a strong parent support (76.1%) for the ―Start of Time‖
program. In addition, 60.3% of parents agree that they access the teacher websites. Only 32.7% of students felt the ―Start on Time‖ policy increases
student achievement, and we are looking more closely at the program to identify students who are chronically tardy and for whom we may provide
counseling and training in being more responsible. Only 42.9% of students say they routinely access the websites or blogs of their teachers, but we
expect this number to grow as teachers receive further training with TypePad.
Another source of stakeholder perceptual data that we use is a classroom survey. During both semesters in 2006-2007, all Pope teachers were asked
to give an end-of-course survey in their own classes to assess levels of student satisfaction within their classrooms. Teachers received immediate and
direct feedback about their instruction and the classroom learning environment, which they discussed within departments. In 2007-2008, we plan to
administer the classroom surveys at midterm in order to use the feedback in a more formative way.
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SCHOOL MISSION AND BELIEFS
INTRODUCTION
The wording of the current Pope High School mission and belief statements was revised in the fall of 2003 and approved by all stakeholders. We
kept the spirit of the former statements and reformulated them into more succinct phraseology. We feel that the brevity of the new Mission
Statement, in particular, makes it more powerful. Because student at Pope have historically performed in an exemplary fashion on broad measures of
academic achievement and ability, we feel our challenge is to avoid complacency. As Steven Covey stated, ―The good is the enemy of the best,‖ and
therefore it is ―extraordinary success‖ that we pursue. Our mission statement is based on the idea that ―description is prescription,‖ and we feel that
all community members are empowered by it!
MISSION
Inspiring students to achieve extraordinary success!
BELIEFS
We believe the following statements to be true about Pope High School and our mission as educators:
We believe that everyone deserves respect and dignity.
We believe that a safe and positive environment is essential to student learning.
We believe that education requires a partnership of enthusiastic learners.
We believe that a challenging and dynamic world demands advanced skills.
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ACTION PLAN
STUDENT LEARNING PRIORITY
Students will demonstrate proficiency in the skills of thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Current research in teaching and learning indicates that data-driven decision-making is a powerful tool in effective schools. The research from Doug
Reeves and Nan Woodson, in particular, provided an excellent starting point for our initiative to illuminate effective teaching and learning through the
use of data teams in the 2004-2005 school year. ―Using data is the most effective strategy for translating the good intentions described in a vision
statement into meaningful improvement‖ (DuFour, 2000). By continuing to use content area teams to assess student performance at the classroom level,
we hope to monitor and increase student achievement through the implementation of best practices. Katzenbach and Smith define a collaborative team
as ―a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which
they hold themselves mutually accountable.‖ In addition to focusing on data analysis, many teams collaborate to ―unpack‖ Georgia Performance
Standards through assessment and lesson design. We believe that effective collaboration has been the key to the success of many initiatives we‘ve
adopted to improve instruction and to increase student achievement, and we plan to continue the use of the collaborative model as a strategy to address our
School Improvement goals again this year.
Our goal statement of emphasizing proficiency in the skills of thinking and reasoning is directly linked to our Belief and Mission Statements. Standardized
test scores from the PSAT, SAT, ACT, as well as statistics from the AP program and EOCT analyses were used to determine this priority. In addition, there
is powerful empirical evidence that rigor and relevance on all instructional levels leads to increased student achievement (Silver and Strong; The College
Board). Pope parents indicated agreement through the local 2005-2006 opinion survey that Pope curriculum is both rigorous and relevant, and we will
continue this priority for instruction. The APCS model is being used as our standard because studies indicate that students who take AP courses in high
school are more likely to complete four years of college (The College Board). Adding rigor to our program by increasing the number of honors and AP
courses is a response to research lauding the importance of infusing rigor into the high school curriculum for all learners (The Accelerated School Project;
Pepperl and Lezotte). This initiative marries well with our countywide curriculum focus on meeting performance standards in each content area in the least
restrictive environment for all students.
In addition, classroom procedures are being aligned with the new Georgia Performance Standards in many content areas, and we hope to support the
collaborative teams as they focus on lesson design and assessment. We have had success using the ―Understanding by Design‖ model and hope to
include more staff members in training. Also, we are planning to support vertical teaming across all content areas so that teachers may effectively align
content standards with our middle and elementary feeder schools, as well as within our high school curriculum. This is especially important considering
new alignment of performance standards in science and math.
Our priorities can be summarized in Mike Schmoker‘s words from The Results Fieldbook, (2001). In articulating the key features of success for Adlai
Stevenson High School, he identifies ―frequent, focused, data-driven teamwork,‖ and ―high quality, carefully aligned lessons, instructional units, and end
of course assessments – all the product of teamwork.‖ These sentiments summarize the priorities for student learning at Pope High School as well, and
support the parameters of the Cobb County Direction for Student Achievement. The following action plan includes specific departmental strategies, all of
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
which are designed to address our student learning priority. We have chosen our benchmarks for 2007-2008 as representative and effective barometers of
demonstrated proficiency in thinking and reasoning within all content areas.
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PRIORITY
Staff will collaborate with all stakeholders to increase student achievement and responsibility.
There is an abundance of research supporting our goal of stakeholder satisfaction among all members of the school community. Parents and teachers
working together have a powerful and positive effect on student learning (Barth; Reeves; Walberg). Based on the CCSD School Improvement Opinion
Surveys and our Belief and Missions statements, we have identified the need to improve stakeholder satisfaction and student responsibility as priorities
in the area of organizational effectiveness. Accepting the results of the staff, student, and parent surveys as valid and representative of our stakeholders, we
see effective communication as a recurring priority in this community. The volume of information to be communicated and the need for specific,
individualized information make this area an ongoing challenge. In addition, parents indicate support of initiatives designed to increase student
responsibility, including our ―Start on Time Policy‖ and the Character Education Program. Student responsibility is also being promoted through the
―STARS‖ program for rising freshmen, and the Ambassador program in which upper classmen mentor all members of the class of 2011 through
morning advisement classes.
Although in the past few years, Pope has supported freshmen in their transition through a one-day program called ―The Freshmen Experience,‖ we
feel that these students need sustained support throughout their ninth grade year. In the fall of 2005 members of the School Improvement Team, a
long-range planning committee called ―Future Pope,‖ and the Pope Guidance Department began looking more closely at the needs of our ninth grade
students. Angie Bruce (guidance) designed a study that identified the ―Predictors of Academic Performance‖ using our current ninth grade students.
She conducted a regression analysis that suggested that the impact of a student‘s psychosocial state has more impact on academic success than ability
does. This research was based on abundant empirical evidence that corroborates her findings. At Pope, we had 52 ninth graders who failed 79 classes
in the fall semester of 2005. In most cases, they failed two or more classes. These data reflect only the failure rate; other statistics reflect significant
underperformance among other ninth grade students.
We also surveyed upper classmen at Pope to solicit their opinions about their freshman experience. We listened to the voices of our own students
when asked, ―What do you wish you had known as a ninth grader that you know now?‖ A qualitative analysis of their responses indicate common
threads of need – a need for clarity about the high school life, about the importance of Freshmen grades as a foundation for all of high school, about
study skills and time management, about school social and extracurricular activities to which they might belong, and about avenues of support when
they need it. We realized that all freshmen need support, not just academically under-performing students.
The idea for the ―Ambassador Program‖ was born, and we received some funding for this project as an Educational Impact Grant. We recruited 149
rising juniors and seniors at Pope to work with approximately 500 rising freshmen in the 2006-2007 school year. We trained our upper class mentors
through a research-based program called ―Natural Helpers‖ that helps students become better listeners, communicators and positive role models.
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
These 149 students were divided into 20 teams that worked with each freshman homeroom throughout the 2006-2007 school year. These teams
addressed the articulated needs of our students as they transitioned into high school and throughout their freshman year.
Our work with the class of 2010 will serve as a baseline effort that we plan to implement and monitor for the next four years. This project is aligned
with the Pope High School Improvement Goals for 2007-2008 to improve student achievement through increasing thinking and reasoning skills, and
to improve student responsibility and stakeholder communication. The ―Ambassador Program‖ not only impacts all freshmen students and their
mentor students, it also involves our PTSA (who has already funded many of the initial costs and will have funds available for sustaining the program
over the next four years), and community mentors who serve as resources. We also anticipate that because many of the 500 freshmen ―mentees‖ will
become mentors in future years, the impact of this program will affect the classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013 beyond the actual freshman portion of their
experience. We anticipate that this program will directly impact student achievement by targeting the needs voiced by our students. We plan to
monitor our success through academic data, and through a pre and post test survey of the class of 2010 (designed by ―Natural Helpers‖).
We feel that the ―Ambassador Program‖ will have a significant effect on the academic success of members of our freshman classes. Perhaps more
importantly, we anticipate that these students will receive crucial psychosocial support as they face the transitional issues of entry into high school.
We feel that this program certainly supports our Pope High School Mission, ―Inspiring students to achieve extraordinary success!‖
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: GOAL
Student
Current Performance
Performance Goal Performance Indicators Benchmarks
Levels
Students will Demonstration of proficiency in meeting the Georgia % of all students (first time To maintain or increase the % of all
demonstrate Performance Standards or Quality Core Curriculum test takers) on the GHSGT students (first time test takers) on the
proficiency in the standards within content areas, such as: meeting or exceeding GHSGT meeting or exceeding
skills of thinking and standard in 2007: standard:
reasoning within Students will use prewriting activities such as clustering,
brainstorming, Venn diagrams, outlining, and other
content areas. English/Lang. Arts 99 English/Lang. Arts 99
graphic organizers
Math 98 Math 98
Students will write essays utilizing the Jane Schaffer Social Studies 96 Social Studies 96
method, formulating thesis statements, analyzing various Science 90 Science 90
texts for support, drawing conclusions based on analysis
and research, using revision techniques such as peer Annual % of all students To maintain or increase the
editing and self-editing, and examining models of poorly passing the EOCT: Annual % of all students passing the
written essays and well written essays in various modes of Algebra 90 EOCT:
discourse Geometry 92 Algebra 90
US History 89 Geometry 92
Student Science products will include references to lab Economics 91 US History 89
activities and the theories behind them, and connections
Economics 91
between laboratory concepts, activity and results.
SAT average score of 1634
Science students will be adept in writing lab reports, (including writing) Maintain or increase the SAT
including reflecting on performance and results of activity average score of 1634
Science students will be able to record and analyze data Percentage of students Maintain or increase the number of
scoring 3 or higher on AP students scoring 3 or higher by 1%
US History students will be able to discuss the strands exams 79.75
identified in the EOCT dating from 1790-1860 (A New
Nation) and 1896-1940 (World Power and Domestic
Reform)
Students will be able to draw maps, charts, and graphs
pertaining to the above historical periods
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: GOAL
Student
Current Performance
Performance Goal Performance Indicators Benchmarks
Levels
Students in economics will be able to discuss topics as
identified on the EOCT concerning ―Producing and
Consuming‖ and ―The International Economy‖
Students will be able to interpret charts and graphs
pertaining the economic trends
Students will demonstrate written and spoken
communications skills
Students will demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary
specific to content area
Students will demonstrate knowledge of tasks associated
with specific jobs and careers
Students will take appropriately challenging and rigorous
courses
Students will analyze various perspectives
Students will be able to utilize internet resources
Students will appreciate the arts and recognize how they
contribute to understanding themselves, society and the
world
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What ALL teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Teachers within all content areas will Collaborative Team Training Local School Staff Collaborative Team Logs
form collaborative teams to identify Development will be monitored by an
targets for student achievement LRE training on administrator and the Area
differentiation strategies and Instructional Funds as Lead Teacher to assess
Each collaborative team will set a co-teaching provided within content team needs and progress
2006- student achievement goal, design a plan areas
2007 for addressing that goal including a Instructional technology usage Attendance during
monitoring plan for assessing progress in lesson design collaboration on early
release days will be
Data analysis monitored
Through the collaborative team logs, Collaborative Team Training Local School Staff Collaborative Team Logs
teachers will indicate professional Development will be monitored by an
development needs as they reassess last administrator and the Area
year‘s goals, strategies and results. Instructional Funds as Lead Teacher to assess
2007- provided within content team needs and progress
2008 areas
Attendance during
collaboration on early
release days will be
monitored
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What ALL teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Through the collaborative team logs, Collaborative Team Training Local School Staff Collaborative Team Logs
teachers will indicate professional Development will be monitored by an
development needs as they reassess last administrator and the Area
year‘s goals, strategies and results. Instructional Funds as Lead Teacher to assess
2008- provided within content team needs and progress
2009 areas
Attendance during
collaboration on early
release days will be
monitored
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What ENGLISH teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Teachers will collaborate to design Collaboration Local School Staff Training for the GHSWT
multiple writing opportunities in various Development Funds will be conducted by
modes and writing situations. Rubric design and authentic September 25.
assessment Local Instructional Funds
Teachers will grade one common Writing portfolios for this
writing assignment using a department Training for the new GHSWT semester have been
rubric. using GPS created, and students have
written a baseline essay in
Teachers will work collaboratively to each class. Teams will
calibrate writing scores using the rubric meet to monitor the
and model papers. portfolios
2006- Teachers will guide freshmen in setting
2007 up writing portfolios and upper
classmen in adding to them. Emphasis
will be placed on persuasive writing and
timed writing.
Teachers will offer instruction to tenth
grade students on writing a formal
research paper.
Teachers will evaluate student samples
of timed writing using technology (SAT
Online, E-Rater).
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What ENGLISH teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Continuation of 2006-2007 Collaboration Local School Staff
Development Funds
Teachers will concentrate on writing Rubric redesign and authentic
instruction and student work. assessment Local Instructional Funds
2007- Teachers will look at common Training for the new GHSWT
2008 assessments besides writing. using GPS
Instruction will be designed to be more
interdisciplinary and to include more
relevance and more expository
writing/nonfiction readings.
Continuation of 2007-2008 Collaboration Local School Staff Pre and Post assessments
Development Funds
Teachers will concentrate on preparation Rubric design and authentic
for the new EOCT based on GPS (9th assessment Local Instructional Funds
and 10th grades).
2008 - Training for the new GHSWT PTSA Mini Grants
2009 Identify students who might have using GPS
trouble passing and use ELP and
independent/additional review sessions. Training to include new
published resources for
Encourage students to participate in specific courses.
Literary Meets and Writing Contests.
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What MATH teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Make pacing guide for Adv. Math I, Vertical Teaming with Middle Local School Staff Teachers will write
Math I Schools Development Funds performance tasks for
classes
Write performance tasks for classes Professional Learning Local Instructional Funds
2006-
2007 Workshops Pilot performance tasks
in appropriate classes
Collaborative Teams
Make pacing guide for Math II, Redelivery of GPS Local School Staff Teachers will write
Adv. Math II Professional Learning Development Funds performance tasks for
Workshops classes
Unpack GPS for HS County, State Workshops Local Instructional Funds
2007-
2008 Collaborative Teams Pilot performance tasks
Continue writing performance tasks for in appropriate classes
classes (five complete from last year)
Make pacing guides for Math III, Professional Learning Local School Staff Teachers will write
Math IV, Pre-calculus Workshops Development Funds performance tasks for
classes
Implement GPS for Math I, County, State Workshops Local Instructional Funds
2008- Adv. Math I, Adv. Math II Use performance tasks
2009
Collaborative Teams in appropriate classes
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What SCIENCE teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Collaborate by subject area and Collaboration Local School Staff Collect data on the lab
determine which activities will Development experience questions
definitely be completed per semester Revisit Blooms Taxonomy pretest and posttest.
Local Instructional Funds
Write questions based on the identified Analyze data in data teams
2006-
2007 activities for pre-tests and formative Differentiation strategies by subject
assessments. pertaining to questioning
techniques
Include 5% laboratory experience
related questions on each formative Complete first unit
assessment.
Continue from year one refining and Collaborate with other high Local School Staff Continue from year one
modifying questions for first unit and schools to standardize Development
complete second unit concepts of lab experiences by
unit. Local Instructional Funds
Design more long term lab experiences
and formal lab reports for incorporation
2007-
2008
Design and implement new lab
experiences including technology.
Incorporate more graphing of data in lab
experiences and in assessments.
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What SOCIAL STUDIES teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Collect and analyze data pertaining to Collaborative teams Local Staff Development Strand analysis of EOCT
current performance levels scores in US History and
UbD training Local Instructional Funds Economics from Winter
Design lessons and formative ‘06 and again in Spring ‗07
assessments to address strand analysis Professional Learning
2006-
2007 indicators (US History and Economics) Workshops Monitoring of data team
County, State, Regional logs
Provide weekly classroom activities and Workshops
practice EOCT questions, where
appropriate, especially in designated
strands
Collection and analysis of data will Collaborative teams Local Staff Development Data teams composed of
continue – baselines established in 06- US History and Economic
07. Professional Learning Local Instructional Funds teachers will assess and
2007- Workshops monitor scores and
2008 Updated lessons and formative County, State, Regional progress of students as
assessments will be written Workshops measured by EOCTs
Continue weekly activities and practice
of EOCT questions
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What SOCIAL STUDIES teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Collection and analysis of data will Collaborative teams Local Staff Development Data teams will continue to
continue assess/monitor scores and
Professional Learning Local Instructional Funds progress of EOCTs
Updated lessons and formative Workshops
2008-
2009 assessments will be written County, State, Regional Collaboration Logs will be
Workshops reviewed
Continue weekly activities and practice
of EOCT questions
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What FOREIGN LANGAUAGE teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Make pacing guide for Levels I and II Vertical Teaming with Local School Staff Teachers will write
for French, German and Spanish Middle Schools Development Funds performance and
Write performance and assessment tasks Professional Learning assessment tasks for
for above classes Workshops Local Instructional Funds classes
Post collection of resources to Staff County, State, Regional
Drive to support above classes Workshops Pilot performance and
2006-
2007 Collaborative Teams assessment tasks in
Determine student performances in UbD Staff Development appropriate classes
Level II classes for the 2005-2006
school year. Compare student
performance in Level II
classes for 2005-2006 to
2006-2007
Make pacing guide for Levels III, IV Redelivery of GPS Local School Staff Teachers will write
and AP for French, German and Spanish Professional Learning Development Funds performance and
Write performance and assessment tasks Workshops assessment tasks for
for above classes County, State, Regional Local Instructional Funds classes
2007-
2008 Post collection of resources to Staff Workshops Pilot performance and
Drive to support above classes Collaborative Teams assessment tasks in
TPRS methodology appropriate classes
29
Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What FOREIGN LANGAUAGE teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Make pacing guide for Levels V, VI and Professional Learning Local School Staff Teachers will write
VII for French, German and Spanish Workshops Development Funds performance and
Write performance and assessment tasks County, State Workshops assessment tasks for
for above classes Collaborative Teams Local Instructional Funds classes
2008- Post collection of resources to Staff Pilot performance and
2009
Drive to support above classes assessment tasks in
appropriate classes
30
Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What Career/Tech teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Career Technology teachers will Professional Learning Local School Staff Interdepartmental
develop a job interview/questionnaire Workshops Development Funds sharing of assessment
designed to assess student knowledge of County, State Workshops instrument will occur
potential job interview questions in Collaborative Teams Local Instructional Funds during early release days;
specific content area followed by editing and
2006-
2007 revision of instruments.
Collaboration with Partners in
Education, Career/Tech Advisory
Committee members and select students
to aid in the development of the
assessment instrument.
Teachers will administer questionnaire Professional Learning Local School Staff Teachers will collaborate
to all students. Workshops Development Funds to compare data between
County, State Workshops the scores of the written
Teachers will conduct interviews with Collaborative Teams Local Instructional Funds interview to the simulated
2007-
2008 students interview process
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
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STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What Career/Tech teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Teachers will develop plan for mock Professional Learning Local School Staff Community and advisory
interviews involving our community and Workshops Development Funds committee will give
advisory committee members as County, State Workshops feedback to career tech
resources. Collaborative Teams Local Instructional Funds department on the
2008- interview process; teachers
2009
will collaborate to address
feedback
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What Special Education teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Teachers will work together to create a Collaboration Local School Staff Collaboration to analyze
student profile template with which to Development Funds current functioning based
track student performance Curriculum in-services on test performance in
Local Instructional Funds content areas, EOCT
Teachers will collaborate with guidance County in-services in content scores, GHSGT scores,
to complete student profile templates areas Attendance at reviews,
Remediation for GHSGT
Teachers will design study skills UbD training and ELP hours (class of
particular to content areas based on GPS 2010)
Standards Professional reading and
2006-
2007 research
Teachers will design and implement
GHSGT reviews LRE training
Teachers will analyze student
performance to determine referrals to
ELP
Teachers will establish baseline data for
class of 2010 (inclusion).
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: Staff members will continue to participate in the collaborative data team process to evaluate and promote strategies that enhance the skills of
thinking and reasoning within content areas.
Year What Special Education teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Teachers will collaborate with guidance to Collaboration Local School Staff Collaboration to analyze
complete student profile templates Development Funds current functioning based
Curriculum in-services on test performance in
Teachers will design study skills particular Local Instructional Funds content areas, EOCT
to content areas based on GPS Standards County in-services in content scores, GHSGT scores,
2007-
2008 areas Attendance at reviews,
Teachers will design and implement
GHSGT reviews Remediation for GHSGT
UbD training for new teachers and ELP hours (classes of
Teachers will analyze student performance
to determine referrals to ELP 2010 and 2011)
Local School Staff Collaboration to analyze
Development Funds current functioning based
on test performance in
Local Instructional Funds content areas, EOCT
2008- scores, GHSGT scores,
2009 Attendance at reviews,
Remediation for GHSGT
and ELP hours (classes of
2010, 2011, and 2012)
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
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STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 2: Pope will continue to meet the standards of “demonstration” school according to the APCS model.
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
We will analyze PSAT data to identify College Board workshops CCSD support for APCS We will track the numbers of
students who have AP potential, and students taking honors and
communicate that with parents AP certification Instructional Funds within AP classes
Content areas
Teachers will focus on lesson and Rigor and Relevance We will track the numbers of
assessment design dedicated to adding rigor AP sections offered
and relevance into their content areas. Understanding by Design
2006- We will track student
2007 We will identify scheduling issues that may performance on AP exams
inhibit implementation of the standards of
the APCS model
We will encourage and support teachers as
they pursue gifted certification
We will analyze PSAT data to identify College Board workshops CCSD support for APCS We will track the numbers of
students who have AP potential, and students taking honors and
communicate that with parents AP certification Instructional Funds within AP classes
Content areas
Teachers will focus on lesson and Rigor and Relevance We will track the numbers of
assessment design dedicated to adding rigor AP sections offered
and relevance into their content areas. Understanding by Design
2007-
2008
We will track student
We will address identified scheduling issues performance on AP exams
that may inhibit implementation of the
standards of the APCS model
We will continue to develop a cadre of
experienced honors and AP teachers to
mentor new teachers
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 2: Pope will continue to meet the standards of “demonstration” school according to the APCS model.
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
We will analyze PSAT data to identify College Board workshops CCSD support for APCS We will track the numbers
students who have AP potential, and of students taking honors
communicate that with parents AP certification Instructional Funds within and AP classes
Content areas
Teachers will focus on lesson and Rigor and Relevance We will track the numbers
assessment design dedicated to adding of AP sections offered
rigor and relevance into their content Understanding by Design
2008- areas. We will track student
2009 performance on AP exams
We will address identified scheduling
issues that may inhibit implementation
of the standards of the APCS model
We will continue to develop a cadre of
experienced honors and AP teachers to
mentor new teachers
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 3: Staff members will participate in technology training that will promote instruction that will enhance the skills of thinking and reasoning within content
areas. (added 2007-2008)
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Teachers completed prompts on the ALT and local SIP team
collaborative data team logs that analyzed teacher responses
generated areas of need for instructional to generate staff training
technology training. for 2007-2008.
2006-
2007
The ALT will design and implement a Typepad Local Staff Development Rosters of attendance will
series of staff training sessions to be Beyond Question be maintained. End of the
offered throughout the year with a focus Picasso/Inform year teacher products will
on instructional technology. All teachers Laptop 101 & Laptop Extras be shared.
will participate in at least five of ten Video Streaming I & II
2007- sessions. Publisher Teachers will offer
2008 Nettrekker evidence through the PAI
Google 101 process.
Excel 101
Multimedia Teachers will share
Movie Maker products at and end of year
―Snack & Share.‖
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 3: Staff members will participate in technology training that will promote instruction that will enhance the skills of thinking and reasoning within content
areas. (added 2007-2008)
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
The ALT and Pope‘s SIP team will
continue to monitor teacher instructional
needs and offer technology classes to
address those needs.
2008-
2009
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: GOALS
School
Current Performance
Performance Performance Indicators Benchmarks
Levels
Goal
Staff will Teachers and students will regularly communicate % of Parent responses indicating Increase the % of Parent
collaborate with about student progress. agreement on the CCSD School responses indicating agreement
all stakeholders Opinion Survey: on the CCSD School Opinion
to increase Teachers and parents will regularly communicate Survey by at least 1% to:
student about student progress.
achievement and School Leadership Domain School Leadership Domain
responsibility. Administrators regularly communicate with 77.9 77.9
students and parents. Parent Involvement Domain Parent Involvement Domain
86.7 86.7
Staff will communicate effectively in oral and
written form. % of Student responses Increase the % of Student
indicating agreement on the responses indicating agreement
Students, teachers and parents will be satisfied with CCSD School Opinion Survey: on the CCSD School Opinion
the learning community. Survey by at least 1% to:
Students will demonstrate responsibility be Communication Domain 65.2 Communication Domain 65.2
mentoring under classmen.
Students will demonstrate responsibility by being Number of detentions served for
on time to school. tardies to school 1605 Decrease the number of
detentions to school by at least
1% (1588)
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 1: All teachers will use internet-based methods of communicating with parents and students.
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Create a web-based site to communicate Type Pad instruction Local School Staff Teachers will provide
class procedures and content with Development Funds examples of web page
students and parents communication to PAI
evaluators
2006-
2007
Administrators will review
web-based sites each
semester
Maintain web-based communication Type Pad instruction for all Local School Staff Teachers will provide
new teachers Development Funds examples of web page
Refresh training and communication to PAI
Type Pad II instruction for all evaluators
2007-
2008 staff.
Administrators will review
web-based sites each
semester
Maintain web-based instruction Type Pad instruction for all Local School Staff Teachers will provide
new teachers Development Funds examples of web page
communication to PAI
evaluators
2008-
2009
Administrators will review
web-based sites each
semester
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 2: We will continue a “Start on Time” Policy.
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
Monitor the halls in the mornings before Professional reviews of none A baseline was established
school to identify students who are tardy successful programs in other in 2005-2006. Statistics
to school high schools will be kept to analyze
trend data regarding
tardies.
2006-
2007 We will look at the
numbers of detentions and
Saturday School
assignments to generate a
list of frequently tardy
students.
Monitor the halls in the mornings before Perhaps enlisting Partners in Continuing analysis of
school to identify students who are tardy Education for support in statistics related to tardies
to school. recognizing ―On Time‖ to school
students
A ―Start on Time‖ committee will
review the efficacy of the program and
2007- suggest modifications.
2008
Baseline data will be analyzed to
generate a list of students who may need
intervention (repeat offenders).
An intervention program may be
implemented in the spring semester.
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 2: We will continue a “Start on Time” Policy.
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
An intervention program will be Continuing analysis of
designed and implemented to address statistics related to tardies
frequently tardy students. to school
Monitor the halls in the mornings before
2008-
2009 school to identify students who are tardy
to school
A ―Start on Time‖ committee will
review the efficacy of the program and
suggest modifications
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ACTION PLAN: RESOURCE PLAN
Strategy# 3: We will institute an Ambassador program using upper classmen to mentor underclassmen.
Year What teachers will do Professional Development Financial Resources Monitoring Plan
The “Ambassador” committee will meet to Training for students and Cobb Educational Foundation Tracking the numbers of
review content and method of delivery teachers in the process of peer Grant students involved as mentors
support
2006- Training will be offered to support upper Establishing baseline data by
2007 classmen student Ambassadors as they giving surveys to mentors and
deliver the program to freshmen through freshmen
homeroom
Establish benchmarks for success of the Continued training for students Pursuit of Cobb Educational Tracking the numbers of
program through survey analysis and teachers in the process of Foundation Grant students involved as mentors
peer support
Training of new mentors Comparing survey data to
2007- year 1
2008
Training of new mentors Continued training for students Pursuit of Cobb Educational Tracking the numbers of
and teachers in the process of Foundation Grant students involved as mentors
peer support
Comparing survey data to
years 1 and 2
2008-
2009
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
RESULTS
COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING
END OF YEAR REPORT: 2007-2008
SCHOOL: _______________________________________ AREA____________
I. STRATEGY ANALYSIS
A. STUDENT PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES
Goal 1:
Strategy Results Linked to Strategy Future Use of
Strategy Training
Implementation Level (Monitoring Plan) Strategy
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
B. SCHOOL PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES
Goal 1:
Results Linked to Strategy Future Use of
Strategy Training Implementation Level
(Monitoring Plan) Strategy
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
II. GEORGIA PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (GPS) IMPLEMENTATION
A. Training: List the number of teachers in your building who participated in GPS training over the 2006-2007 school year in each of the following
areas:
Reading/ELA Math Science
B. Indicate how the training was provided:
Content Area County Provided Local School Provided
Reading/ELA
Math
Science
C. Describe changes in instruction that occurred in your school based on GPS training:
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
III. BENCHMARK REPORTING
A. STUDENT PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS (Report on each benchmark contained in your plan)
School Score School Score Target Met % Target
Benchmark % Change
2006-07 2007-2008 (Y or N) Attained
To maintain or increase the % of all students (regular
first time test takers) on the GHSGT meeting or 99
exceeding standard in English/Lang. Arts
To maintain or increase the % of all students (regular
first time test takers) on the GHSGT meeting or 98
exceeding standard in Math
To maintain or increase the % of all students (first
time test takers) on the GHSGT meeting or exceeding 96
standard in Social Studies
To maintain or increase the % of all students (first
time test takers) on the GHSGT meeting or exceeding 90
standard in Science
To maintain or increase the annual % of all students
passing the EOCT in Algebra
90
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
School Score School Score Target Met % Target
Benchmark % Change
2006-07 2007-2008 (Y or N) Attained
To maintain or increase the annual % of all students
passing the EOCT in Geometry 92
To maintain or increase the annual % of all students
passing the EOCT in Economics 91
To maintain or increase the annual % of all students
passing the EOCT in US History 89
Maintain or increase SAT average score (including
writing) by at least 2 points to 1636
1634
Increase the number of students scoring 3 or higher 457/573 =79.75%
on AP exams by 1%
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Pope High School Improvement Plan
Cobb County School District
IV. REFLECTIONS ON LESSONS LEARNED from 2006-2007 (new reflections to be
posted in May 2008)
The collaboration among teaches continued to be successful in its third year as a strategy to
reach our student achievement goal. The key to its success seemed to be in protecting
teachers‘ time to work together in analyzing data, designing instruction and creating
assessments. As teachers identified instructional needs, we were able to locate resources and
to offer appropriate professional development through collaboration with our ALT. For
instance, the ALT offered instruction in Type-Pad to all staff members as we sought to
satisfy our goal of maintaining effective electronic communication among all stakeholders. In
addition, with new teacher laptops, we offered several learning opportunities for technology
integration that we plan to continue next year and embrace in a tangible way.
In its inaugural year, the Ambassador program also benefited from ongoing monitoring and
dialogue among the student mentors and their protégés. During the fall semester, the mentors
met once a week with the freshmen, and as the year progressed, they agreed that less frequent
meetings would be more beneficial. So in the spring semester, most mentors averaged a
bimonthly meeting. We are still seeking appropriate benchmarks to measure the success of
this initiative. Although we can measure the numbers of students trained and participating,
we need to find a way to measure whether the program is effective in increasing student
success. A positive by-product, which we learned through discussion and interviews with the
mentors, was the opportunity of the mentors to practice and build leadership skills.
We had several professional discussions about the GHSGT results, because our scores
dropped slightly in Social Studies and Science. Because we have a relatively homogenous
student population with no statistically significant subgroups (other than special education
students), we need to look more closely at these data to determine which students need
remediation and better preparation for the tests.
We also received redelivery of instruction in LRE, and several changes were made in the
scheduling of special needs students. A collaborative Special Education team followed the
progress of the ninth grade students who participated in inclusion classes and established
baseline data that we hope to track through their graduation. An analysis of these data should
allow for ongoing insight as new classes enter Pope.
Our School Opinion Survey data indicated that all stakeholders are satisfied across all
domains. There were no responses that indicated dissatisfaction with school programs and/or
services; however, we continue to monitor these data.
As we strive to offer more AP classes, we are continually challenged by the nature of block
scheduling. Because AP exams are conducted in the spring, we are inhibited with fall
offerings. Students also often have schedule conflicts because AP classes are often
―singletons,‖ and we need to look at schedule modifications to optimize our pursuit of the
APCS initiative. To this end, and teacher committee was established this year to look at
block scheduling and alternatives.
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Cobb County School District
V. NEXT STEPS for 2007-2008
Continue the use of collaboration as an effective strategy to increase student achievement.
Introduce ―Tech Talk‖ next year to support technology instruction and professional development.
Establish baseline data to assess the effectiveness of the Ambassador Program.
Continue to modify and monitor the effectiveness of the Start on Time policy.
Analyze GHSGT data to identify students who need more support, as well as how to support
them.
Continue to follow the performance of the special needs students of the class of 2010 who are
participating in inclusion classes.
Continue to assess the viability of block scheduling and explore modifications or alternatives.
Continue to pursue the standards of the APCS model.
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