Focus Group Development

The purpose behind the work of focus groups was to conduct an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of the school’s instructional practices and organizational conditions in supporting student achievement. Organization of the groups began in the second semester of the 04-05 school year when the staff was introduced to the focus group concept and the different subjects to be considered were presented. Staff members were given the chance to volunteer for the group they thought they could best contribute to or most wanted to learn from. Most teachers were placed in groups according to those requests. Parent participants were recruited and committed with the help of the PTSA and School Community Council. The Student Council recruited and committed student participants. The make-up of the groups was diverse, cross-curricular, and interdisciplinary, resulting in a wide variety of experiences and perspectives on which to draw.

The actual work of the focus groups began in August of 2005 when leaders received a full day’s training. The available data from the School Profile was reviewed, the rubrics were introduced, and the desired discussion and decision-making process was practiced.

The first two professional development days of the 2005-2006 school year were devoted principally to focus group work. Meetings of each group continued as individually needed and scheduled (usually during early out collaboration time) through early October when reports were turned in. During the October 24^th professional development meetings, focus groups met once more. Using the report they had submitted, they reconsidered their work after letting it “cool” for a few weeks, and were asked to prioritize their recommendations. Each group came back from that session and a spokesperson presented their analysis to the entire “community”. As part of that presentation each group submitted their top one or two recommendations they felt were most important for inclusion in the action plan.

The focus group process proved very effective for obtaining a wide variety of perspectives and systematically funneling those down into some broad consensus regarding how to build on THS’s instructional and organizational strengths, and particularly in addressing our areas of limitation in the development of the action plan. Because of this process, we see much more clearly where we are, where we want to go, and how to go about getting there, together, as a community of one.

Focus Group Report

Curriculum Development

Group Members	Department
Michael Larson* Kris Anderson Brigham Breton Andy Cox Lyn Denna Malorie Edgington Tricia Grantham Sandy Hopkin Dirk Johnson Rachel Lamplugh Mandy Richardson Brian Saxton Diane Wanamaker Roland Williams	Social Studies Special Education Student Special Education Parent Student Foreign Lang and Social Studies FACS Performing Arts Student Math English Counseling Social Studies

Principle: Develops a Quality Curriculum.

Level of Performance: 3

• As a school, as departments, and as individual teachers we developed specific worthwhile DRSL’s for our classrooms which go beyond state core standards.
• Both last year and this year a cadre of teachers participated in the Understanding by Design training which is a program to train teachers to develop curriculum based on worthwhile standards with specific outcomes.
• Many departments use a no “D” policy.
• Course offerings, such as AP courses, Concurrent Enrollment, and the honor’s program, focus on supporting and challenging all students to excel.
• The number of students that are both taking and passing the AP exams has increased in the past year.
• THS offers a wide variety of non-traditional courses such as EdNet, MATC, CTE classes, remediation classes, Special Education, ESL, work based learning, and peer-tutoring to address the diverse learning needs of students.
• The item on the student survey with the highest agreement was that THS courses are rigorous and teachers hold high expectations for student learning.

Principle: Ensures Effective Implementation and Articulation of the Curriculum.

Level of Performance: 2.5

· DRSL’s have been written but we are still in the process of implementing them. We anticipate using collaboration time to ensure effective implementation.

· Trust-land grants are available for teacher’s professional development in using research based instructional practices.

· Collaboration time is provided weekly for teachers to coordinate curriculum across grade levels.

· Instructional materials are provided based on budget concerns rather than DRSL’s.

· Efforts are made to communicate learning goals to parents and students through the school website, parent-teacher conferences, and disclosure documents.

Principle: Evaluates and Renews the Curriculum.

Level of Performance: 3

· Curriculum is evaluated on a yearly basis within departments and school-wide.

· We use the UBSCT, UPASS, Iowa, ACT and AP scores to evaluate the curriculum.

· Test scores are used to place students and determine their needs and possible remediation.

· Continuing changes in the state core curriculum necessitate a need for on-going updates and modifications.

Strengths

· We care about the quality of curriculum that is offered.

· Teachers participate in programs such as Understanding by Design, and Associate’s that help them focus on essential knowledge and skills.

Recommendations

· We recommend that we use collaboration time and professional development time to focus on curriculum development and implementation.

· We need to search out ways to better communicate and partner with parents, students, and members of the community.

· Continue offering Understanding by Design.

Focus Group Report

Quality Instructional Design

Group Members	Department
Bonnie Jennings * Becky Bailey Stephanie Brown Kori Crampton Liz Darger Mark Hardman Dave Luebke Michael Nagro Caroline Thorne Steve Brown	Math English Social Studies English Counseling Physical Education Student English Parent Technical Education

Principle: Aligns instruction with the goals and expectation for student learning.

Current Level of Performance: 3.3

· CRT testing (May 2004) indicates…

o …84.98% of THS students reach mastery level in language arts.

o …52.11% of THS students reach mastery level in mathematics.

o …50.71% of THS students reach mastery level in sciences.

· The 11^th grade Iowa scores for 2004-2005 indicate that THS students score above average (all above the 59^th percentile) in all five measured areas (reading, language, math, social science and science).

· UBSCT testing data indicate that in relationship to district averages, THS students perform as follows:

	THS Math	% passing	District	% passing
10^th	498 students	79	3743	78
11^th	83	24	562	30
Other	11	9	75	11
Total	592	70	4380	70
	THS Reading
10^th	500 students	88	3742	91
11^th	36	47	218	47
Other	11	9	73	19
Total	547	84	4033	87
	THS Writing
10^th	497 students	78	3723	80
11^th	58	17	382	26
Other	23	30	92	24
Total	578	70	4197	74

The following survey questions relate to alignment (numbers in parentheses are the 0-5 scale rating):

· THS courses are rigorous, and teachers hold high expectations for student learning. % agree: Parents 94.8% (3.4), Faculty 92.2% (4.1), Students 84.5% (4.0)

· THS does a good job teaching language arts. % agree: Parents 92.7% (3.4), Faculty 90.6% (4.3), 81.0% (4.0)

· THS does a good job teaching mathematics. % agree: Parents 84.6% (3.3), Faculty 89.1% (4.3), Students 73.2% (3.9)

· THS does a good job teaching science. % agree: Parents 86.6% (3.3), Faculty 71.9% (3.7), Students 60.9% (3.6)

· THS does a good job teaching social studies. % agree. Parents 91.1% (3.4), Faculty 71.9% (4.1), Students 60.9% (3.9)

· THS does a good job teaching fine arts, music, visual arts, dance, drama.. % agree: Parents 87.2% (3.4), Faculty 95.3% (4.6), Students 71.6% (3.8)

· THS does a good job teaching physical education. % agree: Parents 88.7% (3.5), Faculty 89.1% (4.3), Students 79.1% (4.0)

· THS does a good job teaching health and driver’s education. % agree: Parents 88.0% (3.5), Faculty 87.5 % (4.2), Students 81.1% (4.1)

· THS does a good job teaching foreign language. % agree: Parents 78.5% (3.2), Faculty 76.6% (3.9), Students 49.5% (3.0)

· THS does a good job teaching career and vocational courses. % agree Parents 76.2% (3.2), Faculty 85.9% (4.1), Students 53.2% (3.0)

· THS has an effective counseling and guidance department. % agree: Parents 78.0% (3.2), Faculty 92.2% (4.4), Students 61.7% (3.6)

· THS has an effective administration. % agree: Faculty 95.3% (4.5), Students 63.2% (3.6)

· I adequately understand the expectations and learning goals in my student’s courses. % agree: Parents 88.0% (3.4), Students 83.7% (4.1)

· THS is effectively preparing students to achieve their future educational, career, and personal goals.% agree: Parents 90.1% (3.4), Students 72.5% (3.9)

· THS courses are rigourous and teachers hold high expectations for student learning. % agree: Faculty 92.2% (4.1)

· Teachers effectively communicate to students the expectations and learning goals in their classes. % agree: Faculty 95.3% (4.5)

Department Analysis asks “How are the curriculum and instructional strategies aligned with the schools DRSLs?”

· The school’s first DRSL states “students will be competent in every area of their educational experience and make annual progress toward the goal of excellence.” Each department is developing and defining competencies for each class so that competence in each class will be measurable and students will know the desired results.

· The second DRSL states, “Students will be able to communicate in the English language through reading, writing, listening and speaking.” In THS classes, students communicate through reading, writing, speaking and listening. Continual application reinforces their understanding of the English language and increases their abilities.

· The third DRSL states, “Students will live in a way respectful of others, and help others achieve their highest potential.” Through a broad spectrum of learning experiences, from physical education, to fine arts, language, sciences, and core classes, THS promotes and students learn respect and tolerance for class subjects, people, and cultures with which they are unfamiliar.

Principle: Employs data-driven instructional making.

Level of Performance: 2.8

· Teachers are involved in making important decisions that impact the quality of the teaching and learning. % agree: Faculty 84.4% (4.1)

· The UBSCT writing portion for THS indicates a 70% pass rate as compared to an average district score of 74% passing (also see table 1 above and other survey and test data above). THS pass rate is the lowest among the seven regular education high schools in the Alpine district.

Principle: Actively engages students in their learning.

Level of Performance: 3.6

· Survey data listed under alignment also indicates evidence of engagement. The results of the survey display general overall student satisfaction with instruction. This may be an indicator of students’ active engagement with their learning.

· Teachers give students individual help in class when it is needed. % agree: Parents 86.6% (3.3), Faculty 95.3% (4.5), Students 79.1% (4.0)

· I find it easy and convenient to communicate with THS teachers and staff. % agree: Parents 84.4% (3.3)

· Students at THS are motivated to do their best work. % agree: Faculty 68.8% (3.8)

· Students see a relationship between what they are studying in school and their everyday lives. % agree: Faculty 75.0% (3.8), Students 49.0% (3.4)

· Teachers collaboratively develop instructional activities to help students learn across different subjects. % agree: Faculty 59.4% (3.6)

· Teachers use a wide variety of instructional activities that involve students in their learning. % agree: Faculty 95.3% (4.4), Students 74.0% (3.9)

· Teachers provide a reasonable and appropriate amount of homework to help students succeed in their studies. % agree: Faculty 92.2% (4.2), Students 54.1% (3.5)

· In addition to written tests, students are provided with a variety of ways to show their learning. % agree: Faculty 92.2% (4.4)

· Class sizes are appropriate for effective learning. % agree: Faculty 46.9% (3.3)

Principle: Expands instructional support for student learning.

Level of Performance: 3.8

· Teachers give students extra help outside of class when it is needed. % agree: Parents 83.8% (3.3), Faculty 92.2% (4.4), Students 74.9% (4.0)

· THS provides adequate materials, supplies, and facilities to support students’ learning needs. % agree: Parents 88.5% (3.4), Students 76.9 % (4.0)

· I find it easy and convenient to communicate with THS teachers and staff. % agree: Parents 84.4% (3.3)

· I have used PowerSchool to access information about my student’s progress. % agree: Parents 86.1% (3.5), Students 78.1% (4.2)

· PowerSchool is an effective tool that helps keep me involved in my student’s education. % agree: Parents 88.7% (3.6)

· Our school helps me be aware of and access other resources in the community. % agree: Parents 56.8% (2.8), Students 43.1% (3.1)

· Students who are struggling receive additional support. % agree: Faculty 89.1% (4.3)

· Up to date computers and other technologies are used in our school to help students learn. % agree: Faculty 70.3% (3.9)

· Our school’s facilities are adequate to support students learning needs. % agree: Faculty 82.8% (4.3)

· Effective procedures are in place to support and facilitate my communication with parents. % agree: Faculty 89.1% (4.5)

· THS has an effective, informative website. % agree: 81.3% (4.0), Students 55.5% (3.4)

· Teachers keep student information for access on PowerSchool adequately updated. % agree: Faculty 89.1% (4.4)

· Class sizes are appropriate for effective learning. % agree: 46.9% (3.3)

· A counselor is available to help students select classes and provide guidance in planning for the future. % agree: Students 73.1% (4.0)

· Students have an opportunity to participate in the activities that interest them (clubs, sports, music, etc.). % agree: 78.9% (4.2)

Strengths

Aligns instruction with the goals and expectations for student learning.

• THS testing scores are similar to district scores and compare favorably to national (Iowa) scores.
• Faculty, student and parent surveys generally indicate overall satisfaction with the education THS provides.
• One specific example of alignment comes from the driver’s education program where over 90% of students obtain a Utah drivers license.
• Another example of alignment comes from the math and social studies departments where curriculum maps have been produced based on the Utah State core curriculum. Expectations for mastery are established and maintained in each of these classes – Students must obtain a 70% or higher grade to pass each of these classes.
• Review courses are offered to those who have not passed the UBSCT test. ACT Preparation courses are offered to students wishing to participate.
• A diverse selection of courses and instructors are offered to appeal to the needs and abilities of students.

Employs data-driven instructional decision making.

• Many sources of data are available to the faculty at Timpanogos High. These sources include information from standardized testing, parent/student/teacher surveys, a wide variety of teacher-generated assessments (e.g. quizzes, tests, oral reports, discussion), as well as frequent personal observations and assessment of student learning.
• THS has implemented writing across the curriculum; students now write, at least briefly, in each of their classes. Department analysis indicates that all departments have implemented this program.

Actively engages students in their learning

· The foreign language department and ESL classes have taken turns hosting days which include cultural sharing and communication labs. They also integrate technology into the curriculum so that students can receive immediate feedback and progress toward their language goals.

· The mathematics department actively engages their students by implementing student-led parent-teacher conferences initiated in the 2004-2005 school year. Students respond to questions related to their learning, not their grades. They are then required to conference with their parents about their responses.

Expands instructional support for student learning

• The THS testing center is available two days weekly.
• Teachers are available to help before and after school.
• Students are provided with support, classes, and information beyond the classroom through concurrent enrollment, UVSC, MATC, ednet, distance learning and AP courses.
• Special education students have access to Alpine Transition and Employment Center where the students attend classes, earn credit towards graduation and acquire job-related skills.
• Applied technology works with business partners throughout the community. This affiliation provides students with additional opportunities for instruction, field experience and employment.
• The school provides peer tutoring in math for struggling Algebra I students. Advanced mathematics students provide the tutoring.