Hillcrest High School – Green Dot Public Schools

Transcription

Green Dot Public Schools Tennessee
Application for School Transformation
Hillcrest High School
October 2015
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I.
Operator Research
A.
Green Dot was excited to learn of the opportunity to partner with the Hillcrest Community given
its proximity to Green Dot’s first school in Tennessee, Fairley High School. Over the past
three years, Green Dot has been building relationships with the Whitehaven community and
has seen great academic gains at Fairley High School. A commonality for Hillcrest and Fairley
is A. Maceo Walker Middle School, which feeds into both high schools. The freshman class
from Fairley, comprised of students from A. Maceo Walker, has thrived in the Green Dot
academic framework and has achieved unparalleled success.
B.
Through our existing community relationships, we have worked extensively to engage the
Hillcrest community. Our efforts have included meeting with alumni to answer questions they
have about Green Dot and hear their concerns for the school. We attended alumni tailgating
and community meetings to get to know the history of the school and build relationships and
support for Green Dot Public Schools with former students of Hillcrest High. We have met with
pastors of churches who serve students from the Hillcrest community, forming partnerships
with them to mentor students from Fairley and Hillcrest. Pastor Leo Patton of Freedom Baptist
Church attended a community breakfast and provided us the opportunity, October 4, 2015, to
attend his church and speak with the congregation about Green Dot and the work we hope to
do at Hillcrest. Pastor Percy Hunter of Christ United Baptist Church facilitated a community
forum for the Hillcrest alumni, parents and community members at his church. We have also
had conversations with parents and community members as we canvassed Peppertree
Apartments, Summit Park Apartment complex and Pine Wood Manor Townhomes inviting
them to community events. We have spoken to small businesses, like Charles Jackson of
Blades Barber Shop and James Perry of the Vacuum Shop, hearing their concerns about the
school and community. We have reached out to teachers and administrators to provide clarity
around the conversion process. All of our engagement efforts are opportunities for the public
to get information, ask questions, and voice concerns for the school and strengthen our
knowledge of the needs of the school. We will continue engaging the community with events
planned with Lake Grove Baptist Church and its pastor Dr. Bryan Bartlett, current president of
the Whitehaven ministerial association.
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C.
Green Dot has extensive experience working with similar student populations. Green Dot
currently operates two schools in Memphis, Fairley High School and Wooddale Middle School.
In addition, Green Dot operates over 20 schools nationwide serving low income and minority
students, with an Economically Disadvantaged rate of 93% and a Special Education
population of 12%.
Green Dot Public Schools is a leader in school turnarounds. In 2008, Green Dot took on the
transformation of a historically underperforming campus in Los Angeles, Alain LeRoy Locke
College Preparatory Academy. In 2012, results published from a three-year evaluation
conducted by UCLA’s National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards & Student
Testing (“CRESST”) found that four years into the turnaround, Green Dot students were 1.5x
more likely to graduate and 3.7x times more likely to have completed coursework that
prepares them for college. At Locke, we’ve doubled the four year cohort retention rate and
Green Dot Locke students are now 12x more likely to go to college.
The progress of the Locke turnaround led to subsequent transformations by Green Dot of
Henry Clay Middle School (Ánimo Phillis Wheatley and Ánimo Western) and David Starr
Jordan Senior High School (Ánimo College Prep Academy) in 2011. The lessons learned from
Locke allowed administrators and teachers to greatly accelerate turnaround at Henry Clay and
Jordan. After only two years, the Academic Performance Index, a California state framework
for measuring academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of academic
measures, has risen 122 points (from 516 to 638) at Jordan and 109 points (from 553 to 662)
at the Clay schools, with Jordan being cited by the California Department of Education as the
most improved public high school in the state.
Green Dot is continuing the same level of excellence as it addresses the unique needs of
school transformation in Memphis. In the past year, Fairley High School experienced great
gains on the End of Course (EOC) tests, outpacing growth in Shelby County and the state of
Tennessee. Please see Appendix Section I for a chart outlining the student growth.
Additionally, 90% of seniors graduated from Fairley last year. Green Dot’s success can be
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attributed to hiring and developing highly effective teachers, restarting a high-performing and
safe culture, putting interventions in place to support academic acceleration, honoring the rich
history and traditions of schools, developing systems to address the transiency of students,
and linking students to community supports to help address social and emotional barriers to
learning.
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II.
Academic Intervention and Support
A.
Green Dot Academic Model
Green Dot’s academic model has four pillars designed to put students on the path to college:
Cultivating a College-Going Culture, Ensuring Quality Teaching and Instruction, Eliminating
Barriers to Instruction and Promoting Leadership and Life Skills.
Master Schedule Designed to Support all Students
Based on Hillcrest’s current graduation rate and academic performance, the master schedule
will be designed to meet differentiated needs of all students.
Credit Recovery: For students who are in need of credit recovery we offer several
opportunities during the summer and within the school day to take the necessary courses that
will fast-track their progress toward an on-time graduation. Students are supported by trained
instructors as they complete coursework requirements online, allowing them to accelerate their
learning and complete more classes within a shorter period of time. This will allow credit
deficient students to meet graduation requirements and increase the overall graduation rate.
Our goal is to decrease the number of students in need of credit recovery over time.
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Academic Intervention: Our master schedule includes specific courses designed to target
growth in English and Math for students who need additional support in building key academic
skills required to access a college preparatory curriculum. Within our block schedule, in
addition to taking a core course in English and Math, students may also be dual-enrolled in
intervention courses aimed to accelerate their growth and mastery.
○
Read180/System 44: Students enrolled in this course engage with and evaluate texts
through participating in three signature rotations: Instructional Technology, Small
Group Instruction, and Modeled & Independent Reading.
○
Math Support/Math Concepts: Students struggling in math receive intervention through
small group and personalized attention from their math teacher. Utilizing a group
tutorial structure, students pose questions in a small group setting to support their
classmates in solving math problems.
College Preparatory Courses: Part of our mission at Green Dot is to prepare all students for
college. This is accomplished in the master schedule through offering pre-Advanced
Placement (AP) pathways (i.e., honors courses in 10th and 11th grade), which are designed to
match college-level rigor. These courses are structured to build students’ key cognitive
strategies: intellectual openness, analysis, reasoning, accuracy and precision, and
interpretation. Support is provided to build key behaviors necessary for success in college,
such as self-monitoring, persistence, independent preparation abilities, and college-level study
skills. In addition to honors coursework, our high schools will offer Advanced Placement
courses to juniors and seniors. At Fairley High School, advanced placement offerings are
available in Biology, Calculus, English, Government and United States History.
Commitment to Reaching all Students
At Hillcrest, Green Dot is committed to preparing ALL students for success in college,
leadership, and life. We are a charter organization that does not handpick, screen, or seek out
specific students. Our student recruitment efforts are broad as we canvass all families in the
community. We customize our support services based on student academic and behavioral
data.
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Response to Intervention: Each school in Green Dot Tennessee has a Student Success
Team (SST) and utilizes the Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) - formerly known as
Response to Intervention or RtI approach - to improve academic success through data
analysis, targeted instruction, interventions and progress monitoring to ensure that all students
can learn and be prepared for college, leadership and life. Green Dot’s MTSS process builds
on extensive intervention programs that involve monitoring the progress of the students who
are receiving targeted interventions to identify how they are responding so that additional
interventions can be provided if necessary. Academic, behavioral and social-emotional
interventions are provided across three tiers as follows:
○
Tier I Intervention –addresses the needs of all students through classroom-wide or
school-wide supports (e.g. Advisory, Safe & Civil strategies, office hours). Students
not showing adequate progress are placed in Tier II
○
Tier II Intervention –addresses the needs of students who require attention beyond
school-wide or classroom-wide supports through small group support. (e.g. group
counseling, math/literacy intervention courses). Students who do not respond to Tier II
intervention are placed in Tier III
○
Tier III Intervention –addresses the needs of students requiring intensive,
individualized support.(e.g. behavior plans, individualized counseling). When
objectives are achieved, they are moved back into Tier II or Tier I settings. Students
who do not achieve the desired level of progress in response to these targeted
interventions are then referred for a comprehensive evaluation and considered for
eligibility for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). The data collected during Tiers 1, 2, and 3 are
included and used to make the eligibility decision.
○
Bi-weekly, teachers and admin review data in Grade-Level meetings and discuss the
intervention effectiveness. For students requiring more targeted attention, either a
Student Success Team will be assembled or a more focused Grade-Level meeting will
be held to assign interventions, monitor and track the student’s progress.
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Eliminating Barriers to Instruction: Hillcrest students come to Green Dot from a variety of
backgrounds. Academically, many are far behind grade-level. Socially and emotionally,
students may require emotional guidance in order to be able to succeed academically. Green
Dot strives to provide the academic intervention, counseling and clinical services necessary to
breakdown these barriers to learning. Green Dot schools offer an Advisory program during the
school day that offers and promotes academic guidance, school culture and safety; college
and career preparation; and personal development. Additionally, each school provides a menu
of wrap-around services: mental health supports and psychological services; counseling
groups; mentoring programs; and links to community partners for health and wellness
programs.
Support for English Learners: Our goal is to help close the achievement gap that separates
English Learners from their native speaking peers. One of our targets is to increase speaking
opportunities within the classroom for all English Learners. Students are scheduled with two
English courses to help build their English language proficiency and fluency. Teachers are
provided instruction on research-based instructional strategies that help provide our English
Learners access to all content areas.
Support for Special Education: At Hillcrest, we will provide inclusion support in mathematics
and English to all students with IEPs. Our case managers provide individualized support to
students through academic and behavioral interventions. Case managers are in regular
communication with parents and teachers to ensure students are able to demonstrate mastery
and meet their individual academic goals. For our students who need additional supports, we
have a Functional Skills program which provides students an exposure to rigorous, tailored,
academic programming while also practicing life skills such as cooking, cleaning, job training,
and effective communication. Through our partnership with LeBonheur and Life Enhancement
Services, we will provide Hillcrest students with psychological testing, hearing, speech, and
adaptive physical education as needed to ensure that all students are prepared for college,
leadership, and life.
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Ensuring Quality Teaching & Instruction:
Dedicated, effective teachers with a passion for their work and their students are at the core of
the Green Dot model. Green Dot ensures high quality teaching and instruction in every
classroom through its research-based methods of instruction, teacher effectiveness initiatives
and robust PD and supports. Teachers receive on-site professional development twice a week
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III.
A.
Extracurricular Activities
Green Dot students take several trips to college campuses throughout the school year as a
part of the efforts to prepare them for college, leadership, and life. For the past two years,
every student attending Fairley High school took part in the “Everyone Goes to College” Day,
where students are sent to several area colleges, including the University of Memphis,
Rhodes, Lane College, and University of Mississippi (see Appendix Section III for photos from
Everybody Goes to College Day). At Hillcrest, college trips will be arranged during both Fall
and Spring Breaks with all students participating in Everybody Goes to College Day during the
fall semester.
Green Dot partners with arc, an award winning, nationally recognized after school program
and hands on-education provider. During enrollment, every student will complete an interest
survey to gauge their interest in different after school programming opportunities. From this
survey, arc will create specific programs for Hillcrest and seek to find adult sponsors in both
the school and community networks. They have offered cosmetology, computer programming,
culinary arts, and screenwriting as well as an array of fitness opportunities after school,
partnering with coaches from team sports and volunteers in the community.
ACT Prep is offered every Saturday during testing season and during Fall Break. There is also
ongoing ACT prep through our English, Math, advisory and intervention courses.
Hillcrest students would also continue participation in all sports currently offered, such as:
football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and track. There is the possibility of adding a baseball
team, which they currently do not have. Marching band would also continue, as well as,
majorettes and cheerleading (see Appendix Section III on the Fairley Power Source Band).
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Student Ambassadors (SAs) are representatives selected through an application process from
grades 10-12. Students must meet certain criteria and participate in a training program. SAs
gain leadership skills through mentoring and tutoring other students in the building, providing
tours to community stakeholders, and representing the school in other social events. These
SAs will be a valuable asset to building the student leadership opportunities for Hillcrest
students.
Student Council is another opportunity for Hillcrest students to gain additional student
leadership opportunities. Student Council is responsible for promoting student voice and
ownership in an effort to create a college-going culture. Finally, the Honor Society
acknowledges students for their academic achievements.
B.
Green Dot partners with ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
There are 30 volunteers who are on the Fairley campus weekly, working with students to
provide mentoring and career development support. This mentoring support led to the creation
of a running club for girls after school culminating in the running of a 5K. They have been
supporters of the Grind House boxing gym at Fairley, a gym created by a teacher, with
volunteers from ALSAC coming out to paint and assist with building the boxing ring. We look
forward to continuing the partnership with ALSAC at Hillcrest and building on the passions and
interests of teachers and students to increase extracurricular opportunities. We will also
actively engage existing partnerships at Hillcrest to provide opportunities for students to
enhance their academic skills while strengthening their leadership and life skills.
Leadership Memphis is another valuable partner. They spend time weekly with students,
providing mentoring and scholarships to students participating in the program (see Appendix
Section III).
TRiO, the University of Memphis Student Success Program, is located in Fairley as a resource
for students as they prepare for the challenges related to going to college, especially as first-
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generation college students or individuals with disabilities, as well as, assisting them with ACT
prep, paperwork for college, and educational opportunities.
We also partner with LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and Life Enhancement Services to work
with students who are experiencing behavioral challenges and need counselling supports.
These supports will continue with Hillcrest as we seek to meet the needs of all students.
S.A.F.E is an organization that empowers students with insight and skills to recognize and
resist gang influence. Select students and their families receive mentoring and counseling
support on an on-going basis.
Communities in Schools offers students assistance with counseling resources and personal
needs, such as food, shelter and clothing. Their goal is to support students by empowering
them to stay in school and achieve personal success.
Academic Counselors, two on each campus, offer students ongoing support for college and
career, course selection, peer mediation, grief counseling and development of social skills,
through community service. Two counselors at Hillcrest will allow students to receive
individualized support in selecting courses, applying to college, fostering communication
skills, and addressing any needs that may arise in a student’s life.
A parent coordinator at each campus will offer assistance to students and parents through
outside services, including Agape Child & Family Services, parent workshops, and community
meetings. The Hillcrest parent coordinator will be instrumental in providing an initial point of
contact for parents and community members both as they enter the school and encouraging
them to enter and engage with the school.
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IV.
Parent Engagement
A.
i. Governance – All of our schools have a School Advisory Council which is a partnership
between parents, teachers, students and administrators. Council members work together to
review and approve budget needs for the school each year. They serve on the panels to select
incoming principals and assistant principals. They work closely with the parent coordinator to
review student data and assist with campus-level events.
ii. Sharing student progress information – Hillcrest parents will have access to PowerSchool,
an online student information system, which houses student grades, attendance and course
information. Teachers are expected to update grades on a weekly basis. Schools also have
Student Led Conferences, also known as SLCs. During these conferences, students take
ownership in communicating academic and behavioral goals through a portfolio of student
work, including daily assignments, formative assessments and summative assessments.
Formal progress reports are sent home quarterly with regular phone calls home and progress
monitoring. Students also have opportunities to understand and analyze grades through
Advisory, which provides opportunities to achieve mastery of standards and skills.
iii. Parent school and classroom visit policies – Green Dot welcomes parents to visit the
schools and observe classrooms. They are asked to sign in at the main office and escorted
during the visit by a school administrator. Green Dot adheres to an open door policy to parents
and community stakeholders and believes strongly in the idea that transformation work
necessitates family and community involvement.
iv. School performance information – All school performance data is made public through the
school’s webpage and Facebook page. Performance information is also shared with individual
students through the main office and academic counselors. All Green Dot schools in Memphis
are held accountable to the ASD’s School Performance Framework for growth targets.
v. Parent grievance protocol – Green Dot values the opinions and concerns of all
stakeholders. Prior to filing a formal complaint or making an official grievance, Green Dot
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encourages the early, informal resolution of complaints at the school site level whenever
possible. Complaints are to be submitted, in writing, to the principal at the school at which the
alleged violation occurred. Green Dot shall maintain confidentiality of the involved parties to
the maximum extent practicable without obstructing the investigation. Green Dot prohibits any
form of retaliation against any complainant in the process. Green Dot shall complete an
investigation and provide a written final response within 60 calendar days from the date of
receipt of the complaint by the school principal unless the complainant agrees, in writing, to an
extension of the timeline. Similar to Fairley and Wooddale, Green Dot seeks to build a robust
parental communication plan at Hillcrest to minimize grievances and complaints by proactively
addressing needs and seeking and valuing feedback throughout the transformation process.
vi. Parent – Board communications - The Green Dot Tennessee Board holds board meetings
regularly (every 2 months at a minimum). Meetings begin with public comment. Parents and
community members are encouraged to attend and share concerns and insights.
vii. General communication practices – Green Dot has several modes of communicating to
students, parents, and the community. Parents receive regular communication from teachers
via phone and email regarding student progress. There is an automated calling system to
inform parents about school events, schedule changes, holidays and all other important
announcements. Flyers are sent home to advertise upcoming events. Social media is utilized
to reach a wide range of parents, alumni, students and parties interested in Green Dot Public
Schools. Each school hosts an open house and several events throughout the year, like
Coffee with the Principal, to invite parents in and communicate. Parents are surveyed
throughout the year as it relates to student performance, academics, school culture and
student behavior.
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V.
Community Engagement
A.
Green Dot will form the Hillcrest Transition Advisory Team or HTAT. The transition team will
be made up of parents, alumni, students, and community members. They will be responsible
for making the transition as smooth as possible for students and the Hillcrest community.
Similar teams were created for both Fairley and Wooddale Middle (please see Appendix
Section V for examples from Fairley and Wooddale transition teams).
They will help make decisions regarding school uniforms, a school logo design, approval of the
bell schedule and will assist in canvassing the neighborhoods to help the community learn
more about the transition taking place at the school. They are also instrumental in planning a
community day of service to help prepare the Hillcrest for the first days of school (please see
the Appendix for examples from past community days of service). It is important to note that
the school name and mascot will not change. The HTAT will help maintain all of the strong
aspects of Hillcrest’s rich Viking history while helping drive improvements in student
achievement.
Green Dot will continue working with BAEO and Memphis Lift, inviting parents, teachers and
students to have active voices in the process. The goal is to have as many parents as possible
visit existing Green Dot Schools, as well as offering Hillcrest students opportunities to shadow
Fairley students during the school day. Our goal is to show students, parents, and community
members what a Green Dot school looks like while dispelling any rumors or misconceptions.
B.
i. Anticipated community partnerships – Green Dot Public Schools will continue the rich
relationship Hillcrest already has established with Agape Child & Family Services. We will also
extend relationships with ALSAC, TRiO, S.A.F.E., Leadership Memphis, LeBonheur, and
Communities in Schools. Hillcrest will have a parent coordinator who will work with parents
and students to connect them with support organizations. We also continue to connect with
Hillcrest alumni to continue the rich Viking pride as well as build new traditions for the school
community through mentoring, volunteering, and internship opportunities for students.
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ii. Community resources that will be available to students and families – We will continue
working with student and parent advocacy groups, such as BAEO, Memphis Lift and Parent
Leadership and Advocacy Institute. We will work through LeBonheur to help students meet
health and wellness goals. LeBonheur provides athletic physicals for students participating in
sports while also providing follow-up treatment as needed. A nurse is also available on site for
any student health needs. Communities in Schools will be available to parents and students
who are experiencing difficulties obtaining basic necessities, such as uniforms, housing and
food. A parent coordinator will work full-time in the Hillcrest office and will be available to
address parent concerns. The parent coordinator will create a parent work room, enabling
parents to use computers for employment purposes, fill out FAFSA information, and complete
college applications.
We believe in regularly receiving feedback and making adjustments in response to our
community’s needs. To do this, we survey parents multiple times throughout the year, inviting
them to offer feedback on programs and procedures at the school. We determine success
according to the data compiled from these survey opportunities. We also look at trends
including how often parents attend school-sponsored events such as athletic events, Back to
School nights, parent workshops, field trips, and Open Houses. Additionally, the parent
coordinator at Hillcrest will set goals specific to the needs and demands of the school. He/she
will work along with school administrators and regional office to implement the goals and
create a welcoming environment at Hillcrest. Completion of surveys and feedback from
parents will be the determining factor of success around the engagement goals.
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VI.
Staffing
A.
Teacher and Administrator Hiring
Green Dot seeks a team of passionate, mission-driven teachers and administrators at Hillcrest
who believe all students can learn at high levels and want to help students realize their full
potential. Our staff is committed to continuing their own learning and refining their practice to
stay current in the field ensuring a quality education for all. To that end, teachers at Hillcrest
will attend professional development twice a week at their school site and receive regular
coaching from both a content expert in their field as well as an administrator. Additionally, all
Hillcrest teachers will attend 12 days of professional development prior to the start of the
school year. Administrators receive weekly coaching from the Executive Director and access
to a wealth of information through the Green Dot network.
All teachers and administrators at Hillcrest are encouraged to apply for a position. Applications
for staff seeking to return that are received by January 2016 are guaranteed an initial
interview. Historically, at Fairley, 66 percent of teachers who applied to transition to Green Dot
were hired and at Wooddale, 60 percent of teachers who applied were re-hired.
Green Dot values experiences of all candidates and seeks to create a robust team at Hillcrest.
Across our Memphis campuses, the average years of experience for our teachers is 6.1 years.
The following chart breaks down the experience by subject.
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The teacher hiring process is a multi-step process that includes an online application, a phone
interview, an in-person interview including a feedback-coaching session on a lesson plan, a
demo lesson at a school site with school leaders, and reference checks. We seek to ensure
we have qualified and mission-aligned teachers to take on the most challenging and rewarding
work.
The administrator hiring process is also a multi-step process that includes an online
application, an in-person interview with a demo professional development session, scenarios
and a writing prompt, a campus observation and debrief, and reference checks. We seek
transformational leaders who can create the right instructional environment and school culture
to enable teachers and students to reach their full potential.
Non-Classroom Staff Hiring
Green Dot also seeks non-classroom staff who share in our mission and exemplify our core
values. Hillcrest will have a need for a range of non-classroom staff including: academic
counselors, front office operations staff, a parent coordinator, campus security officers, and
instructional aides. Hiring processes are multi-step and include performance tasks that
resembles the type of work that employees can expect to experience. All of our non-classroom
staff who work full-time are eligible for full benefits including very affordable medical, vision,
and dental plans, accrual of paid time off, and regular professional development and feedback.
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Approach to Staff Diversity and Cultural Competence
Green Dot believes strongly in having a diverse staff. As an organization, we are 3.5 times
more diverse than the national public school average.
Additionally, we use a rubric to outline the practices of effective teachers and one domain of
the rubric is focused on a teacher’s ability to develop partnerships with family and community.
We work with our teachers to develop two-way communication with families about student
learning and achievement and help students leverage resources in their community that
support their success in college and beyond.
Lastly, Green Dot has worked with FuelEd and the National Equity Project to help our teams
create culturally relevant and competent classroom environments, as well as use an equity
lens to uncover policies, practices and behaviors that sustain unequal outcomes. We believe
deeply in educational equity and that guides our vision across campuses, including Hillcrest.
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VII.
Safety and Culture
A.
Green Dot’s school culture emphasizes high care, high structure, and high expectations. To do
this, we first establish a new culture of safety, structure and routines that promote a classgoing culture. Once attitudes, behaviors and expectations about learning and school begin to
change, then we move to creating a culture of college readiness. To create a different climate
from day one, Green Dot establishes a culture of success, ensures a safe and secure campus,
and provides robust student programs and supports.
Visual Signs of Change
We work to ensure visual signs of change to the campus such as clean and orderly facilities
and hallways, zero tolerance for graffiti, and banners and signs promoting new school images.
During the summer of 2016, if selected to partner with Hillcrest, facilities work will take place to
update the campus in anticipation of the first day of school (see Appendix Section VII for
pictures from both the Fairley and Wooddale summer facilities transformation).
Safe and Civil Program
Green Dot uses a program called “Safe and Civil” to build a safe and orderly environment at all
of its schools. Safe & Civil emphasizes effective communication and conflict resolution for
students and describes how adults provide non-contingent attention (versus attention tied to
discipline). The Safe and Civil course is taught over three years. The principal, assistant
principals and dean at Hillcrest will provide ongoing professional development to support the
Safe and Civil philosophy around school culture and classroom norms. Safe and Civil training
is built into initial training for teachers and administrators and taught at Summer Bridge for
incoming 9th grade students. For students who enroll mid-year, the Advisory class serves to
integrate them into the Green Dot culture. Through Advisory, students also participate in Class
Olympics, teacher-student sporting events, pep rallies, and competitions aimed at promoting
leadership, teamwork, and school spirit.
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Shared School-Level Expectations
At Hillcrest, the principal will tailor the Green Dot practices listed below to his/her specific
school community in order to set shared school-level expectations across teachers and
students on day one.
•
Required School Uniforms: Uniforms establish a common identity and new culture. School
staff will maintain strict enforcement.
•
Strict Attendance Policies: A Student Attendance Review Team (SART) will be assembled
at the start of the year to manage attendance. The principal and school staff will ensure
strict enforcement of attendance policies and create an environment where students want
to come to school.
•
Extensive College Exposure: The school will have regular assemblies to reinforce college
expectations with college tours beginning in the 9th grade. The principal, counselors and
teachers will provide support for the college application process during Advisory and
school time.
All Green Dot Tennessee Principals also administer Stakeholder Surveys to assess cultural
success by asking students whether they feel the school is effectively preparing them for
college, leadership and life and whether they understand the importance of school and feel it is
a safe place to learn.
The combination of Summer Bridge, Save & Civil, Advisory and a rigorous college-preparatory
program ensures student alignment around high expectations for student learning and
behavior. A component of Summer Professional Development will be solely focused on
creating a culture of high expectations as well as reviewing Hillcrest’s strategic plan to align
around school-wide goals.
After School Program
Green Dot schools provide a multifaceted after school program through arc. As mentioned in a
previous section, arc bridges the opportunity gap by creating transformational learning
opportunities that empower students to realize their full potential. All students are eligible to
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participate in the after school programs that are provided through arc. These programs include
art, sports, drama, music, and public speaking. It is our expectation that arc will be offered
every school day from dismissal until 6pm at Hillcrest.
School Security
Campus Security Officers
Green Dot schools employees Campus Security Officers to ensure the safety and well-being
of all students and staff at each school site. Campus Security Officers are responsible for
maintaining an orderly atmosphere. They provide visibility and assistance to all staff, students,
faculty and guests by assisting with minor discipline, by developing positive relationships
within the school community, and serving as a positive role model. In addition, Campus
Security Officers conduct home visits to connect with needs and challenges of individual
students.
Campus Security Officers are often the first level of contact for our students and our
communities. Therefore, they are often made up of alumni, pastors and community members
for each school. By having a personalized and consistent approach, Green Dot Campus
Security Officers provide an unmatched level of safety for our students and on our campuses.
Men in Blue
As an added level of security, all Green Dot schools in Tennessee are served by Men in Blue.
Men in Blue is a security and safety company that provides on-campus officers at each Green
Dot school site. Each officer at a Green Dot site is either a current or former city or county
police officer, some of whom served the community in which the school is located. This instills
a greater familiarity with the students’ needs, as the officers work inside Green Dot schools on
a daily basis. Additionally, Men in Blue officers work a consistent daily schedule from 7:30 am
to 7:00 pm to help identify patterns of behavior and develop rapport with the students. Each
Men in Blue officer is required to take an additional 16 hours of training above the state
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requirements. Men in Blue also has a proven track record working in SCS and as the primary
provider of security services for the ASD. The consistent and specialized ability that Men in
Blue provides will allow an increased sense of security and safety at Hillcrest High School.
Hours of Operation
For Fairley, the school day runs from 8:30am-3:30pm. At Wooddale, the school day runs from
8:00am-3:00pm. See Appendix Section VII for a copy of both bell schedules.
Uniforms
All Green Dot students wear uniforms similar to and following the guidelines found in the
picture below.
Transportation
Busing at Hillcrest will be provided by Durham School Services to all students, in coordination
with the ASD and SCS. Students with individualized needs will have transportation
accommodations made for them. All city, county, and state requirements will be maintained by
Durham throughout their services.
23
VIII. Demonstration of Community Outreach
A.
The following events were organized and facilitated to strengthen relationships with the
community. Please see the Appendix for flyers, sign-in sheets and photographs of events,
meetings, neighborhood canvassing. Included in the Appendix are materials geared toward
informing parents and community members about both the conversion process and Green Dot
Public Schools.
September 17, 2015
BAEO Community Meeting for Sheffield/Kirby
September 19, 2015
BAEO Community Meeting for Hillcrest High School
September 24, 2015
Teacher Meeting at Wooddale MS
September 26, 2015
Neighborhood Canvassing Hillcrest
September 29, 2015
Community Breakfast at Wooddale MS
September 30, 2015
Community Breakfast at Fairley HS
October 1, 2015
Hillcrest Alumni Tailgating
October 4, 2015
Freedom Baptist Church Community Day
October 7, 2015
Community Forum at Christ United Baptist Church
October 21, 2015
Memphis Lift & Kirby Families
24
October 22, 2015
Memphis Lift & Hillcrest Families
October 24, 2015
Neighborhood Canvassing Kirby
October 29, 2015
Community Forum at The Rock Church Memphis
October 30, 2015
Fall Festival @ The Rock Church Memphis
November 5, 2015
Student Shadow Day
November 12, 2015
Student Shadow Day
November 14, 2015
Neighborhood Cleanup & BBQ Kirby
November 19, 2015
Student Shadow Day
November 21, 2015
Neighborhood Cleanup & BBQ Hillcrest (Whitehaven
Christmas Parade)
December 4, 2015
Green Dot Day @ The Hickory Hill Girls & Boys Club
December 10, 2015
Hillcrest Community Night @ The Wiz!
25

Hillcrest High School – Green Dot Public Schools

Transcription

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