Needs identified and addressed through Race to the Top: 8th to 9th grade transition, particularly in math; achievement gap for African American students and special education students; the underrepresentation of minority students in Advanced Placement and Honors classes; increasing the academic rigor in all classes
Major initiatives and investments:
- Encouraging more participation in Advanced and Honors courses, especially for underrepresented groups, by offering more points of entry to these courses; student supports for preparation and retention in these classes, and increased recruitment. A summer learning acceleration program for targeted students will be ongoing through 2014
- More specialized services for special education students and improved scheduling
- Expansion of the district’s successful mentoring program, establishment of community liaison centers at two major work sites, and creation of the position of director of student services and community support
- Curriculum alignment, professional development on academic rigor and data-driven professional learning communities
- Partnering with Communities in Schools and the Vision Network for the Central Academy. This will provide extra supports for our struggling students as well as provide training and support for teachers and leaders.
- Creating an Aspiring Leaders program to enable district staff to develop, train and become district leaders
Other innovations within the plan:
- Expansion of a specialized after school leadership program, Leading with Excellence to Achieve Dramatically (LEAD), which began in 2009 with a small group of targeted 10th graders who received enriching and project based inquiry learning and were assigned mentors from the local community