The Education Trust – West (ETW) offers assistance to leadership in school districts committed to preparing all students for college and career. ETW will help leaders think through the persistent problems that schools and districts face as they strive to make teaching and learning possible. Specifically, this includes working with districts that want to implement a more rigorous high school curriculum. EdTrust-West’s High School Reform Audit and Blueprint Toolkit is a comprehensive process to determine student interventions, staffing, curriculum, professional development, facilities and budget needs. Additionally we provide support for creating an ongoing public engagement strategy. Districts and ETW engage in a partnership to develop an implementation plan for comprehensive high school reform. This work culminates in a Blueprint for educational opportunity for all high school students.
The tools developed by the Education Trust-West in the Toolkit are designed to analyze the high school program currently being offered by the school district, develop consensus among stakeholders for necessary reforms and move the district toward a common core high school curriculum for all students that prepares them for a full range of postsecondary options, including college.
Education Trust – West’s High School Reform Audit and Blueprint Toolkit Details
High School Educational Opportunity Audit
During Phase I, an Educational Opportunity Audit is conducted to determine current levels of high school preparation, as well as to identify necessary changes in policies and practices related to:
- curriculum and instruction
- student safety nets and curricular interventions
- human resources
- professional development
- facilities
- budget
- special populations
ETW will analyze artifacts including student transcripts, master schedules, course catalogs and any other pertinent documents. The EdTrust – West team will facilitate district staff through a “data team” in an analysis of student transcripts to identify gaps and “chokepoints” students experience in their district. Concurrent with this analysis, ETW will conduct focus groups with all stakeholders and hold community conversations at the high schools. Through these conversations stakeholders are engaged in meaningful dialogue about high school reform. Key components of the public engagement include cultivating community partnerships with local business leaders and higher education agencies.
The Audit results in a High School Educational Opportunity Report which is presented to the district’s board of education. This report will identify the gaps that students have in accessing and meeting a rigorous curriculum to be prepared for college and career.
Blueprint for Implementation of a College and Career Ready Curriculum for All
During Phase II, a comprehensive Blueprint for Implementation of a College Ready Curriculum for All is developed by the district based on the previous work, for implementing the reforms necessary to ensure student success in a college preparatory curriculum. The plans identify action steps, timelines, roles and responsibilities and outcome measures. Working committees are forms for each of the areas. In addition, the superintendent identifies members (including teachers, administrators, students, parents, community and business leaders, and higher education representatives) of the steering committee who will guide and monitor the development of the Blueprint by the working committees.
The Blueprint addresses each of the following:
a. K-12 curriculum and instruction needs.
b. Student support/safety net interventions
c. Teacher recruitment/staffing needs in shortage areas
d. Professional Development needs for teachers
e. Funding requirements to implement the reforms
f..Facility needs to implement the reform
g. Special Needs, Alternative and ELL student needs
h. Ongoing public engagement efforts
Once the elements of the Blueprint are complete, and timelines and resources needed for full implementation are determined, the steering committee and Superintendent are asked to give final endorsement for the plan. The Board of Education then receives the Blueprint for their formal approval.
Additional services from the Education Trust include:
- Standards in Practice
- Transforming School Counseling
For more information please go to www.edtrust.org.
Contact the Education Trust--West at (510) 465-6444 to learn more about our in-school services.