What Vision Network Leaders Have to Say...
Howard High School of Technology
Howard High School of Technology is focusing on the fact that reading is just as important in vocational and career training as it is in "traditional" school instruction. In fact, many vocational texts are written at a reading level that is higher than a 12th grade English text. For example, the reading level of the electrical trades text is 14.2 —two years above the 12th grade level. So it wasn’t surprising that, to help reach this high mark, the Vision Network leadership team at Howard High selected literacy and higher level thinking skills as their Instructional Focus. They are finding creative ways to integrate literacy into every class and school activity, from engine tech to English. Not only are they making the case for literacy in terms of future jobs and income, they’re also working with student leaders to spread the word that higher order thinking (including skills like analysis, evaluation and synthesis) is cool.
Kuumba Academy Charter School
At the
Kuumba Academy public charter school, children as young as five were expressing their fears that math would be hard for them, and assessments were confirming that students needed to work on math skills. So Kuumba’s Vision Network leadership team made this their Instructional Focus. They’ve already switched to a new international math program that emphasizes basic skills, and they’re working hard to create a school culture that is built around math, from posting math-related messages on bulletin boards throughout the school to engaging in measurement activities in the lunch room. Teachers have had intensive professional development and are rallied around the effort—even non-math teachers. They are excited to be collaborating and share ownership in the effort. Kids love the program; Math Sprints, for example, encourage them to compete with themselves to improve their personal best. Parents have gotten with the program, too — some have even asked teachers for Math Sprints that they can do at home.
MOT Charter School
School leaders at
MOT Charter School have always focused their time where it matters most — in the classroom. So they were surprised when a Vision Network “time study” showed that they were using their time on things that really didn’t matter to students. For example, the principal always dealt with questions about teachers’ leave, because the teachers reported to her. But now she has delegated her business manager, who already had the systems in place, to deal with these questions. As a result, the principal and teachers are focusing more on instruction, and students have seen rapid and beneficial changes in the way classes operate. Teachers are more expert; they have more tools, experiences, and ways to make instruction engaging. As the principal says, “The training has definitely enriched our jobs. … And if kids see that teachers can be learners that makes the environment just right for the kids to be learners, too.”
Sussex Central High School
Vision Network participants at
Sussex Central High School were worried that so many freshmen were failing courses. Half their ninth grade students fail at least one course, and a third fails two or more courses. They recognized that many freshmen needed help to handle the transition from the relative comfort of middle school to the much larger and more challenging high school environment. So for their Instructional Focus, the Vision Network leadership team—empowered by the superintendent--created a Freshman Academy within the high school to make sure that no student falls through the cracks. Through the Academy teachers work in teams to get to know each student and make sure all students get the help they need to succeed. They are thoughtful about meeting student needs — for example, making sure that students could get tutoring during the day so they won’t miss the bus home, and making sure teachers have extra time in their schedules to provide the tutoring.
For more information on the Vision Network or specific focus areas within Vision Network schools, please contact Robert Rescigno at 302-857-3377 or rob.rescigno@vision2015delaware.org.