1. Changing School Culture &
Student Achievement Through the
9th Grade Academy
Perth Amboy High School
Mr. John M. Rodecker, Superintendent
Dr. Vivian C. Rodriguez, Assistant Superintendent
Ms. Rozalia Czaban, Principal
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2. Background
Ninth graders are adolescents undergoing the difficult transition from
middle school to high school. As they face the social,emotional, physical
and intellectual challenges of this stage of development, it is easy for
them to feel overwhelmed, confused and alone. Subsequently over the
last thirty years the national average for ninth grade non-promotion has
more than tripled from approximately four percent to thirteen percent.
This retention creates the ‘ninth grade bulge” and tenth grade “dip” as
fewer students are promoted to the next grade.
The increasing number of non-promoted ninth grade students both
nationally and locally has become a critical focus point among all
educators. A d d i t i o n a l l y, s t a t i s t i c s i n d i c a t e t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f c r e a t i n g
Ninth Grade Academies, as schools with operational transition programs
reflect a dropout rate of only 8% in average compared to schools without
transition programs at an average of 24%.
E a s i n g t h e Tr a n s i t i o n t o H i g h S c h o o l : P r o j e c t 2 . 1 / O c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
B y C a r r i e C o o k , H o l l y F o w l e r & Ty H a r r i s 2

3. Academy Roadmap
✤ Learn all there is to know about incoming 9th Graders
✤ Use what you learn to set up 9th Grade Teams
✤ Establish measurable Goals & Objectives
✤ Use data to drive innovative solutions
✤ Build Small Learning Communities
✤ Focus on improving student performance
✤ Expect resistance
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4. 9th Grade Academy Goals
✤ Develop a sense of belonging
✤ Establish small learning communities
✤ Decrease the rate of retention in the ninth grade
✤ Reduce the gap in retention of subgroups
✤ Reduce the ninth grade dropouts
✤ Increase attendance rates in the 9th grade
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5. 9th Grade Academy Goals
(continued)
✤ Focus on data
✤ Support successful performance on the state assessments
✤ Improve academic skills and understanding
✤ Teach students to be successful and be self advocates
✤ Establish comprehensive support mechanisms for all students
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6. 9th Grade Teams 2009–2010
TEAM A - Honors (4 Homerooms) at East
TEACHERS COMMON PLANNING
Campus:
1 Math (alg 2, geom.(2), alg. and math sem) M - Barbara Lowry
1 LA (4 eng and 1 la sem) LA – Vanessa Martyniuk
Period 5
1 SS (4 ss and 1 ss sem) SS – Franck Joseph
1 Sci. (4 bio and 1 sci sem) Bio – Dayna Glass
TEAM B - Bio (5 Homerooms) in Main Building TEACHERS COMMON PLANNING
1 Algebra - 5 periods M – Tom Gorka
1 English - 5 periods LA – Christina Acquavella
Period 6
1 SS - 5 periods SS – Toni Terrel
1 Bio - 5 periods and labs Bio – Richard Kaier
TEAM C - General (heterogeneous group) in Main
TEACHERS COMMON PLANNING
Building 3 homerooms all ICS
M – Randy Bailes
M – Girga Ponapalli
1 Alg - 3 blocks (6 periods) LA – Meghan Muller (6)
1 Alg - 2 blocks (4 periods) LA – New
1 Eng - 3 blocks (6 periods) SS – Paul Bouchard
1 Eng - 2 blocks ( 4 periods) IPS – Michael Trombatore Period 2
1 SS - 5 periods ICS – TBD
1 IPS - 5 periods 2 block Eng/1SS – Nephtaly Cardona
I CS teachers - 1 block Eng/2SS – Tracy Soluri
2 block Math/1S – Lucille DeMarzo
2 block Math/1S – Joe Norbut
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7. 9th Grade Teams 2009–2010
(continued)
Team D - General in Main Building - ICS for SS and IPS TEACHERS COMMON PLANNING
M – Dave Johnson
1 Algebra – 3 blocks (6 periods) M – Ilona Minchuk
1 Algebra – 2 blocks (4 periods) LA – Bob Tarr (6)
1 English – 3 blocks (6 periods) LA – (Replacement)
1 English – 2 blocks (4 periods) SS – Ernest Kregoloh Period 8
1 SS – 5 periods IPS – Arlene Roncin
1 IPS – 5 periods ICS – TBD
ICS – 1 teacher 3 IPS and 1 teacher 3 SS if we need more 2 or 3 per SCI – TBD
classes will add 2 or 3 per SS – TBD
TEAM E – General in TCU’s (Technology) TEACHERS COMMON PLANNING
M – Greg Cavanaugh
1 Algebra – 3 blocks (6 periods) M – Neve Mataliano
1 Algebra – 2 blocks (4 periods) LA – Crystal Conners (6)
1 English – 3 blocks (6 periods) Period 5
LA – (Replacement)
1 English – 2 blocks (4 periods) SS – Dale Thompson
1 SS – 5 periods IPS – Robert Craig
1 IPS – 5 periods
TEAM F – Bilingual Education TEACHERS COMMON PLANNING
1 Algebra – 3 blocks (6 periods) M – Ruth Roca
1 Algebra – 1 block (2 periods) M – Jose Pizarro
1 ELA/ESL – 2 blocks / 1 class (5 periods) LA – Dolores Rodriguez
LA – Danny Rodriguez Period 5
1 ELA/ESL – 2 blocks/ 1 class (5 periods)
1 SS – 4 periods SS – Larry Bello
2 Fr. Sem/1 SpLA – 3 periods IPS – Tom Amador
Marlin Guzman
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8. Ninth Grade Program Components
✤ Designated 9th grade counselor and assistant principals
✤ Teacher teams – four core subjects, 100 students
✤ Housed in parts of buildings to isolate as much as possible
✤ Pro active approach to discipline and academics
✤ First time freshman only
✤ Team meetings:
✤ Principal, counselor, and academic specialist meet to ensure consistency
✤ Focus on student issues
✤ Address programmatic problems in a systematic way 8

9. Pre Ninth Grade Transitions
✤ Visible presence from the High School on
middle school campus beginning in October
✤ Eight Grade Fair
✤ Campus Tours
✤ Adopt a Freshman Program
✤ Welcome Day September 3rd
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10. Vertical Collaboration Middle/
High School
✤ Yearly Combined Meetings of Core Subject Teachers
✤ Shared Staff Development Focus
✤ SIOP – Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
✤ Differentiated Instruction
✤ Teaming
✤ Improving Achievement in the Content Areas
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11. High School Transition Data
✤ Select Students for Summer Academy
✤ Select Students for After-School Academy the 1st six
weeks of school
✤ Identify student history of failing scores on state
tests from grade 5 on up-used to set up additional
pullouts and individual tutoring on skills
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12. Academy Personnel Selection
✤ Recruit the right teachers
✤ Care about students
✤ Try new and innovative strategies
✤ Energetic/hard working
✤ Team players
✤ Want to make a difference
✤ Willing to work together
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13. Academic Support
✤ Reference Library for teaming for all 9th grade teachers
✤ Designated area for teachers to meet
✤ Teacher resource coach to work with teachers on teaming
✤ Copy machine on third floor
✤ Kean University Partnership on 21st Century Technology
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14. Administrative Support
✤ Vice Principal located on third floor
✤ 9th Grade Guidance Counselor located on third floor
✤ Assemblies every marking period for students
✤ Students of the Month (Grades)
✤ Citizen of the Month (Behavior)
✤ With Bulletin Boards
✤ Vice Principal & Counselor meets with teachers during
common planning one day a month
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15. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR 9TH GRADE ACADEMY TEACHERS
Tentative Days: July 27th – July 30th
Total # of Teachers, Counselors, & Vice Principal - 45
Location: Perth Amboy High School
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4
✦ Establish the foundation for effective
teams: grade level department.
✦ What roles do Team, Teachers,
Administrators, Coaches, Counselors,
9:00 a.m. – Individual Personality Preferences
Tech, Coordinator, and IR & S play? Freshman Seminar Planning 1st Day
10:00 a.m. (True Colors) ✦ Identify common academic, social
behavioral expectations
✦ Code of Conduct, Policy
✦ Parental Involvement
10:00 a.m. –
Break Break Break Break
10:15 a.m.
Teambuilding
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – How to use
Team Norms
12:00 p.m. Freshman Seminar in 9th Grade
Team Decision Making
Academy
12:00 p.m. –
Lunch – On Your Own Lunch – On Your Own Lunch – On Your Own Lunch – On Your Own
1:00 p.m.
✦ What is the Philosophy? Team Work Sessions
✦ Why Freshman Academy Vision?
✦ Consider the emotional, social,…
1:00 p.m. – Choose activities by teams and
✦ What are the characteristics?
3:00 p.m. when they will get accomplish
✦ How is a freshman similar?
✦ How is a freshman different from a middle Reflection & Sharing Sessions by each 2:00 p.m.
school student? team. Celebration & Next Steps
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16. 9th Grade Academy Schedule
PERIOD TEAM A TEAM B TEAM C TEAM D TEAM E TEAM F
1
2 TEAM
PLANNING
3
4
5 TEAM TEAM TEAM
PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING
6 TEAM
PLANNING
7
8 TEAM
PLANNING
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17. Academy Teacher
Professional Development
✤ Summer Institute
✤ Plan interdisciplinary units
✤ Team Building
✤ Freshman Seminar
✤ Common Assessments
✤ Parental Involvement
✤ Throughout the Course of the Year
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18. Most eighth graders aren’t prepared for the discipline of high
school and don’t know what to expect. They don’t realize that
high school requirements for attendance and grades are stricter,”
says Resides.
“They really need the structure and individual attention that
we’re able to give them in the Academy.”
An orientation course, a focus on core courses –language arts,
social sciences , and mathematics -limited electives, assignment
of each student to a team of core teachers, and freshman
guidance counselors are key elements in a more personalized
environment that takes the whole student into account.
Principal of Bridgeton High School
Southern New Jersey
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