The West Potomac High School 2015-2016 planning document outlines key focus areas such as engaged learning, support systems, and community outreach, emphasizing collaboration among educators and strategies for improving student performance. Specific initiatives include literacy programs, enhanced attendance measures, and addressing safety concerns to foster a supportive learning environment. The document also highlights the diverse needs of the student population and strategies for addressing literacy challenges and ensuring equitable educational opportunities.

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2SYSTEMS
SUPPORT
1
ENGAGED
LEARNING
3
DEEPENED
COMMUNITY

2. W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6

3. Grounding
W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
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With a colleague you don’t regularly see, share a
picture (either on your phone or verbally describe
an image) of one of your Spring Break highlights.

4. Today’s Agenda

5. Session Norms
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Appreciate one another’s expertise.
Engage fully in all learning experiences.
Invest in your own learning.
Open your mind to new ways of thinking.
Unite in purpose– improving student learning.

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7. WEST POTOMAC HIGH SCHOOL
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1LEARNING
ENGAGED
SYSTEMS
SUPPORT
COMMUNITY
DEEPENED
2015-2016SCHOOLFOCUSAREAS

8. 1LEARNING
ENGAGED
SYSTEMS
SUPPORT
COMMUNITY
DEEPENED

9. • Collaborative Teaming
• School-Wide Literacy
• AVID/WICOR Strategies
• Service Learning
• Inst. Tech. Integration
• Problem/Project
Based Learning (PBL)
• Horizontal Articulation
1LEARNING
ENGAGED
SYSTEMS
SUPPORT
COMMUNITY
DEEPENED
• WT Intervention Period
• Project AWARE
• AVID Support Elective
• Attendance-Focus
• On-Time Grad. Initiative
• Project Momentum
• Responsive Instruction
• Enhanced ESOL Model
• Cultural Competence
• Parent Outreach
• Renaissance/PBIS
• Student Activities
• Honor Council
• Student Leadership
• Digital Citizenship
• Freshman Mentoring
WEST POTOMAC HIGH SCHOOL
World’s Greatest High School – 2016-2017

10. Essential Thinking
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The solution is not a program; it is a set of
common practices relentlessly pursued.
Michael Fullan, All Systems Go
Focused practitioners, not programs,
drive success. Professionals working
together with focus is what counts.

11. 1LEARNING
ENGAGED
Today’s Focus
M ARCH SCHOOL PLANNI NG DAY
Literacy & WICOR

12. I Want to Know
M ARCH SCHOOL PLANNI NG DAY
Do we have bigger problems?
Academic Behavioral
Socio-
Emotional
SYSTEMS
SUPPORT

13. By improving tactical aspects of school
function, we maximize time, energy, and effort
for the academic supports that help students
reach their full potential, even if they struggle.
FOCUS AREA 2: S UPPORT SYSTE MS
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What we’re doing about safety
• Stating clear student behavior expectations
• Disciplining strategically and effectively
• Communicating clearly about resolutions
• Mobilizing resources (e.g. extra security)
What we’re doing about attendance
• Strengthening relationships
• Rallying administrative support (e.g. surge)
• Mobilizing resources (e.g. parent PASS program)

14. By improving tactical aspects of school
function, we maximize time, energy, and effort
for the academic supports that help students
reach their full potential, even if they struggle.
FOCUS AREA 2: S UPPORT SYSTE MS
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Safety & Attendance

15. 1LEARNING
ENGAGED
Today’s Focus
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Literacy & WICOR

16. By increasing our focus on what and how we
teach, and improving literacy, student
performance is elevated so that all Wolverines
are engaged towards post-secondary success.
FOCUS AREA 1: E NGAGE D L EARNI NG
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What is engagement, anyway?

17. Literacy & AVID: Everyone’s Job
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Secondary
Literacy
Framework
Leadership
Disciplinary
Reading
Disciplinary
Writing
Engagement
and
Learning
Professional
Learning

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Wait, I have to teach reading?

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Everyone, Please Stand
Remain standing if one of the following
five components does not apply the
classes you teach or your content area.

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Shouldn’t they know this?
(you might ask)

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Our School’s Biggest Strength…
(remember)

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…Can also be very challenging
(at times)

24. W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
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Our Strength is our Diversity
40%
Free &
Reduced
Price Meals
41%
Non-Native
Speakers
(12.3% in ESOL,
8% FLEP)
13%
SPED, majority
serviced for
learning
disability
40%
Have not
been in
FCPS since
kindergarten

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A Engagement Challenge Example
• In the Class of 2015 cohort, 46 students
dropped out of West Potomac HS.
Grade Count Average Credits
9 10 1.4
10 12 5.8
11 12 12.3
12 12 17
Total 46 10

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A Literacy Challenge Example
• 23 of 46 drop outs were not fully proficient
in English at the time of their exit.
• 15 of 46 drop outs were not even yet
out of ESOL classes.

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We Believe: Equity & Opportunity

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We Rally Resources as Needed
# of Sect 2016 # of Stud 2016 # of Sect 2015 # of Stud 2015
Eng 11/12 1 17 1 18
Eng 12 GE Focus 3 45 2 35
Eng 12 TT focus 2 19 0 0
Dev Reading SPED 7 78 8 76
Dev Reading ESOL 2 16 2 14
Dev Literacies 4 65 2 34
Expanding Lit 2 48 1 16
Algebra 2 Strategies 1 16 2 25
Algebra 1 DB SC 2 14 1 7
Algebra 1 DB TT 3 34 0 0
Algebra 1 DB GE 3 30 2 38
Alg 1 ESOL DB 4 82 3 59
APEX Alg 2 n/a 17 n/a 26
Supports within the Master Schedule
• Expanded Literacy Support in the master schedule

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And yes, we also each must
teach literacy.
So today, we will fill up our toolboxes…

30. So, I’m Teaching Literacy
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Think about your journey as a reader…what is a
text that strongly influenced you?

31. Text Demand Level by Grade
Grade
Typical Text Demand
Approximate Middle 50%
(from Lexile English Map)
1st Grade 200L to 400L
2nd Grade 300L to 500L
3rd Grade 500L to 700L
4th Grade 650L to 850L
5th Grade 750L to 950L
6th Grade 850L to 1050L
7th Grade 950L to 1075L
8th Grade 1000L to 1100L
9th Grade 1050L to 1150L
10th Grade 1100L to 1200L
11th and 12th Grade 1100L to 1300L
• Students’ Lexile
measures can help
predict how well they
will be able to
comprehend the texts
they will face.
• Lexile researchers
analyzed grade level
texts to determine the
text demands for
different grade levels.

32. 770L (4/5th)
560L (3rd)
820L (5th)
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Sample Lexile Scores

33. 1210L (11th/12th)
1200L (10th/11th)
1160L (9th/10th)
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Sample Lexile Scores

34. • Sorcerer’s Stone
• Chamber of Secrets
• Prisoner of Azkaban
• Goblet of Fire
• Order of the Phoenix
• Half Blood Prince
• Deathly Hallows
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Readability of Harry Potter and the…

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Readability of Harry Potter and the…
• Sorcerer’s Stone (880L)
• Chamber of Secrets (940L)
• Prisoner of Azkaban (880L)
• Goblet of Fire (880L)
• Order of the Phoenix (950L)
• Half-Blood Prince (1030L)
• Deathly Hallows (980L)
(all range from 6th through 9th grade levels)

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Sample Lexile Scores
•Reuters (1440L)
•NY Times (1380L)
•Washington Post (1350L)
•Wall Street Journal (1320L)
•Chicago Tribune (1310L)
•Associated Press (1310L)
•USA Today (1200L/10th-12th)
Food for Thought
What might be
the correlation
between non-
fiction types of
text and
Lexile scores?

37. Lexile Framework® for Reading Study
Summary of Text Lexile Measures
600
800
1000
1400
1600
1200
TextLexileMeasure(L)
High
School
Literature
College
Literature
High
School
Textbooks
College
Textbooks
Military Personal
Use
Entry-Level
Occupations
SAT 1,
ACT,
AP*
* Source of National Test Data: MetaMetrics
Interquartile Ranges Shown (25% - 75%)
Low End of 11/12th Grade Reading Demand
Mid-Range AP/SAT Performance

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Phases of Literacy Development
Shanahan & Shanahan, 2010 (Harvard Ed Review)
“As students move through the grades, the text becomes more
complex. Even at the upper levels we lose kids because of they
don’t know the nuances of specialized text.”

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Disciplinary Literacy
Definition: Types of texts found in the world that literate adults
can read and write to better their life (Tovani, 2016).

40. W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
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Tovani’s 4 Literacy Domains
Literary Historical
Informational
Scientific/
Technical

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Which text do you most use?
Literary Historical
Informational Scientific/
Technical
Four Corners
Activity
When directed, move
to the “corner” of the
cafeteria that best
applies to your subject
area/courses taught.

42. Essential Thinking
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When students don’t know what else to do
with something, they quit.
Cris Tovani, I Read It But I Don’t Get It
So, when teachers help students
become better readers of their content
(disciplinary text) they end up being
able to cover more content in a year.

43. Essential Thinking
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When teacher and students get stuck, get
frustrated, and want to give up, we have to
remember the power of one simple word:
Cris Tovani, I Read It But I Don’t Get It
YET

44. Parting Gifts
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45. Literacy & AVID: Everyone’s Job
W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
M ARCH SCHOOL PLANNI NG DAY
Secondary
Literacy
Framework
Leadership
Disciplinary
Reading
Disciplinary
Writing
Engagement
and
Learning
Professional
Learning

46. W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
Return here at 10:30 a.m.

47. W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
http://goo.gl/forms/m6cqFAKCtL

48. M ARCH E DUCATOR R ALLY
It’s a great time to be a Wolverine!
W E ST POTOMAC H I GH SCHOOL • 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6