John F. Kennedy High School Small Learning Community LAUSD

Los Angeles Unified School District John F. Kennedy High School School Impact Report for SLC s

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John F. Kennedy High School Small Learning Community

LAUSD Bulletin 1600

School SLC Impact Report


SCHOOL SLC IMPACT REPORT SIGN-OFF ROUTING SHEET

School Recommendation

________________________________ ________________________________ UTLA Chairperson signature Date ________________________________ ________________________________ School Site Chairperson signature Date ________________________________ ________________________________ Principal signature Date

Local District Superintendent’s Recommendation to Submit School SLC Plan to the Central SLC Committee

________________________________ ________3/3/08__________________ Local District Superintendent’s signature Date Local District #: ___I____________

Local District’s Recommendation to the Superintendent of Schools

________________________________ ________________________________ Local District Superintendent signature Date

Central Committee Approval

________________________________ ________________________________ Central Committee Chairperson signature Date

Superintendent of Schools’ Approval

________________________________ ________________________________ Superintendent of Schools’ signature Date

Name of School: Kennedy High School Location Code: 8725 Principal Name: Christine Clark


Small Learning Communities

School SLC Impact Report For submission to Los Angeles Unified School District Name of School: John F. Kennedy High School Location Code: 8725 School SLC Contact: Name: Christine Clark Title: Principal Mailing Address: 11254 Gothic Ave. Granada Hills, CA Telephone #: 818 363 6794 Fax #: 818 368-3642 Email: [email protected]


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School SLC Impact Report School-wide Summary of SLC Design Proposals The following chart summarizes all Small learning communities as described in each SLC Design Proposal for the school.

Description Freshman Academy Biomedical, Health & Fitness Academy DREAM ST Academy Teacher Career Academy Leadership Academy

MAGNET PROGRAM ARCHITECTURAL/DIGITAL ARTS/FILM MAGNET SCHOOL


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School SLC Impact Report Planning and Organization The following chart summarizes the expected rollout of all SLCs at the school.

Timeline Small Learning Community Name

Expected Date of SLC Initiation

Expected Date for Full Implementation

Freshman Academy 2007 2009

Biomedical, Health & Fitness Academy

2008 2011

DREAM ST Academy 2008 2011

Teacher Career Academy 2008 2011

Leadership Academy 2008 2011


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Kennedy Small Learning Communities

School SLC Impact Report Planning and Organization The Freshman Academy at John F. Kennedy High School is designed as a means of transition from the middle school to the high school environment. By focusing on core academics, character building, and effective study habits, we are preparing our freshmen for the remainder of their high school careers. The Freshman Academy will improve student achievement through collaboration and develop the uniqueness of each student so they may thrive in our community and any other future endeavors they may pursue. The Teacher Career Academy focus is geared to encourage students to pursue careers in the fields of education and early childcare. Within the next five years, approximately two million new teachers will be needed nationally and there will be a great need for educators in the local community as well. Qualified educators in the fields of special education, math and science are in extreme demand. The ambition of the Biomedical, Health & Fitness Academy is to provide students with a career focused educational program that will enable them to gain valuable knowledge and experience with the real working world before they graduate from high school. Students in this SLC will have increased opportunities to build important relationships with staff on campus and mentors outside the school from partnerships with medical and business related organizations in the community.

Awareness • Commitment • Ethics The Leadership Academy will distinguish itself through its focus on building leadership skills. We will prepare students to be tomorrow’s leaders by providing them the opportunity to learn, practice, and utilize a wide range of experiences. Through these experiences, students will be college-prepared and career-ready as well as empowered and encouraged to become leaders in their families, communities, and careers. The LA faculty and staff, with classrooms located in one section of the campus, will guide each student through the process of developing his or her personal philosophy of leadership. Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.

– John F. Kennedy. Training in the DREAM ST prepares graduates for professional careers in a world increasingly dependent upon the arts for its information, entertainment, and cultural enlightenment. DREAM ST offers the California Arts, Media and Entertainment Industry sector with three career pathways: Media and Design Arts Pathway; Performing Arts Pathway and Production and Managerial Arts Pathway These three pathways work in tandem to educate students who will be the next generation of creative artists in the Entertainment Industry.


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Backwards Planning Timeline Date Activity Sept. 2009

All students in SLCs

Sept. 2008

All Freshman in Freshman Academy; all 10th graders in SLCs; some 11th and 12th graders in SLCs.

August 2008

Buy-back SLC meeting

June 2008

Goal Setting for 2008-2009 by SLC

May 2008 Students notified of their SLC; parents meeting about SLCs; weekly lead teacher meetings

April 2008

Counselors schedule students into SLC courses; Weekly lead teacher meetings.

March 26 SLC Carnival Showcase on Quad March 25 Freshman Choice Assembly March 24 Bulletin 1600 presented to Central Committee March 17 Post Bulletin 1600 Office of School Redesign website March 13 Lead Teacher Meeting March 12 Submit Bulletin 1600 to Office of School Redesign March 7 Submit Bulletin 1600 to Local District 1 March 6 Lead Teacher Meeting March 5 DREAM ST to visit Santa Susana SLC March 4 SLC plan to School Site Council March 3 SLC plan to LEARN Council; post plan on school website Feb. 28 Lead Teacher Meeting Feb. 21 BHF all day design team meeting – Devonshire location Jan. 23 Leadership team meeting Jan. 16 BHF planning meeting Jan.11 Leadership planning meeting Jan 7-9 Teaching Careers planning meeting Jan.9 DREAM ST planning meeting Dec. 12 Leadership team meeting Nov. 16 Leadership team meeting Oct. 30 Leadership team meeting Oct. 26 Team writing meeting Oct. 18 Team writing meeting Oct. 16 School wide SLC professional development; breakout groups for teams to present

each SLC. Oct. 12 Leadership team meeting Oct. 10 Team writing meeting Oct. 9 Leadership team meeting Oct. 4 DREAM ST planning meeting Oct. 2 BHT planning meeting Sept. 27 Freshman writing meeting Sept. 14 Freshman writing meeting


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School SLC Impact Report This chart lists those individuals that have been part of the proposal writing/ Design Team process. It does not necessarily document the complete staff of the SLCs. SLC staffing will follow UTLA contract.

Configuration of Design Teams SLC Name Design Team Members - Name Title/Position

Chris Clark Administrator Luis Mascorro Lead Teacher Alece Placencia Counselor Lourdes Garcia-Meza Counselor

Freshman Academy

Tom Ambrecht Administrator Dave Tautkus Music/Lead Teacher Neal Hochhalter Counselor JJ Turner-McMullen Theater/English Alan Goldstein Special Education

DREAM ST Academy

Sherilyn Schwartz Administrator Alexis Yerka Science/Lead Teacher Sandra Hernandez Counselor Bryant Christ Social Science S. Rana Chemistry

Biomedical, Health & Fitness Academy

Mitra Golzy Math/Lead Teacher Penny McMillan English Jeannie Dreyer Counselor

Leadership Academy

Teaching Careers Academy

Jeri Holden Administrator

Jenny Green Lead Teacher Lourdes Garcia Meza Counselor


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School SLC Impact Report Conflict/ Dispute Resolution The Small Learning Community teachers at John F. Kennedy High School have a tradition of cooperation and collaboration related to shared use of resources and facilities. This includes direct communication and discussion in the spirit of cooperation and overall school identity. Since future concerns cannot be predicted we resolve to adhere to the UTLA Contract in all areas covered for dispute and resolutions. ARTICLE VIII SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES 2.0 Process for Conversion Schools: a. The school Principal works with all school stakeholders, including the UTLA Chapter Chair, to initiate the design process and to determine the impact of potential SLCs on all other programs and on the entire school campus. Issues to be discussed and considered shall include the attributes, including equitable services in the utilization of school facilities, schedules, grade spans, and staffing.


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School SLC Impact Report Utilization of Space It is the goal of John F. Kennedy High School to house the core classes of each small learning community in the SLC’s own contiguous space. However, not all space on campus can be allocated in this way. Some academic facilities must be shared. This is especially true for classes that are complex-wide and that require the total school enrollment in order to create a section of students. The Assistant Principals assigned to SLCs, working collaboratively with the SLC Lead Teachers will prepare a plan and schedule for moving into contiguous space that recognizes the need for equity of the shared spaces. SLCs that offer A.P. classes, language classes, electives, or similar classes that may not be available campus wide or available on site on a frequent basis will provide space, wherever possible, for students from other SLCs who seek to enroll and participate in these special classes. In such classes, the SLC programming the class will have first opportunity to enroll its students in the class, but no student who is otherwise eligible to take the class and who desires to do so will be excluded from the class if there is available space on the class roster based on school norms for that class and subject. The Freshman Academy has its own specialized environment located in the south bungalow area. Working with Architects for Achievement and LAUSD facilities, we will also create an outdoor gathering and garden space. Additionally, the Freshman Academy is divided into four Houses; each House has adjacent rooms as close as possible. We envision DREAM ST to be primarily located in the M, E, K, Lower B, the North Plaza buildings and the Little Theater. For obvious reasons DREAM ST needs the facilities located near the auditorium building. By using and enhancing existing spaces, the Academy is ready immediately to start operating in the existing space. The synergy created by DREAM ST members being housed in buildings near one another is essential in a projects based environment. Students in different classes may be working on joint projects and need to be close to each other and DREAM ST facilities. This is especially important for the teachers teaching core subjects. Having our core teachers in the same area allows teachers to collaborate easily so that core topics can reinforce learning in the arts and visa versa. Sharing a space is the first step in creating that community. We envision a space where Biomedical, Health & Fitness students can work on their culminating projects, a place that includes the tools and technology to support the projects. In addition, teachers envision a collaborative workspace to meet with one another, students and parents. Staff and students have begun to discuss and explore ideas that will promote safety, security and academic success in the BHF building. SLC space will ultimately include satellite administrative, clerical and counselor offices.


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Shared Spaces The master calendar will be used to identify, on a monthly basis what shared spaces (e.g., the auditorium, the library) are reserved and at what time of day. The calendar will make it clear when shared spaces are available for instructional or activity use during the week. SLC Teachers and staff will reserve key shared areas using an Activity Request Form. Room utilization will be collaboratively planned with SLC administrators working in coordination with the site principal at the beginning of each semester to ensure that all small learning communities have equal access to classrooms and that, if traveling of teachers becomes necessary, the impact is fairly balanced among all the small learning communities. Within the John F. Kennedy High School Campus, shared spaces include the following areas of the campus:

Main Building - ground floor Student Cafeteria Theater Quad/Outdoor stage area Gymnasium and Physical Education facilities Music Building Library Media Center Shops Laboratory Science Rooms Computer Labs


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School SLC Impact Report

Time Class/Bell Schedule Current bell schedules will continue. If an individual SLC requests consideration for a different bell schedule they will follow the UTLA contract: Article IX, 9.0.

Regular Bell Schedule Banked Time Bell Schedule - Staff Development

Period Begin End Period Begin End

1 7:56 8:48 1 7:56 8:35 Cougar Time 8:55 9:18

Cougar Time 8:42 8:53

2 9:25 10:17 2 9:00 9:39

3 10:27 11:19 3 9:49 10:28

4 11:27 12:19 4 10:35 11:14

Lunch 12:18 12:50 Lunch 11:14 11:46

5 12:57 1:49 5 11:53 12:32

6 1:56 2:48 6 12:39 1:18

Minimum Day Bell Schedule

Period Begin End

1 7:56 8:29

Cougar Time 8:36 8:47

2 8:54 9:26

3 9:33 10:06

Brunch 10:06 10:31

4 10:38 11:10

5 11:17 11:49

6 11:56 12:28


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School SLC Impact Report Professional Development The school will participate in all professional development set through LAUSD/UTLA. Professional Development topics will be determined as per LAUSD/UTLA Contract. SLCs will address their specific PD in each proposal and reflect upon their needs annually. As John F. Kennedy High School is in the process of conversion to Small learning communities, it is important to keep in mind that the basic objective of SLCs is improved student achievement. The school has increased their API 7 points, but did not meet their AYP goals in two areas. In addition, the school has experienced an increase in Freshman retention, increased discipline referrals, and decreased GPA. We believe that our move into SLCs and the changes that will take place in instruction, will lead to improved student achievement. These changes will require considerable focused professional development. To help lay a foundation for success experiences in the SLCs, 10th through 12th grade, and to increase the matriculation rate from 9th to 10th grade thereby increasing the graduation rate within 4 years, a Freshman Academy was implemented in Fall 2007. So far, the results are promising. The Fall 2008 semester grades show a significant increase in the number of students passing English Language Arts. We are in the planning stages of opening a three other SLCs in the Fall of 2009. (These are SLCs based on current programs.) All SLCs are new structures and a paradigm shift to a more transparent and collaborative approach to everything we do. Clearly we all need professional development for a successful implementation. Professional Development for the staff will include the following:

Personalization Assessment and grading practices Asset Building Advisory and student advocacy models Thematic/Career Integration Outreach with feeder schools and post high school institutes of learning Strategies to assist struggling students to accessing grade level standards Effective use of data to assess student progress and needs Authentic forms of assessments to reflect on instructional practices and well and

to determine intervention strategies for struggling students Metacognition Effective use of data to inform practice Scaffolding lessons Student directed learning and evaluation Strategies to assist struggling students to accessing grade level standards Instructional Coherence


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Authentic forms of assessments to reflect on instructional practices and well and to determine intervention strategies for struggling students

Effective Project based learning Portfolio assessments Lesson calibration Parent and Community Collaboration Parent involvement in learning at home Parents as partners Differentiation Collaboration, co-teaching and co-planning for classes with special ed. students Effective Project-based learning Professional Practices Lesson Study Communication skills as part of a professional learning community Team teaching Portfolio assessments Evaluating rigor Administrators as support for the instructional program Strategies to assist struggling students to accessing grade level standards

The Freshman Academy team members will collaborate in developing protocols, creating interdisciplinary lesson plans. In addition, House members will expand on AVID methodologies to discuss, analyze and review community issues that might be relevant to the success of their students. The coordinator will train House members on different AVID methodologies and each House will collaborate on deciding how to best implement the strategy in the classroom. Freshman Academy teachers will collaborate as a team to address interdisciplinary standards and goals; address unity and strengthen the Academy’s Vision and Identity; create consensus on protocols and expectations for the success and harmony of the Freshman Academy; collaborate on best practice strategies learning and sharing; and analyze data and in order to plan how to improve our practice. The Leadership Academy’s professional development will focus on leadership skills training so as to integrate that into all classroom instruction. Some leadership opportunities, such as the Youth Summit, will be open to students, and others to parents as well. Workshops and conferences will include:

AVID Institute Character-Based Citizenship® Winter Institute Computer Using Educators (CUE) California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) California Mathematics Council Conference John Hopkins Institute College Board workshop on vertical teaming SAT Preparation Criminal Law training seminar


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Asset training Conference on Information Technology Clay Roberts, Developmental Assets:

• Building Developmental Assets in School Communities • Deepening Asset Building in School Communities

The Biomedical, Health & Fitness Academy professional development will focus on how-to examine student work, develop interdisciplinary lessons, examine data, and reflect on progress. At the end of the school year, the staff will meet to plan the 2008-2009 professional development calendar. It is anticipated that the calendar will include an in-depth study of standards-based assessment and grading practices based on the work of Dr. Douglas Reeves on “ The Key to Unlocking Student Achievement” and “Standards, Assessment and Accountability.” The staff is currently developing a common set of behavior expectations that is above and beyond the schoolwide “Cougar Contract.”

The Teacher Career Academy professional develop plan is to develop cross-curricular experiences specific to TCA. Within these cross-curricular experiences, instruction will be aligned with academic standards and differentiated instruction. This would include using our school wide strategies- Thinking Maps, Cornell Notetaking, Cooperative Learning, and Peer Observations- to inform instruction and lead to further personalization. We also hope to collect student data within the SLC to monitor and assess their progress and make revisions to instructional strategies and curriculum as needed to improve student achievement.

DREAM ST will assemble and review assessment and other data collected from the student population and analyze it for strengths, weaknesses, and areas of concentration. The data will guide the staff in developing new strategies and modifying existing strategies with the goal of overall increased achievement and in its selection of PD topics for study and improvement. DREAM ST will also concentrate on PD that infuses content areas with more arts-related texts and materials, as well as teaching strategies not normally associated with all core subjects. We are planning a free PD training with LA’s Cornerstone Theatre Company titled “Theatre Tools in the Classroom,” which provides strategies for teaching in all subject matters using a variety of verbal and nonverbal techniques, and other similar opportunities are being arranged. experience for DREAM ST students, and helping the faculty, staff, and administration develop a personalized environment in our SLC community. ARTICLE IX- B – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2.0 Banked Time for Professional Development.

g. (i) One-half of the annual total of banked professional development time shall be dedicated to programs or activities (including teachers working with one another and with site administrators to improve instruction) which are determined at the school site by the Local School Leadership Council pursuant to Article XXVII, Section 2.4. Any such program or activity, including transportation, must be cost neutral to the District. The other half of annual banked professional development time shall be dedicated to


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programs and/or activities determined by the District, acting through the site administrator, the Local District or the Central office. ARTICLE XXVII - SHARED DECISION MAKING AND SCHOOL BASED MANAGEMENT 2.4 Functions and Responsibilities: The local school leadership councils shall consider all points of view and shall solicit the advice and counsel of parent organizations, other employee groups and all other interested parties. The local councils shall have the following functions and responsibilities:

b. Determination of the following matters: (1) Staff development program


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School SLC Impact Report Staffing Staffing Procedures For the staffing of the SLCs the UTLA contract language will apply. In order to bring more teachers into the decision-making process, we have surveyed the staff about what SLC they are interested in working with to develop Bulletin 1600. After this Bulletin has been approved, formal Teacher Preference Requests will be provided to all staff asking each one to prioritize interests in teaching in each of the SLC’s, and these preferences will be strongly considered when staffing assignments are made. The site Principal, working in collaboration with SLC administrators and appropriate District personnel, will facilitate staffing assignments and make the final determinations regarding staff assignments. All certificated staff will be assigned to an SLC with the desire that they are in harmony and concordance with all the specific SLC proposal attributes especially Vision and Accountability and Distributed Leadership, as a means to improve student achievement. In order to build and enhance personalization, teachers will be assigned, to the greatest extent possible, to teach students in their SLC, and they will be assigned to teach as many classes as possible within their SLC. In order to meet the A–G requirements and for other sound educational reasons, it may be necessary on occasion to assign certificated staff to teach shared classes or to teach classes that are outside (passport) of their SLCs. Below are some examples of courses and current staff that fit into the category of passport classes:

Applied Technology Visual and Performing Arts First and second year ESL Classes Foreign language classes Special Education Classes Advanced Placement Classes Leadership Yearbook Athletics

Teacher-initiated transfers between SLCs will only be considered at the end of an academic school year, in June, as part of the regular staffing procedures that each SLC will follow. This process is in consideration of continuity of instruction and coherence. Requests for transfers between SLCs should be made to the school administrator by April 15th of the current academic year. Staff Positions These positions will be assigned school wide rather than assigned to a specific SLC:


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Psychiatric Social Worker(s) Technology Lead Teacher PSA Counselor School Psychologist School Nurse Dean(s) of Students (elected) Some clerical positions Categorical Program Coordinator Academic Coaches Security personnel Custodians Cafeteria workers Other positions to be determined by approval of SSC

Administrators Administrator will be assigned to each small learning community. Administrators of SLCs, in collaboration with their small learning community staff, will address personnel issues (in conjunction with the UTLA Chapter Chair as appropriate under the UTLA Contract), organize budgets, and coordinate discipline procedures (as per UTLA contract, Article XXIV) in collaboration with the teachers assigned to their SLCs. SLC administrators and Lead Teachers are expected to hold staff meetings within their small learning communities as per UTLA guidelines. The Lead Teacher, administrator and dean will also provide basic discipline and ensure safety for students within their communities in conjunction with the governance bodies (as per UTLA contract, Article XXIV). In addition they may also:

Interface with parents, and supporting businesses Assist with the preparation of matrixes and master schedules for their SLCs Prepare and lead productive staff development activities specific to their SLCs Provide support for instruction. Ensuring a productive and successful high school experience for all their

students. Counselors As much as possible one or more counselor(s) will be assigned to each small learning community. The counselor for each small learning community will be responsible for programming all students within that small learning community. The counselor will ensure that all students have equal access to a rigorous standard based curriculum that meets A–G requirements by monitoring students for intervention. He or she will serve as liaison between teachers and parents or guardians. Counselors will develop a graduation plan with each student, beginning in the Freshman, and will review each plan with students’ parents or guardians annually.


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Clerical Staff John F. Kennedy High School will work to provide each SLC with one full-time clerk. The clerical person will support the administrator, Lead Teacher and counselor in their daily duties. In addition, he or she will establish and maintain clerical procedures in the office, arrange appointments and meetings, prepare correspondence and memoranda, and maintain attendance and cumulative records. The SLC clerks will also prepare reports and perform other duties as assigned. Custodial Staff John F. Kennedy High School will retain its current custodial staff. There are three custodians assigned to the day shift and eight custodians assigned to the evening shift. The custodial staff will continue providing service to the entire campus.

Staffing ARTICLE VIII SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES 4.0 Staffing, Vacancies and Transfers The faculty members of the SLC’s design team (assuming that they fairly reflect the overall staff at the site in terms of demographics and subject matter, and their assignments are consistent with other district staffing policies such as Staff Integration, Rodriguez Decree and the like) shall be assigned to the SLC upon its approval, and from that time forward the SLC shall be treated the same as a separate school for purposes of staffing, transfers, displacements and filling of openings. Thus, after the design team has been assigned, the initial remaining positions with the SLC shall be filled first with volunteers, if any, from the site pursuant to Article XI, Section 16.0. Once that process is completed, the SLC shall be able to fill the remainder of the planned faculty positions (and any later new openings) the same as any other separate school site. Similarly, for purposes of future staff reductions/displacements, the SLC will be treated the same as a separate school site. Once the initial full faculty is identified, assignments to classes etc. shall be made in compliance with Article IX. 5.0 Protection of Employee Rights Subject to the provisions of this Article, and unless otherwise agreed to by UTLA and the District, all provisions, rights, obligations, duties, and other requirements set forth in the Agreement shall be applicable to approved SLCs as separate schools, including but not limited to uniform staffing procedures (Art. IXA, Sec. 2.0), transfers (Art. XI), and UTLA rights (Art. III), and the implementation of SLCs is not intended to diminish the rights contained in this Agreement. The contract waiver process available under Article XXVII, Sections 3.2 and 3.4 shall also be available to SLCs. 6.0 SLC Leadership

a. If an SLC design includes provisions for department chairs, grade level chairs, deans or other out-of-the-classroom positions, they shall be chosen according to the procedures of this Agreement. However, a SLC may choose not to propose these positions.

b. SLCs shall be led by a principal, an assistant principal, or a Lead Teacher under the supervision of an administrator. A SLC may choose through its design to have a Lead Teacher as a school leader, with the approval of the local school administrator


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responsible for faculty evaluation. The Lead Teacher shall be chosen and shall serve pursuant to the election of full time school site Lead Teacher provisions (Article IX-A, Sec. 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0).

c. In those approved SLCs led by an AP (an evaluating administrator), the SLC may choose to select a Lead Teacher to assist the SLC’s administrator. The duties of the Lead Teacher in assisting the administrator shall be worked out collaboratively, with the final approval of the Superintendent or Central designee of the Superintendent. Lead Teachers shall be elected annually by the faculty of the SLC, excluding substitutes and contract pool teachers. Lead Teachers must have permanent status as a District employee before election to a Lead Teacher position. The Superintendent or central designee may request that there be a change in the Lead Teacher when such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the educational program of the District. In that case, the faculty of the SLC shall elect a replacement.

ARTICLE IX-A ASSIGNMENTS 2.0 Uniform Staffing

b. Requests: Teachers with appropriate credentials and necessary qualifications may, using a teacher preference form or other locally determined method, request assignment to specific class(es) within a department (secondary) or track (multi-track). Teachers on leave who are scheduled to return shall participate in the selection process.

d. (2) Departments: The department in which a permanent teacher is considered for assignment purposes shall be the one in which the teacher has taught for the major portion of teaching time during the most recent six semesters of classroom teaching experience. This recent experience provision shall not apply when a teacher applies to a position unfilled after all teachers in the department have had the opportunity to submit requests.¹

(3) Classes: Classes within a department shall be distributed by the principal (or designee) in consultation with the elected department chairs, in a fair and equitable manner, taking into account seniority and educational program needs.

(4) Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 apply in the circumstances described therein. e. Dispute Resolution Procedure (Elementary and Secondary Track Assignments

and Elementary Grade Assignments For Permanent Teachers): If differences arise as the result of the site administrator’s assignments of permanent teachers (but not as the result of the assignment of non-permanent teachers, whose assignments are not subject to any dispute resolution or grievance procedure) pursuant to subsections c and d immediately above, the determination as to whether the assignment was inappropriate shall be handled under the procedures of Article V-A.

f. Dispute Resolution Procedure (Secondary Class Assignments For Permanent Teachers): In the case of a dispute as to the assignment of a permanent secondary teacher to classes (but not as the result of the assignment of non-permanent teachers, whose assignments are not subject to any dispute resolution or grievance procedure), the dispute shall be resolved solely pursuant to the procedures of Article V-A, subject to the following:


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(1) Assignments to leadership classes and all athletic assignments shall not be subject to any dispute resolution procedure.

(2) The Joint Panel charged with resolving the dispute under Article V-A shall have the authority to overrule a site administrator’s secondary class assignment only 2004-2006 UTLA Contract 6/30/05 46 Article IX-A – Assignments upon a specific finding that the assignment is arbitrary and capricious. The decision of the panel shall be final and finding.

g. Alleged violations of the procedures set forth in subsections e and f above are subject to the grievance procedure of Article V; the substance of the assignment decision is not. 2.1 Staffing Procedures After the Initial Selection Through The Fifth Week of School Year or Track: The following procedures apply to staffing decisions which occur after the completion of the initial spring selection process and before norm date or the end of the 5th week of school or track (whichever is sooner):

a. The principal and department or grade level chair working together shall reasonably determine who will fill the opening or vacancy.

b. In doing so, they shall utilize the teacher preference forms or locally determined method for identifying teacher preference and shall take into account seniority and educational program needs.

c. If an agreement is not reached or if the parties prefer, the openings and vacancies shall be filled by a new hire, transferee, substitute, or auxiliary assignment. 2.2 Staffing Procedures After Norm Day: If an opening or vacancy occurs in a teaching position, that vacancy shall be filled by a new hire, transferee, substitute, or auxiliary assignments (secondary). 2.3 Staffing Procedures for Spring Semester or Subsequent Tracks in Secondary Schools: Any opening or vacancy shall be filled pursuant to Section 3.2 of this Article. As applicable, disputes may be resolved as per - ARTICLE V-A – ALTERNATE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE


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School SLC Impact Report School-wide Programs and Activities The following lists Programs and activities available to students school-wide on all tracks

Freshman 10th Grade

11th Grade

12th Grade

AP Classes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Electives Yes Yes Yes Yes

Athletics Yes Yes Yes Yes

Adult School Yes Yes Yes Yes

ROP Yes Yes Yes Yes

ESL Yes Yes Yes Yes

Special Ed. Yes Yes Yes Yes


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School SLC Impact Report Student Interventions SLC specific interventions are listed in individual SLC Proposals. The following services for students are available school-wide for students at the grade levels indicated:

TARGETED STUDENTS

Description PROGRAM REQUIRED BY DISTRICT (YES/NO)

All Title I Tutoring – Individualized content area assistance includes Vantage program No

11th and 12th CAHSEE Prep Program Yes SLC students at-risk Each SLC will offer interventions within and

outside of the school day, providing tutoring as needed

No

Freshman Academy will hold weekly advisory sessions for students and their mentor teacher. Students and teachers will work together to solve academic and discipline problems during these advisories. Students will not feel like they are “missing” when at school.. Through active encouragement, teachers will involve and communicate with parents via Teleparent, parent-teacher conferences, and a monthly parent newsletter written by students. Teachers will try to personally call the 20% lowest achieving students. When necessary, if the student is not meeting the standards, the parent will be invited to attend a day or more of school with their child to give the teachers feedback and to collaborate with them to find possible ways to help the student succeed. Teachers will also communicate to the parents through the different mentioned resources the successes that students are achieving in the classroom and in the community. The Freshman Academy wants to celebrate every student’s success and encourage all students to succeed. Link Crew, funded by a separate grant, is a high school transition program that welcomes freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, Link Crew trains members of the junior and senior class to be link leaders. As positive role models, Link Leaders are motivators, leaders and teachers who guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school. Link crew members will meet will ninth graders every Friday for to expose them to clubs, sports, guest speakers, and other extra-curricular activities that freshmen may get involved in. During morning public announcements coaches and club members will announce school-wide the different meeting times when such activities will be conducted.

The Freshman Academy has a Resource Specialist to work with our students who have special needs. Students with these needs are designated as Resource students and are monitored by a Resource Specialist. Our Resource Specialist will co-teach in a collaboratively environment with an English teacher as part of our Freshman Academy


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House. Kennedy also has collaborative co-planning and co-teaching in the mathematics classrooms. The Resource Specialist also serves as an intermediary and advocate for these students and works closely with the Freshman Academy teachers in her Freshman Academy House to help them make any special accommodations in the classroom to best meet their needs. The Freshman Academy will also have a Special Day Class (SDC) teacher who will have her own classroom within the Freshman Academy. She will work with students with exceptional needs. The Resource Specialist works with the Academy counselor to evaluate any existing achievement data, and administers pre-test evaluations to the students in the areas of mathematics and English language arts.

After-school tutoring will be offered for all core academic subjects to members of the Academy. The Freshman Academy will provide exclusive after school tutoring for ninth graders. To promote higher learning, students who excel in their core courses will be asked to help tutor their peers. Additionally, student tutors will be encouraged to participate in Advanced Placement and/or honors courses. Students in the ninth grade will be able to take honors English and math courses as well Advanced Placement Biology. Parents and students will be informed of the days, times, and locations of the tutoring and invited to attend as often as possible. During common planning time, the Leadership Academy staff will review students’ progress using current data – attendance, grades, work samples, CSTs, etc. – in order to support student academic success. Staff will modify curriculum as needed, assist one another in interdisciplinary ways as appropriate and design extended learning opportunities that serve the needs of the students. For example, if the students need additional support in a course that is not supported with after-school tutoring, our SLC staff will seek funding to provide that support. In addition, students who are advanced and/or proficient will be teamed with students who need extra support. It will be critical, however, that intervention within the school day take place so that teachers reteach in different ways and provide additional opportunities for students to gain mastery of the identified course standards. An after-school study hall, monitored by a rotating group of academy teachers, will provide all academy students with a place to congregate and focus on academic improvement. For our struggling students in the Teacher Career Academy, we provide structured academic interventions in the Science Tutoring Lab staffed by our science teachers, a math Tutoring Lab staffed by CSUN students provided by Project GRAD, the Extended Learning Academy. A unique intersession is also offered twice within our academic school year to provide remediation as needed.


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School SLC Impact Report Student Choice All Freshman students will be enrolled in the Freshman Academy. The students will be divided into four Houses; each heterogeneously grouped House will service students with diverse academic needs, ranging from SDC to gifted. Houses will have an average of 200 students. Students in each House will be enrolled in English 9 A/B, inter-coordinated science, life skills, and health as part of their Freshman Academy course selection. Students will also be enrolled in their appropriate level of math, physical education and an elective class. The master schedule will be set up so there is at least one honors and one shelter class in every House to ensure that students are enrolled in the appropriate classes. Throughout the year, students in the Freshman Academy will be informed about the SLC available in 10th through 12th grade. During the Spring semester, Freshman students will select their SLC. A recruitment fair for matriculating students will be held in the spring of each school year. Representatives of each SLC will also visit Health/Life Skills classes to highlight each SLC and recruit interested students. All SLCs will work collaboratively to share information to students and parents. All recruitment strategies will be equitable in the areas of time, resources, advertisement, announcements etc. as agreed upon by the SLC Lead Teachers. Students may request a transfer to another SLC only once within their school career. This will ensure that students benefit from the personalization, structure and academic focus embedded in the SLC to enhance student achievement.


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School SLC Impact Report Community Resources/Partnerships Kennedy High School has partnered with Valley Education Collaborative (VEC), a non-profit organization created to provide scholarships and educational opportunities to students residing in the San Fernando Valley so that they can obtain a college or vocational education. The collaborative is responsible for ensuring A-G implementation at three high schools in the San Fernando Valley, including Kennedy, that are a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Meetings are held monthly to plan strategies to advocate for creating positive change that will result in every student graduating prepared for entry and success in universities and the 21st century workplace. State Senator Richard Alarcon, a product of the LAUSD, helped spearhead the group's formation. He said the organization will encourage students not only in the classroom, but also in dealing with life issues that often adversely affect schoolwork in lower-income areas. Those outside-the-classroom issues - gangs and drugs, problems at home, lack of health and dental care - are too often overlooked in the effect they can have in the dropout rates and in preparing for college. Each year our career advisor organizes a comprehensive career fair. Students in the 11th and 12th grade are given an assignment in their Social Studies class to research three careers and then attend the fair, finding out specifics about those careers. Many students attend the fair in “professional dress” and are interviewed on the spot. This year some of our participants included: Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Universal Technical Institute, Coast Guard, Ford Motors, Valley College of Medical Careers, Los Angeles Fire Department Cal Trans, LAUSD Career Ladder, Van Nuys Airport, West Valley Occupational Center, Advanced Manufacturing Training, Six Flags, City of San Fernando, Cesar Chavez Committee, Mary Kay, North Valley Campus Education & Career Center, Video Symphony TV & Film School, Carpenters Apprenticeship Program, New York Film Academy, Warner Center Marriott, Los Angeles Mission College Culinary Arts Institute, North West College, CalTrans, Marines, and Marinello Beauty School. In addition, each SLC has developed a plan to include parents and community/business partnerships. The Freshman Academy will partner with local and Southern California Colleges such as University of California Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara, California State Universities of Los Angeles, Dominguez Hills, and Northridge, students will attend at least one of these campuses during their 9th grade year to learn about the college application process but more importantly about the college requirements. Parents will be invited to attend this excursion. Parents and other community members will collaborate with the faculty of the Freshman Academy to invite guest speakers such as managers, mechanics, and other business that surround our community. Guest speakers will be invited into the different classroom to serve as positive role models for our students and to provide the students with the opportunity to


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practice their inquiry strategies. In collaboration with the JROTC and School, based Navy students will also see guest speakers that belong to these categories. Teachers, coordinators and counselors will work together to identify struggling students and to intervene at the earliest opportunity. Once a student has been identified, the coordinator and counselor will arrange a round table meeting where the parent, the student, the teacher, and the coordinator will discuss and determine the best way to improve the student’s success. Intervention may be determined by the stakeholders as after-school, before school or lunchtime tutoring. Teachers will use AVID methodologies in the classroom to allow student to review and analyze the standards that need to be mastered. Parents will be important collaborators in The Freshman Academy. Thus, they will be invited to attend orientation meetings, awards ceremonies, student performances, picnics and community meetings. Parents were involved in the development of the Freshman Academy, giving their suggestion on desired students’ outcome for the Freshman Academy via a survey during our first ninth grade orientation. Some parents provided their personal information and made them-selves available to be active members of our Freshman Academy Advisory Committee. During PHBAO nights in the fall and in the spring, evening meetings for parents will be held to present the other five small learning communities that will be available so that parents can help their child make an informed decision for the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. In addition, all stakeholders will be invited to the Freshman Academy Advisory Committee meetings that will take place at least once a month, where surveys will be handed out to stakeholders in order to assess and receive feedback from the community. Additionally, a newsletter containing meeting content and program updates will be posted on the school website. The Parent Center will serve as an information center for all parents regarding SLCs and school-wide training, events and resources with special attention to families with Freshman. In order to maximize personalization, SLCs’ parent and community partnerships will each have a unique focus reflecting their visions. Biomedical, Health & Fitness Academy already has an extensive list of community partners including several hospital and medical facilities as well as educational institutions including Kaiser, Oliveview Medical Center and Holy Cross Hospital; Pierce College, Occupational Center and Community College; and CSUN. Community partners will provide volunteers, internship and job opportunities. Community partners will also provide mentors, guest speakers and scholarships. The hospitals provide opportunities for our students to volunteer and experience the real-world applications of their BHF education. UCLA provides Saturday classes for students and their teachers in the area of Physics and Chemistry. UCLA sends buses to Kennedy High School to transport the teacher and students participating. USC Medical Core is also a weekend program for our students to experience college while still in high school. Students are picked up at Kennedy and transported to USC to take courses in math and science. They also provide mentors and speakers to BHF classes. Valley College offers BHF staff and students use of their laboratories and professors to supplement our courses. We plan to


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highlight our community partners with frequent visits to advisories and promoting job placement for our juniors and seniors. The Teacher Career Academy maintains an ongoing collaborative relationship with various community organizations including Pacoima Beautiful, Project GRAD, Generation Earth, Project Citizen, O’Melveny Elementary, and the city of San Fernando. These organizations are essential in providing internships, service-learning opportunities, enriched educational programs, and real-life applications of curriculum. TCA also collaborates with potential employers in our community such as the city of San Fernando Public Works, Clean and Green, Metropolitan Water District, and Career Ladder. These partnerships provide activities that aid in the development of curriculum while simultaneously exposing the students to various career paths. For example, the Metropolitan Water District hosts the Annual Solar Cup Boat Race. Teams are recruited from a number of schools and are given the opportunity to design, build, and race a solar powered boat. This participation exposes students to a variety of career paths within their workforce as students work with their engineers, electricians, and scientists. Further collaboration exists between the TCA and the Career Ladder. This organization provides paid internships giving students exposure to numerous educational fields. They are placed in secondary classrooms as paraprofessionals where their duties can range from grading papers to teaching a lesson. Not only does this organization offer our students career opportunities, it is also a district resource that helps in guiding our curriculum. One example is the “EdTrip” offered exclusively to our TCA students. Recently they participated in a hands-on ecological excursion and surveyed a natural habitat. Through this experience, they gained first hand knowledge in conducting field experiments and analyzing data. For their culminating event, students presented their scientific findings, evaluated peers, and participated in a reflective discussion on their experiences and data presented. Postsecondary collaborations include our work with CSUN, Mission College, and CSULA. Through these institutions, our students are provided opportunities to enroll in college courses and further their educational goals while still in high school. Professional development and tutoring is provided through CSUN and CSULA. In the future, we plan to expand our partnerships to include, but not limited to, numerous postsecondary institutions such as Loyola Marymount University, Mount Saint Mary’s, Pepperdine, UCLA, and USC. At some of these universities, Phi Delta Kappa- the Professional Fraternity in Education- is active and strong and would be an invaluable partner. In past years, they have invited our students to attend their Future Educators’ Institute in an effort to excite young people about the field of education by offering relevant information and activities. In the Teacher Career Academy, students begin completing internships in the summer before their 11th grade through the LAUSD Career Ladder. Students attend classes once weekly while working for an elementary or middle school teacher 4 days a week. The emphasis is on classroom observation, basic pedagogy in areas of need, Science


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and Special Education. The mentors work with students in the classroom, promoting professionalism of teachers, as well as how to fulfill credits to qualify for college, scholarships and job opportunities. Many of our students have come back to work at our school as Adult T.A.’s through the Career Ladder. Students in their 10th and 11th grade year also work in the community with elementary students, teaching and tutoring in the classroom through Careers with Children class. The Apprenticeship class will allow students to further their tutoring and include basic teaching and classroom management skills as well as basic skills needed to run a classroom. We are hoping through the use of CPA funds, to expand our tutoring program to two semesters as well as the Apprentice Teaching program and include more middle school and elementary schools, especially Science and Special Education classrooms. Community business partners will also be members of our DREAM ST advisory board and essential to the success of our program so that our students can successfully compete beyond Kennedy, either in post-secondary educational goals or entry-level positions. Our business partners will consult with teachers and students on the latest trends and needs in the media and performing arts areas. Our business partners will also provide access to internships, mentors and support for teachers and students alike. Business partners will consult on the equipment needs ensuring that Kennedy students have access to equipment that is industry standard. Our advisory board will guide our academy to maintain its rigor, ensure its relevance to the community and its business partners. The Advisory board will meet on a bi-monthly basis at the school site and at a time convenient to all students, parents and business partners. The team will review student work and evaluate facilities to insure that DREAM ST and its students are receiving instruction relevant to their prospective fields. We currently have partnerships with many businesses in the community and we will continue to foster more. Partnerships include: USC School of Film; Directors Guild of America; Writers Guild of America; Temecula International Film and Music Festival; R & B artist, Freddy Cannon; CSUN; Cal Arts; Center Theatre Group; Disney; ABC; NBC; Saban; Telemundo; Univision; Universal and DREAM Design. The Lead Teacher and the Write Team are continually seeking other partnership opportunities. Potential students and staff members make many of the recommendations for partnerships.

John F. Kennedy High School Small Learning Community LAUSD

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