West Hills High School Cal-PASS Curricular Alignment Project

Alignment in Your Discipline & Region

Please discuss the following question with a partner,

What do you see as the major issues of alignment between the high school, community college, and university in your region and discipline?

Building on What Has Come Before GUHSD-GCCCD-SDSU Intersegmental English Council

Designing and Implementing Assignment Types

1. Analyzing a Non-Fiction Text

2. Analyzing and Evaluating a Non-Fiction Text

3. Analyzing and Evaluating a Non-Fiction Text Using Outside Sources

4. Investigating a Research Question

Assessments, Data, and Alignment

Assessments

California English/Language Arts Content Standards

English Placement Test (EPT), California Standards Test (CST), and the Subject A

Community College Transfer Level English Course Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives

Regional English Intersegmental Council Findings

Alignment What common skills do these assessments and outcomes emphasize?

Students at each level should

1. be asked to read a variety of non-fiction texts with a focus on rhetorical analysis.

2. be able to demonstrate an understanding of and articulate the argument of a text.

3. be required to do research.

4. examine and use effective structures for writing.

5. understand contexts and purposes of texts.

Our Data

Community College

West Hills High School Students to Grossmont College:English Placement Rates by Term

21%

7%

72%

12%

24%

64%

8%

38%

54%

12%

43% 45%

51%

0%

49%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Fall 00 Fall 01 Fall 02 Fall 03 Fall 04*

Semester/Year

Pre-College College Transfer**

Educational Progress

West Hills High School Students to Grossmont College:Educational Progress as of Spring 2004

* Leavers are no longer enrolled at Grossmont College, have not obtained a degree or certificate, and have not been identified as a transfer student as of Spring 2004.

Obtained Degree/Certificate

Transferred

Degree/Certificate and Transfer

Still Enrolled

Leavers *

CSU

West Hills High School CSU Data 2005Total Freshmen: 68

# West Hills High School

SD County Schools

CA Schools

Exempt from   EPT  

35 51% 43% 37%

Scored 151 or Above on EPT

13 19% 19% 17%

Demonstrated Proficiency  Prior To Enrollment

0 0% 0% 1%

Proficient in English 

48 71% 62% 54%

Not Proficient in English

20 29% 48% 46%

West Hills High School CSU Data 2004Total Freshmen: 48

# West Hills High School

SD County Schools

CA Schools

Exempt from   EPT  

17 35% 41% 33%

Scored 151 or Above on EPT

20 42% 23% 20%

Demonstrated Proficiency  Prior To Enrollment

0 0% 0% 1%

Proficient in English 

37 75% 64% 53%

Not Proficient in English

11 23% 36% 47%

West Hills High School Cal-PASS Curricular Alignment Project The Project’s mission is to achieve a strong curricular alignment between

Secondary, Community College, and University instruction through the thoughtful emphasis of the following common curricular requirements:

the critical reading of expository texts the understanding and articulation of rhetorical analysis of argument

and text structures the comprehension of the purpose and context of text and the use of these skills in the research process.

We will achieve this alignment in our teaching methodologies, curriculum, assessments, professional development, and conversations with our students.

Through our chosen focus of these core skills, our students will be better prepared for college and the workplace.

Why I Joined the Project

The High School/College DisconnectMichael W. Kirst

Students, parents, and K–12 educators are not receiving clear messages about the skills that high school students need to enter and succeed in college.

The High School/College Disconnect

88% of 8th graders say they intend to go to college

Within 2 years of graduation, 70% actually do

Taking a remedial courses in college lowers chance for completing either a two-year or four-year degree or a vocational certificate

National Center for Education Statistics, 2001 Between 1980 and 1993, only 34 percent

of students who took even one remedial reading course completed a two-year or four-year degree

56 percent of students who took no remedial courses at all completed such degrees (What’s stopping 44%?)

Student Attrition-Adelman, 1994

About one-half of first-year students at community colleges do not continue for a second year

At two-year colleges, more than 70 percent of students say that they expect to eventually obtain a bachelor's degree, but only 23 percent actually receive one

About one-fourth of first-year students at four-year colleges do not stay for their second year

More than 40 percent of college students who earn more than 10 credits never complete a two-year or four-year degree

Although Student Finances Are an Important Concern, the Best Will Go on to Complete a Bachelor's Degree Is the Intensity Predictor of Whether a Student and Quality of That Student's Secondary School Curriculum

(Adelman, 1994)

Recruitment

First mention: August 2005 Cece suggests:

Float the job, then mention the stipend. Be clear on the expectations. Start talks about what will go early.

Orientation

Our first meeting was on September 8, 2005. What we did

Review the mission statement What’s Cal-PASS and what’s it about? Discuss findings of the SDEC Inter-Segmental English

Council Read variety of non-fiction with a focus on

rhetorical analysis Demonstrate and articulate a text’s argument Do research Examine and use effective writing structures Understand contexts and purposes of texts

Orientation continues

Start with 11th and 12th grade sequences

Sequence outlines Sample sequences Overwhelming amount of paper

Year 1

Discuss the four phases (semesters) of projectYear 1

Phase (semester) one Overview and orientation Development of 1st sequence for 11th and

12th concurrently

Phase (semester) two Implement 1st sequence at each grade

level Begin second sequence for 11th and 12th

Discuss the four phases (semesters) of projectYear 2

Phase (semester) three Michelle will discuss this in detail next Continue implementation of 1st and 2nd

sequences Begin development of 3rd and 4th

sequences at 11th and 12th

Phase (semester) four Implementation of 3rd and 4th sequences Project evaluation and future planning

What’s a sequence?

Into, through, and beyondDecide on the assessment

How to pick a text

Cali brought some starters Excerpt from the World House selected for 11th “Brave New Girls” selected for 12th

“Parenting as an Industry” “Fighting Tradition” “How We Learn” “The Holocaust” [which I really liked ] “How to Give Orders Like a Man”

Divide and conquer Next meeting: Discuss our reactions

When auditioning texts

Cece says: Have a variety of texts. Teachers are hard

to please. Don’t use someone’s “favorite” piece.

Brave new territory. Let your teachers guide you. They know

their audience.

Working through it

Look at modelsFocus in on the basics: vocabulary;

allusion; literary techniques; structure; tone

Divide the workloadOnline blogs and teaching journals

When developing the sequences Cece says:

Divide the workload, but double up. Expect revisions. Allow time. Encourage tweaking. Time to blog? Maybe. Time to read them?

Not likely.

Start with the easy stuff

Ease in your teachers and students Rhetorical appeals Small units until curriculum can be revised

When developing sequences

Cece says: Cuts will have to be made. It’s better to do

it on the fly year one. Music Mondays for me and PowerPoint for A.

J. Keep a reasonable pace, and build in time to

SHARE!

Revisions, discussion, revision, discussion…burnout

Cece says: It’s a long year. Take time off in the

summer. Encourage intra- and -inter-

implementation groups discussion. It’s therapeutic to suffer together.

Year 2

2nd Year Impression

Teachers’ Perspective

How is this year different from last? Easier to know when kids aren’t getting it Easier for me to understand what I am

supposed to be focusing on 2nd year is more fun: I have confidence

with the texts!

Students’ Perspective

Students who have been exposed to expository texts junior year are so much more willing to do the deeper work with texts this year

Students are willing to take a stab at author’s argument or charting the piece. Not so worried about doing it “wrong”

Student Responses: How is this work different from studying literature?

This text takes reading comprehension one-step further. It doesn’t allow you to cheat.

Brain is more tired. Fiction books are easier because they are stories, and doesn’t really relate to us.

When you read stories, fiction books we tend to accept them but with this text, you are having to question things. This text tries to persuade you when fiction doesn’t really persuade you. Fiction books are entertaining. This text really asks things of you.

1984 novel is an argument. We have to think and it’s different. We have to interpret what he is

saying.

Student Testimonials

“Everything you talked about -- pre-reading, analyzing the text, charting claims and evidence, everything you talked about we did the first week of class!” --Carly S., SDSU RWS100

“I know exactly how to write every papr my professor is having us write this semester!!!! Everyone was looking around like, ‘What the hell is she saying?’ and I was following right along!” Alyssa T., Grossmont College Eng120

Student Testimonials

“So I get to my Rhetorical Writing Class and what is the very first assignment? Hmmm… a recis! And everyone in the class had NO clude what the heck that was!” -- Michelle N, DSU, RWS 100

“Thank you so much for everything you taught me! I’ve used in all my first class at SDSU!” -- Erica C., SDSU RWS 100

Student Testimonials

“Thank you so much for teaching us how to analyze and chunk nonfiction pieces. Our 1st essay is based on two articles and were assigned to ‘mark them up’ . . . If it wasn’t for your class I would be completely lost . . . My instructor talked about using ethos, logos, and pathos in our papers and I was one of the few who knew what they were. I can’t thank you enough for integrating these important college concepts into you class!-Taylor B. Grossmont College Eng 120

Student Testimonials

“My first college paper is due this Friday. Let me just say that you were right about structuring an essay. This paper isn’t supposed to contain my opinion, only the author’s and boy that’s hard! What I learned my senior year has greatly contributed to my success so far. Charting the text exercises were a huge help! Your senior classes will thank you when they get here!” --Brittany D, SDSU RWS 100

And Brittany’s follow up:

“MY FIRST COLLEGE PAPER RECEIVED AN A!!! O.K., AN A- BUT STILL!!!”

Year 3

Implementation of 2 Assignment Sequences at the 9th and 10th grade.

Implementation of 3-4 Assignment Sequences at the 11th and 12th grade.

The revision of existing Assignment Sequences The writing of new Assignment Sequences. The presentation of our work to the English

teachers of our county.

Our Progress so far…

25 point API increase. An increased number of students

attending the CSU. We awaiting the most recent data. Student feedback Teacher Reflections

Please Discuss

What ideas to address your own alignment issues have emerged from the sharing of our process?

Questions????