Kopperl High School

Transcription

KAREEM TATUM: In the spring of 2010, our school was designated as a level four school, which means that over a long period of time, the scores were low and there was not a lot of progress. KEVIN BRENNAN: From that point, there was a sense of urgency that everyone had to turn the school around. Good morning, Union Hill. Today is January 14th... It was a very broken culture. The kids were physically aggressive and verbally aggressive. Very low expectations of teachers as well as students. MARIE MORSE: So there were a lot of issues that had to be addressed, and they had to be addressed kind of all at once, but the most important thing we began with was culture and a can-do attitude in a safe and orderly school. MELINDA BOONE: There's no set formula for school turnaround. Each school is unique in its culture, in its set of needs. These students went from being inept to adept, agile thinkers. BOONE: The best opportunity for turnaround is a quality teacher. What's your denominator? BOONE: We did not invest in a lot of off-the-shelf programs. We invested in that time for professional development, for common planning and those common conversations. NOELIZ IRIZARRY: We had a lot of training, and I think that was important because we came in knowing what we were getting into and with the confidence that we could get it done. The children who live in the surrounding neighborhood of this school face some very tough issues: unemployment, high levels of poverty. So we really looked at the whole family versus just the child, and I think that's made a big difference. We received a full-time school adjustment counselor. We have a lead teacher as well as a coach. The common planning time period turned out to be one of the greatest levers for improvement. It's not that it's my students, it's our students. MORSE: Kids need to know that their teachers care, their principals care, that even when they make a mistake, that it's okay. BOONE: We've seen great growth in student achievement, and that's been a key part of what has caused this school to exit level four status. The progress in a year's time was phenomenal. You see it not just on paper as a test score, but you see their belief in that they're working harder to be here every day and they're working harder when they're here and they're engaged. MORSE: Success breeds success, so once the momentum began to build, there was no stopping anybody. We still have a long way to go, but we have made a tremendous amount of progress. Exiting doesn't mean we can all relax and we don't have to worry about this anymore. It just means we have to continue to step up our game. TATUM: When you see the growth of the students not only academically but socially and emotionally, you know you're here for a reason and you know you're here for a greater purpose, which makes it all worth it.