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Information for Successful Practices
The Successful Practices Network facilitates the sharing of best practices and innovative ideas among its member schools. Each member school is visited by an SPN coach who meets with the leadership team of the school to identify successful practices that will be shared to the full membership. These successful practices range from school program and course curriculum to projects or individual classes’ programs and activities. These successful practices are solicited based on their impact on student achievement and growth. All successful practices are consistent with the idea that rigor relevance and relationships for ALL students. These descriptions are associated with the individual school that submitted them. Successful practices that are reviewed highly are often subjects of future podcasts and webinars to facilitate greater discussion and dissemination.
Benefits:
- “Real world” successful practices that are tested and proven in the schools.
- Connected to shared pedagogy of Rigor/Relevance/Relationships for ALL students
- Format encourages schools to be innovative
- Helps schools who are experiencing challenges find similar schools who are finding success
- Successful practices are used to begin partnerships around persistent problems among member schools.
You can search the Successful Practices by completing the search indicators below. Questions can be directed to Dale Eggebraaten, dale@spnet.us
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Featured Successful Practices
21 August, 2012
Deming High School implemented interdisciplinary Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with their teachers beginning in January 2011. This Share-a-thon event was an extension of the high school’s PLCs. The PLCs were designed to increase teacher collaboration for student learning. The groups, made up of at least one teacher from the core subjects and non-core subjects, met every other week and the Share-a-thon was the culminating project for each of the eight PLCs. Each PLC was responsib...Read more
Components of School Excellence:
- Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate
- Clarify Student Learning Expectations.
- Adopt Effective Instructional Practices.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
- Learner Engagement
- Personal Skill Development
Additional Connections:
- Retention Rate
- Attendance
- Partnerships
- High Expectations
25 October, 2010
Over the past five years, La Serna High School (La Serna) has developed and implemented a series of systematic intervention and prevention programs. The student mentor programs have demonstrated measurable gains in several targeted areas, including increases in graduation rates, California Standards Test (CST) achievement and school connection and involvement. There have also been gains in a-g eligibility, a requirement that ensures that students can participate fully in the first-year progr...Read more
Components of School Excellence:
- Embrace a Common Vision and Goals — Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships for ALL Students.
- Inform Decisions Through Data Systems.
- Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate
- Clarify Student Learning Expectations.
- Address Organizational Structures.
- Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems.
- Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
- Stretch Learning
- Learner Engagement
- Personal Skill Development
Additional Connections:
- Retention Rate
- Graduation Rate
- Dropout Rate
- Partnerships
- Alternative Education Program
17 April, 2012
Students Offering Support (SOS), developed at Woodside High School over the past 21 years, is an established, award-winning, youth education and prevention program whose mission is to offer teens the opportunity to participate in meaningful peer driven roles within the school community. In 1999 Sequoia District acknowledged the success and sustainability of the program and financially supported its dissemination (in collaboration with the Peninsula Community Foundation) to the other three com...Read more
Components of School Excellence:
- Embrace a Common Vision and Goals — Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships for ALL Students.
- Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate
Learning Criteria:
- Personal Skill Development
Additional Connections:
- Retention Rate
- Safe / Orderly Schools
23 September, 2011
According to the National Middle School Association (March, 2002) “...schools must reach out to parents, helping them to become more knowledgeable about young adolescents' developmental needs and concerns, and encouraging ongoing parental involvement in their children's education. A strong home and school connection can create a seamless web of support for children in transition....” Parents and students fear everything from the amount of homework to “mean teachers” and possible “b...Read more
Components of School Excellence:
- Clarify Student Learning Expectations.
- Address Organizational Structures.
- Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems.
- Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
- Learner Engagement
Additional Connections:
- Attendance
- Partnerships
- High Expectations
Public Resource
24 October, 2009
24 October, 2009
High school students have taken their academic experience off "campus", and to a place where their \"classmates\" are 70 to 80 years their senior. Their school is the Orleans County Nursing Home. The alternative education program is a voluntary program that is available to students that have promise but have had some difficulty in the traditional school environment and structure.
Components of School Excellence:
- Embrace a Common Vision and Goals — Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships for ALL Students.
- Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate
- Clarify Student Learning Expectations.
- Adopt Effective Instructional Practices.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
- Stretch Learning
- Learner Engagement
- Personal Skill Development
Additional Connections:
- Attendance
- Internship or Career Shadowing
- Partnerships
- Alternative Education Program
- Multiple Pathways
12 April, 2010
In conjunction with postsecondary partners, community members, parents and school leaders, an array of career pathways, tree maps, and career readiness maps have been developed. Teachers for the required Careers class ensure experiences are provided in each of the six career majors for every Freshman during the first semester. As students select a career major early the second semester, they are guided to concurrently select elective classes that best complement their career aspirations. The ...Read more
Components of School Excellence:
- Clarify Student Learning Expectations.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
- Stretch Learning
- Learner Engagement
- Personal Skill Development
Additional Connections:
- Career Development Plan
- Partnerships
- Multiple Pathways
- High Expectations
20 June, 2011
The goal of this program is for students to develop the ability to make educated guesses about unfamiliar words they encounter when reading. If students can break down unfamiliar words into parts, reading comprehension improves.
Components of School Excellence:
- Embrace a Common Vision and Goals — Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships for ALL Students.
- Inform Decisions Through Data Systems.
- Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate
- Adopt Effective Instructional Practices.
- Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis.
Learning Criteria:
- Learner Engagement
Additional Connections:
- Meeting AYP Reading
- Accelerated / AP Enrollments
- Alternative Education Program
- High Expectations
1 December, 2010
After reading A Whole New Mind and attending the Model Schools Conference, there was a sense of urgency on our team to drastically alter and improve education, for the sake of our kids and country. With the goal of creating more globally competent learners, our entire team developed a system of electives that build rigor, relevance, and relationships for all our kids. The plan became Bowie Power Hour....a powerful time for our kids!
Components of School Excellence:
- Embrace a Common Vision and Goals — Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships for ALL Students.
- Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate
- Adopt Effective Instructional Practices.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
- Stretch Learning
- Learner Engagement
Additional Connections:
- Co-curricular/ Clubs Participation
- Partnerships
- Multiple Pathways
6 April, 2010
"The Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) is a friendly and easy to use learning tool that teaches the 10 modules of the Money Smart curriculum through a computer. The CBI can complement formal classes or enable people to study independently at their own pace."
"Each module generally takes between 20-30 minutes to complete. Students receive ongoing feedback and, upon successful completion of each module, can print out a personalized certificate of completion. "
"The CBI is avail...Read more
"Each module generally takes between 20-30 minutes to complete. Students receive ongoing feedback and, upon successful completion of each module, can print out a personalized certificate of completion. "
"The CBI is avail...Read more
Additional Connections:
- Partnerships
- Multiple Pathways
11 May, 2010
For the past two years, we have found funding for a Pre-Planning workshop. The workshop, held in the days leading up to the beginning of school, invites math, reading and science staff to review FCAT data from the past year, review present teaching assignments, and begin to plan for a successful year. During the three days, speakers are brought in to address whole group needs. Part of the time is also spent in small, content specific sessions focusing on establishing goals and plans for each ...Read more
Components of School Excellence:
- Inform Decisions Through Data Systems.
- Clarify Student Learning Expectations.
- Adopt Effective Instructional Practices.
Learning Criteria:
- Foundation Academic Learning
Additional Connections:
- Meeting AYP Reading
- Meeting AYP Mathematics
- High Expectations
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