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Secondary Education Blueprint

Breakout Session Topics

The breakout sessions will focus on one of the Blueprint recommendations for the 2008-09 budget year. More in depth descriptions of each of the recommendations are listed below each session title.

Session A : Summer Academy for Rising Ninth Grade Students and Orientation Sessions for Parents of Incoming Ninth Grade Students:
In this session, participants will review draft guidelines and reflect on their current efforts to prepare new high school students for the expectations and routine of the high school setting, as well as to provide ninth grade parents with information they need to support this critical transition.

Session B : Individualized Graduation/Transition Plans for all Rising Ninth Grade Students:
In this session, participants will review and provide input on draft plans to develop an online graduation planning tool for students grades 6-12. The tools are being designed with the following goals: to ensure early and careful planning and tracking of school progress toward graduation for all high school students beginning in ninth grade; establish collaboration and articulation between K-8 and high schools; and, to promote continuity and tailored support for each student; provide receiving schools with key information regarding incoming students.

Session C : Establish Four-Year Advisories for all High School Students, Benefits and Pitfalls:
In this session, participants will discuss the possibilities for using advisories as a strategy for creating personalized learning environments, and for providing continuity of support for students throughout upper grades, and particularly through the ninth-tenth grade transition.

Session D : Establish Student Success Centers to Provide Coordinated Strategic Supports for all High School Students:
In this session, participants will learn about, reflect on implications for their own school, and discuss the role of the principal in, Student Success Centers as school-based infrastructures for providing a network of comprehensive, continuous support, access to resources, and personalized school environment to promote successful transition into, through, and beyond high school, with a focus on academic achievement, college preparation, career exposure and development, social supports, and student leadership development.

Session E: Intensify instructional focus on literacy skill development across the Ninth Grade curriculum:
In this session, participants will review the District’s High School Literacy Plan and discuss what schools need to ensure that Ninth Grade students have the literacy skills to successfully engage all content areas of the Ninth Grade curriculum.

Session F : Pilot Small Schools Conversion at Neighborhood High Schools:
In this session, participants will learn about current efforts in the District to ensure that conversion of larger neighborhood high schools fully incorporates research-based practice for planning and implementation of small schools; and, will reflect on the implications for creating greater personalization in their own schools.

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