Independence High School Self Evaluation Form

Self Evaluation Form

2015-2016

Independence High School Contact Information
School: / Independence High School / Courier Number: / 426
Address: / 1967 Patriot Drive / Phone Number: / 980-343-6900
Charlotte NC 28277 / Fax Number: / 980-343-6907
Learning Community: / East Learning Community / School Website: /
Principal: / Amy Dellinger
Learning Community Superintendent: / Kondra Rattley
Total / %
Total Students Enrolled: / 2511
Race / Non-Hispanic / 1781 / 74%
Hispanic / 662 / 26.4%
Ethnicity / African American / 800 / 32%
American Indian / 397 / 15.8%
Asian / 144 / 5.7%
More Than One / 257 / 10.2%
Pacific Islander / 3 / 0.1%
White / 910 / 36.4%
Exceptionality / General Education Students: / 1791 / 81.4%
Exceptional Children Students: / 241 / 9.6%
Academically Intellectually Gifted Students / 229 / 9.1%
Limited English Proficient Students: / 250 / 10.0%
What is distinctive about your school?
  • Very diverse student body
  • Successful academic program
  • Focused on global awareness – Academy of International Studies – Ms. Katie Willett
  • All Freshmen enter one of our three Academies when they arrive
  • Use of Professional Learning Communities (core academic teams with common planning) to meet the needs of students
  • Distance Learning Lab that serves over 100 students each semester (AP courses, college courses, new course work)
  • Large Comprehensive high school with a variety of options for students to find their niche
  • Academy of Engineering, full implementation 2015-2016, serves approximately 120 students
  • “In-house” literacy and DDI professional development monthly at faculty meetings
  • Large number of students involved in extracurricular activities
  • Large number of staff members with higher level degrees, National Board Certification.
  • Participation in College and Career Promise program and College Experience

How effective is your school?
3
  • How do you know?

  • Increased Graduation Rate from 88.6% to 89.9%
  • A 6.31% student proficiency increase in Biology (63.31 to 69.61)
  • Exceeded expected growth in every EOC 2013-14 (19.67)
  • Increased Composite in ACT results from 17.6 to 18.3 (2014-15)
  • Increased AP enrollment
  • Increase CCP enrollment
  • LEP graduation rate increased by 17% in 2015

  • What are your school’s notable strengths?

  • Highly Qualified and effective teachers in all classrooms
  • Professional Learning Communities in Core academic areas
  • Double blocking students that need extra help
  • Approximately 400 courses taken and approximately 1200 credit hours earned last year with the College and Career Promise
  • After school tutoring
  • Effective teacher leadership
  • Most effective teachers in tested areas
  • Dedication of staff to total school program
  • Common Planning for all core subject areas and Freshman Academy teachers

  • What are your school’s main areas for improvement?

  • Increasing rigor in every classroom
  • Continuing to create a college bound culture at Independence by making information accessible and exposing students to opportunities
  • Increasing student attendance
  • Parent/Community Involvement
  • Continuous improvement in the graduation rate
  • Refine programs/approach for LEP and EC students
  • Campus cleanliness
  • School Safety
  • Increase enrollment in AP and Honors classes
  • Increase studentpassing rate in all classes
  • Increase data driven instruction to improve student outcomes

1. How effective is your school in ensuring high quality achievement for students in all grades, especially in the core subjects?
3
  • How do you know?

  • Increase in ACT composite and content area averages for our Juniors.
  • Student AP exam scores are not fully aligned to AP final grades reflecting more research around the rigor of the AP class work
  • Graduation rate continuously improving each year
  • PSAT and PLAN scores improving
  • Growth continues to be a driving factor at Independence each year

  • In which subjects and grades do students do best, and why?

  • English II-prior EOC results
  • Biology – prior EOC results
  • Stability of teacher corps, common planning and effective department leadership, using data to strategically place students
  • Use of Data Driven Instruction

  • In which subjects and grades is improvement needed, and what action is currently being taken?

  • All EC/LEP performance on ACT, and graduating on time
  • Action
  • Remediation program in math and literacy through extended day
  • Increasing the number of students being promoted from the 9th to the 10th grade
  • Implementation of the Credit recovery plan

  • Is there evidence of disparities in student achievement by subgroups? If so, what action is being taken?

  • EC – intentional IEP goal setting, after-school tutoring, Inclusion/Resource, Parent Assistant
  • LEP – SIOP, PEPs, ESL consultation, Power school Parent Assistant, Extended Day, Inclusion ESL classes
  • Freshman Academy implementation

  • How is your school addressing the specialized needs of EC and LEP students?

  • EC Coordinator/Compliance facilitator
  • OCS Credit Recovery
  • API hand schedules these students
  • LEP Coordinator and LEP Committee
  • SIOP training and coaching
  • OCS and SBS Blended Learning
  • Smaller class size
  • AP/Honors classes, university alliances
  • Differentiation Academy
  • Structure of the Learning Lab
  • LEP clusters in mainstream classes with teachers that are SIOP trained

  • How does your school use student performance data to take and adjust actions to improve student achievement?

  • After school tutorials –all teachers
  • Extended Day
  • Common assessments
  • Students are scheduled based on prior performance
  • Teacher Effectiveness reports used for formative teacher conferences
  • Departments complete item analysis

  • How does your school allocate available resources to improve student learning and achievement?

  • Springboard English I and English II
  • Support EOC tutoring through Extended Day
  • Use experienced/successful teachers to provide professional development and to mentor teachers
  • Triumph for SAT/ACT tutoring

2. How effective is your school in providing a relevant and appropriate curriculum for all students, grades and sub-groups?
3
  • How do you know?

  • Topic, Essential Questions, Standard and the agenda are posted daily.
  • Teachers use a variety of teaching strategies
  • PLC’s use common assessments
  • AP teacher training and calibration of final grades with student AP exam grades to ensure rigor
  • Appropriate placement in classes allowing relevant pace

  • How is alignment with the Common Core and Essential Standards ensured?

  • Lesson plans
  • Objectives and Agenda listed on the board
  • 3 minute Walk Through/ Formative and Summative Observations/Evaluations
  • Common Planning and Common Assessments
  • School improvement and school decision making driven by SIP
  • Essential Standards Chart

  • How does your school ensure a broad range of learning experiences?

  • Teachers use differentiation to meet the needs of diverse learners
  • Observation
  • Field trips, clubs, community events, community service, field experiences, internships, competitions, athletics

3. How effective is the quality of teaching and instruction in ensuring high quality learning, progress and achievement?
3
  • How do you know?

  • HQ staff with a low turn-over rate
  • Team planning with subject specific team meetings
  • 17 National Board Certified Teachers
  • 38% teachers with Advanced Degree’s

  • Which are the strongest features of teaching and learning and why?

  • Students appropriately placed in classes to maximize student achievement
  • Diverse staff provides role modeling for all students
  • PEAK strategies, Programmatic, most teachers have Promethean Boards, SIOP and Inclusion trained staff
  • Differentiation Academy

  • What aspects of teaching and learning most need improvement and what action is being taken?

  • Differentiation
  • Incorporate more strategies for better use of the 90 minute block
  • AP/Honors level rigor
  • Communication between home and school –challenge of keeping track of current addresses, phone #’s, and email addresses, etc.
  • Focus on college and career preparation and readiness

  • How do teachers assess students’ achievement of learning objectives and adjust instruction with assessment information?

  • Formal and Informal Assessments
  • Teachers use a variety of student products based on multiple intelligences to assess learning:
(for example “Ticket out the door”, Quizzes, Oral discussions, Projects, Lab Analysis, Presentations)
4. How effective is your school in ensuring high quality leadership and management?
3
  • How do you know?

  • Teacher Survey Data
  • Insight Survey
  • Low teacher turnover rate
  • High interest in teachers’ advancement into Administration
  • Opportunities for teachers to pursue leadership within the school

  • Which are the strongest aspects and why?

  • Principal dedicated to effective administrative management model based on strengths, needs and professional development
  • Shared leadership model
  • Administration is strategically local throughout the building and focused on the areas in need of support
  • Department Chairs are instructional leaders
  • Principal is knowledgeable regarding best teaching practices
  • Principal provides an “Open Door Policy” for both staff and parents to express concerns and achievements.

  • What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?

  • More teacher empowerment/collaboration
  • Systems for monitoring and providing meaningful feedback to staff
  • Consistency and communication through systems
  • Staying true to vision/mission/beliefs and priorities
  • Systems to monitor facility upkeep and cleanliness
  • Administration and staff calibrating the Standards of the NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument

5. How effective is the school in creating a high quality learning environment?
3
  • How do you know?

  • Evidence of a student centered environment
  • Front office staff provides positive customer service.
  • Agenda on board in classrooms allows administration and visitors to see the pace and level of learning taking place.
  • Induction Team – New Teacher Support
  • Freshman Academy

  • Which are the strongest aspects and why?

  • Opportunities for blended learning
  • Common Planning/ PLC Common Assessments
  • Implementation of Data Driven Instruction
  • Freshman Academy teams
  • Freshmen are hand scheduled to ensure there is a balance of core courses each semester
  • Extended Day and Credit Recovery program

  • What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?

  • Facility and school cleanliness – Horticulture classes project facelift, custodial monitoring, school cleanliness initiatives with students, parent/ PTSA/SLT, school beautification projects
  • Increased enrollment in AP and Honor’s classes
  • Increased AP pass rate
  • Increased enrollment in college classes in our distance learning lab
  • Increased focused on ACT improvement
  • Increased participation in the “Triumph” program
  • More focus on creating a college bound environment – parent and student workshop
  • Improve professional feel of main office – building service upgrades/customer service training for secretaries, monitoring

6. How effective is the school in establishing a high quality partnership with parents, other schools and the community?
3
  • How do you know?

  • Parent participation/attendance in Open Houses, curriculum nights and Patriots on Parade, Patriot Life-Line orientation program
  • Connect Ed messages have allowed for communication without depending on students to bring home information.
  • School website is updated weekly regarding information, dates, etc.
  • Parent participation/membership in booster clubs
  • Minimal parent participation/membership in school PTSA
  • PTSA plans programs for parents with marginal parent participation
  • Variety of Partners –Meck Ed, MS/Elementary schools, Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce, Cheval Real Estate

  • Which are the strongest features of communication between home/school about the school’s work and about each student’s achievement? Why?

  • Connect Ed.
  • Powerschool Parent Assistant
  • Newspaper
  • Website – Bigibelieve.com
  • Email
  • Teacher Wiki/Weebly

  • What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?

  • Creating a college bound culture – # of graduating seniors going to college
  • Image/reputation of the school in the community
  • Safety and Security
  • Cleanliness of the facility
  • Vertical Teaming
  • Partnerships with businesses – New Meck Ed partnership with Career Advisor

  • What aspects of the school’s work to involve parents/guardians and the community in the life of the school work best? Why?

  • College Information Nights
  • High School 411 workshops
  • PSAT/PLAN parent workshops
  • Partnership relationships with clubs/programs
  • All Booster Clubs
  • Latin Night
  • Open House/Curriculum Nights/Patriots on Parade/Registration – well planned and publicized
  • Consistent communication message via a variety of media outlets
  • Fall Festival
  • Senior Citizens Breakfast
  • Academy of Engineering Design Team and Board of Directors
Numerous and varied opportunities are provided for the school community to stay connected and involved with Independence.
  • What needs improvement and what action is being taken?

  • PTSA Membership
  • Volunteer activism and volunteer activities