Archived Information

Assessment/Accountability
School and District Accountability and Assistance

Panel Report
Compass School Candidate Review
East Bridgewater High School-East Bridgewater Public Schools

Introduction

The Program

The Exemplary Schools Program is one part of the Massachusetts School and District Accountability System. The purpose of the Exemplary Schools Program is to recognize and celebrate improvement in Massachusetts' schools, and to disseminate information and encourage networking and sharing of ideas, effective practices, and models for success. The program is intended to provide a means for the schools to share their expertise with other schools in the state.

Based on the School Performance and Improvement Ratings issued in January 2001, and continued and/or significant improvement on the 2001 MCAS test results, the Department identified 175 schools that exceeded their expectations for improvement. These schools were invited to apply for consideration as candidates to serve as 2002 Commonwealth Compass Schools. Of the 84 schools who chose to apply by submitting information on the initiatives they have undertaken to improve student performance that they think have had the most positive impact on their results, seven high schools, eight elementary schools, and three middle schools were selected as finalists and scheduled for an on-site review to determine their willingness and capacity to serve. Data and information gathered from the applications and the review process of these schools will be published in a report this fall.

Schools selected to serve as 2002 Commonwealth Compass Schools will receive special recognition and a $10,000 grant to support the participation of their administrators and staff in information sharing and dissemination activities over the next year.

The Report

This report summarizes the findings and analyses of the visiting team based on their April 25, 2002 site visit review of the East Bridgewater High School. The report will assist the Commissioner in determining which schools from among those visited will be designated to serve as Compass Schools in the state's new Exemplary Schools Program.

The review panel evaluated data and written information on the school's performance and improvement efforts, including the school's application to serve as a Compass School. The panel then visited the school to meet with school leaders, staff, parents and students and visit classrooms in order to answer the following two key questions:

1. Is this school using effective improvement initiatives that could be replicated in other similarly profiled schools?
2. Are the conditions in place for this school to serve as a model of effective practices and successful improvement initiatives?

The panel's responses to these two questions frame the report. In the process of answering these questions, the report focuses primarily on the initiatives that the school identified in its application as having had the most positive impact on student performance.

The findings and conclusions presented here are the product of analysis, discussion, and observation, and are based on the evidence made available to the panel before and during their visit. A list of panel members who participated in the East Bridgewater High School review is provided in Appendix A. A detailed schedule of the panel's activities is provided in Appendix B.

School Profile

East Bridgewater High School is one of three public schools in East Bridgewater and is the only school serving students in grades 9-12. Enrollment has remained stable in the last four years and peaked in 2000 at 687. In 2001, enrollment fell slightly to 674 students, of whom 97% are White and 2% are Black. The School Profile report indicates that 4% of students are eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch (FRPL) and 2% speak a first language other than English (FLNE). The report identifies 78 special education students (11%) who receive Individualized Education Programs (IEP) from one of two special needs teachers.

Academic Support services are provided to 67 students and include one after-school program, one summer program, one school-day study skills course and MCAS preparation support. Gifted and talented resources include advanced placement (AP) courses in art, English, calculus and U.S. History. In 2001, 139 students (21%) took advantage of AP course offerings.

The student attendance rate in 2000 is 92.1 and is below both state (93.9) and district (94.7) averages. On average, students missed 14.2 days in 2000, a decrease from 1999 (15.8) and 1998 (15.7). Two hundred twenty-two students (32%) missed between 11-20 days, and 135 (20%) missed more than 20 days in the year reported. Retention increased sharply in 2000 to 7.1 students per 1000 and is well above state (1.7) and district (2.4) averages. Of the 48 students retained in 2000, almost twice as many males as females were reported. The highest number of students was retained in the 10th grade class in both 2000 (23 students) and 1999 (nine students). The school's retention rates, 2.6 in 1999 and 1.7 in 1998, are much closer to the state average.

East Bridgewater High School's out-of-school suspension rate for 2000 (11.9) is midway between the high figure in 1998 (24.4) and the low figure in 1999 (6.3). In-school suspension rates are above state averages and have incrementally increased from a low of 8.2 in 1998, to 12.8 in 1999, and peaked at 13.4 in 2000. The school's in-school suspension rates, compared to state data, are considerably higher in grades 10 and 11. In 2000 the state averaged 11.1 and 11.4 for grades 9 and 10 while the school reported 15.5 and 20.9. The school reported similarly high in-school suspensions in 1999 for grades 10 (15.6) and 11 (14.2).

Staffing

The East Bridgewater High School staff includes the principal, an assistant principal, three schoolwide guidance counselors, four teacher leaders/curriculum facilitators and 47 teachers. Among teachers and the four teacher leaders/curriculum facilitators, 36 (71%) have advanced degrees and 22 hold multiple certifications. One teacher is on waiver in regular education general science. Over two-thirds of the instructional staff (35) are veteran with over 20 years of classroom experience of which 21 have taught at the school for more than 20 years.

MCAS Results

The school has shown sustained improvement by reducing the Failing rate in English Language Arts and Mathematics and increasing the percentage of students scoring in Proficient and Advanced categories. MCAS scores in ELA showed consistent improvement in all categories except Failure from the baseline in 1998 to 2001. However, the school was not able to meet its expected improvement in ELA scaled score for 1999/2000 as it increased one point where the expectation was 3 points. In Mathematics, however, the school exceeded its improvement expectation of 4-6 points by increasing the average scaled score from 222 in 1998 to 229 in its 1999/2000 average scaled score. This was accomplished as the math Failure rate steadily decreased from 52% in 1998 to 29% in 2000 and as Proficient and Advanced scores increased from 18% in 1998 to 42% in 2000. The school continues to sustain increases in Mathematics in 2001 as compared to 2000 as the percentage of students scoring in Proficient & Advanced rose to 53% and the Failure rate further declined to 11%.

Panel Reponses To The Key Questions

Key Question 1: Is This School Using Effective Improvement Initiatives That Could Be Replicated In Other Similarly Profiled Schools?

East Bridgewater High School is using a number of improvement initiatives that could be replicated in other schools with similar profiles. Sound improvement efforts such as the ongoing development of standards-based instruction, targeted professional development and the efficacy model are combined under the umbrella of the school's fifteen-member Proficiency Team, which guides and monitors the improvement process. The Proficiency Team functions as the engine for improvement while the efficacy model creates a climate for achievement at East Bridgewater High School. In this small suburban district, there is a close relationship between the district and the school and a culture of working together toward accomplishment of common goals. The culture of improvement is pervasive and is at least in part due to a stable, close-knit faculty, a supportive relationship between school and district leaders, and a climate in which school pride is evident across leadership, faculty, and student groups.

A. Which improvement initiatives have had the greatest impact on student performance results?

Test data shows that East Bridgewater High School has a consistent record of MCAS improvement during the four years of administration. The number of students in the proficient and advanced categories increased from 38% in English Language Arts in 1998 to 78% in 2001. In Mathematics, 38% were proficient and advanced in 1998 as compared with 50% in 2001.

Both the teacher survey and interviews with teachers and the Proficiency Team confirm the buy-in of most staff to the school's emphasis on high standards and the principles of efficacy. In particular, staff and administration cite the importance of the Proficiency Team, made up of teachers and building leaders, which focuses on long-term goals of implementing standards-based education with benchmarks, strategies and assessment, as well as the logistics of optimal test administration and providing information for students on test-taking techniques. Some members of the Review Team saw efficacy and standards-based instruction in action in classes observed. For example, in an English class, the teacher was observed working with individual students to establish targets for achievement. A chart showing targets for each quarter was displayed. One of the principles of efficacy is the early identification of weaknesses as areas that need improvement. A science teacher explained that he now uses a series of short quizzes prior to bigger tests to help students identify some of the knowledge gaps that may need to be filled in. Classrooms displayed posters that encouraged students to apply effective effort to their work.

In 2000-2001, a grant-funded effort, Curriculum Development Using CLASP (Curriculum Alignment and Sharing Project) led to the establishment of benchmarks for English Language Arts and Mathematics using the CLASP software. This year, the process has been extended to the development of curriculum units in English language arts and mathematics and the integration of the benchmarks into the instructional program in classrooms. To date, benchmarks brochures for English language arts are available in all grades at East Bridgewater High School. These brochures, which have been sent to parents and distributed to students, are seen as a significant tool for focusing teacher, student, and parent efforts on standards-based education. It is expected that standards-based education will be fully implemented in English classes by March 2003 and plans are in process to expand this initiative to all content areas. Brochures for the already-developed mathematics benchmarks will be next, although a target date for publication and subsequent implementation has not yet been set. The School Improvement Plan indicates that professional development is provided in standards-based and differentiated instruction, as confirmed during interviews with staff and examination of the schedule of offerings during the district's three professional development days.

The school has also worked hard to implement writing across the curriculum, including use of the LINKS model and Collins Writing Program, with results evident in improvement in open-ended response questions on MCAS. One chemistry teacher reports that he now has more expectations for student writing than he did previously, citing the impact of the emphasis on writing across the curriculum. In an advanced placement social studies class, students were asked to write their own "New Deal" to solve a problem in today's society. Block scheduling allows more time for writing in the classroom across subject areas.

B. How did the school plan their improvement initiatives and put them into practice?

After the first administration of MCAS, school and district leaders saw a pressing need to improve test scores in this small suburban district. At the same time, a number of those in leadership positions had the opportunity to participate in training on the Principles of Efficacy at the Harvard Principals' Center. There, Dr. Jeff Howard, founder and director of the Efficacy Institute, explained the scientific and educational basis for the efficacy model of learning. The Efficacy Institute provides training and consulting to schools in an instructional model that proposes that Effective Effort (or Working Smart) through commitment, focus, and strategy will result in increased student achievement. Subsequently, other staff members attended the training seminars and then brought the model back to the school. Faculty and administration believe that efficacy principles, when applied to instruction that supports "high effort" and a constant focus on improvement, actually helps students "get smarter" and achieve at higher levels. To date, over half the faculty have had efficacy training (either at the Efficacy Institute or from staff previously trained) and a number indicated that they apply these principles to their instruction on a regular basis by helping students identify targeted outcomes and developing strategies to reach those goals. According to the staff, the efficacy professional development taught teachers to use successful coaching strategies to "make the team better."

Curriculum alignment with the Massachusetts Frameworks, test item analysis, and capacity building for teachers by providing professional development in writing across the curriculum and a move to standards-based instruction (not yet universally implemented although in process) are also features of the improvement effort at East Bridgewater High School. This effort is led by the district's Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development (CIPD) who is constantly working with the Proficiency Team to fine-tune the implementation of standards-based practices.

In the past three years, however, it was the development and evolution of the Proficiency Team, unique to the East Bridgewater Public Schools, which brought the various initiatives together into a focused school wide endeavor that has the support of faculty, administration, parents, the School Council, and students. The concept of the team was developed for East Bridgewater by the director of CIPD, and further evolved during participation of some staff at Efficacy Institute training sessions at the Harvard Principals' Center. The goals of the Proficiency Team are the exploration and discovery of the best materials and strategies to support standards-based instruction and MCAS preparation that enables students to succeed.

The Proficiency Team is composed of administrators and faculty members representing all curriculum areas. Members of this team, some of whom are also on the School Council, work on the initiative to establish standards-based instruction throughout the school, although it is not yet universally implemented. This is seen as key to providing a high level educational experience, enabling students to develop the skills and self-confidence they need not only to pass MCAS, but also to succeed in their classrooms. The Proficiency Team also empowers students by creating a school climate that supports a culture of achievement and provides effective tools for MCAS review and preparation. Proficiency Teams have been created in East Bridgewater's elementary and middle schools as well.

Specific initiatives designed for MCAS improvement are:

• Morning strategy sessions: All sophomores attend 'strategy sessions' in content areas during the week prior to MCAS. Information packets for English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science are provided. The scoring structure and rubrics of the MCAS are reviewed. Samples of student work on previous tests are illustrated and strategies for open response questions and long composition are discussed. These sessions help to reduce student anxiety, according to members of the Proficiency Team.
• Evening content sessions: Two sessions in mathematics and one in English language arts are offered on a voluntary basis to sophomores and their parents. The goal of these evening sessions is to refresh math skills and review plot, character and themes of several works of literature. During the evening, activities are provided at learning stations through which participants rotate. Students select three topic stations from six English language arts options and seven mathematics options, and rotate through the stations as groups.
• Parent/student communication: Parents and students receive letters addressing MCAS questions and concerns. Faculty members add handwritten notes to students, expressing their confidence in them and wishing them success. Both parents and students mentioned the importance of these personal messages. Parents have seen teachers on cable TV explaining the ways that standards and benchmarks are used in the classroom. The school also provides outreach to eighth graders before they enter the school and has developed a freshman orientation process that serves to communicate the culture of the school to entering students.
• Test setting: Posters containing slogans, tips and encouragement are displayed around the building in the weeks before the test. The school schedule is arranged so that students can be tested in classrooms proctored by their content area teachers. A member of the Proficiency Team is stationed in close proximity to classrooms where students are testing and is available to answer questions or send for supplies as needed. On mornings when students will test for two or more periods, the Proficiency Team provides snacks such as muffins, juice, fruit, cereal bars, and bottled water for all students and test administrators. Accommodations are made for students who need them in this fully inclusive school. Bells and loudspeaker announcements are suspended during test sessions.

The Proficiency Team has inspired students and staff and created a climate for achievement by encouraging student to focus on effective effort and never give up. Of the 179 students in the class of 2003, just 11 have yet to pass both the English Language Arts and Mathematics parts of the test to meet the diploma requirement. Students are offered tutorials at various times (during school, after school, evenings, Saturdays and summers) to help them make needed improvements. The leadership and support of the school principal, district's director of CIPD, and the student support specialist have been instrumental to the success of the Proficiency Team as it leads the school's effort toward constant improvement. The school has also "raised the bar" by increasing the number of credits needed for graduation and making promotion requirements more stringent. This led to an increase in retentions in grade 10 in the year 2000, from 8.6% to 11.9%.

C. Does the school think these initiatives be successfully used in similar schools? Why?

The administration and faculty think that these initiatives can be replicated in similar schools at little or no additional expense. They particularly cite East Bridgewater's low per pupil expenditures (18th lowest in Massachusetts) and believe that hard work and cumulative effort on the part of many, good communication among administrators, teachers, parents and students, the principles of the efficacy model and the work of the Proficiency Team are the essential elements of the school's success. As one teacher stated, "The MCAS has become everyone's job." The principal especially credits the work of the system's director of CIPD in maintaining the focus on standards-based instruction in beginning to effect change in the teaching-learning process as well as the cohesion of the staff and community in maintaining a vision of success.

Teachers and administrators are open to having visitors in their school because they are proud of their accomplishments. The work of the Proficiency Team, the principles of efficacy that are displayed throughout the school and in classrooms, the implementation of standards-based instruction in many classrooms, and a focus on writing across the curriculum could be replicated.

Key Question 2: Are The Conditions In Place For This School To Serve As A Model Of Effective Practices And Successful Improvement Initiatives?

At East Bridgewater High School, many conditions are in place for it to serve as a model of effective practices and successful improvement initiatives. Many on staff are able to articulate the components of the school's practices such as the efficacy model, the work of the Proficiency Team and the concept of standards-based instruction now undergoing development. There is also an attractive and comprehensive handbook on MCAS Improvement that is available for dissemination. MCAS preparation programs are solidly in place and would easily be replicable in other schools. A number of staff members have already made presentations on standards-based education, efficacy, and the LINKS Program.

A. Do leadership and staff have a shared understanding and use a common language to describe the changes/initiatives that have led to improvements in teaching and learning?

Leadership and most staff do indeed have a shared understanding and common language to describe the changes that have taken place at East Bridgewater High School. There are frequent dialogues, particularly between the Proficiency Team and other staff on issues pertaining to MCAS improvement, implementing efficacy strategies, and developing standards-based instruction. The school climate is collegial and warm, which encourages staff to feel respected and willing to try new tactics. A number of teachers use the language of standards-based education and are even more articulate in the terminology of efficacy. Some teachers now use a series of shorter quizzes prior to "big tests" in order to help students identify areas where they need to fill in gaps. Teachers encourage students to see "failure" as an opportunity to improve and learn. The strategies for MCAS preparation are clearly tied to the principles and language of efficacy. The implementation of improvements in teaching and learning were also reflected in many of the responses in the staff survey.

There is general agreement among staff, reflected both in observations and interviews conducted by the Review Team, that the climate of efficacy, the growing focus on standards aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, and the work of the Proficiency Team are the initiatives that have led to improvements in teaching and learning that are credited with increased student achievement.

B. How effectively do leadership and staff articulate the connections between specific changes and improvement initiatives they have implemented, and the improvements made in teaching and learning?

The Proficiency Team has developed the short-term goal of raising MCAS scores through coaching, drill, and test-taking strategies as well as the long-term goal of implementing a standards-based instructional model. At present, the school's short-term goal has shown positive results, as improvement in MCAS scores indicate. However, the Proficiency Team's implementation of its standards-based education initiative is less well-established. While many faculty are aware of the initiative, not all observations and interviews indicate an understanding and use of its principles in classrooms. Meetings with Proficiency Team personnel indicate that this is due to the fact that full implementation of the standards-based initiative is not yet achieved. In English language arts, the initiative is most highly developed and is scheduled to be fully implemented in March 2003. In math, the process is still in the planning stages.

The leadership and a majority of staff interviewed believe and articulate the connections between the changes and initiatives they have implemented, particularly in the area of MCAS preparation, and improvement students have made in test scores. Many members of the faculty have been members of the Proficiency Team and have a good understanding of efficacy. Less clear among staff are the connections between the implementation of standards-based instructional model and its impact on changing instructional practices. One teacher, when interviewed, cited the school's climate and professional development as factors contributing to her growth as an instructor with resulting improvements in her students' achievement. Another indicated that the culture of achievement has resulted in higher student enrollment in Advanced Placement courses than in past years. English and math teachers, in particular, worked together in departmental teams to translate benchmarks into lesson plans and assessments. The process included looking at student work and developing consistent grading rubrics for all faculty who teach a given grade and subject. Partial implementation has already occurred, with full implementation projected for English in March 2003.

The staff is aware of higher expectations for student achievement, such as the increase in graduation requirements, and the expectation that all students must take Algebra I. In addition, the principal is willing to involve everyone in decision-making and adopting proven principles for educational improvement. As a result, the teaching staff directly involved in improvement planning and implementation share ownership of the improvement process with the principal and can articulate its features. There is a stable and cohesive faculty that believes in high expectations for academic excellence.

C. Is there a school wide focus on, and sufficient investment in, continued improvement of student performance?

Both district and state funds are used for the school's MCAS improvement efforts. The community places great value on education despite the town's low school expenditures that are due to a limited tax base. The principal indicated that the commitment to improvement is growing in the district. Principles of efficacy are implemented in the middle school as well as at the high school. Because improvement efforts are starting in earlier grades, the principal expects that the improvement at East Bridgewater High School will be continued and sustained over time. Students and parents stated that teachers are willing to stay after school to provide extra help, they call home if there is a problem and they appreciated the encouraging letters teachers send to students at home prior to MCAS administration.

The teacher evaluation instrument is also part of the improvement process. It helps the principal to know how efficacy and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks are being implemented in classrooms. This instrument is also being reviewed to be more reflective of a standards-based instructional model.

D. Does the school appear to have the capacity to host site visits and to participate in various activities to share effective strategies and practices with other schools in the state?

East Bridgewater High School is proud of its achievements and is eager to host visitors from other schools and districts. There is a climate of orderliness and respect in the building between staff and administration and between the adults and students. There is space in the Library Media Center and adjoining conference rooms where teams of visitors could meet for briefing with school personnel or where workshops and seminars could be held. The principal, along with the director of CIPD, who shared the district's standards-based education development plan at a Mass Networks Conference in 2000, and members of the Proficiency Team are articulate presenters of the school's process for change and improvement.

The school plans to disseminate various print materials developed for students to use in test preparation, including strategy formulation, test vocabulary, and content strategies with review packets for English language arts, math and social studies. The staff would also share the English language arts benchmarks brochures as well as information about professional development activities. The after school (Strive for Success) and summer (Academic Challenge Experience) programs are suitable for adoption or adaptation by other school systems.

E. Are there any reasons why the school should not be used as a Commonwealth Compass School?

There are no reasons why the school should not be used as a Commonwealth Compass School. It is very apparent that the East Bridgewater High School community has a shared vision and sense of purpose to increase student achievement through implementation and ongoing development of effective improvement initiatives that could be replicated in both urban and suburban schools. The staff and leadership have the commitment, facilities, and energy to disseminate information about their process and practice to other educators.

Appendix A
Team Members

Scott Kelley, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Malden, MA
Joyce Harrington, Assistant Superintendent, Bourne, MA
Donald Rebello, Principal of Somerset High School, Somerset, MA
Jeffrey Rubin, Director of Special Education, Waltham, MA
Zita Samuels, SchoolWorks Consultant, Beverly MA

Appendix B
Compass School Panel Review Visit Schedule

All activities take place at the school.