Commonalities of Georgia's 85/10 High Schools

Commonalities of Georgia‘s 85/10 High Schools
9. Host meetings of career and technical teachers with local employers.
10. Provide the Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Postsecondary Study
1. Emphasize postsecondary study for all students.
“We have a
2. Offer dual enrollment with a technical college, state college, and/or
laser-focus on
university.
3. Sponsor career and postsecondary fairs.
instruction.”
4. Encourage community groups and foundations to sponsor at-risk
students.
5. Encourage representatives of colleges, technical schools, and ROTC to come to the school.
6. Encourage the use of College 411.
Assessment
General
1. Assess students based on portfolios and projects as well as formal and informal tests.
2. Provide multiple opportunities for students to re-take certain teacher-made tests in order to
ensure standards are met and improve students’ grades.
3. Pre-assess ninth grade students in English and mathematics.
4. Encourage teachers to find alternative and differentiated assessments to determine if the student
has mastered the standards.
5. Analyze student work products and evidence of the mastery of standards.
6. Require all ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students take the PSAT.
7. Provide incentives, such as a reserved parking space, for students who score Pass Plus on all
GHSGT.
GHSGT and EOCT
1. Provide remediation and/or review for the GHSGT and the EOCT and administer practice tests.
2. Administer predictor tests to identify students who are at risk of failing specific courses.
3. Focus on all students passing all the GHSGT and EOCT.
Benchmark and Common Assessments
1. Conduct benchmark assessments and use the results to improve the curriculum and instruction.
2. Drill to the domain level of benchmark assessments.
3. Create and use common assessments in all core subjects and/or use results to improve the
instructional program.
Instruction
Classroom Instruction
1. Focus teachers on using effective, research-based instructional strategies.
2. Emphasize the mastery of curriculum standards by each student.
3. Schedule each student in the proper course with the appropriate teacher.
4. Incorporate hands-on activities and varied instruction by including all learning modalities.
5. Ensure each student has mastered the prerequisite knowledge and skills needed to be successful
in the next level of learning.
6. Minimize interruptions of classroom instruction.
7. Consider joining a research-based school improvement organization.
8. Implement a formal reading program for high school students who were significantly below grade
level in reading.
9. Use the Pyramid of Intervention to design strategies to work with low-performing students.
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