<strong>Commonalities</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia‘s <strong>85</strong>/<strong>10</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COMMONALITIES OF GEORGIA’S <strong>85</strong>/<strong>10</strong> HIGH SCHOOLS Analyses <strong>of</strong> Georgia <strong>High</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> that Had a Graduation Rate <strong>of</strong> at Least <strong>85</strong> Percent in 2008 and Increased the Graduation Rate by at Least <strong>10</strong> Percentage Points Over Five Years, 2004 – 2008, and Sustained the Improvement Through 2009 Research Commissioned by Dr. Steve Dolinger President December 2009 5
<strong>Commonalities</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia‘s <strong>85</strong>/<strong>10</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For too many Georgia students, leaving school before graduation is a lengthy process, not a one-time decision. The causes may be many and are not the same for all dropouts, but the lifetime effects are predictable – less income, higher unemployment, less health care, higher mortality rates, and higher teen pregnancy rates. Communities experience reduced tax revenue, less economic growth, higher criminal justice costs, and increased costs for public services. 1 Georgia has several schools with varying demographics that have improved their graduation rates noticeably over a relatively short period <strong>of</strong> time and graduate comparatively large percentages <strong>of</strong> students. What are the characteristics <strong>of</strong> these schools? Are there commonalities? Could other schools benefit from the strategies these schools used? Certainly, we think the answer to the last question is “Yes.” This research, commissioned by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, sought to determine if there are characteristics, practices, programs, and/or conditions common to schools that have increased the graduation rate significantly and over a short period <strong>of</strong> time. The research focused on three criteria, high schools that: 1. Had a graduation rate <strong>of</strong> at least <strong>85</strong> percent in 2008, 2. Increased the graduation rate by at least <strong>10</strong> percentage points over five years, 2004 – 2008, and 3. Sustained the <strong>85</strong> percent graduation rate and <strong>10</strong> percentage point improvement through 2009. The schools that met the criteria for this research are referred to as <strong>85</strong>/<strong>10</strong> schools. COMMONALITIES OF THE <strong>85</strong>/<strong>10</strong> SCHOOLS In the analyses <strong>of</strong> the schools’ responses to the questions posed to the schools (Refer to the section, Methodology <strong>of</strong> the Research), several commonalities emerged as important in increasing the graduation rate, which reflected to a high degree emphases given by school improvement experts who participated in crafting questions for the schools. The schools: 1. Focused their school climate, mission, goals, school improvement plans, and continuous improvement processes on high expectations for student learning, 2. Established a rigorous curriculum, with emphases on career, technical, and postsecondary education, 3. Assessed mastery <strong>of</strong> standards and used the data to improve instruction, 4. Concentrated on the mastery <strong>of</strong> all curriculum standards by all students, 5. Provided effective programs and interventions which remediated students on standards not mastered, <strong>of</strong>fered opportunities to earn credits needed to move to the next level <strong>of</strong> learning, and focused on passing each Georgia <strong>High</strong> School Graduation Test (GHSGT), 6. Concentrated on an effective transition from eighth to ninth grade ensuring a supportive environment, 7. Structured the ninth grade to provide academic remediation and social support students needed to be successful in high school, 8. Emphasized an increase in the amount <strong>of</strong> student-learning time and the flexible use <strong>of</strong> time, particularly for remediation, 9. Held teachers, administrators, graduation coaches, and students accountable for student learning, <strong>10</strong>. Employed administrators who were strong, effective leaders and teachers who were dedicated, knowledgeable <strong>of</strong> the curriculum, and equipped with a variety <strong>of</strong> effective instructional strategies, 11. Provided resources for teachers to plan collaboratively and use common student assessments which resulted in the alignment <strong>of</strong> the same courses regardless <strong>of</strong> the teacher, thus, increasing the quality <strong>of</strong> teaching, especially for weak or inexperienced teachers, “Common assessments and common curriculum pacing - we have had a paradigm shift.” 1 Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, The Economics <strong>of</strong> Education, 2008; Alliance for Excellent Education, Economic Benefits <strong>of</strong> Reducing <strong>High</strong> School Drop Out Rates in America’s Fifty Largest Cities, November 18, 2009; Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, Achieving Excellence in Secondary Education: Georgia’s Unfinished Business, 2009. 6
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