Improving the Graduation Rate and College Enrollment of our Hispanic Population

A creative and innovative family night has been designed to reach our Hispanic students and
their families. It is an opportunity to bring together the community, school, and families with the
goal of supporting, encouraging, and fostering academic success and college enrollment.
Handouts will be provided in both English and Spanish and childcare will be available. It is an
occasion to share a meal together, while fostering a welcoming environment.

II. Project Description
The goal for the evening event is to bring together Hispanic students and families,
community groups, and school staff. The intent is to build relationships that will encourage
families to connect with the school and community, working hand in hand to support their
students. The families will learn how to access LMS and the parent dashboard to check their
students grades, missing assignments, attendance, and transcript. Information will be shared
regarding the support services available to help or enhance their students academic success.
Community guest speakers will serve as role models to inspire students to graduate from high
school and pursue college and career training. A major focus of the evening is to begin building
rapport and trust between our Hispanic families and the school community. In future programs,
the goal will be to continue strengthening these relationships to work together to improve
graduation rates and college enrollment. This project aligns with Everett Public Schools
Strategic Plans mission and vision. Specifically, the school, parents, and community will
support student learning with focus on collaboration, accessing resources, and preparing each
student to achieve high standards. This project aligns with Cascade High Schools School
Improvement Plan through 5) Relationships and specifically points 5.2a, 5.4a, and 5.4b.
III. Student Involvement
The students will be engaged in this process through attendance at the family event,
involvement with community and school resources, yearlong planning for their academic success
with the support of the counseling staff, and a creative component called PhotoVoice. With
PhotoVoice, students are asked to take pictures of their environment of what impedes, or gets in
the way, of their learning and success. It is an empowering way for students to let us know how
they conceptualize their circumstances and what they need to succeed. With this rich data the
family night will be tailored to accommodate their needs. It is the hope that third year Spanish
students and Latino Club members will be involved in this event by attending, making posters in
Spanish, and connecting with Cascade High Schools Hispanic families.
IV. Assessment
Ms. Hepworth will assess student learning both qualitatively and quantitatively before
and after the family event. Students will be qualitatively assessed during the first semester
through talking with students and also using PhotoVoice. The students will be assessed
quantitatively through their grades, attendance at events, and pre- and post-test survey data. The
data collected will be used to tailor the direction of future events with the Hispanic community.
V. Timeline and Budget
This project will occur over the 2013 2014 academic year. The family night will occur
in early February at the beginning of the new semester. Students and families can use the
information shared to positively engage in learning and utilizing the systems to improve
academic success. With a supportive network of caring individuals, these students will have a
greater likelihood of passing their classes, graduating, and having a post high school plan in
place. For budget information please see the attached document.