Exemplar#1:

HighSchoolDataProject:MorseHighSchool
StandardsMet:

Standard22:Leadership
Standard23:Advocacy
Standard24:LearningAchievement&Instruction
Standard30:Research,ProgramEvaluationandTechnology

Introduction
ThefirstexemplarIchoseistheHighSchoolDataProject,whichisananalysisofmy
fieldworksiteatMorseHighSchool.ThisassignmentwascompletedinmyAchievementGap:
Leadership,AdvocacyandSystemicChangecourse.Ichoosethisassignmentbecausethrough
thedatacollectionandanalysisofMorseHighSchoolsachievementrelateddata(APtest
enrollment,testtaken,andpassagerates,SAT/ACTscores,AGcompletionrates,collegegoing
rates,andCAHSEEpassagerates)anddisaggregationofthisdatabygender/ethnicity,Iwasable
identifytheachievementgapsinAfricanAmericanstudentnotbeingenrolledinAdvanced
Placement(AP)CoursescomparedtoFilipinostudentswhowhereenrolledatahigherrateat
MorseHighSchool.Therealsoappearedtobegendergapsinfemalesnotbeingenrolledin
CalculusandAPChemistry.BasedonmyfindingsIidentifiedthestrengthsoftheschooland
identifiedwheretheachievementgapsexisted.IthenmaderecommendationsonhowIwould
addressthegapsandsuggestionsonhowtocreateasystemschangetoimprovethedata.
RecommendationsincludedrecruitmentoffemalesandAfricanAmericanstudentsinAPcourses
duringcourseenrollment.AlsoencouragingstudentstoattendfreeSAT/ACTpreparation

coursesprovidedbythedistricttoincreasestudentsscoresatMorsesincetheyareperforming
belowthestatelevel.
StandardsAddressed
Standard22:Leadership
Partofbeingaleaderintheschoolcounselingprofessionisbeingabletofindtheareasin
whichtheschoolandstudentsneedsupportin.Whenidentifyingthoseachievementgapssuch
asgenderandethnicitygapsthefirststepisprovidinginterventionstoclosetheachievement
gaps.AsagraduatestudentIwasabletotakeleadershipandpresentthedatacollectedtothe
schoolcounselorsatMorseHigh.WhenpresentingtotheschoolcounselorsIgained
understandingonwhatfactors/problemsmighthaveinfluencedthedatasuchasateacher
motivatingPacificIslanderstudentstotaketheSATtestoneyearandhavinganincreaseof
PacificIslanderstudenttakingthetest.ThenextyearthatteacherdidnotworkwithPacific
IslanderandthedatashowedadecreaseinstudentstakingtheSAT.Isharedrecommendations
onresearchbasedstrategiesonclosingtheachievementgapthathavebeeneffectiveatdifferent
schooldistricts.Anevidencedbasedinterventionthathasworkedindifferentdistrictin
CaliforniatoincreaseenrollmentinAPcoursesareAPParentNightswhereparentscometo
learnaboutwhatAPcoursesarebeingofferedattheschool,whatisexpectedoftheirchildrenin
APclasses,therigorousmaterialthatwillbetaught,andthebenefitofpassingAPcourses.Iwas
abletotakeleadershipthroughthisassignmentinhelpingredirectthefocusoftheschool
counselingtoaddresssomeoftheneedssuchastheAGcompletionratefortheClassof2016.
Standard23:Advocacy

Thisassignmentallowedmetoadvocateforstudentsofcolor,especiallytheAfrican
Americanpopulation,becausethedatacollectedshowedthataveryfewnumberofAfrican
AmericanstudentsweretakingAdvancePlacement(AP)coursesandenrolledintakingtheAP
tests.Ialsoadvocatedformoreencouragementandplacementoffemalestudentstobeplacedin
advancedmathandsciencecourse,whichresearchhadshowedthatverylittlenumberoffemales
studentstakesciencecoursesatthehighschoollevel.Thisexemplarallowedmetodemonstrate
withdatathelackofequityinpromotingstudentsofcolortoenrollinadvancementclasses.
Standard24:Learning,Achievement&Instruction
FromanalyzingthedataonstudentscoresontheCAHSEE,APexams,andSATIsaw
thatAfricanAmericanmalesandLatinomaleswereperforminglowontheseexams.Itjust
wasntAfricanAmericanandLatinomales,themajorityofthestudentswerepreformingbelow
stateaverage.FromthisdataandinterviewingthecounselingdepartmentIfoundthatsomeof
thestudentsarestrugglingintheirclassroomandarenotlearningthematerialforvarious
reasonssuchasteachersusingdifferentteachingstrategiesthatstudentsmightnotfindhelpfulor
studentsbeingpassedalongeachyearduringelementarydespitenotbeingcompetentinthe
material.Partofthisassignmentconsistedoffindingrecommendationshowtoclosethe
achievementgapinschools.FromtheresearcharticlesthatIreadIlearnedthatasaschool
counselorIcanhelpmystudentsbyremindingteacherstohavehighexpectationsfortheir
studentsandtobelieveinthem.Severalarticlesstatedthatstudentsperformwellintheir
classroomwhenteachershavehighexpectationsforthem.Itteachersandtheschoolhashigh
expectationsfortheirstudentsthenstudentswillexcelcomparedtostudentsthatdonthavethat
support.

Standard30:Research,ProgramEvaluationandTechnology
Thisexemplardemonstratestheuseofresearchingstateachievementrelatedscorestobe
abletocomparethosescorestoMorseHighSchool.Thepurposeofcomparingthescoresisto
identifytheprogressoftheschool,strengths,andwhatprogramscanbeimplementedtosupport
inareasofweakness.Ialsowasabletoresearchdatadriveninterventionsandprogramstofind
iftheseprograms/interventionswouldbesuccessfulwiththepopulationanddemographicsat
MorseHighSchool.AdistrictwideinterventioncalledtheFederalAdvancedPlacement
IncentiveProgramwasimplementedduringtheearly2000sinSanDiegowasprovento
increasetheAfricanAmericanenrollmentinSATtest,sincethisdistrictprogramwasnot
reneweditwasdecreasedtheamountofstudentsthatwereenrolledinSATcourse.
Reflection
WhatIhavelearnedaboutthisHighSchoolDataProjectistheusefulnessofcomparing
datatothepastyearsdata.BydoingthisIwasabletoseeiftheachievementgapshavebeen
occurringinthepastfouryearsorifitwassomethingthatisrecentlyhappeningattheschool.I
learnedthatstudentsfromcertaindemographicsstruggleinpassingtheCAHSEEEnglishexams
duetotheEnglishlanguagebeingtheirsecondlanguage.Ialsolearnedthatitisimportantto
advocateforthestudentsthatarenotreceivingthesamesupportasotherstudentsindifferent
schoolsanddistrictssothattheytoosucceed.Asafutureschoolcounselorandaleaderinmy
jobsite,Ihavelearnedtheskillsandknowledgetobeabletocollectacademicachievementdata
andbeabletocompareittothepastyearstoseetheschoolsareasofgrowthandareasof
concern.Inordertobeabletoeffectivelyhelpstudentssucceedandprovidedinterventions,data
needstobecollectedandcomparedtothestateleveltoknowifwearemeetingourstatescores.