Running head: CASE STUDY 1

Case Study: Lakeview High School

Olga M. Herget

EDU515 Measurements and Metrics

Dr. Niralee Patel-Lye

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Case Study: Lakeview High School

In the State of Connecticut there are currently 480 high schools, 349 of the schools are

public institutions (High-Schools.com, 2013). Lakeview High School (LHS) is located in an

urban residential community, which serves a portion of the city of Waterbury. The

comprehensive high school includes grades 9-12 and the student body consists of approximately

1,774 students. The 2016-estimated median household income in Waterbury was $38,752. This

number is approximately $35,000 below the state average of $73,433 (City-Data.com, n.d.).

The school’s 2014-2015 profile provides general information about the school’s curriculum,

grading system, and student/teacher population. It also depicts a troubled organization in need of

guidance and reform. While the average graduation rate in Connecticut is 83%, LHS is only

graduating 19% of the student body. Furthermore, the school has a high level of student

absenteeism, lacks a challenging curriculum, and does not have a detailed plan of how to

improve student achievement. Based on the information provided in the report, it is evident

Lakeview High School is not meeting the needs of its current student population.

History: Past and Present

Lakeview High School was established in 1931. In 1995, the school updated the campus

with a new auditorium, art complex, and a media/technology complex. The school has three

administrators, sixty-four classroom teachers, and a variety of certified support staff. The college

preparatory curriculum requires a minimum of 24 credits to graduate. Each student is expected to

carry six credits a day until 12th grade; seniors may take a minimum of four credits. The school

offers minimal Honors and Advancement Placement (AP) courses in English, Science, and

Mathematics. In 2014-2015, 40 students took AP exams and only 5% received a score of 3 or

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better. The school also offers a career-technical track to students. It is not clear which courses the

school offers for students interested in following this path.

At the core of any institution is its mission statement. This statement publicly shares the

administrative vision of schooling and relays how that vision may be affected by a variety of

factors within both the schools walls and the outside community (Schafft & Biddle, 2013).

Lakeview High School shares a list of ten core beliefs, which set high academic expectations,

encourage personal growth, and recognize the importance of community ties. Unfortunately, the

report does not demonstrate the school creates these opportunities for students. The academic

and personal challenges faced by LHS students are very real and reflected by the school’s poor

performance. The Connecticut Department of Education (SDE) rated the school as

CHALLENGED, as it only met 1 out of 15 performance indicators. The report does not indicate

which performance indicator it met.

The leadership at LHS clearly recognizes disparity between the vision for the school and

the current situation. To begin steps toward improving school performance and student

achievement it is vital LHS leaders create a culture of information, education, and

communication amongst the organization (Sagebrush Corporation, 2004, p. 7).

Goals of Lakeview High School and DDDM

In the report, Lakeview High School states four goals for the organization. Three are

measurable goals and there is not a clear timetable set for meeting the goals:

 Fifty percent of all students will meet state graduation test requirements.

 All core departments will have CCSS aligned courses, lessons, and CFAs (monthly

department meeting to analyze data)

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 Increase proficiency rates (as measured by classroom grades and standardized tests) in

mathematics by 15%

 Increase graduation rate to 70%

To achieve these goals, Lakeview High School requires a solid and strategic plan.

According to Bernard Marr (2016), there are ten basic steps an organization must follow to

inform change and ultimately improve an organization (Data-Driven decision-making). LHS has

clearly stated goals, now the school must move on to collecting data to inform where and why

students are falling behind and how to help them succeed.

In recent years, many schools have been using data to inform decisions on school

learning. This method, known as Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM), improves a school’s

decision-making process by creating a clear vision for all stakeholders (Sagebrush Corporation,

2004, p. 11). However, it is important to note not all educators collect and interpret data in the

same way. Policy researchers Ikemoto and Marsh studied ten school districts in four states and

found school districts were interpreting and using data in different formats. The study further

informs different processes can be useful depending on the purpose and resources available

(Cutting through the “data-driven”, 2007, p.110). The DDDM conceptualization consists of four

quadrants; basic (q1), analysis-focused (q2), data-focused (q3), and inquiry-focused (q4) which

contain two continua: simple versus complex data and simple vs complex analysis and decision-

making. For the organization to incorporate a “culture of information”, Lakeview High School

must decide who is responsible for collecting data, the frequency of collection, and how will

information be shared amongst all stakeholders. A meaningful analysis of data will allow school

leaders and teachers to collaborate on a curriculum design that will help students meet the goals
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stated in the improvement plan (Sagebrush Corporation, 2004, p. 3).

Balanced Assessment Systems

Rick Stiggins proposes a balanced assessment system can improve school systems

through a purposeful design and data analysis process (Stiggins, 2006, p. 2). Currently, many

school districts rely heavily on state test data to determine a student’s level of success. A

balanced assessment system divides assessment into three different levels: classroom,

instructional support, and policy. The classroom level supports learning by measuring where

each student is in his or her learning path. Information gathered includes learning targets,

ongoing self-assessment, and evidence of each student’s individual progress. This level involves

students, parents, and teachers. (Stiggins, 2008, p. 4).

The instructional support level involves teacher teams, principals, and curriculum

personnel. This level collects benchmark information over periods of time to identify which

students are achieving mastery of content strands, and which are not (Stiggins, 2008, p. 5).

Learning strands are organized by grade and subject level (Stiggins, 2006, p. 5).

The policy level includes the Superintendent, School Board, and other policy makers.

Information gathered includes summative assessments, which measure achievement of standards.

Stakeholders are looking for a certain percentage of students to master pre-established standards

(Stiggins, 2008, p. 5).

Current Issues Facing LHS

. For the school improvement plan to succeed, it is crucial the school discern how to support

all students emotionally, physically, and academically. One problem the school is grappling with

is “Why are students missing school with so much frequency?” A 55% attendance rate reflects a
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lack of accountability. If the school wants to improve student achievement, students must attend

school or be given learning opportunities outside of school. One reason may be poverty.

Lakeview High School leaders are aware the district is experiencing a shrinking economic base.

The report informs increased amounts of students are eligible for free/reduced lunch program.

Currently, 25% of high school students receive lunch assistance. In sharp contrast, 96% of

elementary students participate in the program. If this trend continues, Lakeview High School

will be classified a high-poverty school in under ten years. A recent article in The Washington

Post states

A high-poverty school is one where more than 75 percent of students are eligible for free

or reduced price meals. The most recent data show that one in four public schools in

America is a high-poverty school, double what it was back in the 1990s (Strauss, 2016,

para. 10).

Poverty has been linked to low graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and low college

enrollment (DeRosa, 2017). Further exploration of how demographics are affecting the current

population will assist school leaders in achieveing the objective of providing all students with

oppurtunites to grow personally and academically. Other demographic subgroups that should be

investigated include gifted learners, racial/ethnic groups and English Language Learners (ELL).

A survey of the current student body and parents/guardians can inform the district of how it can

help students overcome obstacles, combat truancy, and improve daily attendance.

Another issue reflected in the report is students consistently scored lower on standardized

math and science assessments. The report shares student peformance results from two

standardized test. Included in the report are the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT)
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and SAT I Reasoning Test. LHS plans to address this issue by setting a goal of raising

proficiency 15% in mathematics and introducing a new mathematics and science graduation

requirement. To achieve this goal the school must follow Stiggin’s Balanced Assesment System

and collect information not only at the state level, but also at the classroom level. Teachers must

collect frequent evidence across all groups of students to deduce the weak spots in the

curriculum (Stiggins, 2008, p.5) According to National Association of Elementary School

Principals, collecting data is ongoing cycle of multiple data sources to formulate hypotheses

about strategies to raise student achievement and implementing instructional changes to test

hypothese (NAESP, n.d.). This method of data collection would fall into quadrant 2 of the

DDDM model as grade-level teams could meet to discuss benchmark results at set intervals

throughout the school year. The school does have written in its plan course alignment and CFAs

for all core departments. Before this can be realized, all teachers in core departments must be

given a chance to connect, communicate, and collaborate on teaching practices and student

learning.

A third issue the school faces is increased enrollment. The report states the number of

students have increased but there is not room for expansion. The current average class size is

21.1 students, which is higher than the state and DRG averages. This will increase the number of

students taking courses and there is not any plan to hire additional teachers. Increased enrollment

also puts a strain on school counselors and additional school staff. Furthermore, the school plans

to introduce several new Connecticut Common Core Curriculum graduation requirements. If

students are not succeeding under the current curriculum, how can the school expect to raise the

graduation rate to 70% along with requiring more course work?

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Finally, the report does not address how the school shares information with parents, nor how

it will involve the community in the improvement plan. Many schools today have open lines of

communication with parents and share student progress through PowerSchool, newsletters, and

conferences. Many studies have concluded parental involvement increases a student’s success.

The National Education Association relays

Ongoing research shows that family engagement in schools improves student

achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s

education. Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test

scores, have better social skills, and show improved behavior (Garcia & Thornton, 2014).

The community must also be involved as they are taxpayers, offer support to school districts, and

often have deep roots within a town or city. According to the Sagebrush Corporation (2004),

sharing data lets communities know schools are making informed decisions and also creates a

deeper understanding within the community of the issues at hand in public education (p. 10).

Conclusion

The time to embrace change is now. The Horizon Report K-12 2016 maintains,

“Transforming a district or school into a cooperative environment can ensure the development of

curricula that continuously evolve teaching practices and improve student outcomes” (Adams

Becker, Freeman, Giesinger Hall, Cummins, & Yuhnke, B., 2016, p.13). Lakeview High School

faces many challenges but clearly wants to provide academic and personal growth opportunities

for all students. Changing the school culture requires a solid improvement plan. This plan

requires identifying the core problems, collecting and analyzing student data in a meaningful

fashion, and ongoing communication with all stakeholders (Sagebrush Corporation, 2004, p. 1).
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References

Adams Becker, S., Freeman, A., Giesinger Hall, C., Cummins, M., and Yuhnke, B.

(2016). NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media

Consortium

City-Data. (n.d.) Retrieved January 18, 2018 from http://www.city-data.com

DeRosa, M. (2017, August 18). Low Graduation Rates Tied To Absenteeism, Poverty In Urban

Schools. C-HIT. Retrieved January 20, 2018 from http://c-hit.org/2017/08/18/low-

graduation-rates-tied-to-absenteeism-poverty-in-urban-schools/

Marr, B. (2016, June 14). Data-Driven decision-making: 10 Simple steps for any business.

Forbes.

Garcia, L. & Thornton, O. (2014, November 18). The Enduring Importance of Parental

Involvement. NEA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2018 from

http://neatoday.org/2014/11/18/the-enduring-importance-of-parental-involvement-2/

High-Schools.com. (2013). Connecticut High Schools. Retrieved January 20, 2018 from

https://high-schools.com/directory/ct/

Ikemoto, G. S., & Marsh, J. A. (2007). Cutting through the “data-driven” mantra: Different

conceptions of data-driven decision-making.

NAESP. (n.d.). Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making.

Retrieved January 21, 2018 from

http://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Student%20Achievement_blue.pdf

Sagebrush Corporation. (2004). Data-driven decision-making: A powerful tool for school

improvement. [White paper].

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Schafft, K. A., Biddle, C. (2013). Place and Purpose in Public Education: School District

Mission Statements and Educational (Dis) Embeddedness. American Journal of

Education, Vol. 120 Issue 1, p55-76. 22p. 4 Charts, 1 Map.

Stiggins, R. J. (2006). Balanced assessment systems: Redefining excellence in assessment.

Portland, OR: Educational Testing Service.

Stiggins, R. (2008). A call for the development of balanced assessment systems. Assessment

Manifesto. Portland, OR: ETS Assessment Training Institute.

Strauss, V. (2016, October 27). U.S. high school graduation rate is up — but there’s a warning

label attached. The Washington Post. Retrieved from

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/10/27/u-s-high-school-

graduation-rate-is-up-but-theres-a-warning-label-attached/?utm_term=.c741010d4fce