Corona del Mar High School and Middle School Strategic Plan

Preparing for the 21st Century

4/24/06

Executive Summary Only

Prepared by:

Fal Asrani, CdMHS Principal

Teri Brudnak, Digital Arts Teacher and PAMA Coordinator

Kim Pawell, CdM Foundation Member

Brian Tulley, Science Teacher and Site Technology Coordinator

Factors Driving High School Change                                                                   

There are five factors driving the need to change our approach to Middle School and High School education.  These include: 

1. Traditional high school education is obsolete and does not meet 21st century needs.
   
2. The United States’ outmoded high school education system is not competitive in the global world.
   
3. Recent California education reform has missed high schools.
   
4. There is a wide and growing technology gap between high schools and the outside world.
   
5. The traditional high school model fails to engage our students.

“No Child Left Behind” Is Not Enough                                                                  

The U.S.’s prevailing “No Child Left Behind” policy, which focuses on boosting low performing students is not enough.  Our declining international test scores forecast less competitive global job opportunities and declining U.S. productivity when compared to the educational achievements of foreign countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim.

The 21st Century High School

There is a growing movement among educators, businesses and government to rethink and redesign high school education.  Organizations such as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the U.S Department of Education have done much research into what is needed to develop globally competitive high schools.  Many schools and districts are adapting new strategies and implementing innovative programs such as one-to-one computing, project-based learning, small learning communities, more rigorous curriculum and 21st century skills to better prepare students for the global economy.

Engage Every Student Every day

CdM administration has analyzed the profiles of its students and is developing curriculum plans to engage every student every day.  We want to create new challenges for our high performers, engage our middle performers with relevant and interesting course work and lift our low-performing students.  At the same time, we want to create an environment that focuses on enhancing the process of learning and providing students with the skills they need to flourish in today’s world.

Our Plan                                                                           

Corona del Mar High School and Middle Schools are dedicated to redesigning our programs to prepare all CdM students for the 21st Century.  We have identified five programs to achieve this mission:

• Technology
• Interest-specific academies
• Expanded, engaging and more rigorous curriculum, including 21st century skills
• Staff development
• Community collaboration

1.  Technology                                 

The underpinning of CdM’s strategic plan is to implement state-of-the-art technology that will support and enhance the education of all students. 

The primary goal is to utilize technology to shift the instructional system from a teacher-central to a student-central learning environment where students are engaged and have the tools and resources to take charge of their  own learning.

We have identified eight near-term projects: 

1. A new resource center to replace the library and provide students with the tools and resources they need to learn in the 21st century. Cost:  $112,000 + for technology, with additional costs for infrastructure and furnishings.
   
2. Three internet café’s that will allow students to work independently in locations throughout the school on laptops.  Cost:  $2,000 +
   
3. A pilot one-to-one middle school computing program, to develop and incubate one-to-one computing at CdM.  Cost:  Self-funding by participating students.
   
4. Enhance classroom technology by beginning a three-year process to replace teacher work stations with laptops, install wireless connections and provide teachers with enhanced presentation technology.  Cost:  $130,000.
   
5. Replace out-dated and poorly functioning world language labs with state-of the art equipment.  Cost:  $75,000.
   
6. Provide up-to-date presentation equipment and wireless access for CdM’s two drop-in labs, including video-streaming technology.  Cost:  $32,000
   
7. Start a site-based software committee responsible for identifying, purchasing and implementing discipline-specific software.  Cost $20,000
   
8. Evaluate the adequacy for Measure A funded enhancements to CdM’s internet and technology infrastructure.  Identify additional enhancements required to support CdM’s technology plan.  Cost:  TBD

The starting price tag for these technology investments is $370,000.  Additionally, significant investments need to be made for internet and technology infrastructure, internet café furnishings, laptop security lockers, structural changes to the library and new furnishings for the resource center.  Action groups are being formed to address these additional investments.

2.  Academics                                                                                        

Studies show small learning environments to be the most successful model for elevating academic achievement.  Likewise, interest-specific academies have been shown to dramatically increase student engagement by tapping into real-world subjects that are interesting to students.  Academy students study in the fields they want to work in and have clear objectives as to why they are in school.  Technology, core curriculum and 21st century skills are imbedded into academy curriculum.

CdM will introduce its first academy program, Performing Arts and Multi-media Academy (PAMA) in the Fall of 2007.  Future academies will be identified based on student, teacher, and parent interest surveys.  Possible future academies may include:  Entrepreneurship & Business, Engineering, Medicine & Health, Law, International Baccalaureate, and Da Vinci (multi-interest/renaissance) academies.

3.  Expanded Curriculum                                                                  

The third platform of CdM’s strategic plan is to expand and enhance curriculum options to provide wider variety, more challenging coursework and 21st century skills for all students.  New curriculum will include:  nine honors classes, American Sign Language, UC-credited online classes, and on site ROP courses in 2006-07.  PAMA and Mandarin language will be added in 2007-08, and International Baccalaureate courses in 2008-09.

Additionally, technology and 21st century skills will be imbedded across all curriculum.

4.  Staff Development

Staff development is essential to CdM’s strategic objectives.  Staff development is planned for:

• Technology
• Information literacy
• Academy-specific subjects
• Instructional practices and techniques
• 21st century skills
• Honors curriculum
• IB curriculum

Training Venues, Policies and Programs include: 

• Professional development time such as “zero periods.”
• On-line training programs
• Pay-it-Forward approach to conferences and seminars
• Observation of teachers in best practices
• Buddy tech-support  system
• Teacher resource website for technology
• 100% Level II technology  proficiency goal

CdM Boosters have earmarked up to $40,000 for staff development in 2006-07.

5.  Community Collaboration

The CdM parent, teacher and administrative stakeholders have a strong collaborative relationship.  We plan to expand upon these affiliations to include community, business, government and local colleges and universities.  Our goal is to bring these groups together to obtain funding, mentoring, internships and higher learning opportunities.

CdM parent support groups: the PTA, Boosters and Foundation, currently raise $600,000 to $700,000 annually.  Our technology and academy plans will require significant funding above and beyond what we have raised in the past.  We need to brainstorm new ways of working together and with the outside community to leverage our past success and increase our fund-raising capability.