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Fry Initiative
Lloyd A. Fry FoundationCurie High School Grant Proposal Curie at a Glance Curie Metropolitan High School for the Performing and Technical Arts is a multicultural Chicago Public School. This culturally diverse learning community prides itself in offering superior educational opportunities through its Vocational-Technical Center, Performing and Fine Arts Center, and exemplary International Baccalaureate Program. Local initiatives are designed collaboratively by all shareholders of the learning community and are supported by a staff of seasoned professionals and new recruits. Located in the Archer Heights neighborhood, Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Asian students from various parts of the city attend the school. The student body distribution is 15.2%, 32.2%, 49.4%, and 3.2% respectively. Currently 1,033 of Curie�s 3,060 students live within the formal attendance boundary. According to the school�s most recent Illinois School Report Card, 85.6% of the student population is classified as low income, in contrast to 36.7% statewide. Additional statistics show that 85% of Curie�s students attend school regularly, 77.3% graduate, 5.6% are truant, and 10.1% drop out. Mobility of the school�s population is 15.2%. Standardized test results reveal that the percent of students performing at or above national norms is 36.4% in reading and 43.5% in math. Last year the number of Curie students taking the ACT test rose by 33%. Test results show increases across the board in every area tested, including reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. The average composite score for all Curie students is 17.5, which is equal to the district average. Back To Top Mission Curie High School�s Administration and Staff will ensure that students graduate with the technological, creative, and academic skills necessary to participate fully in the multiculturally connected world in which we live. Teachers will engage in staff development for the purpose of enhancing instruction and supporting the growth and character of our diverse population. As a result, Curie students will benefit from rich instructional experiences and challenging subject matter. Current practices in technology and multicultural curricula emphasizing reading and writing across subject areas will help facilitate student creativity and connection to further academic pursuits and future career paths. Back To Top External Initiative Since opening in 1973, Curie has focused on technology as a vital component in the learning process. Two years ago a concerted effort to thoroughly update the school�s technological infrastructure began. Augmenting these efforts, the Chicago Public Schools Central Administration opted to provide a computer for every teacher, thus allowing Curie to integrate new hardware into the extensive data and communication network envisioned by the school�s Local School Council, administration, staff, parents, students, and community/business leaders. Back To Top Anticipated Changes With the rapid influx of young families into the school�s mandatory boundary, both Curie�s arts and technical �schools-within-a-school� are now enrolling a large number of students assigned rather than attracted to its magnet programs. If the present trend continues, well over 50% of Curie�s population will soon come from the immediate area. As a result, multiculturalism, long one of the school�s greatest assets, will be altered, as will access to unique programs for those students whose aptitude/motivation traditionally drew them from throughout the city to unique academic, arts, and vocational-technical offerings. Back To Top School Improvement Efforts Two years ago Curie enforced writing across the curriculum whereby all departments compiled a writing plan. For easy access, the plans were set up on the Curie website. Recent staff development has centered on strategies to incorporate reading and writing across the entire curriculum. Last year Curie initiated a Sustained Silent Reading program by which specified class time in core curriculum courses is regularly devoted to silent reading by both students and teachers. The goal of SSR is not only to improve reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary and thus enrich writing, but also to encourage our students to become lifetime readers. This year Curie introduced two wide-range improvement efforts. First is the purchase of Online Reader Plus, a reading program of nonfiction articles with tests. Online Reader can be used across the curriculum where Internet service is available. Second, in an effort to increase student achievement, a specially trained group of teachers will use advisory periods to instruct all freshmen in test-taking skills. Back To Top Curie: A Community of Leaders Curie�s vision for the future rests on the belief that a highly trained staff, state-of-the-art communications technology, and an empowered student body will build and maintain a totally redesigned learning community characterized by new highs in academic achievement that result from:
Communications technology is an integral component necessary for preparing today�s students for tomorrow�s world. Integral in this preparation are learning activities that foster higher-order thinking, provide a multitude of high-interest approaches to core curriculum content, and deliver skill development opportunities that are individually challenging. By offering a multitude of avenues into the learning process, even the most reluctant student is able to realize dynamic improvements in achievement. An initiative titled Forefront will introduce empowered student leaders who will insure that Curie�s learning community is student centered. The program will prepare young people for leadership roles in all walks of life by challenging them to exert positive peer pressure on fellow students, particularly in the areas of increased attendance, self-expectation, and achievement. The school community anticipates that teachers--through shared staff development--design a truly interdisciplinary curriculum, raise expectations for themselves and students, and thereby assist learners in attaining high levels of achievement. Students are expected to recognize that attendance and academic success are integrally related, take an active role in the learning process, define and practice ethical behavior, and use newly acquired skills and knowledge for community improvement. Administrators are expected to share leadership with all stakeholders by sustaining open lines of communication and supporting ongoing improvement strategies designed by newly empowered members of the learning community, insure that technological assistance is readily available throughout the extensive school campus, and objectively monitor all school improvement initiatives to maximize their effect. The above represents a marked departure from traditional administration-driven operations. Curie�s community of educational leaders will actively promote interaction among students, parents, teachers, administration, Local School Council members, and community representatives, drawing from each directives as to how Curie can best build and sustain a superior learning environment. Back To Top External and Internal Reviews During the 1999-2000 school year, Curie underwent an exhaustive quality review conducted by the Illinois State Board of Education. An internal review followed during 2000-2001 as did a site evaluation prepared by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of High School Development. Below are key observations derived from subsequent reports: Strengths
Three Central Issues to Be Addressed Through the Fry Initiative Throughout the spring of 2001, updates relative to the Fry Foundation initiative were forwarded to the entire Curie staff. In May, clusters of departments met to assess all elements of the learning environment. A 30-member committee of teachers representing all departments convened four times during the summer to further consider topics of concern, identify needs, and offer potential plans of action. Included in this committee were student leaders who offered observations and suggestions that elicited extensive dialogue. For example, specific issues, such as security procedures in locker rooms and at bus stops, were discussed, with immediate plans of action implemented. However, on a larger scale, the need to promote leadership in all segments of the learning community was identified as an integral element in three central issues related to improved achievement.
Goals of the program: Because Curie�s involvement with peer mentoring goes back to 1978, building upon the present Curie Peer Counseling (CPC) program was immediately identified as an initiative that should be expanded. If only 30 students out of 3,000 could end the severe racial strife this school experienced during the late 1970s (a feat documented by Johns Hopkins University), then 100 carefully selected leaders should be able to redesign present attitudes, policies, and environmental characteristics to emphatically improve student achievement. Positive peer leaders would convey to students in their classes, students attending Advisory Period assemblies conducted by Forefront members, and students watching presentations on closed circuit TV that responsibility for all elements of the school community lies in their hands. Just as adult remedies--police presence, human relations, parent summits--did not solve the students� racial problems two decades ago, staff and parent panaceas alone will not improve student achievement or the environment necessary to sustain such improvement today. Only a student body influenced by nontraditional peer mentors--not those found in the National Honor Society or Student Council--who demonstrate pragmatic assertiveness, dedication to improvement...one student at a time, if necessary...and a willingness to implement proven problem-solving techniques pioneered in CPC can do this. Of special note is the fact that 15% of Forefront�s population would be made up of reluctant and/or negative leaders (gang members) specifically recruited during the interview process. Forefront students and staff would be asked to sign an annual contract guaranteeing specific improvements in the learning community. Continued funding for the program would be contingent upon realization of the identified improvements. Data obtained from teacher, parent, and student surveys; shadowing of students throughout a school day by staff members; interviews with teachers, administrators, Local School Council members, students, parents, community/business leaders, and university/professional association partners; achievement test results compiled by Curie�s Counseling Department and attendance patterns noted by the school�s Attendance Office; an on-site visit report by Central Administration personnel; content of Curie�s School Improvement Plan for Advancing Academic Achievement; and a computer literacy survey conducted by Central Administration were used by the staff-student committee to determine that the above Central Issues are critical. Three Initiatives to Be Funded
This initiative will dramatically improve achievement in the following ways: Selection of the two staff development providers noted above was based upon recommendations from the CPS Department of Curriculum and Department of Recertification. The qualifications of all presenters were carefully assessed by Curie�s Grant Implementation Team. In addition, sites where these presenters are conducting programs were visited to assess the effectiveness of instruction. This second initiative will improve academic achievement because: In addition to features that directly improve academic achievement, the Telecenter will provide the following benefits related to improved communication, attendance, and school cohesion: Visits to schools utilizing a Telecenter system have been conducted to insure that investment in such a program will result in noted gains. In all cases, Telecenter has been determined to be an important element in achieving what is presented in Curie�s vision for the future. Forefront will improve student achievement in the following ways: In addition to improving academic achievement, Forefront will develop and initiate strategies to achieve the school wide goals presented on page 5 of this proposal. Evidence that this triangular plan of action is embraced by the larger school community exists in written observations, priorities, and plans of action submitted and reviewed by all members of Curie�s staff (administration, teachers, engineering staff, career service personnel, and lunchroom staff) as part of a half-day spring & devoted to consideration of the Fry grant. In addition, notes taken during the four summer meetings described above reflect both student and teacher refinement of proposals suggested during the original inservice. Implementation Technological components of the initiative will be implemented by Mr. Phillip Perry, Assistant Principal; Mr. Dan Meier, Technology Coordinator; Mr. Joseph Cariola, School Engineer; Mr. Dan Gibbons, Manager of the Arts Center Theater; and Mr. Clarence Walker, Curie TV Studio Engineer. Staff development will be organized by Ms. Ana Espinoza, Assistant Principal; Mr. William Hayes, Assistant Principal; Ms. Rochelle Wade, Assistant Principal; Ms. Mary Sherrill, Reading Lab Specialist; Ms. Mary Anne Cannon, Counseling Department Chair; Ms. Cynthia Kosik, Bilingual Department Chair; and Ms. Janice Hickman, World Language Department Chair/IB Coordinator. Forefront will be implemented by Mr. Dan Bardauskis, School Programmer; Mr. Paul Pajeau, Arts Center Director; and Mr. Robert Kos, Peer Counseling Coordinator. The impact on job descriptions will be minimal since all of the above people already serve in capacities related to the three elements of the proposal. Compensation for overtime hours devoted to implementation is identified in the attached budget. Monthly meetings of all administrators and staff involved in implementation will be devoted to reviews of work plan progress. Staff will be informed of progress and asked for their input during weekly inservice meetings. Student observations and input will be solicited by implementation team members during weekly advisory periods. As noted above, monitors/supporting hardware, Teleprompters, theater sound equipment, leadership texts/videos, and staff development texts represent the external materials needed for implementation. Instructors from American Educational Services, Inc., who will conduct the teachers� lab modules, and staff from Teachers� Task Force, who will assist in bolstering the freshman literacy curriculum, are the only external personnel required. Four Curie teachers (two history and two English) needed for the student leadership component will be identified by January 2002. They, Mr. Kos, and Mr. Pajeau will meet during the second semester of the present school year to fine-tune the curriculum of Forefront courses and select participants based upon questionnaire responses, teacher recommendations, and interviews. Back To Top Alignment Curie receives a grant in the amount of $9,190 as part of the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Initiative. Since grant expenditures are determined by Mr. Robert Kos, Curie�s Peer Counseling Coordinator and one of the two staff members responsible for developing Forefront, alignment with this positive peer pressure team will be immediate. Indeed, all Forefront members will take CPC in their sophomore year and will therefore be exposed to the subtleties of group dynamics as well as a proven problem-solving technique they will employ in school improvement. Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Grants in the amount of $12,060 and a Block Grant (Senate Bill 730) in the amount of $13,959 provide staff development that dovetails with the content of modules presented above. Funds from an IASA Title I Local School Design are used for summer school classes that allow students to make up deficiencies and thereby directly improve academic achievement, the basic thrust of this grant proposal. An IASA Title I Innovative Program Grant in the amount of $499,200 funded updating of a computerized business lab, a tech lab, electronic music lab, and math tutorials, integral elements of Curie�s overall technology and academic improvement plans. The technology component of this proposal augments the extensive data and communications network envisioned two years ago by Curie�s Local School Council, administration, staff, parents, and community/ business leaders. It further correlates with the CPS Central Administration�s intent to provide a computer for every teacher. Presently, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (grades 11-12) serves approximately 125 academically talented students, including those enrolled in the Pre-IB in grades 9 and 10. These students, who take all of their academic classes at the honors, advanced placement, and IB level, are involved in either an elective chosen from Performing Arts or the Vocational Technical Program and represent the ethnic diversity visible at Curie High School. The CPS Office of Gifted and Academically Talented Students provides funds for the program to supplement a $20,000 local commitment from Curie�s discretionary Chapter I funds. Staff development modules noted above as integral components of the Fry initiative will address and incorporate strategic elements of the IB curriculum so that high achievement can be reflected across the instructional program at Curie. All Curie students are members of a school-within-a-school--Arts, Technology/Business, or IB--and, as a result, follow curricula specifically related to their area of specialization. The 100 students selected for Forefront will follow the customized continuum presented below, with English and history classes team taught during consecutive periods. Though this grant proposal will not affect Curie�s class schedule, modifications in aligning course sequences of selected Forefront students coming into leadership training from the Arts, Technology/Business, or IB programs will be necessary.
*Emphasis upon logic, rhetoric, and public speaking **Emphasis upon the liberal-conservative spectrum evident in politics, history, architecture, fashions, visual art, music, etc. ***Inclusion of a unit on meditation (objective observation of mental activity) ****Choice of a performing musical group, e.g., orchestra, chorus, concert band, etc. The four-year progression of English/social studies modules will provide the nucleus of leadership training. Meeting together in back-to-back classes, participants will concentrate on using higher-order thinking skills, writing/speaking not for an audience of one (the teacher) but for readers and listeners numbering in the thousands, and analyzing printed materials that evoke personal definitions of success, responsibility, and human dignity. Course content will be applied realistically in the development of strategies designed to raise the personal expectations, achievement, cohesiveness, and effort of Curie�s student body. During the double period modules, Forefront members will construct individual leadership projects that effect positive change outside the school, listen to and question guest leaders from all walks of life, and assess both positive and negative responses to leadership techniques the students have chosen to employ. Field trips to schools of management, political/governmental offices, research centers, etc., will be conducted regularly. Other core curriculum classes provide knowledge and skills integral to mental development and cultural respect, while the carefully selected elective courses noted above enable students to confidently deal with fear, cultivate spontaneous self-expression, employ an options approach in solving problems, take calculated risks, polish technical information gathering and communication skills, as well as establish and maintain ethical standards. Back To Top Sustained Improvement Curie�s faculty is not transient. As a result, staff development benefits derived from the Fry grant will extend well into the future by supplying educators, who have consistently demonstrated a long-term commitment to Curie, with knowledge and skills focused on raising academic achievement to the following level: 50% of the school�s students will meet or exceed the national median in core subjects by 2007. The Illinois recertification process allows Curie to augment vital training obtained through the grant and thereby continue the impetus created by the staff development initiative outlined in this proposal. The technological component of the Fry grant directly affects both student achievement and the learning environment. Updates in hardware/software and related inservices will be financed through local discretionary funds. It will be a primary responsibility of the designated Assistant Principal and Technology Coordinator, whose job descriptions require ongoing evaluation of equipment, to assure maintenance and development of Curie�s state-of-the-art infrastructure and its utility. Forefront guarantees continuous improvement in the learning environment. Responsibility for this element of the proposal has been included in the job description of the present Arts Center Director, Peer Counseling Coordinator, and program teachers. In addition to assuring continuity through defined responsibilities of staff members, partners from schools of management, political mentors, social service agencies, and professional associations, etc., will be aligned to provide ongoing external support. Back To Top Anticipated Challenges Because staff has been involved in constructing every element of the grant initiative, reluctance to face change should not pose a major hindrance. However, the following circumstances are anticipated:
Modifications The implementation team presented above will meet on a monthly basis to assess development, anticipate/address problems, and plan alternative or augmenting strategies. Input derived during regularly scheduled half-day inservice meetings and the students� advisory periods will provide the team with information relative to the success or failure of integral program elements as well as suggestions for improvement. Back To Top Impact The statistical impact of strong leadership supported by state-of-the-art technology will result in the following:
Measurement tools used to identify the above improvements include:
Written surveys of Local School Council members, community/business leaders, members of educational partnerships, students, parents, and staff will be conducted annually through 2007 to assess positive changes in attitude (e.g., sense of community, enthusiasm for learning) noted by all members of the learning community. Back To Top |
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