Community Meeting, Topic 1: The Future of FHS

  • After Mrs. DeGeorge reviewed the history of Falcon High School's innovation plan, the first exercise for the group was to talk in small table groups (approximately 5-7 people sat at each table) about the future of Falcon High School.  Mr. Hilts asked the group: 
    • What big questions or concerns should we address in this planning process?
    Several themes emerged from the group discussion as the small groups brought their cards forward to the story boards: 
    The video below shows some of the table group discussion that led to the questions and challenges from the first exercise. All the questions from that discussion were posted to a single storyboard. You can see the questions as they were posted, or read a transcript of items in the session report. The dots on each card were added later in the meeting to indicate items of "high value" or "high importance". 
     

FHS Meeting 150217 Board 1

If you are having trouble viewing the document, you may download the document.

  • Consensus Theme: Standards-Based Grading

    Standards-Based Grading

    In the section below, each bold question corresponds to a card that was submitted by meeting participants via the small table groups. Clink on each question to see a response with links to other resources that address the concern.
  • “Get rid of Standards-Based Grading!” is the clearest message emerging from the various discussions and activity at Falcon High School. There is strength in the simplicity of that message, but there is also risk. Academic standards are intertwined throughout the education programs at FHS, including curriculum, assessment, school performance, and grading. We cannot extract standards from the overall system, which means that grades must reference or align to Colorado academic standards.

    The current system, which we have labeled SBG, includes some elements such as letter grades on transcripts and calculated GPA’s, which are not part of a “pure” standards-based grading system. Other elements, such as ungraded homework, calculating modes and majorities, and grading caps/constraints are part of the FHS implementation of SBG but are not present in the standards-based programs used at other schools in District 49 and elsewhere. Ungraded homework - practice with feedback, but without penalty, is part of most SBG systems.

    The challenge we face is to retain the elements of the current program that are required or beneficial, while extracting or clarifying the elements that are confusing or controversial. That challenge is not as simple as “getting rid” of the current grading mechanism. Whatever label we give it, the important outcome is to give students, parents, teachers, and administrators a coherent system that maximizes student achievement and minimizes confusion and controversy. Students at FHS are being successful and we want them to continue to be so. We currently have over four million dollars in scholarships offered to date for 2015 graduates, 3 military academy appointments and another nomination waiting to hear about an appointment in March. 87% of students have already been accepted to their #1 college choice.

    More so than elementary or middle schools programs, high school programs are shaped by graduation expectations. That’s one reason a standards-based report card is less controversial in elementary—it isn’t being used to graduate, apply for college, or compete for scholarships.

    Since Colorado’s graduation expectations are in the middle of a major transition, all high schools are facing the challenge of aligning high school programs more closely to Colorado Academic Standards and the admissions requirements for higher education. The rigor of the curriculum has increased as the rigor of the standards has increased.
     
    A relevant Colorado statute, C.R.S. 22-2-106 (2014), lists eight mandates about local graduation guidelines, paraphrased below:
    1. Account for the 2006 education alignment council.
    2. Align with the description of Post-secondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR)
    3. Work with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE)
    4. Recognize and address multiple and diverse pathways to diplomas
    5. Utilize standards-based education as the framework for high school graduation
    6. Recognize and acknowledge the importance of obtaining the core competency skills and standards to succeed in the twenty-first century
    7. Recognize and acknowledge the importance of education in performing arts and visual arts
    8. Take into account the importance of pre-high school and postsecondary career planning

  • Discussion

    Posted by:
    Discussion Area

    Isn't it helpful to know who you're talking with? To help facilitate generative and respectful dialogue, we're asking everyone to register and sign in (remember, ParentPortal accounts are not the same as D49.org accounts, but we're working on tying those two systems together).

    To help school and district leaders respond to your input, please review the questions and answers from the first topic regarding standards-based grading and then respond to the following questions:

    1) After reviewing the questions, observations and responses, what would you like to add?

    2) Do you have additional questions about the issues or responses raised at the first meeting?

    3) Do you see any answers or observations that you want to challenge or support?

    Please be specific in your comments as we will use them to shape the next community meeting on March 5.
    Comments (1)

  • Consensus Theme: Innovation Status and Planning

    Innovation Status and Planning

    In the section below, each bold question corresponds to a card that was submitted by meeting participants via the small table groups. Clink on each question to see a response with links to other resources that address the concern.

  • Discussion

    Posted by:

    Isn't it helpful to know who you're talking with? To help facilitate generative and respectful dialogue, we're asking everyone to register and sign in (remember, ParentPortal accounts are not the same as D49.org accounts, but we're working on tying those two systems together).

    To help school and district leaders respond to your input, please review the questions and answers from the first topic regarding innovation and then respond to the following questions:

    1) After reviewing the questions, observations and responses, what would you like to add?

    2)Do you have additional questions about the issues or responses raised at the first meeting?

    3) Do you see any answers or observations that you want to challenge or support?

    Please be specific in your comments as we will use them to shape the next community meeting on March 5.
    Comments (0)

  • Consensus Theme: Thematic Academies

    Thematic Academies

    In the section below, each bold question corresponds to a card that was submitted by meeting participants via the small table groups. Clink on each question to see a response with links to other resources that address the concern.

  • Discussion

    Posted by:
    Discussion Area

    Isn't it helpful to know who you're talking with? To help facilitate generative and respectful dialogue, we're asking everyone to register and sign in (remember, ParentPortal accounts are not the same as D49.org accounts, but we're working on tying those two systems together).

    To help school and district leaders respond to your input, please review the questions and answers from the first topic regarding academies and then respond to the following questions:

    1) After reviewing the questions, observations and responses, what would you like to add?

    2)Do you have additional questions about the issues or responses raised at the first meeting?

    3) Do you see any answers or observations that you want to challenge or support?

    Please be specific in your comments as we will use them to shape the next community meeting on March 5.
    Comments (0)

  • Consensus Theme: Curriculum Planning

    Curriculum Planning

    In the section below, each bold question corresponds to a card that was submitted by meeting participants via the small table groups. Clink on each question to see a response with links to other resources that address the concern.

  • Discussion - Curriculum

    Posted by:
    Discussion Area

    Isn't it helpful to know who you're talking with? To help facilitate generative and respectful dialogue, we're asking everyone to register and sign in (remember, ParentPortal accounts are not the same as D49.org accounts, but we're working on tying those two systems together).

    To help school and district leaders respond to your input, please review the questions and answers from the first topic regarding curriculum and then respond to the following questions:

    1) After reviewing the questions, observations and responses, what would you like to add?

    2)Do you have additional questions about the issues or responses raised at the first meeting?

    3) Do you see any answers or observations that you want to challenge or support?

    Please be specific in your comments as we will use them to shape the next community meeting on March 5.
    Comments (0)

  • Other Cards

    Other Cards

    In the section below, each bold question corresponds to a card that was submitted by meeting participants via the small table groups. Clink on each question to see a response with links to other resources that address the concern.

  • Discussion

    Posted by:
    Discussion Area

    Isn't it helpful to know who you're talking with? To help facilitate generative and respectful dialogue, we're asking everyone to register and sign in (remember, ParentPortal accounts are not the same as D49.org accounts, but we're working on tying those two systems together).

    To help school and district leaders respond to your input, please review the questions and answers above and then respond to the following questions:

    1) After reviewing the questions, observations and responses, what would you like to add?

    2)Do you have additional questions about the issues or responses raised at the first meeting?

    3) Do you see any answers or observations that you want to challenge or support?

    Please be specific in your comments as we will use them to shape the next community meeting on March 5.
    Comments (0)