Four-year High School Transition

A Town Hall Discussion

with Redmond High School Principal Jane Todd

January 25, 2012

Similarities among Lake Washington School District high schools

·         Common graduation requirements that include completing 22 credits

·         Students complete a high school and beyond plan

Redmond High School policies that are different from other district high schools

·         Absences are excused by a phone call from the parent.

·         More than nine absences per semester results in a loss of credit.

·         Students arriving late or leaving early must report to the attendance office.

·         Pre-arranged absences require a form.

·         Teachers aren’t required to allow students to make up work missed due to unexcused absences.

·         RHS has stricter consequences for drug and alcohol use than other high schools.

·         Only juniors and seniors may leave campus for lunch.

Graduation requirements

·         Complete two years of a world language

o   RHS currently offers French, Spanish and Japanese

o   Considering offering American Sign Language and Chinese

·         Complete math through Algebra II

Technology

·         Next fall, every student will have a netbook computer for their use.

·         Most textbooks will also be available online.

Hallway passing time

Solutions under discussion to alleviate crowded hallways between classes

·         Netbooks would allow students to leave most textbooks at home, reducing the need for lockers.  Many lockers could be removed, creating more hallway space.

·         Increase passing time by one minute

·         Lower the consequences for tardies

Variances

·         All interested students should apply for a variance during open enrollment.  RHS will determine how many variance students it can accommodate, and if it can’t accommodate all, it will choose students through a lottery.

·         All students should register for the 2012-2013 school year through their junior high.

Staffing

·         RHS will add staff members to serve the added enrollment.

·         Interested teachers are signing up to move to the junior high or new STEM school. 

·         Three RHS teachers are going to the STEM school, and these teachers will be replaced.

·         The student teacher ratio will remain 24.5:1.

New construction

·         The new wing will have fourteen classrooms.

·         An auxillary gym will be added.

·         The cafeteria will be enlarged.

·         The grade levels will be spread around the school.  There are benefits to mixing the grades.

Academic changes

·         Freshmen and sophomores could be grouped in teacher teams, similar to junior high school.  This creates a smaller group of teachers and students who get to know each other better.

·         Freshmen and sophomores will have more structure, less choice and more contained groupings than the upper grade levels.

·         RHS is in the planning stages for a health sciences and computer sciences academic pathway.

·         Block-scheduling is being considered for non-honors and science classes.

o   This is an opportunity to integrate curriculums and to give individual teachers and students more class time together.

·         Ninth graders might be offered an honors chemistry/physics class, and tenth graders offered an honors biology class.

Registration for 2012-2013

·         All students should register for the 2012-2013 school year through their junior high.

·         Private school students should make an appointment with a counselor to register for next year.

·         Parents will receive registration forms so they can assist their student.

·         The 2012-2013 course catalog is now available online.

Solutions to overcrowding

·         A flex-schedule is being considered.

o   Students could have one of three different schedules:  early (6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), current (7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) and late (8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).

·         This would alleviate the morning traffic congestion.

·         Up to six portables will be added if there is not enough space.

Lunch

·         The administration is considering using the auxiliary gym for a quiet lunch space.

·         The current cafeteria will be enlarged slightly.

·         A fourth lunch is possible if a flex-schedule is adopted.

New student orientation

·         Only freshman and sophomores will attend the first day of school.

·         A panel of high school students and Principal Todd are meeting with students at the junior highs.

·         Junior high students will take a mini-tour in the spring.

·         A summer leadership camp is being considered.

·         Peer-mentoring will be available for students who need more support.

Athletics

·         Cross-country is the only non-cut sport available at the high school

Standard Score (Webgrader)

·         Teachers post grades within two weeks of receiving assignments.

 

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Ninth Grade to High School Transition

RJH PTSA Meeting, November 8, 2011

Redmond High School Principal Jane Todd 

Ms. Todd took questions from the audience.  Her responses follow: 

·         Teacher transfers—Junior high school teachers who wish to move to the high school are placing their names on a priority moving list.  The RHS administration is analyzing the number of teachers they will need for the core 9^th grade classes, and they will have a good idea of the staff moving to RHS by winter break.  RHS is conducting the teacher transfer process differently than Eastlake High school.  Ms. Todd doesn’t know which teachers from RHS are going to the STEM school.  The planning team teachers would have first priority to teach there.  Junior high teachers with a K-12 teaching certificate are eligible to transfer to the high school. 

·         Grade level differences—There are differences in the way the upper and lower level grades will be managed.  The ninth and tenth grader will have more structure and less flexibility.  The eleventh and twelfth graders will be allowed increased specialization of classes and concentration of electives, more freedom and more accountability.  There is a philosophical difference between grade levels.  The administration is considering breaking up the ninth grade into smaller units for more class flexibility, and so teachers can get to know students better. 

·         Ninth grade population—RHS is expecting about 450 students in the ninth grade.

·         Crowding—RHS is concerned about crowded hallways and passing time between classes.   It is a balancing act between not cutting into instructional time and having enough time for passing.  The reconstruction project will provide a little more cafeteria space, but not solve the lunch crowding problem.  RHS could add three double portables.  Most teachers currently share a classroom.  The administration is thinking outside of the box for new space.  One idea is to triple shift the classes.  There are 287 students attending RHS on a variance right now.  If a surplus of students is enrolled for the fall, they will have to consider if these students will stay at RHS. 

·         Alternative programs—There are three courses in school right now that students can take for UW credit.  The Running Start program must be good for the individual student.  It should not be used to alleviate the crowding.  An online learning credit is currently available, but it is expensive for the student. 

·         Athletics—There has been talk about intramural sports for ninth graders.  There are some varsity sports that are no-cut, like the current junior high sports program.  RHS could have more C teams for students new to a sport. 

·         Transition planning—There will be a staff meeting covering the transition at the end of November, paying specific attention to the ninth graders’ academic and social developmental needs.  There will be an ongoing attempt to assimilate ninth graders.  Staff ideas on the transition will be implemented in the second semester of this school year. 

·         PTSA transition assistance—According to RHS PTSA president Shelley Flores, the RHS PTSA is will provide a program for parents to ask questions of RHS administration.  RJH parents can subscribe to RHS newsletter this year by sending an email request to rhs.ptsa.news@gmail.com.

·            Questions can be sent to Principal Jane Todd at  jtodd@lwsd.org.