Engaging traditionally underserved populations

Connections to Success

Joseph Accuardi Michael Contreras Joy O'Renick

Achievement Gap

This 2.4 A P G e d a r g h 8tis Lupe

th grader at !iberty "igh School in Fall

Speaks S panish at h o me and Engl ish at sch ool

14 years old
#$an%t &ait# 'or her ()inceanera

born in US

First Generation
k r o & s nt e r a p *oth e m i t l l ')

Lupe's 9th Grade Schedule

Period 1 English 9 Period 2 Alge ra Period ! "ealth Period # Culinary 1 Period $ Physical %cience Period & %panish 'or %panish %peakers Period ( Connections

$onnections
Sel'

$omm)nity

+orld

Connections Classroom Style o' A-./

Same cohort all 4 years

Sho& pot ential 'or greater a cademic ia t n e m e c n a 0Ad, s ) ccess 1 n o ti a .ndi,id)al /etermin

St)dents ha,e not passed t&o or more state assessments

ses ) c 'o s e s s la c l ia d e m 2ost re ctions e n n o $ . ls il k s ic s a b n o ent o' m p lo e , e d n o s e s ) c 'o nt. e m e g a g n e n e , ri d t3 n e st)d l by Skill3b)ilding is nat)ra

This is Mr. Wilburg

l a i c o S r a e y d r 4 r e h c a e t s e i d ) t S

2ade ho me ,isits to all $onn ections st)dents

$oaches 6ll a tb e k s a b ls ir g

Engaged to college s&eetheart

*elie,es &e need to do more to ser,e !atino st)dents

r e h c a e 5 s n o ti c e n n $o l o o h c S h ig " y rt e ib ! at

7 7

7 7 7 7

Connection to Self %tudents egin the year

Age group *a+ily ackground Cultural identity ,alues- and +ore.

y looking at their identities)

/his unit 0ill e used to uild acade+ic skills 1note2 taking- organi3ation- %ocratic discussion4 through the lens o' sel'5 /he unit 0ill cul+inate in a student2 selected+ultiple2+ode identity pro6ect5

Family Interview/Family Tree

Research 'a+ily heritage

*ind connecti ons et0een students' 'a+ ilies

Enhance literacy skills thro)gh &riting abo)t 'amily

$reate a c )lt)re #ma p#

Loc In 5 eam !i"ht

b)il ding

$om par m)nit ent y s in b)ild cha ,ite in g per 3 d to one 9

FU89

First Semester %uccesses

7 Mr5 7il urg is her 7 'avorite teacher 7 A in Connections and 7 English 7 8+proved Reading R8/ score y # points 7 7 *eels she can do etter
than 25! 9PA

Challenges * in Physical %cience %till struggles 0ith 0ord pro le+s in +ath "er parents did not attend parent con'erences

Family !i"ht# /o increase 'a+ily

engage+ent- students host an end2o'2se+ester cele ration- and invite their 'a+ilies to attend5

7 7 7 7

Potluck 9a+es A0ards *a+ily2to2'a+ily connection 'or long2ter+ engage+ent

Connection to Community /he year's 2nd unit roadens students' 'ocus to

7 7 7

co++unity issues5 Careers Co++unity needs Pu lic service %tudents design and e:ecute a pro6ect 1 ased on their interests4 0ithin the local co++unity5 /hey receive help 0riting a proposal- +aking necessary contactscarrying out their pro6ect- and recording its success;results in +ultiple +odes 'or presentation5

7 7

*)s alliance

Intel $o% r e Shadow d a e l i n e ss

2o n di''e thly ,is it s t rent dep o artm

ents

n i t a ! h t i & s r s e n d o i a s e s Se rican ! Am e

Food &rive
5e 9 k r o & am

Engaged peers and comm)nity to collect 2 tons o' canned 'ood items9 Estab lis h e d partn ership b)siness s

Pro:e ct

learn in g

$omm)nit y

Ser,ice9

Li%rary Time

;eading to yo)ng er children

/ecide on c) lt)rally di,ers e< age3appropri ate books an d songs

Ser,ice pro:ect 'or library en,ironment

Connection to 'orld /he 'inal unit o' the year seeks to help students connect
to their road roles as glo al citi3ens5 <sing the skills o' in=uiry- research- and sel'2deter+ination learned in previous units- students 0ill design and e:ecute a 'inal pro6ect around a glo al issue5 %tudents 0ill) plan the pro6ect-conduct research- +ake necessary contacts- and e:ecute their plan- 0hile keeping accurate data and creating a report on their outco+es to present to class;school5

7 7

(a%itat for (umanity Assist &ith b)ilding a home

n o s r o t c a r t n o c h t i & k r o + s n o i t a l ) c l a m at h c
Partne r &ith local b)sine sses

P;./E9
2a g n i n n la p e h t ' o e m o s e g a n

School Garden
St)died iss)es y it r ) c e s d o o ' aro)nd l a t n e m n o ir , n e and in:)stice

+orked &ith ele mentary school principa l to &rite grant proposal

d e i= n a g r o d n a d e it ;ecr) g n ti n la P # r 'o s r e ,ol)nte /ay#

Glo%al Citi1enship Fair In an effort to increase Connections students' positive

7
7 7 7 7

visi%ility and academic status at Li%erty) *r+ 'il%ur" hosted the ,st annual Global Citizenship Fair in the Li%erty Li%rary+

Connections students.ersonally invite their "rade/level teachers to attend the fair with their classes+ Create student evaluations+ &ress formally+ .resent their pro0ects throu"h multiple modes) and receive evaluations from teachers for professionalism) or"ani1ation) clarity) and pro0ect ri"or+

Lewis 2 Clar Colle"e .artnership

7 Partnership created 0ith student leaders at >C5 7 %tudents shado0 a >C student 'or a day5 7 >C students help +entor? take on 7

pro6ects 0ith Connections class as part o' their practicu+ process5

Second Semester %uccesses

0ith a tutor 7 7orked 7 a'ter school? earned

7 7 7

a C in Physical %cience5 Met state reading ench+ark5 Earned a 95P5A5 o' !5@? received no *s5 %urvey indicated 'eeling o' elonging at school5

7 7

Challenges %ocial challenges 2'riends unsupportive o' acade+ic goals5 *a+ily responsi ilities led to 1@ a sences5 "ad to attend su++er school 'or 'irst se+ester Physical %cience5

The Graduate

Earned A$5 > is & e ! o t ip h s r la scho ? $lark $ollege

Earned a c)mmlati,e high school GPA o' 4.@

2a:oring in English &ith aspirations to practice la&

Connection s 7
%i+ilar to A,8A +odel
o Advance+ent ,ia 8ndividual

7 7 %tudent 8nterest Pro6ects

Aeter+ination o Aevelop acade+ic skills o 8n=uiry ased learning o #2year cohort

o Connected to %el'- Co++unity and 7orld

St)dent $omm)nity

7 7 7 7

.denti'ied by 8th grade teacher as being a st)dent that is not achie,ing at their ')ll potential St)dents identi'ied &ith academic< beha,ioral andAor attendance iss)es St)dents 'ailing to meet benchmark in at least 2 o)t o' 4 8th grade BACS assessment. 43year st)dentAteacher cohort o' D2@ st)dents

'hy Connections3 7 Re+edial classes are traditionally not

7 7

engaging5 %tudents placed in re+ediation o'ten 'eel dise+po0ered or la eled Bdu+ 5B Connections aspires to e relevantstudent driven and 'a+ily orientedcreating a reputation 'or the class that is appealing 'or the co++unity5

fin