This case study is about the combined efforts of a technology center and a high school to improve achievement by changing the way students learn and the way teachers teach. It is also about grit, determination, enthusiasm and an unyielding faith in young people.

Lee County High School (LCHS) and Lee County Area Technology Center (LCATC) are located in Beattyville, Ky., in the southeastern part of the state at the edge of Natural Bridge State Park. Geographically, this area is where the bluegrass meets the mountains. The population of Lee County is approximately 8,400, including 1,400 students enrolled in grades K-12. One percent of the students are minorities.

The Beattyville economic base has changed dramatically during this century. From the early 1900s to the mid 1970s, the oil and gas industry was robust. In the mid-1970s, the wells closed, with nothing to replace them. The current economy consists of a data-entry company, a uniform-manufacturing company, a prison and a few local merchants with predominantly minimum-wage employees. Many residents drive an hour or more to jobs in Richmond, Winchester, Mt. Sterling and Lexington. Seventy-four percent of local students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

The high school and the technology center share a common campus and a common vision about how to educate their young people. Some 90 percent of Lee County High School students attend classes at the technology center. A division of the Kentucky Technical Center network, the center serves three counties — Lee, Owsley and Wolfe — all designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission as economically distressed. Two of the counties — Lee and Owsley — are part of High Schools That Work (HSTW).

The depressed economy and lack of promising careers for Lee County youths led to what Principal Frank Kincaid of the technology center described as "floating students" who had no plan for their education and no purpose for being in school. These students were "getting by" — taking a minimum load of mostly low-level courses. In 1988, Kincaid heard about the Southern Regional Education Board’s High Schools That Work initiative to raise the achievement of high school students. Seeing the HSTW whole-school revitalization approach as the key to improving his school, he applied to have Lee County ATC become one of Kentucky’s pilot HSTW sites. When the school was not selected, Kincaid began implementing the HSTW key practices anyway. Glen Wilson, Lee County school superintendent, supported Kincaid’s efforts. The county funded both the ATC and the high school and gave them the "green light" to move forward in implementing the HSTW key practices.

From the beginning, teachers from the high school and the technology center were combined for staff development and common planning. The two schools identified the following strategies to raise achievement and to change what and how students are taught:

• Eliminating low-level courses;
• Increasing graduation requirements;
• Improving communication and cooperation between schools;
• Training staff in applied instructional strategies;
• Raising students’ aspirations;
• Involving the community in a partnership to support higher standards for student learning and to provide work-based learning experiences.

The schools began by eliminating the general track, using applied instructional strategies and implementing a modified block schedule. During the ensuing years, the staff worked with a limited budget to institute project-based instruction, including projects that integrated mathematics, English, science and technical skills. Students were required to read more, write more, do oral presentations and keep journals.

Wilson, Kincaid and Principal Sam Watkins of Lee County High School knew the first step in raising standards was to break down barriers between vocational programs and academic programs. They scheduled joint faculty meetings for the technology center and the high school and created a daily time when teachers could meet and plan together.

Consensus did not occur immediately. Some feelings were hurt as changes were initiated, but they were healed as teachers began to communicate across department lines. Site-based councils — created as a result of the Kentucky education reform legislation — were a factor in building consensus. Faculty from both schools were appointed to council subcommittees and were involved in planning and decision making. Center staff were made a part of all advisory and instructional committees. In the first year, 90 percent of the two staffs attended the HSTW summer staff development conference.

Common planning was encouraged by eliminating home-room periods and giving teachers 25 minutes daily to collaborate. Kincaid and Watkins worked with Lexington hotels and restaurants to create a weekend getaway package for teachers who provided written documentation of their joint instructional activities during the first six weeks. Watkins says, "We only had to do that once. The teachers all saw how much difference the joint assignments made with students."

Kincaid sees curriculum alignment required by the Kentucky education reform initiative as another factor in helping teachers realize that they have a responsibility to see that the 56 state-mandated curriculum competencies are taught to all students. Working together to embed the competencies throughout the curriculum made teachers aware of how they could collaborate to help students achieve at a higher level.

The two schools conducted a needs assessment using state data; a survey of parents, students and staff; a professional development survey; and community/school craft committee meetings. Teachers and the community agreed that the ultimate objective was to prepare students to be successful, productive members of a global society. This involved raising expectations and requiring all students to complete a rigorous academic and technical curriculum.

The high school and the technology center often share staff development funds so that teachers from both schools can benefit from staff development experiences. Many teachers from both schools attend the annual HSTW staff development conference. Teachers have also participated in staff development to learn how to use applied instructional methods in academic courses, introduce reading for learning across the curriculum, integrate academic and vocational studies (through the SREB’s telecourse series) and use real-life examples in teaching mathematics. Early staff development from SREB on eliminating the general track and implementing block scheduling helped the schools "sell" these concepts to the faculty, Kincaid said. Lee County teachers have participated in staff development sessions on school improvement, project-based learning and the Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences. Because teachers have time to meet and plan daily, they are able to share ideas and experiences from their staff development activities.

ELIMINATING LOW-LEVEL COURSES AND INCREASING GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Eliminating the general track happened gradually. First, the schools added new courses such as Principles of Technology (applied physics). Next came the elimination of low-level mathematics courses. English courses were revised by raising standards and including applied communication concepts in the content. Advanced Placement English was added as a senior option. The science curriculum was redesigned to include applied instructional methods in all courses, and all students now take the same science courses. (See Table 1.)

Eliminating low-level and multi-level courses and raising graduation requirements looked easy on paper, but students reacted strongly when told they had to take another mathematics course and an extra science course in senior year. The community did not immediately accept the decision of the two schools to break the tradition of giving most of the attention to the top 20 to 25 percent of students and allowing the rest of the students to "get by." The changes in courses reflected tougher mathematics, science and communications skills requirements for all students. Technical courses were revised to incorporate workplace standards and requirements for reading and mathematics portfolio entries. Units required to graduate increased from 20 to 27.

Not all teachers were initially enthusiastic. However, a GOALS 2000 staff development activity in business and industry throughout the state opened teachers’ eyes to the kinds of skills employers want entry-level employees to possess. The experience showed teachers that they had to change the way they were teaching. The Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 also prompted the schools to make curriculum changes. "Eventually, school leaders, faculty, students, parents and local employers realized that future success is tied to solid academic preparation in high school," Kincaid said.

Tougher standards have brought increases in students entering postsecondary education and training and the number (93 percent last year) of graduates making a successful transition to education, work or the military. The dropout rate has declined slightly since the introduction of more rigorous requirements. (See data later in this report.)

Lee County administrators and teachers agree that block scheduling was a direct outgrowth of eliminating lower-level courses and making all courses more challenging. "We had to have longer periods of time to let students visit the workplace and complete authentic, hands-on projects," one teacher said. Academic teachers — including many who swore by the traditional schedule of six periods taught over the course of a year— were more reluctant than vocational teachers to convert to block scheduling. After voting to modify the instructional schedule, the teachers changed their minds and held extra faculty meetings to debate the issues. They also called on Lynn Canady, national expert on block scheduling, to conduct a workshop in Lee County. Eventually, the teachers agreed that block scheduling was necessary 1) to enable students to take more courses and earn more credits and 2) to enable teachers to develop joint projects and create workplace applications to increase student learning.

Based on local needs, Lee County has modified the original 4 x 4 block schedule. Both principals feel that local finances, teacher credentials and skills, conflicting interests and other local issues must be taken into consideration when moving to a block schedule. For example, Lee County found that it could offer some courses only once a year, e.g., foreign language courses and certain mathematics courses. The Lee County schedule includes five blocks. The first, second and fourth blocks are 90 minutes long; the third and fifth blocks are 45 minutes each. The courses taught in the 45-minute blocks are typically full-year courses. This schedule allows Lee County students to earn a maximum of 32 credits.

Today, Lee County students and parents understand and support the requirements for high school graduation. Initially, however, many students and parents resisted the tougher standards and more rigorous curriculum. Students were accustomed to handling their courses with a minimum of effort. Under the new plan, parents of more able students were concerned that their children might not receive the attention they had been given previously; parents of other students feared their children would not be able to keep up. A new schedule, new instructional strategies and an improved guidance system converted parents and students to higher standards.

Prior to entering high school, students meet with parents, teachers and a counselor to develop an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) that identifies a planned sequence of courses leading to postsecondary education, employment or both. Courses for each sequence are specified, and academic core courses are the same for all students. The only variations are related to the students’ post-high school goals. For example, students pursuing an academic concentration are required to earn four mathematics credits and four science credits and are encouraged to take AP English in the senior year. Students pursuing a technical concentration are required to take three (and are recommended to take four) courses each in mathematics and science. Parents sign the IGP and approve any changes. Students are not allowed to graduate early.

Every student has a teacher-adviser who guides him/her and monitors progress in meeting graduation requirements. Lee County’s advisory program includes planned experiences for each year of high school to help students explore career and educational options and to help them develop study skills, decision-making skills, interpersonal skills and employment skills. An extra-help system boosts students who may be having problems with a particular course. Tutoring is available before and after school, and students can repeat a course in the summer if necessary.

The more rigorous course requirements at the two schools have led to changes in homework and study patterns for all students. Nearly three-fourths of Lee County’s vocational students reported having an hour or more of homework in their vocational classes weekly, compared to only 36 percent of students at other HSTW sites reporting this level of homework. Frank Kincaid says the tradition of little or no homework in vocational classes has been difficult to change, but most Lee County ATC teachers have finally seen the value of making assignments such as having students prepare for in-class projects by reading technical manuals ahead of time. Vocational teachers also require their students to contribute at least one assignment a month to the writing portfolios that are maintained as part of graduation requirements. Overall, 54 percent of Lee County vocational students reported completing an hour or more of homework daily, compared to 42 percent at other HSTW sites.

Lee County students demonstrate their accomplishments by completing an Integrated Academic Portfolio (IAP) as part of graduation requirements. Principals and faculty see the portfolio as a way to give prospective employers and postsecondary institutions a "picture" of a graduate and his/her talents and skills. One goal is to persuade employers to use the portfolio as part of the hiring process. This will help students understand the value of completing the portfolio and will give them a head start in getting a job or applying to postsecondary schools and colleges. Adviser-advisee groups focus on making sure the portfolio is completed during the senior year.

The portfolio is designed to give a broad perspective on the students’ high school accomplishments and employment skills. It includes:

• A résumé;
• A model employment application letter;
• School attendance records;
• Transcripts of high school grades and test scores;
• Exemplary assignments from across the curriculum;
• Letters of recommendation from two teachers and one or more other adults (not family members) who have worked with the student in some way;
• A school-community activity report that shows involvement in organizations and activities in school and in the community;
• Awards and recognition for academic, extracurricular and community-based activities;
• A letter written by the student to his or her adviser, reflecting the value of high school and technology center experiences;
• A letter from the adviser responding to the student.

PROJECT-BASED INSTRUCTION

Superintendent Wilson was first in the district to make the connection between project-based learning and the way students live outside of school. The local heritage of farming and working in the oil and gas industry is primarily "hands-on." Wilson recognized that many young people cannot get real-world skills by staring at words on a page.

Teachers at the two schools also came to realize that project-based, integrated academic and vocational instruction was a promising vehicle to motivate students, foster teamwork, increase accountability, improve attendance and raise achievement. In visits to business and industry throughout the state, academic and vocational teachers asked employers about the skills needed by entry-level workers. The answers were the same everywhere: good communication skills, mathematics skills, the ability to apply scientific concepts, the ability to solve problems, a good work ethic, and the ability to get along with others. Lee County teachers saw immediately that they needed to do a better job of introducing authentic problems into the classroom. They asked for and received staff development on project-based learning, integrated academic and vocational studies, and applied academic instruction.

Lee County teachers often make joint assignments and arrange for students to visit vocational and academic classes. For example, one algebra teacher takes his students to an auto technology class to give them a better understanding of ratio and proportion. The algebra students and the auto technology students discuss algebra concepts used in the class. Physics teachers also take their students to the auto technology lab. As a result of projects and integrated assignments, teachers from the high school and the technology center have formed stronger bonds in preparing their students.

Teachers at the two schools are convinced that students learn at a higher level and retain more of what they study by completing projects and using real-world applications. "All students benefit, because their different learning styles are taken into account in project-based learning," Sam Watkins said. "At-risk students as well as top students gain when they are engaged in solving real problems."

Three integrated academic and vocational projects completed by Lee County students are described below. As Frank Kincaid said, "Projects cause vocational and technical students to think in academic terms and give all students chances to solve problems."

More than 150 Lee County students gutted and rebuilt a 1991Chevy Beretta. Two years after starting the project, they watched the vehicle race competitively across the Mountain Parkway Motorplex. The car is now on display at the area technology center.

Mathematics, physics, welding, business, industrial technology and art students were involved in modifying the car to meet National Hot Rod Association specifications. "Instead of simply reading about math and physics principles, these students applied them in conjunction with welding, industrial technology and auto technology as they made changes to the car," said Richard Kazsuk, the auto technology teacher who spearheaded the project.

Using guidelines from their business classes, students formed a corporation, created budgets for various phases of the work, and issued paychecks. They also used graphics arts techniques to design and print a logo for the car.

Students had to meet high standards for their various academic and vocational classes. For example, they had to be able to write work orders and use precision measuring devices such as calipers, micrometers, stopwatches and digital timers in mathematics and automotive technology classes; work from shop prints and drawings in welding classes; and compute salaries and deductions in business classes.

A "dose of reality" convinced Lee County students to take a hard look at whether they had the right career in mind. This "reality check" project was a one-day event conceived by Mike Patrick, High Schools That Work coordinator for Lee County High School and Lee County Area Technology Center. Patrick thought of the idea after listening to students talk in unrealistic terms about their plans for the future.

One day was set aside for students to participate in the project, which allowed them to choose a career, evaluate what they selected, and decide if they were headed in the right

direction. Each student’s "career" had to match his/her high school program of study and grade point average. A "salary" was assigned based on the career choice.

The first stop of the day was a visit to "Uncle Sam," who deducted taxes and social security payments from the student’s "salary." Next, the students visited "mandatory" booths where real-life "expenses" were subtracted from their bank accounts. These expenses included the cost of housing, transportation, food, clothing, utilities, child care, insurance, furniture, phone service, medical and dental services and property taxes. They also visited "optional" booths where they could spend "money" on extras such as entertainment, cell phones, pagers, computers, televisions and VCRs.

Students were required to draw a "chance card" at another booth. These cards represented "unexpected" expenses such as car repairs and medical and dental expenses not covered by insurance. The "unexpected" could also be positive, such as inheriting money from a relative. By the end of the day, many students were happy to visit the "SOS" booth where a financial counselor helped them re-evaluate their choices.

"Many students were shocked at what it costs just to survive," Patrick said. "Others realized very quickly that if they don’t make the right choices and prepare for the future, they won’t be able to make a good life for themselves."

The welding instructor at Lee County Area Technology Center designed a project to engage students in building a Viking ship made of steel instead of wood. This integrated academic and vocational project involved 80 students from a number of classes at Lee County High School. The ship is on display at the technology center.

Working with a set of design prints from Norway and using modern technology to determine proper specifications, welding students worked with office technology students to produce a design for the ship Gokstadskibit. Students applied principles of physics and mathematics to calculate the appropriate size and the wood-to-steel conversions.

Students learned to convert metric to English measurement, convert decimals to fractions, understand scale, make construction drawings, estimate materials from a construction print, build a cardboard model, and construct metal parts from the model. If a conversion was inaccurate and the design did not work, students had to go back to the drawing board. In some instances, students had to scrap three or four days of work and begin again.

Students from other classes planned and conducted a traditional keel-laying ceremony. All rituals were observed, including a solo sung by a Norwegian citizen via long-distance speaker phone.

Many integrated projects are conducted on a smaller scale. For example, students in health sciences, family and consumer sciences and academic classes teamed up to study medical and health conditions that affect young people. Biology and health sciences students completed a unit on DNA. Physics and auto technology students studied the operation of high-compression engines. "Lee County High School teachers view the area technology center as a million-dollar applied learning lab," Sam Watkins said.

Both principals sing the praises of parents and local employers who serve on the site-based school improvement council and advisory committee members who work with the vocational programs. Local businesses have created some work-based learning opportunities for students, but the school has had to look to larger communities 20 or more miles away for additional placements. Sometimes an instructor and an employer will work together to create a placement that is related to a student’s career area when one that is directly related is unavailable. Last year, 45 of 68 Lee County 12^th-graders were placed in work-based learning in 26 different businesses.

Most of the placements are cooperative education. However, health sciences students intern at health facilities and other students serve internships at a local law office and the local newspaper. All placements are monitored by school personnel to make sure students are adequately supervised and are learning new skills. Students turn in weekly reports from their work-site mentors, who rate the students on performance, punctuality and work habits. Students also keep journals that contain entries on the assignments they are completing and the academic skills being used to perform tasks.

The High Schools That Work Assessment is a major barometer for HSTW sites in gauging how well they are implementing the key practices that impact student achievement. The 1996 assessment showed that Lee County High School and Lee County Area Technology Center have made considerable progress in having students complete a more rigorous program of study and tackle more challenging assignments in their classes. Lee County’s scores on many indicators, including academic achievement, were significantly higher than those of other sites that have been in the HSTW network a similar period of time. (These other sites are referred to as "Experienced HSTW Sites" in the following tables.)

In 1996, Lee County students outperformed those from other HSTW sites on the HSTW achievement tests in reading, mathematics and science. Lee County’s higher achievement is due in part to having more students who:

• Completed a rigorous academic core;
• Took academic English classes throughout high school;
• Took advanced mathematics classes (Algebra II and higher);
• Took college prep-level laboratory science classes;
• Took mathematics and science courses in grade 12.

The 1996 HSTW Student Survey showed that Lee County had progressed faster than other HSTW sites in changing how students are taught, even though the school had increased the number of students taking an upgraded academic core.

Lee County vocational teachers are also challenging their students. Student surveys show that Lee County vocational teachers are doing a better job than vocational teachers at other HSTW sites in stressing academic skills. Teachers are devising learning experiences and lab assignments that add value to academic achievement and are requiring students to use academic skills to complete real-world assignments.

Lee County’s commitment to instructional improvement is apparent in the kinds of instructional experiences students report. The county’s higher student achievement scores are the result of having teachers across the curriculum give more assignments requiring students to:

• Do work outside of class;
• Collect, evaluate, organize and present information (orally and in writing);
• Apply academic knowledge and skills to solve authentic real-world problems.

 

The Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS) is the achievement accountability component of the educational reform legislation passed by the state in 1990-91. The state established a baseline achievement index for each school when the accountability system went into effect, and sets an improvement goal for each school annually.

The KIRIS report shows Lee County’s steady progress since the 1994-95 school year and is further validation of the academic success of Lee County students. The report shows:

• Dramatic improvement was made in reading, writing and social studies; gains were made in mathematics and science.
• The Accountability Index of 57 in 1996-97 exceeded the state-established improvement goal of 50 for Lee County.
• Lee County’s scores in 1996-97 met or exceeded Kentucky statewide average scores in every area. (Kentucky averages are not shown in Table 7.)

Kentucky has over 200 school districts. Lee County ranked 15^th in its efforts to reach the reading baseline goal in 1997-98.

The KIRIS report also rates students’ levels of proficiency in academic skills. "Novice" is the lowest level and "distinguished" is the highest. More Lee County students in 1996-97 than in 1994-95 performed at the "proficient" level or above, while fewer students performed at the "novice" level. Teachers’ emphasis on reading and writing across the curriculum appears to be paying off in better student performance. (See Table 8.)

The principals of both schools consider High Schools That Work a "vehicle that works" in restructuring high schools. Membership in HSTW has given Lee County the impetus to change and a delivery system to make it happen. It has also provided resources such as staff development, networking opportunities and materials. The Kentucky reform effort has been another motivating factor. "The legislation said we had to improve," Frank Kincaid said. "High Schools That Work, with its 10 key practices, has shown us how." The Kentucky Department of Education has done its part by providing excellent support and leadership for Lee County’s efforts.

When asked what to recommend to others embarking on whole-school improvement, both principals said: Make sure your school does what is best for students. Other advice included:

• Don’t implement High Schools That Work or any other system without adapting it to meet local needs.
• Teachers will go along with changes if you emphasize what they will mean to students.
• Help students understand the vision. They need to know why it is important to work hard in high school.
• Don’t give up. You can’t change everything at once, and you will always face obstacles. Consider them "additional opportunities."

In examining the county’s progress and looking ahead to the future, Lee County school leaders identified two major challenges:

• Overcoming losses in momentum due to frequent staff turnover. The county’s isolation from the rest of the state makes it difficult to keep quality teachers. Young teachers move to larger school systems after they gain a little experience. This creates an ongoing need to orient new teachers to HSTW and to train them to work with other teachers and to use instructional approaches such as project-based learning. School leaders are addressing this situation by naming resource teachers to mentor and support new staff. Staff development provided by SREB, the state and the local school district is essential to keep Lee County schools on track.
• Maintaining high achievement and continuing to make gains. Lee County has made progress, but student achievement, particularly in mathematics and science, is not where it needs to be. School leaders want all students to perform at a high level and to acquire the skills they need.

Southern Regional Education Board
High Schools That Work
592 10^th St. N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30318

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