Core Practices in Math & Science: An Investigation of Consistently Higher Performing Schools in Five States - Tampa Bay Technical High School, School District of Hillsborough County (Florida)644
PERFORMANCE AND PRACTICE ©2008 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. Core Practices in Math & Science: An Investigation of Consistently Higher Performing Schools in Five States Tampa Bay Technical High School School District of Hillsborough County (Florida) Introduction Since 1999, the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) and its affiliated research teams have studied over 500 public schools across the country in an effort to identify and disseminate effective practices embraced by higher performing schools that distinguish their campuses from their average-performing peers. Building on the foundation established by this previous research, NCEA sought in the current study to focus specifically on educational practices in the areas of mathematics and science in five states: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Texas. Criteria used in school selection in the current study included three years of state assessment data in mathematics and science (2004, 2005, and 2006), campus demographic make-up, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, school size, and geographic location. In addition, all of the schools selected for participation met the state and federal requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2006. Schools categorized as higher performing based on the selection criteria were those “beating the odds” with consistently better student achievement over three years, when compared to peer campuses with a similar student population. Therefore, a list of the state’s highest performing schools may contain schools different from those selected for this study.1 In order to illuminate the roles of different members in a school community, for each selected school, NCEA researchers interviewed district-level administrators, school administrators, and classroom teachers. To supplement the interview data, researchers collected pertinent documents, observed secondary level algebra classes, and invited participants to take part in the NCEA Self-Assessment online. 1 For more detailed information about the school identification process and the list of higher performing schools included in the study, please see the full cross-case report at http://www.nc4ea.org. 2 Figure 1: Student Demographics Tampa Bay Tech High School25%37%5%0.2%29%4%% Afri ca n Am e ri ca n% Asian% Hispanic% Native Am erican% White% OtherDistrict and School Profile Serving approximately 190,000 students, the School District of Hillsborough County manages more than 200 schools. In addition to 136 elementary schools, the district operates 42 middle schools and 25 high schools. The eighth largest school district in the country, the School District of Hillsborough County in Florida serves a rather diverse student population, comprised of 42% White, 27% Hispanic, 22% African-American, and numerous other groups of students from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds. The district has experienced many changes in the student population, including growing numbers of English language learners (currently at approximately 11%) who speak over 100 different languages, and socio-economically disadvantaged students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch (50%). Established in 1969, Tampa Bay Technical High School, known as Tampa Bay Tech for short, enrolls about 2000 students from a nearly even mix of ethnicities. Approximately 65% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. Slightly less than 3% of the students on campus are English language learners. US News and World Report has recognized Tampa Bay Tech as a silver medal school for its students’ academic performance. Tampa Bay Tech offers a wide variety of vocationally focused technology programs and two magnet programs: the Academy of Health Professions and the Architectural Academy. To attend Tampa Bay Tech, students must complete an application process. Able to start their enrollment in the chosen programs in their freshman year or a later year, students apply to attend Tampa Bay Tech from all over the schools district, and many ride the bus for an hour daily to get to school. As a strong proponent of higher standards, NCEA recognizes school efforts to move more students to the state’s higher standard of achievement by accounting 3 for those students in the analysis of consistent higher performance. Tables 1 and 2 summarize performance at both the state’s proficient and advanced standards attained by the students at Tampa Bay Technical High School for the years of 2004, 2005, and 2006. The state averages included in the tables represent student performance among schools with a student population similar to Tampa Bay Tech, particularly based on the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Focusing on student achievement, educators in the School District of Hillsborough County strive to equip students with post-secondary readiness. Educators in the School District of Hillsborough County embrace a continuous and steady focus
