FOCUS
A major breakthrough Clarke Central High School was recently recognized as a nationwide Breakthrough school based on data, extra curricular activites and other requirements. Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Porter McLeod
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larke Central High School will be awarded as a breakthrough school at the National Association of Secondary School Principal conference held in February. A breakthrough school is determined based on student achievement and data provided through an application. “( Winning this award) validates that we are moving in the right direction as far as improving student achievement. We will continue to improve student achievement as long as we continue to believe all students can learn and continue to increase rigor in all classes,” CCHS Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said. If a school meets the qualifications as a Breakthrough School, it must then be nominated. Anyone has the ability to nominate a school, but the school “must support the nomination with documentation,” according to www.nassp.org. For CCHS, the School Improvement Leadership Team made the decision to apply for this award. “I wrote the application for the award this summer,” CCHS English department teacher Ginger Lehmann said. “I was promoting the school but I was just doing that by talking about all the different things that we are doing.” In order for a school to qualify for this award, 40 percent or more of the students must be eligible for free or reduced priced lunch. Each school must demonstrate student achievement and include three different areas of Collaborative Leadership, Personalization and Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. A school can display Collaborative Leadership through professional learning communities, shared leadership and student and staff leadership development. In order to achieve Personalization within a school, according to www.nassp.org, the students and faculty must incorporate “attention to all students, mentoring and school and community connections.” Lastly, a school must provide rigorous school work to all students; differentiation in instruction, data based decision making and opportunities for career development. “I wrote a lot about the different programs we’re doing here -- tutoring programs, Glad Time, the Blitz Sessions for the graduation test. I also collected data on how many kids are taking (Advanced Placement) courses and what our AP scores look like,” Lehmann said. In order to further judge the school, representatives were sent from the MetLife foundation, a foundation holds a goal of “empowering people to lead healthy, productive lives and strengthen communities,” according to www.metlife.com, to tour the school. BY CHLOE HARGRAVE
Above: BREAKING GROUND: Clarke Central High School principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker suggested to the School Improvement Leadership Team that the school apply for the Breakthrough award sponsored by the MetLife foundation. After clearing several rounds, CCHS has been titled one of the top ten breakthrough schools in the nation.
“Anyone who goes (to CCHS) knows there is a lot more to the story than just (data) so I’m really pleased that they came out to the school and walked around and talked to the kids to get more of an accurate idea of what’s happening here,” Lehmann said. In addition to the tour, the representatives also met with CCHS students. “The administration chose a group of students to represent the diversity of the student body. They were able to talk to students from all levels of academic experience and (about) what their experience has been like,” Lehmann said. According to www.nassp.org, each school selected will be given a $5,000 and will be featured in Principal Leadership, NASSP’s magazine. For CCHS, this monetary prize will be used to provide additional Professional Learning. “(I’m excited because) now everyone will get to read about the great things that are happening at CCHS in the May 2013 issue of NASSP leadership magazine,” Hooker said. Hooker believes that the reasoning behind the award is a clear representation of the students and faculty at CCHS. “The biggest factor that contributed to us receiving the award was the three year improvement in student achievement. They were also impressed with our schools desire to see all students achievement. It was very noticeable that we have a very caring teaching staff,” Hooker said. Lehmann feels the accomplishment has made an impact on the morality of the school and will positively impact CCHS’ reputation. “Well, we have a lot of pressure on us a lot of time and we are constantly faced with things like the GAPSS review and the targets that we’re not meeting,” Lehmann said. “So anytime we have any positive recognition or feedback that we are receiving it builds moral for the school community.”
December 2012
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