Whatever It Takes: How to Get Grad Rates Up 101

This is one example of a letter this principal sent out to teachers at the:

Felisa Rincon de Gautier Institute for Law and Public Policy
Soundview Educational Campus

(Entire forests died just to print the name of the school. Bet we see the failure rates drop very quickly in this school.)

From: Laboy Grismaldy (08X519)
Sent: Mon 10/25/2010
To: [a teacher]
Subject: low passing rates

Dear ________,

I have reviewed the first marking period passing rates and see that a large number of students failed:
· 67%

I am concerned. If a significant number of students failed your class, what does that tell you? Did your class master the material and meet state standards? Student performance results shows you how effectively you have taught a class. The summative and formative assessments should inform your
instruction. What changes, if any, have you implemented to maximize student outcomes? For example, if the students are failing your exams, did you conduct an item analysis of the questions the students mostly got wrong and revisit these topics using different pedagogical approaches? Is attendance the problem and have you contacted the Attendance Team and the Guidance Counselors to maximize student achievement. Have you emailed me alerts on students that are failing?

To understand your rates and develop an action plan to increase your passing rates, I need to collect data that includes the following on each student that failed your class. Please submit the following to me by 9am on Friday, October 29, 2010

· Students SMART learning goals,
· Student grades on tests and the number of exams given during the marking period,
· The item analysis of the exams which indicate the student's strengths and weaknesses.
· Documentation which indicates the student's learning style was assessed.
· Lesson Plans which indicate the modifications/differentiation in instruction used to match the student's learning style.
· Log showing the conferences the teacher had with the student, parent or both indicating the situation.
· Copies of the letters teachers sent home to the parent letting them know the student is going to fail the class due to poor academic performance or attendance.
· Explanation of the interventions you have taken

Our motto is "whatever it takes." Have you had a 1 on 1 private talk with the student? Have you called the parents? Contacted the parent coordinator for a parent-teacher conference? Modified or offered additional projects that meet their individual learning needs? Provided additional tutoring? Made referrals to the guidance counselor and/or dean?

I must admit I have not received this year one email from you that a student was failing your class. If I don't know I can't support you and the student.

I look forward to receiving the aforementioned items to support you and the students.

Sincerely,

Grismaldy Laboy-Wilson,
Principal
Felisa Rincon de Gautier Institute for Law and Public Policy
Soundview Educational Campus
1440 Story Avenue
Bronx, New York 10473
T: 718-860-5110
F: 718-860-5081
C: 646-300-0633