District educators told the team that there is little districtwide coordination and horizontal articulation to ensure that academic interventions are allocated based on student and school data and need. Some teachers indicated that the absence of plan for targeted math intervention at the district level creates some difficulty. It is unclear whether there has been a comprehensive needs assessment districtwide. Interviews and classroom observations indicated that services for English language learners are inconsistent across the district. Teachers said that a full ESL curriculum has not been created for the district but the WIDA frameworks have been used to adapt the ELA curriculum. The 2014-2015 Haverhill High School Improvement Plan acknowledges the “need for tier 2 and 3 remediation programs at the high school level”; principals told the team that the high school does not have additional supports for students who are scoring below grade level. Because of tracking based on ability grouping in math, all students may not be given access to the same content and provided with the supports they need to achieve at the same level as their peers. Teachers reported that as early as middle school students are tracked based on grouping in mathematics. Teachers reported that they differentiated instruction by class but not necessarily within the classroom because of this grouping. Teachers stated that there is no pre-AP programming or other programming to support students from groups that are unrepresented in Advanced Placement and other rigorous classes. E. Some district administrators noted a need to address the “non-academic” issues such as absence, mobility, and home life to help address the academic issues. F. Despite the existence of a Freshman Academy for several years, the proportion of students, in particular students from low-income families, passing all coursework is very low. According to 2013–2014 ESE data, only 44 percent of Haverhill High’s grade 9 students pass all their classes, compared with 79 percent of their peers statewide; just 30 percent of Haverhill High’s students from low-income families pass all courses, compared with 62 percent of students from families statewide. Impact: The absence of an effective system of supports has hampered the ability of the district to provide for students’ social, emotional, and physical well-being and improve their achievement.
District educators told the team that there is little districtwide coordination and horizontal articulation to ensure that academic interventions are allocated based on student and school data and need. Some teachers indicated that the absence of plan for targeted math intervention at the district level creates some difficulty. It is unclear whether there has been a comprehensive needs assessment districtwide. Interviews and classroom observations indicated that services for English language learners are inconsistent across the district. Teachers said that a full ESL curriculum has not been created for the district but the WIDA frameworks have been used to adapt the ELA curriculum. The 2014-2015 Haverhill High School Improvement Plan acknowledges the “need for tier 2 and 3 remediation programs at the high school level”; principals told the team that the high school does not have additional supports for students who are scoring below grade level. Because of tracking based on ability grouping in math, all students may not be given access to the same content and provided with the supports they need to achieve at the same level as their peers. Teachers reported that as early as middle school students are tracked based on grouping in mathematics. Teachers reported that they differentiated instruction by class but not necessarily within the classroom because of this grouping. Teachers stated that there is no pre-AP programming or other programming to support students from groups that are unrepresented in Advanced Placement and other rigorous classes. E. Some district administrators noted a need to address the “non-academic” issues such as absence, mobility, and home life to help address the academic issues. F. Despite the existence of a Freshman Academy for several years, the proportion of students, in particular students from low-income families, passing all coursework is very low. According to 2013–2014 ESE data, only 44 percent of Haverhill High’s grade 9 students pass all their classes, compared with 79 percent of their peers statewide; just 30 percent of Haverhill High’s students from low-income families pass all courses, compared with 62 percent of students from families statewide. Impact: The absence of an effective system of supports has hampered the ability of the district to provide for students’ social, emotional, and physical well-being and improve their achievement.
haverhill-2015.docx