Health and Science School (HS2)

Health and Science School (HS2) in Beaverton, OR, a grade 6-12 school, opened its doors in September 2007 as the Beaverton district’s first school to replace traditional points-based grades and credits with proficiency-based assessment and credit. A nucleus of staff for the new school, including the principal, had been planning together since summer of 2006. Part of the design for HS2, also in place at its opening, included the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB) model. From the beginning, HS2 received coaching in this model from ELOB staff, who have worked in the school with staff since its opening.

With the ELOB coaching already in place, the principal determined that the Oregon Proficiency Project would not provide instructional coaching to teaching staff, but the project would focus on instructional leadership, and thus provided coaching for the principal during the 2009-10 school year in which the project operated. The principal, working with the CEL instructional leadership coach, selected student discourse, as an aspect of differentiation, to be the focus of his leadership vision as he conducted classroom observational walkthroughs with staff during the year. This focus is reflected in some of the tools contained in this section and is articulated well in the document: HS2 letter to staff 12_13_09.doc.

In March 2010, an HS2 team composed of the principal, six teaching staff members and one of the ELOB coaches joined CEL-UW leadership coach Max Silverman for a visit to Highline School District on the Tyee High School Complex to observe the principles and practices of student engagement and differentiation in action which the principal had been seeking to develop with HS2 staff. Some of the tools reflect subsequent planning among teachers which occurred as a result of the visit.

The tools also include proficiency-based assessment and grading materials in use at HS2 which should be useful to anyone interested in implementing these aspects of proficiency practices. A written history of the Health and Science School was produced as a product of the Oregon Proficiency Project, in order to capture aspects of the start up which may be useful to anyone wishing to learn from one school which started with a vision for using school-wide proficiency-based assessment and grading.

Tools and Materials

Sections:

Tools for Principal – Instructional Leadership

•    Classroom Observation Reports
•    Discourse Look-fors
•    Communications with staff – letters to staff
•    Discourse follow up – Highline visit follow up plans

Tools for All Staff:

•    HS2 Staff Handbook Excerpt – assessment and grading policies and practices
•    Trimester 1 Cumulative Learning Targets

HS2 History

•    Chronicles  details of genesis of proficiency-based education at Health and Science School