MEMBER PROFILE: Young Women's Leadership Charter School
2641 S. Calumet, Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 949.9400
Fax: (312) 949.9142
Visit their website
Contact: Margaret Small, Director
The Young Women’s Leadership Charter School, or YWLCS, is the only single-sex public school currently operating in Chicago. Since 2000, its mission has been to inspire urban girls to engage in rigorous college preparatory learning in a small school focused on math, science and technology that nurtures their self-confidence and challenges them to achieve. The school expects all of its graduates to attend college, and hopes that many will go on to careers in science, math, and technology—fields in which women, and particularly women of color—are seriously underrepresented. In 2004, YWLCS graduated its first class of 60 seniors, 97% of whom went to college with 41% planning to major in science and math related subjects. This is nearly 2.5 times the percentage of female undergraduates majoring in these subjects last year at Illinois public universities. In addition to its emphasis on academic success, YWLCS also strives to create a dynamic and supportive professional community for its staff through a model of distributive teacher leadership.
SCHOOL STATISTICS
| Enrollment: | 340 students in grades 7-12
73% African American 17% Hispanic .1% Asian/Pacific Islander 0% Native American 9% White 13% Special Needs 75% Qualify for Federal Free/Reduced Lunch |
|---|---|
| Classroom: |
Average Class Size (Elementary): 25
Average Class Size (Secondary): 22 Student-to-Teacher Ratio(Elementary): 9.8 Student-to-Teacher Ratio (Secondary): 16.3 |
| Completion Rate: |
04-05 Graduation Rate: 77.6%
04-05 Dropout Rate: 1.8% 04-05 College Acceptance Rate: 100% |
| Standardized Test Performance: |
04-05 PSAE Composite Performance: 16.7% meeting or
exceeding standards
04-05 PSAE Math Performance: 10.9% meeting or exceeding standards 04-05 PSAE Reading Performance: 30.4% meeting or exceeding standards 04-05 ACT Average Composite Score: 16.6 |
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES:
- All Girls Student Population: Allows school to focus on leadership development through social growth and emotional engagement as outlined by Joann Deak in her works on the emotional and physical challenges to girls, including Girls Will Be Girls (2002).
- Student Assessment: An outcomes-based system to assess student performance that provides flexibility in the length of time it takes for students to meet goals. Assessment and promotion does require completion of all work, but lack of time restraint helps students demonstrate proficiency on challenging material. On on-line component allows students and parents to track student progress in each course.
- Internship Program: Students in Grade 10 spend one afternoon a week off campus gaining real-world experience in an individualized internship placement. [Insert link to supplementary materials]
- College Preparation: Students in Grade 11 take a year-long college prep class to familiarize themselves with college applications and financial aid processes and to help themselves prepare for standardized tests. [Insert link to supplementary materials]
- Mentor Program: Interested high school students are paired with a professional female mentor who helps students develop leadership skills and assists with college search and preparation. Mentoring pairs meet both on and off campus, through the student’s completion of high school.
- START: An acronym for “Students and Teachers All Reading Together”. Each morning, students in Grades 7-11 are grouped based on ability into small reading groups of approximately 15 students per teacher. Students and teacher read books together for 30 minutes in a book club format.
- Intercession: Students have 4 days of intercession programming between each trimester which they spend in Advisory reflecting on their progress over the last trimester and preparing for family conferences.
- School Fusion: provides on-line communication between teachers and the school community. Teachers post assignments, which can be viewed by both parents and students. Approximately half of YWLCS parents regularly use School Fusion.
- Promotion Presentations: To advance to the next grade, students in Grades 8,10, and 12 are required to orally present a collection of their work to their peers, parents, and a panel of YWLCS staff and outside adults.
- Distributed Leadership: The school is organized into Academy and Content Area teams, as well as a Leadership Team that functions as a decision-making body. [Insert link to supplementary materials]
CALENDAR AND SCHEDULING
Calendar: 3 trimesters of instruction, each 11-12 weeks in length, with planned intercession time between each trimester. The school adheres to the CPS calendar for holidays, winter break, and spring break.
- Intercession: Students have 4 days of intercession programming between each trimester, followed by a day off (during which teachers have professional development). Students spend this short week in Advisory reflecting on their progress over the last trimester and preparing for family conferences, during which they discuss their own academic progress with their parents and project a goal for the coming trimester. Often, school- or Advisory-wide field trips will take place during Intercession weeks. In the past, students have created a Youth Leadership Conference Day during the week comprised of different workshops on leadership and community organizations and resources.
Schedule: School day runs from 8:30 AM -3:30 PM. The day is divided into five 60-minute classes, a 30 minute advisory, 30 minute START reading time, and 30 minute lunch. Students in Grades 9-10 work at internship sites Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 PM.
ACADEMICS
Curriculum: Full year Math, Science, Reading and Writing, Humanities (integrating Literature and Social Studies), and Technology classes for all students in Grades 7-12;, Students rotate through Fine Arts, Health and Fitness.
Programs/Practices of Note:
- The Four Pillars: YWLCS’s curriculum is based on “Four Pillars”: Academic Achievement, Personal and Social Development, College and Career Development, and Leadership Development.
- START Reading: An acronym for “Students and Teachers All Reading Together”. Each morning, students in Grades 7-11 are grouped based on ability into small groups of approximately 15 students per teacher. In the groups, students read books together for 30 minutes. Reader leaders are selected from the 10th and 11th grade to help develop and lead activities to further engage readers. The START program also has a literacy component. The Literacy Committee integrates skills into the START curriculum and is implementing a 7-12 sequence of reading and writing instruction. For more information, contact Kristi Eilers at kmeilers@ywlcs.org)
- Integrated Math Program (IMP): Used in grades 8-12, this math curriculum integrates traditional material (algebra, geometry, and trigonometry) with other topics such as statistics, probability, curve fitting, and matrix algebra. IMP units are generally structured around a central real-world problem.
- Schoolwide visit to Chicago River: Each year, the whole school visits the Chicago River, takes water samples, looks for life forms living in the river, and reports back their findings at the annual YWLCS science fair.
- Special Education: A School Based Problem Solving (SBPS) Team meets bi-weekly to identify and plan supports and interventions for students at risk of academic failure. The SBPS Team consists of one representative from each academy, and works with both Special Education and non-Special Education students that need additional academic support. Special Education students are taught in an Inclusion/Resource setting, where special education and regular teachers collaborate to develop modifications for students within standard classrooms. Parents of Special Needs students are informed of student progress through bi-weekly phone calls, written communication and mid-trimester progress reports. For more information on YWLCS’s Special Education Programs, please contact Connie Lange at clange@ywlcs.org.
- 9th grade Service Learning: Students in grade 9 participate in service learning projects in groups. Projects are part of the personal development curriculum presented in reading and writing classes. The class also introduces the idea of community and the importance of local organizations.
- 10th Grade Internship: Following one trimester of career preparation in reading and writing classes, students in grade 10 are placed at non-profit and professional sites based on their career interests, such as hospitals, schools and even restaurants. They spend Wednesday afternoon every week during the second and third trimester off campus gaining real-world experience in an individualized internship placement. [Insert link to supplementary materials]
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
YWLCS uses a unique assessment program that requires students to advance from one grade to the next by meeting high academic standards measured by meeting outcome objectives as opposed to letter grades: High Performance, Proficiency, and Not Yet. Promotion to the next grade is granted on a cumulative level of proficiency in all subjects. For example, promotion from 9th to 10th grade requires students to demonstrate proficiency in 75% of the total academic outcomes from all subjects. Students with “Not Yet” ratings are allowed additional time to complete coursework and meet outcomes from previous grades without being penalized in their advancement of other subjects. [Insert link to supplementary materials]
STUDENT CULTURE
Philosophy: In YWLCS’s first year, 9th grade students chose the motto “Girls of Today—Leaders of Tomorrow” and identified 5 qualities of a YWLCS student:
- Respectful
- Responsible
- Hard Working
- Creative
- Scholarly
The school’s Vision Statement is that “All young women have the skills, tools and opportunities to develop as ethical leaders shaping their lives and the world.” The school culture is centered around these core values:
- We value equitable access to resources and opportunities for every student.
- We value the contribution a single-sex education makes to educating the whole woman and promoting her leadership.
- We value inquiry, self-reflection, critical thinking, problem solving and real world experience.
- We value the diversity in our school community.
- We value parents and families as partners.
- We value integrity, honesty, and perseverance.
- We value professionalism in education through reflection, collaboration and shared leadership.
Methods to Promote Positive Student Culture:
- Academy Structure – YWLCS is divided into three academies in order to tailor instruction and programs to students’ developmental needs and to provide personal attention and recognition for each student. Students at YWLCS are grouped into three academies:
- Middle School Academy, Grades 7-8
- Junior Academy, Grades 9-10
- Senior Academy, Grades 11-12
- Bridges to the Future – Every 2 years, students celebrate their academic progress with ceremonies. Eighth graders attend the “Moving Up” luncheon and receive a pin, 10th graders participate in the “Stepping Forward” luncheon and receive a silver YWLCS pendant, and 12th graders attend formal cap and gown graduation.
- Peaceable Schools – This model of behavioral management focuses on an expectation of self-discipline, respect, and responsibility as opposed to external control and compliance. Strategies supported by the model include positive campaigns like “Got Kindness?” and documents, such as the Community Contract. This document was developed by YWLCS faculty to delineate students’ and teachers’ rights and responsibilities; it is signed at the beginning of each year by students, parents, and staff.
- Student and Staff Support Team – This group consists of school social workers, representative from the Special Education Department, the Health Educator, three Academy co-facilitators, and the Assistant Director that meets weekly to plan coordinated response to student needs at the school-wide level. The group publishes a weekly newsletter, and has conducted workshops for students on subjects such as grief and loss, healthy being, sexual assault, and teen pregnancy.
- School-Based Health Clinic – Through a partnership with UIC’s Chicago Neighborhood’s Initiative, YWLCS provides an on-site health clinic, with Mental Health, Dental Health, Gynecology, Nutrition, and Wellness services.
- Peer Mediation – Program is under development.
TEACHERS AND STAFF
YWLCS believes that valuing teachers and creating ladders in educational leadership for professional educators are essential components of a successful school.
Teacher Leadership: YWLCS distributes its leadership by creating opportunities for advancement in educational roles. Two programs, the Leadership Team and the Academy Structure, give teachers the opportunity to make contributions to the school’s educational direction as well as furthering their own leadership and professional development. [Insert link to supplementary materials]
Professional Development: YWLCS guarantees each of its teachers 150 minutes per week of professional development and collaborative planning time, a total of 280 hours yearly. This time is built into the schedule on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-4:00 PM, one Friday per month from 8 AM to 4 PM, three weeks in August before student instruction begins, and an additional week in June after classes end.
Academy teams and content area teams both meet twice a month. In addition, advisory teams within grade levels share a lunch period, and weekly faculty meetings are held at 8 AM on Mondays.
YWLCS also actively supports its most experienced teachers in achieving National Board Certification. Five YWLCS teachers have successfully completed the NBC process and received Illinois Master Teacher certification in addition to certification as NBCTs. In 2005-06, another five teachers completed the year-long NBC process and are awaiting their results.
Strategy:
Each year, all teachers develop Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs) outlining their personal goals for professional growth. Each teacher receives $300 in individual professional development funds. The school also allocates additional funds to send teams to conferences related to strategic objectives.
YWLCS’ 04-05 In-Depth Project created the teacher-led, practiced-based Professional Development Committee, which plans, executes, evaluates and then adjusts professional development for faculty with specific outcomes. The Committee helps achieve greater cohesion between professional development, instructional support, and identified student and faculty needs.
New teachers participate in two days of intensive workshops in August to help introduce them to the school and its culture. They are also invited to participate in a New Teacher Roundtable, a weekly forum for identifying and solving problems. The New Teacher Roundtable sometimes has themed discussions (for example, regarding assessment) but generally provides the opportunity for more unstructured communication.
For more information on YWLCS’s Professional Development opportunities, please contact Michelle Russell at mcrussel@ywlcs.org.
Teacher Evaluation: Faculty evaluation at YWLCS has 2 components:
- Teacher self-evaluation
- Formal evaluations by the Director
Teacher Self-Evaluation: Teachers set goals for themselves at the beginning of the year based on Pathwise Framework for Teaching’s four domains:
- Planning and Preparation
- The Classroom Environment
- Instruction
- Professional Responsibilities
Teachers meet with the Instructional Support Co-Facilitators to discuss their goals, and to evaluate their progress at the end of the year.
Formal Evaluation: Each teacher meets annually with the Director to review growth and development as a professional educator over the last year. The Director provides feedback and recognition of the teacher’s overall professional development and discusses the continuing growth of the teacher’s professional goals.
PARENTS AND COMMUNITY
School Fusion: provides on-line communication between teachers and the school community. Teachers post assignments, which can be viewed by both parents and students, and parents can check student progress as well. Approximately half of YWLCS parents regularly use School Fusion.
Visitors’ Day: Held once a month, reader leaders become School Ambassadors, conduct tours, and speak with visitors about being a student at YWLCS. By scheduling visitor days once a month, visitors can be better anticipated and thus less disruptive.
Family Advisory Council (FAC): Established as part of the governance of the school, the FAC leads parent involvement, increases communication between parents and the school, and plans family events and workshops. Open to all families, the FAC has committees on Communications, Education and Events Planning, College Prep, Volunteer, and Fundraising. Some activities the FAC has been responsible for include:
- Publication and distribution of a Family Newsletter for other parents
- Family Programs such as Literacy Night, Math Night, Assessment Night and Annual Family Potluck
Community Forums: held 3 times yearly, provide opportunity for parents to interact with the Director, staff, and board members.
Board Representation: 3 parent representatives sit on the YWLCS Board of Directors, one at each Academy level.
Parent/Family Institute: Program began in August 2005, as a parent-to-parent support and education system. Group plans to hold workshops and sessions on topics ranging from the YWLCS assessment system to how to communicate with teenage girls.
Web-Based Resources: Parents can track student progress online through multiple programs, including:
- School Fusion- Password-protected resource that has web pages for each class with assignments, calendars etc.
- Student Evaluation Database- Parents can log on to check students academic progress.
Community Partnerships: YWLCS is an active member
of
HELPFUL RESOURCES
- For more information on Joann Deak’s research on the emotional and physical needs of girls, view her biography at the DEAK Group website.
- For use in the Humanities Curriculum, see Facing History and Ourselves, History Alive.
- For more information on professional development, see Pathwise Framework for Teaching.
- For more information on small schools, see Coalition of Essential Schools. National organization of innovative schools that emphasizes equity, personalization, and intellectual vibrancy in public education. YWLCS is currently an emerging mentor school.
- For more information on the mathematics curriculum, see Integrated Mathematics Program.
- For more information on the positive school culture program, see Peaceable Schools.
- For information on the electronic school communication, see School Fusion.
- For information on the community program, see Chicago Communities in Schools.
- For information on the science curriculum, see YWLCS Chicago River Project.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Student Assessment
Contact Person: Margaret Small, msmall@ywlcs.org
A paper on the assessment system is available on the school’s website, www.ywlcs.org.
Overview
YWLCS uses a unique system of student assessment that reflects the school’s mission, curriculum, and pedagogical approach. The fundamental principle of the outcomes-based evaluation system is that students advance from one grade to the next by meeting high academic standards, regardless of the time it takes to do so.
In a traditional grading system, low grades that are entered at the end of the year into a student’s permanent record often consign that student to a career of academic failure. These grades will continue to impact the student’s overall academic grade point averages, even if she excels in later years. In addition, students who underperform or fail classes are at an increased risk for dropping-out. By eliminating letter grades and allowing students additional time, if needed, to achieve the desired outcomes in a course, YWLCS allows students to accumulate knowledge at varying rates of speed without penalty. This system acknowledges the real gap between incoming student performance and college preparatory standards, and gives students time to learn how to learn.
History
YWLCS’s assessment software was developed by YWLCS faculty with Database Designs under a two-year grant from The Boeing Company. Multiple schools across the nation, including schools in Chicago, Euclid, Ohio and Boston have begun using this software.Method
Each course at YWLCS has a specific set of course outcomes for each trimester, which include things a student must know and/or be able to do to demonstrate proficiency in each subject area. Students are formally evaluated on their ability to meet these academic outcomes at the end of each trimester.Students are also evaluated in specified learning behaviors in each class, which include having materials organized, turning work in on time, conducting oneself appropriately in class, and asking thoughtful questions.
YWLCS does not use letter grades to measure student progress. Instead, students are given one of three ratings- High Performance, Proficient, and Not Yet on each academic outcome and learning behavior. In order to receive credit for a course, a student must receive a rating of proficient in at least 70% of the course outcomes. To be promoted to the next grade, students must receive the following level of overall proficiency (cumulative for all courses):
- 9th to 10th grade: 70% of total outcomes at overall proficient or better
- 10th to 11th grade: 75% of total outcomes at overall proficient or better
- 11th to 12th grade: 80% of total outcomes at overall proficient or better
- Graduate: 85% of total outcomes at overall proficient or better
If a student has not achieved proficiency in a course by the year’s end, she is given several opportunities to complete the work in summer school, on Saturday sessions, or by retaking the class the next year. The goal is for students to achieve a “Proficient” rating that same year, but if she does not she is expected to continue the material the following year. Ratings of “Not Yet” are not permanent, and will be changed once a student has made sufficient progress to demonstrate Proficiency. Students who do not meet the graduation requirements in four years are allowed to remain at the school for an additional year in order to do so.
Another facet of YWLCS’s student assessment system is the promotion presentation in benchmark years, which is described in greater detail below.
Career Preparation:
Contact: Shawn Sanders, ssanders@ywlcs.org.
Overview
9th grade students participate in Service Learning projects with class members at community organizations. The goal is to begin personal development and to enhance the student’s involvement in her community. Projects are integrated into the curriculum of reading and writing classes.
10th grade students are required to perform internships with local businesses, non-profits, hospitals, schools, or other workplaces. Internship placements are individualized based on the student’s interests and strengths. Students work at their placements on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-3:30 PM, beginning in November.
Students set goals prior to beginning their internship, and complete a self-evaluation at the end of the program. At the end of their internship, students are also evaluated by their site supervisors and are required to give a year-end presentation on their internship experience.
In 2003, YWLCS was awarded a BP Leadership Award of $300,000 for its field-based internship and mentoring program.
Promotion Presentations:
Contact: Harshaw Soni, hksoni@ywlcs.org
Overview
Students at YWLCS are required to give promotion presentations at the end of Grades 8,10, and 12, in order to matriculate into the next grade or to graduate. The presentations are designed to test students’ ability to articulate what they have learned and to share this knowledge with the greater community.
Method
Students are allotted between 45-60 minutes, depending on grade level, to present academic work to a panel of YWLCS staff and outside community members. The presentation consists of a 15-30 minute oral presentation, which must incorporate technology, and then time to answer questions from the panel. Afterwards, the panel evaluates the presentation, uses a rubric to determine an appropriate rating, and provides feedback.Students in Grade 8 present a piece of academic work from a core course: Humanities, Math, Science, or Technology. In Grade 10, presenters cover work from one core course and one additional course of their choosing.
Senior presentations are based on Individual Senior Projects, conducted during the spring of the students’ 12th grade year. Students propose an independent project focusing on an “essential question,” and then spend 75 hours conducting research. This process takes place over 3 weeks, in which the students come to school only one day a week, to check in with and receive feedback from their advisor. Past Senior Project topics have included, among others:
- Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System
- Homelessness in Chicago
- Gentrification in Bronzeville
- Robotics
- Immigrants’ Knowledge of Their Rights, and
- Career Explorations in a variety of fields
College Preparation:
Contact: Liz Monge, emonge@ywlcs.org, and Rosalyn Pedraza, rpedraza@ywlcs.org
Method
YWLCS has implemented many programs that help prepare students for college. All students are required to research colleges, attend college fairs, create a “Top Ten” list of colleges, and apply to at least four colleges of their choice.
All juniors are required to take a college prep class, where they prepare personal essays and other application materials, practice for the SAT and ACT standardized tests, and learn about admissions procedures and financial aid. They also visit colleges. In the spring of their junior year, the students participate in mock-college interviews, where they are critiqued by college admissions officers and corporate personnel.
AP Spanish is offered, and students who wish to earn college level credit during their junior and senior year are welcome to enroll in College Bridge, a program where high school students can earn college credit at DePaul, Kennedy-King, Harold Washington and UIC. [http://www.ywlcs.org/learning/summerpgrms.html]
YWLCS students also have the opportunity to participate in pre-college summer programs, which focus on leadership training, arts and technology enrichment, and/or college readiness. Approximately 30% of students take advantage of these programs on a yearly basis.
The school also makes a concerted effort to help families understand and apply for financial aid. YWLCS conducts workshops throughout the year, including a January workshop on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that offers one-on-one assistance to help families complete the required forms.
Distributed Leadership:
Contact: Margaret Small, msmall@ywlcs.org.
Senior Academy contact: emonge@ywlcs.org.
Junior Academy contact: e-dozier@ywlcs.org.
Middle School Academy contact: t-tosha@ywlcs.org.
Overview
YWLCS believes that valuing teachers and creating ladders in educational leadership for professional educators are essential components of a successful school. YWLCS affords teachers the opportunity to make substantive contributions in shaping the educational direction of the school while developing their own leadership skills and professional knowledge through the Leadership Team and Academy Structure.
Method
YWLCS is divided into three academies:
- Middle School Academy, Grades 7-8
- Junior Academy, Grades 9-10
- Senior Academy, Grades 11-12
Teachers at each Academy level are grouped into Academy Teams, which meet at least twice monthly for group professional development, with 2 teacher co-facilitators at each level. These co-facilitators are members of the school-wide Leadership Team. The Leadership team consists of the Director and Assistant Director, Academy Co-Facilitators, and other interested teachers. The group meets bi-weekly and functions as a decision-making body as well as a conduit between teachers in each academy and school administrators.
Teachers are also grouped into Content Area teams which include Math, Science, Humanities, Technology, World Languages, Career and College Prep, and Special Education.
