Secondary school reform: student achievement in mathematics -- a case study: Hot Springs High School

Unrestricted The purpose of this study was to examine those factors contributing to significant and sustained gains in math performance by students at a large urban public high school. In a case study of a Southern California high school demonstrating significant improvement in math over a three year period as evidenced by student performance on the California Standards Test in Algebra I, five research questions focused on the patterns of math achievement for various students, policy initiatives as well as curriculum, instruction and related issues, the change process employed by the school, the role of instructional leadership and the manner in which key leaders overcame a lack of expertise in math.; Following the local district mandated adoption of California math standards, the principal and other key leaders embarked on the development and implementation of a comprehensive set of reform strategies. These reforms included using formative assessment to drive instruction and fostering a student centered approach to instruction. Focusing on early intervention, the math faculty devised strategies to assist students gain the skills necessary to access basic concepts and to avoid falling behind. Working with the math department chair, the principal provided a strong and clear vision for reform, closely monitored instruction and built the capacity necessary for the math faculty to work in a collaborative manner. The principal's leadership fostered a change in the math faculty's level of accountability and new and creative approaches to instruction. The principal positively affected school culture by providing meaningful incentives for change, engaging in highly symbolic activities reinforcing the importance of achievement in math and developing strong relationships with students and their families. As teachers took more responsibility for student outcomes, student performance improved. Teachers proactively developed formative assessment instruments closely linked to instructional goals and objectives. Recommendations for future research were presented including examining a high school receiving strong local district support, a more targeted implementation of reforms over a longer period of time, a similarly situated school where the administration had greater expertise in math instruction and comparative studies with other schools in the local district aimed at isolating those reforms providing the greatest long term improvement in student achievement in math.