A Better Tomorrow: Ralph R.

McKee Career and Technical

Education High School’s AVID
Program RFP
January, 2009

J. O’Brien • email: JOBrien17@mac.com • AVID HS RFP 1

AVID RFP
McKee High School
Staten Island, New York

McKee Students at Work

1.! Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School is an oasis of learning on
the North Shore of Staten Island. The only Career and Technical Education High School on
Staten Island, we pride ourselves in offering a unique two for one opportunity. Students who at-
tend McKee embark upon rigorous academic courses in tandem with comprehensive career and
technical sequences culminating in state certification in Pre-Engineering, Cisco Networking,
Automotive Engineering, Cosmetology and Graphic Arts and Design. At McKee High School,
we believe that every child can be a college graduate and become a productive member of our
democratic society.

! Our school’s vision centers upon our four tenets of school success: Relationships, Rele-
vance, Rigor, and Results. We look to build upon these four cornerstones as we stride into the
21st century. Our mission is to foster and maintain among our students, faculty and administra-
tion an educational community where teachers collaborate across disciplines, challenge students
with rigorous, standards based lessons, and exemplifying the importance of a strong education in
the 21st century marketplace. By showcasing why the lessons we teach in the classroom are im-

J. O’Brien • email: JOBrien17@mac.com • AVID HS RFP2

portant in life, we help students forge a connection between the classroom and the outside world
they are so quickly inheriting.

! Currently, students have an opportunity to advance into honors designation classes such
as English, Math, History and Science. In all of our academic classes, literacy is of paramount
importance as we prepare our young people to communicate in an increasingly digital world.
Further, we currently offer courses such as Mathematics B, Chemistry, and Physics that colleges
and universities are increasingly using as criteria for acceptance. Additionally, we have forged a
relationship with Kingsborough Community College’s College Now program and offer student
developmental courses such as English Basic Writing, Elementary Mathematics, and credit bear-
ing courses such as Introduction to Career and College Planning, Issues and Adventures in Sci-
ence, Behavioral and Social Sciences allowing students to earn college credit while still in high
school.

This fall, we plan to offer Advanced Placement English Literature and Advanced Placement Biol-
ogy to coincide with AVID’s coursework.

! McKee High School has strong ties with the College of Staten Island’s Discovery Center
program and this past fall hosted 5 student teachers as they embarked upon their pedagogical
training. Additionally, our bond with Kingsborough’s Honors Academy and English Depart-
ment, Wagner College’s Education Department and the College of Staten Island’s Discovery
Center of which 3 of our Assistant Principals and our Teacher Center coordinator serve on their
advisory board all can be used to pave a freeway for our students so that they may too reap the
benefits of a college education. Further, our in house community-based organization The New
York Center for Interpersonal Development orchestrate a myriad of after-school activities rang-
ing from tutoring, sports, homework help, and mediation training.

2. The compelling reason why we should become an AVID site is because the students who
attend McKee High School naturally fit the criteria. With over 75% of our students at a
level 2 designation in English Language Arts and mathematics, over 80% of our students

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 receiving free or reduced lunch, McKee High School’s Title I status clearly delineate the
impoverished conditions and low-socioeconomic backgrounds of the student population
we serve. We sampled 50% of our student body and found that over 65% of our students
will be the first in their families to attend college. For many of our students, they may be
the only one in their families to have attended a formal high school or who would ever dare
to dream of attending college as per our recent survey sample taken in January, 2009. Al-
though these students may not seem like scholars on paper, many merely lack the organ-
izational and study skills necessary to achieve in a secondary and/or post secondary set-
ting. By far the most diverse high school on Staten Island, McKee looks to find new ways to
close the achievement gap for all subgroups. With AVID in place, we can begin to take a
proven plan of action and apply it immediately so as to become agents of change for this
underrepresented population and provide vertical, post-secondary advancement and chal-
lenges in their coursework. By changing the culture of McKee, students will finally have
the opportunity to succeed in mainstream activities and become true members of the
school community via AVID and related after school activities. AVID will also ensure
school wide access for all AVID students to AP courses and other rigorous paths of study.
Students will also be exposed to community service thus becoming well-rounded, competi-
tive and productive members of the 21st century marketplace.

! Another reason why AVID is a natural choice for McKee High School is our teachers.
Our faculty and staff are a group of dynamic, life long learners who with very meager resources
consistently rise to any and all challenges. It is because of their hard work and dedication that we
have received an “A” and “Well Developed” on the 2008 progress report and continue to be a
High School “In Good Standing” for English Language Arts and mathematics for our Title I
status. If given the opportunity to participate in professional development and training in the
WICR methodology, Cornell note-taking, Summer Institutes and Path training, we believe that
we would experience a meteoric rise in not only student performance, but teacher satisfaction as
well. Additionally, McKee currently provides teachers with collaboration time via course specific
study groups. Using the AVID model, we can use this time to help our teachers acclimate to this
new model and push forward in their courses.

J. O’Brien • email: JOBrien17@mac.com • AVID HS RFP4

3.! Teacher recruitment has already begun at McKee High School. Subject area Assistant
Principals in English Language Arts, mathematics, science and history have already canvassed
their departments and found that many teachers had already heard of AVID and were excited
about the idea of providing a dedicated tutoring period during the school day. On February 3rd,
2009, we will first send out AVID flyers to our faculty and staff. Next, we will discuss AVID’s 11
Essentials and screen the 60 minutes II video at faculty and department conferences. Next, we
will call for applications from the faculty to participate in this program.

Recruitment of students will begin in February, 2009 with outreach to our feeder schools IS 49,
IS 27, IS 61 and IS 51. By facilitating a meeting between their guidance counselors and our own,
we may target and program students who will be coming to McKee in the fall of 2009 immedi-
ately. Data from the GROW report, ELA and mathematics scores, student attendance, student
participation in free or reduced lunch programs, CTBS scores, current GPA, and class sched-
ules. In March of 2009, we will request two meetings with our target population and forge rela-
tionships with the feeder schools’ Guidance departments so that we may continue our AVID re-
cruitment on an annual basis. Further, we will call upon a representative of the feeder school to
attend the meeting to act as liaison and improve student buy in. We will also distribute teacher/
counselor recommendation forms to the feeder schools so that we may also garner their input as
to which students would fit the criteria.

Most importantly, we will hold student interviews at the feeder schools so that we may identify
prime candidates to participate in the program. These interviews will be hosted at the Intermedi-
ate schools and will run concurrently with their school day so as to ensure that the AVID candi-
dates do not miss valuable class time. This process will be an ongoing one throughout Spring,
2009. Students who meet the criteria will be given letters of acceptance/non-acceptance at an
early enough date so that we may garner the precise amount of acceptances to the program. Next,
counselors at McKee will be given the names of the accepted students so that they can program
them accordingly for the fall.

The target students’ families will receive mailings with the AVID brochure in May, 2009 and at
Freshman Orientation in the fall will be given an opportunity to screen the video as well. Further,
we plan to host a welcome reception for incoming students in May or early June where students
will meet the site team on a one to one basis and get a feel for the building and its environment.

J. O’Brien • email: JOBrien17@mac.com • AVID HS RFP5

With parents as our partners, we hope to provide comprehensive support and 100% student re-
tention as the AVID program grows from 9th grade to 10th grade in the fall of 2010.

For next years 10th graders, we will create a presentation for students in the auditorium, small
group/individual student interviews and utilize teacher recommendations for the program.

4. ! McKee High School has scheduled the AVID class during period 3 for all participating
students in grades 9 for the Fall/Spring 2009-2010 school year and will continue to utilize this
time slot for all AVID classes in the future. Unique to our building, double period Career and
Technical Education courses usually take up much of the elective periods, yet, 3rd period is free
from these restrictions and can provide a solid foundation in the middle of the morning so all par-
ticipating students can meet with their elective teacher and tutors on a consistent basis during
the school day.

5.! McKee High School is currently a School in Good Standing for English Language Arts
and Mathematics for our Title I status with an “A”and “Well Developed” on the progress report.

6.! McKee High School plans to utilize tutors and student teachers from College of Staten
Island’s Education program. In addition to those tutors and student teachers we receive every
year from C.S.I., we will launch an advertising campaign in March, 2009 utilizing posters created
by our students enrolled in our Graphics course calling for tutors and listing the responsibilities
therein. Candidates will then be screened by the AVID coordinator to ensure a positive attitude,
strong foundation in subject area, and a demeanor conducive to student respect and success.
Further, we will utilize our contacts within the College of Staten Island’s Discovery Center to
recruit college students currently studying in the English, Math, Science, and History depart-
ments as well.

7.! Parental involvement is paramount in any educational endeavor and with AVID in place
at McKee we will continue making parents our partners in this great journey. Use of detailed
mailings discussing the program, orientations, contracts for parents and students, student cre-
ated online podcasts detailing AVID performance and projects, a dedicated website with course

J. O’Brien • email: JOBrien17@mac.com • AVID HS RFP6

outlines, curriculum maps and goals for all participating students can help us get the message out
about AVID. Additionally, weekly progress reports for all students enrolled in the program will
give parents real time data regarding their child’s performance. Further, our parent coordinator
is available around the clock to assist families and underline important dates, goals, meetings and
opportunities. For families of our ELLs who qualify, we have in house translation services in
Spanish and can utilize the NYCDOE Translation Services portal for French and Arabic families
who may come to our AVID program in the near future.

8.! With a school wide Title I program, Title I funding, fair student funding and tax levy
funds will be used to allay the costs of implementing this program. Off site professional develop-
ment such as Summer Institutes and path training are not cheap, but we must persevere if we are
to give the students of McKee High School a better tomorrow.

J. O’Brien • email: JOBrien17@mac.com • AVID HS RFP7