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The principal at Pompano
Beach High School is a strong believer in empowering stakeholders
to be involved in the decision-making process. A very active School
Advisory Council meets on a regular basis to discuss school direction
and progress as well as budget. An administrative leadership team
of assistant principals, a guidance director, a magnet coordinator,
and department heads provides an organizing structure. The principal
stresses the importance of also making teachers feel comfortable
and involved in decision-making. Departmental meetings are held
regularly and decisions regarding instructional materials, curriculum,
textbooks, and teaching strategies are made. In addition, a Faculty
Council meets on a monthly basis to identify ways to improve teaching
and learning with members submitting formal recommendations to the
administration. The faculty values the contributions each individual
makes to the school as evidenced by their decision to share the
A+ money equally with all staff members. Each month a student leadership
group meets with the administrative team to discuss and solve student
concerns collaboratively.
Results: School Grade: 2002 A; 2003 A.
Practices that Promote High Performance:
- Providing an organizing structure for leadership and decision
making to include all stakeholders
- Faculty Council that meets on a monthly basis to identify ways
to improve teaching and learning with recommendations to the administrative
team
- Regular meetings between administrative team and student leadership
group to collaboratively discuss and solve issues of concern
Professional
development linked to academic goals is a priority at Pompano Beach
High School. Teachers are encouraged to attend conferences, belong
to professional organizations and work on advanced degrees. The
principal sees this investment in professional development as a
means of improving teaching and learning on the campus. The entire
staff has been given Palm Pilots and laptop computers and provided
the professional development activities necessary to use the technology
to support instructional activities. In addition, departmental meetings
are scheduled monthly and faculty meetings are held twice a month.
"Collegial Conversation Mondays" provide faculty the opportunity
to converse professionally across content areas. Ten teacher led
"instructional focus" workshops are held after school
throughout the year. Teachers are encouraged to attend and share
information gained from workshops and conferences at department
and staff meetings.
Results: Graduate degrees held by 44% of
staff; FCAT (NRT) scores exceed district and state levels.
Practices that Promote High
Performance:
- Extensive investment in professional development on and off
campus
- "Collegial Conversation Mondays" to encourage professional
exchange across content areas
- School based workshops focusing on diversity, technology, and
the instructional focus component of the curriculum
Pompano Beach
High School operates on a unique four-day, eight-hour day student
week with each day divided into four 110-minute blocks. Remediation
takes place on Fridays and Wednesday afternoons when activity buses
are available. The Friday program also provides the flexibility
for students to work, perform community service, participate in
extra curricular activities, or take additional courses in elective
and academic fields. A daily "instructional focus" in each instructional
block provides a ten-minute focus on effective strategies in the
areas of reading, writing, and math aligned with Sunshine State
Standards. Another daily program, Tornado Time Out for Reading,
is a twenty-minute period of sustained silent reading for students
and staff that rotates through the curriculum blocks.
Results: FCAT Reading and Math
scores for grades 9 and 10 considerably higher than district and
state.
Practices that Promote High Performance:
- Unique schedule maximizing use of time and resources
- Daily focus in each academic block targeting effective strategies
for reading, writing, and math
- A period of sustained silent reading daily for all students
and staff
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