Analysis of Student Learning Needs

Description of Students’ Current Level of Achievement
of the Desired Results for Their
Learning

Establishing effective guidelines for Advanced Placement (AP) and Honor’s course selection to enhance and support the integrity of these courses

·        Structured interviews and surveys with teachers at Croatan High School on student’s ability to effectively apply thinking and reasoning skills in Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes yielded a substantial collection of comments and concerns about students’ lack of ability to effectively solve problems or apply information from prerequisite courses.

·        The number of students scoring a level IV or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken at Croatan High School in 2004 decreased from the previous year in Calculus BC, English Literature, European History, and US History.  (See Student Performance Data, p. 5).

·        Structured interviews with teachers and counselors indicate that some students do not make a personal commitment to creating quality work or striving for excellence in completing assigned projects in Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  Often these students admit they are enrolled in the class as a result of parental or peer pressure.

·        Discussions with teachers at Croatan High School yield substantial concerns that students are allowed to register for Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses without teacher recommendations.

 

Seeking necessary curriculum resources and instructional materials to enhance student performance

·        The results of the High School Opinion Survey that was administered to teachers, support staff, parents, and students in the Fall of 2004 indicated that 10% of the stakeholders did not believe students have access to a variety of resources to help them succeed in their learning.  Further, only 60.4% of the stakeholders believe that students have sufficient access to computers outside the school.

·        When examining free and reduced lunch figures, the number of students receiving free lunch has increased by 34 students since the 2003-3004 school year and the number of reduced lunch has increased by 8 students.  There has been a steady increase in the number of free and reduced lunch numbers since the school opened in 1998.  The community average household income is below that of the state.  Therefore, in staff discussions, the point is made that more students should be afforded free and reduced lunch than are identified.  Consequently, sufficient curriculum resources and instructional materials are often not affordable and are necessary to support a quality educational process.

 

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