Angleton High School (2022)

  1. PLC Story
  2. PLC Practices
  3. Achievement Data
  4. Awards
  5. Resources

Current Promising Practices School applying for Model PLC at Work Status!

Angleton High School began our PLC journey in 2018.  The new campus leadership had a strong desire to make positive academic change. The team saw the potential of the Angleton High School students and knew that the campus could do even more to grow student success. The campus leadership team determined teacher collaboration would be critical to creating this positive change. The journey began with research on current topics and the team participated in a book study. Plans were made for the next school year to ensure that teachers had common planning periods. The team saw that creating a dedicated time for cohorts of teachers to meet gave the campus so much momentum in the process. We were awared the PROMISING PRACTICES SCHOOL designation. In 2023 we further refined our processes and took the next step to ensure high levels of learning for all students. This led to remarkable improvements in our Algebra I state retesters, a 10% increase in Biology and overall increase campus collaboration. The targeted planning and committments our teachers are dedicated to has taken root across the campus.

Our team meetings begin with a heavy focus on student data analysis. Student groups in state tested areas were the focus of these meetings. Instructional coaches were also brought into the fold to increase collaboration and efficacy in the meetings. At the emergence of the pandemic, face to face meetings were no longer possible but the teams tried to meet virtually when possible. Albeit there was a global pandemic, the campus College and Career Readiness indicators began to ignite.

 As the pandemic continued in the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the campus leaders and teacher leadership team ensured that the chaos of the times did not take away from the academic success of all students. A continued effort was made to ensure that students were learning at high levels and that teachers were collaborating on instructional strategies that supported our on campus and remote students. The teachers were provided professional learning in how to identify essential outcomes and learning targets. This was accomplished through continued support and professional development provided by the campus administration together with a growing mindset of instructional collaboration among teachers. From 2019-2021 we saw marked gains. The overall campus average was 8 points higher than the state at approaches grade level on all grades tested. College and Career and Military State Readiness indicators for Angleton High School grew 20.7 percentage points and our average SAT scores grew 13 points.

 In July of 2021, district and campus leaders participated in an on-site Solution Tree Training in the PLC process for 2 days. The district then provided a continuum of this learning for all administrators and teaching staff in order to ensure that a true PLC occurs on every campus following the 3 day PLC at Work Live Institute.  It was amazing to have every staff member trained in the process and hear and learn from experts in their field! This was game changing for us!

Angleton High School took this challenge to heart and immediately implemented the newly acquired knowledge. The original data team meetings were bolstered and the roots of a true professional learning community were championed on the campus. The teams began to focus on essential learning standards and the best instructional practices to support mastery of these essential learnings. Formative assessment data was disaggregated in teams to accomplish this. STAAR results from 2020/2021 showed improvement in most areas, and mid year and end of year data shows academic achievement across all tested subject areas. The shift from a PLC being a meeting to a way of being was remarkable!


In the summer of 2022, the Angleton High School campus administrators attended the Solution Tree PLC at Work Institute in San Antonio. The team was invigorated in a common purpose and excited to augment the teaching staff’s learning as they returned in August. The leadership team participated in a summer book study over Learning By Doing to be further equipped to lead the teachers in a PLC kick off as they returned. The teams again established their structured agenda with role assignments and norms decided on by the team. Additionally, the team made an additional revision to the master schedule to include an embedded flexible Tier II intervention time to ensure all students access to our guaranteed and viable curriculum. As we have embarked on the 2022 school year, we see the continuation of work with the four critical questions and the impact the three big ideas are having on teacher efficacy. Our teams are functioning in a capacity they never have before. Angleton ISD has a collective commitment to ensuring all students learn at high levels. 

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

The district provides all teachers with TEKS Resource as a common scope and sequence. Through the collaborative work of the team meetings, teachers regularly plan and review their lessons in order to ensure that the scope and sequence is followed, but more importantly, that students are given equitable access to highly tested standards and are provided with opportunities to truly understand and master the essentials. Our teachers identifying the essential learning standards has been life giving to our Tier I instruction!

In Team Time meetings, teachers also identify what students need to know and what they need to be able to show to master the essential standard. This provides the teacher with an accelerated understanding of student misconceptions, necessary background knowledge and related resources that will ensure students master standards to be ready for the next course.

Teachers monitor student learning weekly, by creating common formative assessments based on the TEKS taught. The results of these weekly assessments are then used during team meetings to determine the next steps for instruction. Teachers also utilize backwards planning to ensure that the standard the students will be held to on major tests are a focus area. Teachers utilize five common planning elements: (1) Student Objective, (2) TEKS, (3) Weekly Formative Assessments, (4) Unit Tests, and (5) CBA/Final Exams. Through the PLC process, this planning has a direct correlation to our interventions.

 

2. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support for learning.

Intervention with a high school schedule can prove to be a challenge. However, AHS was able to provide four unique opportunities for students to receive the interventions that they need. In 2022-2023 we began a student survey of their flex time intervention experience. This provided us with valuable student insight. Students shared things like "I liked learning in a different way from a different teacher" and "the small group time to have this retaught to me really helped". This was great and meaningful data to continue to shape our interventions. We utilized the impact of intervention and increased opportunities for reteach of essentials as well as pre teach in some instances. 

First, students are being retaught as needed based on data reviewed in the teacher’s team meetings. Campus-wide, our master schedule was adjusted to add in a 35 minute acceleration period for every student, regardless of their ability, where they have access to improve in their area of need. MTSS classes have been created that have small numbers of students working on individualized goals. Students in need of urgent intervention are provided with one-to-one digital tutoring that is built into the school day. Additionally,  teachers use the real time data to reteach concepts . A remarakable increase was seen in student performance with flexible interventions. The teacher teams utilized team time to target students and identify teachers to reteach specific skills. Intervention has been a worthwhile investmest for the sucess of our students. 

3. Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams that focus efforts on improved learning for all students.

Teacher capacity and efficacy is the strengths of our teams. We begin each school year with an emphasis on the  value and importance of teams.

A team meeting orientation was held with all teams where they learned about each other, discussed their knowledge and misconceptions about PLC at Work, and developed a plan and agenda to hold their first meeting. Regular support for the administrative staff was provided alongside additional training given by the district. Teacher teams build norms and utilize a structured agenda to plan with. Through the PLC process  teams have grown exponentially in their planning, data analysis, and their willingness to look at the facts and do what is best for all students. The district takes aspiring administrators to fish bowl AHS team time meanings to glean a first hand account of the impact of the work!

In tandem, our semester exam scores are significantly higher than the standardized test scores from last year. The Professional Learning Community Process process has also helped teachers to shift their mindset from just doing enough to get students to pass state exams and has better prepared them for the challenge of having all students master the essentials. Ensuring learning for ALL has become a capstone of our school.

Achievement Data Files

Additional Achievement Data

Angleton High School continues to exceed our SMART goal of a B rating and and has risen to a high B state accountability rating with 3 State of Texas Education Agency Distinctions. This was possible even with the new state accountability system and new assessment types through on going collaboration that strives to authentically support learning of evey student.

The department formative assessments showed greater mastery at Tier I than we have ever experienced before and  allowed us to continue identifying targeted students and quickly intervene with these students on essential outcomes through our dedicated intervention time in the school day. Teachers work with their teams to form plans for reteach in class as well.

In 2021-2022 AHS continued to sustain best practices in integrating Professional Learning Communities. All tested content areas participate in a structured collaborative team time weekly and fine arts and CTE are now provided unit collabortive time on district designated days.

Administrators have collaborated with the campus teams to identify the steps necessary to maintain and catapult the continued upward trajectory of student achievement. Creating colelctive committiments and agreed upon non negotiables ensures all practices are aligned. The campus is even more motivated to ensure all students are guaranteed a viable curriculum. The steps to achieve this are:

  • Continuing ongoing daily targeted intervention per student per standard; 

  • Continue collaborating to provide varied instructional strategies to meet the needs of all learners;

  • Continue to share best practices, focus on results and provide professional development to further strengthen the instructional practices

  • Dedicated collaborative time; dedicated campus wide intervention time

  • Campus professional learning that supports the integration of formative assessment creation and data utilization

We are continuing the practices we have in place with a renewed focus on bridging the learning gaps students may have based on loss of opportunity due to Covid.

Our district is highly supportive of our campus goal attainment. 

We hired three new teachers this year. We enveloped these teachers, before the school year even commenced, in our Professional Learning Community way of being. We provided professional development in the protocol for collaborative data disaggregation, CKH framework and strategies for increasing student engagement and providing student support. Each new staff member attends professional development and is coupled with a successful, tenured mentor.

In 2022-23 school year our Algebra I state retest scores improved by nearly 50% utilizing our by student by standard intervention and plannind approach.

In 2023-2024  we are seeing the remarkable imapact of utilizing our formative assessment data to drive instruction and intervention. As evidenced in our MOY Semeseter exams, our results are exceeding last year's and projecting an A accountability rating!

Additionally, Angleton High School is focused on ensuring that as our student population grows we continue our “ALL MEANS ALL” mentality at AHS and above all else “WE STRIVE FOR GROWTH”.

2022 Recognized Campus with the state, B Rating

2022 Post Secondary Readiness State Distinction

2022 ELA/Reading State Distinction 

2022 Comparative/Closing the Gaps State Distinction

2023 state ratings not yet released but achievement increased in 2023

2024 nominated for Capturing Kids Hearts Showcase School

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