Centreville High School

School Information

School Name:  Centreville High School
School Address:   6100 Union Mill Road
                         Clifton, VA 20124
School Phone:  (703) 802-5400
School Fax:  (703) 802-5497
Principal:  Mike Campbell
Principal E-Mail:  michael.campbell@fcps.edu

Demographics

Number of Students:  2243
Number eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch:  15%
Percent of Limited English Proficient:  6%
Percent of Special Education:  N/A
Racial/Ethnic Percentages: N/A

• White  (49%)
• Black  (10%)
• Hispanic  (9%)
• Asian/Pacific Island  (29%)
• Other  (3%)

 

State test	2004 (Centreville/State)	2005 (Centreville/State)	2006 (Centreville/State)
English	94/79	89/81	93/84
Math	90/83	87/84	86/76
Science	86/84	86/84	83/85

Please comment on any aspect of the data that you believe is particularly significant.

Use of Data at Classroom and Building Levels

Virginia has a very strong alignment of standards, curriculum frameworks documents, and assessments.  Additionally, Fairfax County has extended this alignment to include a County Program of Studies (POS).  The County POS further clarifies and defines expectations for teachers and students.  Centreville High School extensive use of the materials provided by the state’s Department of Education and the County Education staff.  Students have benefited significantly from this process and enjoy the results of a coordinated sequence of learning outcomes and experiences.  This is evident in the review of materials used in the high school.  Because of the positive relationship in the state between standards and state assessments, courses reflect more closely the priorities established for the state. 
It is clear from discussion with members of the administrative team and the teaching staff that data plays an integral part in the decisions concerning Centreville programs.  Both formal, summative assessments and periodic formative assessments are used extensively to determine the progress of individual students, teacher performance, and program effectiveness.  While currently used data tools allow staff to identify student concerns by standards cluster for the states Standards of Learning (SOL), an improved system which will include performance on Fairfax County program standards will now be implemented.  Locally, students are assessed via team developed common assessments as well as teacher designed individual class tests.
Teachers reported that there is a regular process of self-evaluation completed on a department and individual basis.  The annual revision of data driven improvement targets are considered the norm rather than the exception.  Centreville staff members make extensive use of an available assessment authoring tool to create periodic, formative assessments designed to identify areas of strength and weakness in students.  Instructional adjustments based on these results are also the norm rather than the exception. The school also has employed an assessment specialist and utilizes this professional expertise to inform teachers about the meaning and implications of available assessment data.
Additional ways in which data is used to inform school decisions include:

• Collection of student performance information via a variety of assessment strategies – i.e., portfolios, student demonstrations, group and individual projects, etc.
• Surveys of student and community satisfaction;
• Follow-up studies of school graduates regarding the quality of their experiences;
• Electronic parent information system (“Touching Base”) which provides student performance information available to parents;

It is clear that Centreville administrators and teachers measure their own success on the results achieved by their students. 

Please present additional information that indicates your efforts to build a professional learning community have had a positive impact on students and/or teachers.

Centreville High School is a center of creativity and innovation. The staff members, like other leaders in our community, hold as a core value the notion of continuous improvement. Through the past two years the focus has turned to making the school a stronger community of learners. Staff members have adopted the characteristics of a professional learning community. Through planning and innovation, time is set aside during the day for teachers to collaborate about the curriculum, to develop and implement common assessments by discrete instructional teams, to offer a variety of ways to enhance students learning through enrichment, and provide individualized intervention to students who are struggling learners. There is a school wide emphasis on critical and creative thinking that provides the students many opportunities to effectively communicate and become solid academicians.
Staff members strongly believe that students connected to the school in ways beyond the curriculum, and have another significant adult in their life (other than their teachers), have a greater chance of meeting with success. The opportunities afforded at CVHS include, but are not limited to, varsity and junior varsity sports, academic, service, business, art, music, forensics, literary, international, honor, and leadership groups.
Centreville High School provides an outstanding example of synergy.  This is a school where the components that are present in models schools come together to be more than the sum of the parts. High expectations, rigor, relevance, relationships, data use, professional commitment, school/community connections, and strong leadership are present and intentional in pursuit of the school’s motto, “Excellence in All Endeavors.”
To be sure, Centreville is not without challenges. For the first time, the school has become a “minority majority” school.  Changing demographics have brought additional challenges.  The school community has, however, maintained its commitment to high performance on rigorous and meaningful content and personal development goals. The school’s leadership team, in concert with a highly dedicated and committed staff, has identified the key components of the challenges and has responded thoughtfully.  Special programs to ensure success in Advanced Placement courses, creation of community liaison representatives for the Korean and Hispanic communities, implementation of a personalized 9th grade academy for incoming at-risk students, the creation of time for targeted support interventions have all been instituted in response to growing needs to find ways to support and maintain the environment of high expectations without lowing these expectations.
Centreville offers a rich range of programs for students in core academics, the fine and performing arts, and career/technical education. These programs provide rigorous experiences and real world applications to all students.  Centreville has no pre-requisites for participation in its programs, allowing students to experiment with and experience a wide range of explorations. Performance of Centreville students regularly exceeds the state averages in core academic areas.  Performance in typically lower performing sub-groups is also above state averages, although not yet meeting school goals.

Leadership/Systems Approach

Good schools are rarely such without strong and positive leadership.  Centreville is no exception.  Mr. Campbell is a respected, dedicated and gifted educator.  He has recently returned to the school in the role of principal and has immediately impressed the staff with his sense of inclusion and collaboration.  His commitment to the continuation of the school’s success and the maintenance of its exceptional reputation is clear.  What is equally important is his understanding that the continuation of the school’s success is directly related to the success of its students and its staff.  He has worked with the staff to identify areas of strength, recognized the importance of their contributions, and helped to target new areas for improvement.
Teachers and members of the school leadership team cited Mr. Campbell’s collaborative approaches to problem solving and his unfailing commitment to high standards as a critical aspect of their success.  Staff members regularly described him as a gentle man with firm convictions and a clear vision of how adults and students should be treated.
The concept of shared leadership, which seems an integral part of the school’s culture, does not end with its adults.  Centreville High School has an extensive program for student leadership.  Student government is a vibrant force in the school.  As with many of the school’s strengths, this is also not left to chance.  An elective course in leadership provides students with hands-on learning experiences designed to enhance their comfort and skills in leadership roles.  Classes provide “laboratories in leadership.”
Sub-school principals and department supervisors are actively engaged in the identification of areas form improvement.  Time is provided for such discussion and analysis.  It is clear, however, that results rather than process are valued in Centreville.    There is a focus on the professionalism of the staff and its involvement in decisions affecting them and the school’s students.  This focus on utilizing the skills of the staff is an intentional part of retaining the high quality staff recruited for the school.  Sub-school organization has created greater opportunities for staff to become involved in the identification and resolution of problem areas, whether these be organizational or instructional.  Teachers feel valued and cared for.  It is clear that they are translating these positive responses to the students of Centreville High School.
Teachers are encouraged to share their knowledge with colleagues and this sharing is used to develop very strong examples of rigorous and relevant instruction.  Centreville High School staff members have internalized the importance of high expectations for the “right things” and the importance of connecting these expectations to real world experiences.  While the use of the term “Quadrant D” is emerging, it is clear that the school models numerous examples of such instruction.  It is equally clear that the teaching staff, regardless of assignment assumes responsibility for maintaining the culture of high expectations and support.  The shared leadership approaches, used so successfully here, is a key factor in the making this school such a rewarding place for adults and students alike.

Professional Learning Community

During the past several years, the school has participated in the county School Plan for Improvement process as well as in a SAC CASI self evaluation.  Beginning four years ago, the school engaged in a “build-a-school” project to coordinate the visions of community stakeholders about the future of the school and its mission.  Key vision elements were labeled as “bricks” in the new school and incorporated into a large visual in which participants could view the confluence of their individual visions.  This work provided the foundation for subsequent plans for school improvement.  This plan included the development of a school based Professional Learning Community (PLC). During the past four years the school has continued to devote time and resources to the continued development of the PLC concept.  There are annual areas of focus for the development of this project.  Additionally, the school’s PLC provides a research-based vehicle for on-going continuous discussion, modeling, and evaluation of best instructional practices.  Instructional strategies are discussed in department, grade level, and content area meetings in which the connection between the state’s standards, the county’s program of studies, best practices, and assessments are analyzed. As indicated earlier, there is a strong commitment to the recruitment and induction of high quality staff. 
The commitment to professional learning among Centreville High School faculty extends well beyond the creation of professional learning communities.  There is an intellectual and emotional commitment to the pursuit of quality experiences for their students. The school leaders and staff collectively identify common areas for exploration based on the performance reports of the students. 
In addition to the collective explorations of the staff, faculty members work together within department/content groups to bring improvements to their classes.  The school provides shared folder access on its computer system so that department members may post and share lessons, assessments, projects, etc.  This use of technology has increased the level and depth of conversation among staff members.
As an example of the impact of this culture of constant self-evaluation and improvement, the administrative team and teachers, while recognizing the high levels of achievement by the majority of the school’s students (including significant numbers of sub-group populations), has identified the underperformance of Africa American and Hispanic males as an issue for attention and improvement. The responses to date have included the creation of a support group targeting these students, discussions of ways to improve the effectiveness of the school’s support period (“Plus Period”), and the implementation of the 9th grade academy.  The school’s motto “Excellence in All Endeavors” is evident in the response to this challenge.

The school’s mission is…                            
Centreville High School is committed to providing a high quality education that will ensure all students learn. Through our continuous improvement model of instructional practices we provide appropriate assessment, intervention, and monitoring of each learner's intellectual growth to ensure that our students meet with a high degree of success.

We provide a learning environment for students based upon agreed and recognized targets of academic and extra/co-curricular excellence. We are an action-oriented, collaborative culture in which time and support are available to students and staff within the school day. Our collaboration is designed and based on collective inquiry.
Focused Vision Statements:

• We will create an environment that encourages and supports all students to perform at a high level of achievement.
• We will recognize and embrace that we are a school community responsible for ensuring that all students will learn.
• We will plan, remediate, and enrich through academic/instructional teams to ensure students master our rigorous academic program while addressing the developmental needs of high school students.
• We will come to better understand the individuality of learners and our faculty will continually monitor and assess student learning in order to support all students using a variety of strategies, programs, resources, and best instructional practices.

The Centreville High School Faculty and Staff Collectively Commit To:

• Bring enthusiasm to the classroom
• Ensure that all students learn regardless of circumstance
• Model good behaviors
• Listen to students and promote self-esteem and confidence
• Work with other department members to develop instructional strategies to help students learn
• Help students self monitor and assess
• Teach and model good values and accountability

This is a school where, in spite of significant pressure to excel, there is an environment of caring and strong connection between adults and students.  Students clearly recognize the strong commitment of the staff and their desire to help students become the best they can be.  This atmosphere of mutual trust and respect extends beyond areas of academic expectation and is evident in the time and energy devoted to the personal growth and skill development of the students. The leadership of the principal and the support of the community have been causal factors in the success of the school.

Students and adults alike have internalized the commitment to excellence and high standards. Students report an atmosphere of mutual respect and support. Professional staff members demonstrate acute awareness of the needs of individual students. Conferencing and support services reinforce this. The Centreville HS community has focused significant attention on the success of students at all levels: challenging less engaged students through the creation of high minimum course requirements, extensive support services, and attention to the diversity of learner needs.  The school leaders have created an environment of professional commitment and collaboration. Professional learning is directly related to school needs as defined by comprehensive data collection efforts. Professional commitment to the culture of change seems unwavering.

 

Please elaborate strategies you have found to be effective in the following areas:

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Core Academic Learning

The commitment to excellence for all has carried over into more quantitative evidences of success at Centreville High School.  CVHS has consistently met AYP goals.  The latest available data show that 93% of the students  were at the proficient or advanced level in English; 87% in Mathematics; 83% in Science; and 92% in History and Social Sciences.  In each category, performance by CVHS students met or exceeded the state proficiency levels, and in half the subjects they exceeded the state level by three and four points.  While student subgroup performance was generally slightly lower, performance of the CVHS subgroups was generally higher than those same subgroups at the state level, with few exceptions. This is also significant given the fact that for the last set of test scores, the minority population was nearly equal to that of the majority.  The only subgroup not included in CVHS results were American Indian students.

CVHS has an extensive School Improvement Plan for the 2005 – 2007 school years.  That plan focuses on key areas such as ensuring that all students read at or above grade level, the number of students with disabilities served in general education classes will increase, the number of students participating in AP courses and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program (offered in one of the academies) will increase, including emphasis on increased participation by subgroups.  The plan does not propose taking the school in radical new directions in an attempt to influence student achievement, but rather these sample elements from the CVHS School Improvement Plans (SIP) show the intense commitment to continuous improvement of a program that is already bringing high degrees of success to the students.

As mentioned above in comments about the school culture, success on the SOLs and in making AYP is not a special “event” focus; the efforts to help students learn at the highest levels are part of the fabric of the school and the external measure of success are just the proof that the dedication of the work on the part of the entire staff and student body are bearing fruit.

 

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

Student Engagement

One of the critical components in reducing the number of dropouts is to make sure that students feel successful in school.  In an environment such as CVHS where there is a tangible commitment to academic success, this can be a challenge.  It is often easy for students to feel they cannot meet the expectations and a downward spiral ensues.  At Centreville, the administration and faculty go to great lengths to see that this does not occur.  The implementation this year of the PLUS program is probably the best example of supports designed to ensure the success of each student.  While there the traditional offering of after school tutoring has been in place for a long time, and is quite successful at CVHS thanks to a special bus schedule that provides transportation for students who stay late for extra help, the PLUS program makes sure that students can get that help during the regular school day.  This is handled on a case by case, student by student referral basis.  There is also an analysis of student grades at the end of each grading period and if a student is found to be failing or getting a D in three or more classes, that student is immediately identified for more intense and focused work.   The performance of students in the AP classes is also very carefully monitored and there are triggered responses that will automatically kick in when students in those classes begin experiencing difficulty as well. 

While programs such as PLUS, and the triggered formal responses are important, one of the foundational keys to success at CVHS goes back to the relationships between students and adults.  This was a strong theme emerging in every set of interviews.  It was evidenced in constant references to “The teachers do whatever is necessary to help us succeed” to “We frequently stay after school to make sure we can give individual help to students”.  Casual conversations with a wide variety of students in the hallways elicited the same response, the deep commitment on the part of every person in the school to see that every student is successful.  When asked about the students who dropout, the student explanations attributed it to the need to get a job and provide support for the family, or other personal situations, such as an unplanned pregnancy.  Getting behind and being unsuccessful in school was not seen as a major reason for why students drop out.  Although there is no formal mentoring program in the school, the students also mentioned several times that they felt they could talk to their teachers about anything they needed to.  One group of students interviewed attested to the turn-around nature of that relationship as they related their redirection from a downward path.

Another key in the student engagement piece at the school is the large number of students involved in an extracurricular activity of some sort.  This ranges from being part of one of the 33 outstanding athletic teams (though this is not a school that sends the message that “Sports is King” by any means) to the over 40 clubs and twelve honor societies.  Students reported that the administration and faculty were very supportive of club involvement and that starting a new club was a relatively easy endeavor if there was judged to be sufficient interest.

 

Meeting the Needs of Struggling Learners
Centreville has a number of options available for struggling students.  The primary resource for such students is the staff.  Students and teachers identified the relationship between staff and students as a major part of the positive culture which characterizes the school.  Because of this relationship, students are encouraged to seek help whenever needed and are confident that teachers will be available to assist them.
On a more structured basis, the school’s PLUS Period provides a structured time for students to receive such help from content specialists in their area of difficulty.  In many instances this option provides them with the opportunity to hear explanations from a different source than that of the original instruction.  
In the past several years, Centreville has become a “minority majority” school, with the Korean population representing approximately 40% of the school’s minority population. Programs to support these students as second language learners are highly developed and effective. 
In order to encourage greater participation in the school’s extensive Advanced Placement offerings, Centreville provides a summer orientation program for AP students.  This orientation program is flexible enough to accommodate summer travel and athletic practice schedules and has been instrumental in increasing minority participation in such courses.  School outreach programs to the minority communities include liaison representatives from the Korean and Hispanic communities.  These programs provide an additional source of support and information about support options for potentially struggling students.
As with all schools which focus on rigorous and relevant instruction, the support for students which allows them to achieve at the expected levels without lowering standards is critical.  The environment of caring relationships which exists at Centreville has created a climate in which students accept the support as nothing more than an extension of a helping hand from adults who care.

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

High-quality Curriculum and Instruction

            Quality instruction in all areas is considered a non-negotiable part of the school’s program.  While the school has identified the challenge presented by less involved students and is targeting such students for attention through a variety of approaches, attention to the intentional design of quality learning experiences in course creation, in classroom instruction, and in the selection of extension activities is evident throughout the school.
There is a strong belief at Centreville that quality instructional experiences for students  begin with the employment of high quality teachers.  The principal devotes considerable effort to find, induct and maintain quality instructional staff.  While the reputation of the Fairfax County school system makes positions within the county very attractive, Mr. Campbell does not rely on this reputation to attract quality teachers.  The kind of thinking which characterizes and forms the school community’s approach to instructional design, is also reflected in the approach to recruitment.  The school has identified the colleges which are attended by its graduates and makes a concerted effort, through recruitment trips, to bring graduates from those schools into the system.  Teacher interviews verified that the recruitment, induction, and training of Centreville teachers is intentional, purposeful and an important part of their connection to the school and its leaders.
            The school’s motto, “Excellence in All Endeavors”, is reflected in the quality of learning experiences made available to Centreville students.  As noted, over 60 % of Centreville students participate in Advanced Placement courses and graduate with a Virginia Advanced Diploma.  These statistics reflect the level of rigor and high expectations evident in the school’s classes.  There is strong evidence of a commitment to not only the rigor associated with such programs, but also to the connection of learning in these programs to real world applications (relevance).  In core academics classes, lessons are extended to connect to contemporary issues. In the areas of fine and performing arts, students participate not only in local performances but also travel to perform in state, regional and national competitions and/or exhibitions.  In the career and technical education programs, students are engaged in the extension of their learning via school/student run business applications. 
Classroom observations reveal that teachers are encouraged to focus on both rigor and relevance in the development of learning experiences for their students.  Classes observed evidence a strong connection between the content of the lesson and connections to real-world experiences.  High levels of learning – i.e., application and evaluation, were evident in all lessons.  Students were very comfortable working at these levels of instruction and participated actively in the discussions and explorations. 
            Discussions with staff and students indicated that there is a strong sense of staff collaboration and that collaboration manifests itself in rich and varied interdisciplinary units of instruction.  Collegial conversations regularly focus on ways in which units of instruction may be coordinated among departments as well as on ways colleagues may support one another through interdisciplinary reinforcement of key concepts. 
            There are no school created access barriers to any school programs.  Students are encouraged to explore a variety of challenging options and many do so.  School organization (sub-schools or houses with dedicated sub-school leaders and professional support services) fosters the personalization of schedules for students.  School statistics verify that students from all sub-group populations are accessing the school’s very strong core program and many of its stretch programs. In addition to rich offerings within the traditional academic content areas, CVHS also has considerable opportunities in the areas of Career and Technical Education. Certifications in Career and Technical Studies including computer technology (Microsoft Certification), automotive technology, criminal justice, and marketing

  List awards and recognitions your school has achieved

• National Street Law Educator of the Year
• Herndon/Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year
• AP Calculus 100% of AP students scored a 3 or better. Teacher has been nominated by the College Board for AP teacher recognition.
• Michael Campbell-First Year Principal of the Year 2006-Nancy Sprague Leadership Award and Fairfax County Federation of Teachers Principal of the Year 2006.
• Newsweek Magazine Top 100 Award High Schools. Centreville was selected as to the top 100 for the last two years.
• Centreville Auto Technicians Program achieved certification by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence
• First Place – National Forensics Competition in 2006
• Model Judiciary Team qualified for Va. State Supreme Court completion, 2007
• National Merit Scholar
• Literary Magazine, recipient of Gold Medalist Certificate and Silver Crown Award, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, 2006.
• State Wrestling Heavyweight Title, March 2006.