Cinco Ranch High School

School Information

School Name: Cinco Ranch High School
District Name: Katy Independent School District
School Address:  23440 Cinco Ranch Blvd, Katy, TX 77494
School Phone: 281.237.7000
School Fax: 281.644.1734
Principal: James Cross
Principal E-Mail: jamescross@katyisd.org
Web Address: http://kisdwebs.katyisd.org/campuses/crhs/Pages/Default.aspx

Demographics

Number of Students:  2955
Number eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 9%
Percent of Limited English Proficient: 3%
Percent of Special Education:  5%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

• White: 60%
• Black: 6%
• Hispanic: 20%
• Asian/Pacific Island: 14%
• Other: NA

 

Student Achievement Data:

Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)

 

	Percent students meeting standards on all tests
2003-04	84
2004-05	86
2005-06	89
2006-07	91
2007-08	91
2008-09	92
2009-10	92

 

Commended Scores on TAKS

	English Language Arts	Math	Science	Social Studies
2003-04	18	40	16	46
2004-05	29	41	23	55
2005-06	38	43	31	63
2006-07	40	42	32	67
2007-08	43	49	36	66
2008-09	36	50	44	73
2009-10	40	46	40	75

 

 

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

Our passing rates, as well as our commended scores have continued to improve as our population has increasingly become more diverse.

 

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

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered proactive approach to meeting the academic and/or behavioral needs of struggling students. It relies on collaborative, interdisciplinary teams that work together to lend support to the efforts of regular classroom teachers and to bring about improved academic performance for students who are achieving below expected levels based upon aptitude, behavior, and/or District standards. The goal of RTI is to foster classrooms where teaching is directed toward the variable learning needs of a diverse student population. To achieve this goal, school personnel enrich and supplement the curriculum through analysis of individual student performance, consultation/collaboration, and differentiated instruction. Response To Intervention (RTI) Coordinators facilitate meetings for teachers that require assistance with an individual student in the classroom. The RTI Coordinator works with the teacher and other faculty members to utilize student performance data to make informed decisions to ensure continuous improvement in learning/behavior. The RTI Coordinator creates interdisciplinary teams that work collaboratively as a routine practice in improving student performance. The teacher then employs systematic research-based interventions that provide students with extra time and support for achieving learning and behavioral expectations.

For the 2009-2010 school year, we added an instructional coach to our staff.  This person’s primary role is to facilitate the PLC mission through collaboration and data analysis with our teams.  Our instructional coach works closely with the principal, instructional principal, and our district teaching and learning department to assist with PLC effectiveness.  Our coach meets with our PLC teams on a regular basis to review both teacher-made common assessments as well as state and national assessments to monitor student progress.  He also meets with our teams to look at classroom instructional practices and their effectiveness with regard to student learning.  He has been well-received by our teachers/staff and manages to promote our campus PLC vision through his daily work. 

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

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

All parents have access to the PIC (Parent Information Center). Passwords are issued so a parent can log on and view their child’s grades in real time, thus keeping apprised of their child’s progress in a class. Students now have access to their online grades as well. Teachers are also able to set their online grading program to send an automatic email to parents when their child’s grade drops below a 75%. Progress reports and report cards are issued every three weeks. Students are assigned to mandatory tutorials when their grade drops to failing. 

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

Mandatory tutorials are assigned. We have created “large group” study halls which allow for individual and small group tutoring.  We are able to place teachers from the core areas in these study halls as tutors.  Their purpose is to set up tutoring stations while the study hall teachers monitor student behavior and assist as possible. We also have targeted classes, as well as a support period for Algebra during the school day.

We have also developed an advisory period in which we have identified targeted students and matched them up with faculty members to assist with mentoring, academic assistance, and peer relationships.  We have also used this time to provide support for students in our various advanced placement courses.  Our goal has been to increase the number of students attempting these challenging courses.  In accomplishing this goal, we have looked for ways to support these students as well.

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

We initially conducted a book study of Whatever It Takes: How Professional Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn with the administrative team, department chairs, and counselors. We expanded that last year by offering an open invitation to our entire staff to  participate in the book study.  We had approximately 45 teachers participate in the study.  We received great insight and feedback from the group which has moved our PLC journey along in a positive way.

We have “Cougar Conversations” at the end of each six weeks grading period where the principal spends the day in the teachers’ lounge in kind of a town hall type meeting where staff members as asked to share successes, struggles, and ideas for improving our campus and the learning of our students.  We also email our leadership/department chair team meeting minutes to our staff each week to keep people apprised of out topics of discussion and how any items may impact them.

 

List awards and recognitions your school has achieved:

-NCEA Higher Performing School 2009, 2010
-Texas Education Agency “Exemplary” Rated Campus 2008-2009, 2009-2010
-UIL Lone Star Cup (Academics/Athletics) Top Ten Finish in Texas (6th place)
-State Semifinalist Volleyball and Football 2009
-Grammy Signature School 2008-09, 2009-2010
-State Semifinalist Boys’ Soccer 2008
-Regional Champiion, State Qualifier Girls’ Swimming
-State Qualifier Academic Decathlon 2011
-UIL Press Association Texas Newspaper Editor of the Year 2010
-Named to Texas Monthly’s “Best Public Schools” list, 2006
- Texas Business and Education Coalition Honor Roll, 2006, 2007
- Named to Newsweek’s top 1,200 High Schools national list, 2006, 2007, 2009
- Named a Just for the Kids Higher Performing School, 2008
- Named an NCLB National Blue Ribbon School 2008
-13 National Merit Finalists 2010-2011
-Wind Ensemble recognized at Bands of America Music for All National Festival 2010
- Symphony Orchestra recognized at Midwest Music Conference in Chicago 2010
- 20 National Merit semi-finalists, 10 National Hispanic Recognition scholars, 1 National Achievement Scholarship semi-finalist, 2007
- 21 Texas All-State musicians in band, choir and orchestra, 2007
- 2 winners in the National Theatre Competition; University of Nebraska
- FBLA organization named Most Outstanding Chapter in Texas, 2007
- Student Council awarded sweepstakes for State Report which is highest honor, 2007
- Robotics Team achieved finalist status in the Silicon Valley Regional Competition
- 31 students named Academic All State Athletes, 2007
- CRHS recognized by the organization of Children At Risk and the Houston Chronicle as one of the Top 10 High Schools in the Greater Houston Area, 2006, 2007
- District and Regional Champion Academic Decathlon team, 2004
- Texas State Champion Destination Imagination team, 2004
- 11 Tommy Tune nominations for musical theatre productions, 2004
- 5 State Gold medals in the visual arts, 2004
- 1 First Chair Cello in Texas All-State Philharmonic Orchestra, 2004
- District Football Champions, 2008
- 3rd Place Texas State Winter Guard team, 2004
- 2nd Place National Drill Team, 2004
- Boys State Track Championship, 2004, 2005
- 2nd place finisher at boys State Cross Country Meet, 2004
- 4th place finisher at boys State Wrestling Meet, 2004
- District athletic championships, including boys cross country, girls cross country, volleyball, boys wrestling, boys basketball, girls swimming, boys track, and girls soccer.
- Numerous art awards, including a National Scholastic Art Silver Key award in 2006, 3 Gold & 5 Silver Awards in 2007 - Regional Scholastic Art Competition, overall class champion and reserve class champion in Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Event, first place in Galveston’s “Art on the Spot,” 3 finalists in Culture Shapers Visual Arts Contest, honorable mention in Via Colori High School Art Contest, 2006
- Numerous other awards and recognitions in debate, newspaper, yearbook, Latin, Spanish, German, computer science, writing, social studies, Future Business Leaders of America, and Health Occupation Sciences.
- Numerous staff awards, including Texas Dance Educator Association’s Director of the Year, Texas Foreign Language Association’s Latin Teacher of the Year, and a Disney Teacher of the Year nominee, 2006