Cousino Senior High School

School Information

School Name:  Cousino Senior High School
School Address:  30333 Hoover Rd.
                        Warren, MI 48093
School Phone:  (586) 574-3100
School Fax:  (586) 698-4204
Principal:  Mr. Greg Bishop
Principal E-Mail:  bishop@mail.wcs.k12.mi.us

Demographics

Number of Students:  1,792
Number eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch:  11%
Percent of Limited English Proficient:  2.1%
Percent of Special Education:  7.5%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

• White (88%)
• Black (5%)
• Hispanic (1%)
• Asian/Pacific Island (5%)
• Other (1%)

Present Student Achievement Data in at least three points to demonstrate trends – for example, three consecutive years or the first, third, and fifth years. The data report should always include the most recent school year and should always offer a basis of comparison (for example, state scores, national scores, similar SES schools).

Senior High:percentages at or exceeding standards

School test	2004 (Cousino/State)	2005 (Cousino/State)	2006 (Cousino/State)
English LA	71/68	75/68	75/63
Math	55/59	62/57	74/52
Science	65/64	63/58	69/57
Soc. St.	30/35	36/34	83/37

Please feel free to comment on any aspect of the data that you feel is particularly significant.

Cousino has seen an increase in the diversity of its student body. Back in 1999 when we received the National Blue Ribbon our profile of White students was over 95%. In 2005–2006, our White population is 88%. Also, in 1999, we had less than 3% of our students who qualified for free or reduced lunch. Now our data speaks to about 11% and growing. Even though we have had a change in our population patterns and our socioeconomic standards, we are still achieving at above state averages for our assessment testing. Moreover, these numbers continue to rise even though our population patterns change and more students than ever qualify for free or reduced lunch. 

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

Meeting in delayed start Mondays for about 35 weeks per year allows departments the opportunity to share ideas and assessments. It has led to the development of a ninth grade English-Block and Algebra-Block that allow students more time to learn essential outcomes. Teachers are having meaningful dialogue about making students more successful and the challenges that come along with that charge. The Professional Learning Communities model has allowed for multiple interventions and the idea that “Failure is Not an Option.”

Professional Learning Communities has also taken school improvement down to the classroom level. Previous to instituting the PLC model, school improvement was an added job to teaching and learning. We are now analyzing data and using it to inform us about strategies throughout the school. Teachers are now pointing to data as a reason to implement a strategy or program. Data now is used to inform educators about the results of teaching and learning.

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

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Common assessments have been a way of finding the weaknesses of students quickly. For instance, the goal of the English Department included the improvement of reading scores. They found an assessment that measured the same outcomes, but at deeper levels. We now have varied assessments that will show data that demonstrates the deepening of essential outcomes learned by students. As one English teacher stated, “I don’t care what they read, just as long as they can do the same critical analysis.” Monitoring learning is getting teachers away from teaching “their favorite thing.”

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

Professional Learning Communities have led to a mentoring and life-skills program for students. We have taken around 35% of our ninth grade students in greatest need and provided them an 11th or 12th grade student mentor. However, differently than other programs, we provide teacher-coaches for our mentors and have a set curriculum that allows mentors, mentees, and teacher-coaches to meet every two weeks. In these meetings students learn study skills, coping skills, and develop a service project to share with the school. Our life-skills program takes our most emotionally needy students and provides them a structured group with our school social worker and psychologist to allow them the opportunity to develop skills to overcome behavioral or emotional problems that inhibit learning.

We have volunteer tutoring and mandatory math labs after school with a late bus pick-up. These programs allow our students an opportunity to either select or receive the assistance needed for academic success. The math lab is for students who are not completing assignments, while tutoring occurs four days per week in all subject areas. The late bus provides transportation for students who would not stay normally due to those concerns. Many of these students are our free or reduced lunch, where either both parents work or they have only one parent at home.

Cousino has a virtual in-school and after-school credit recovery program. Using a product called Education 2020, we are able to provide students an opportunity for immediate credit recovery. The program looks like a real classroom. There is a teacher delivering instruction via video, homework practice problems, and assessments that include writing. All of this is completed using a totally customized learning medium. It allows us to schedule students in a “failed” course immediately upon getting a failing grade. Students are removed from an elective and must take the failed course to recoup credit. We have results of 89% of the students enrolled in Education 2020 courses are successful at recovering credit in one or more classes.

Cousino also sponsors Challenge Day, which allows students an opportunity to discuss relationship issues in the school culture. Students are placed into small groups where they are challenged on how they relate to one another. There is discussion of bullying and ways to combat negative comments within the school. Out of this program, teachers and students formed a group to assist Cousino in ways to make all students feel welcome.

3. Building the capacity of teachers to work as members of high performing collaborative teams who focus the efforts of their team on improved learning for students.

This is an area of continued growth. There are teachers resisting the collaborative process. Some still look at it as a way of “administrators” checking on them. However, many groups are making great strides. For instance, the Mathematics Department spends every other Monday in a whole group discussing Algebra 1. Algebra 1 is now the new standard for all ninth graders which is a big shift in our culture. During this time, each staff member contributes to the discussion of providing success for all ninth graders taking Algebra 1. The discussion may last 15 minutes or the entire time period, depending on the issues discussed. Leadership is shared among the group and honesty is encouraged. This is having a positive impact on all ninth grade students finding success in Algebra 1.

List any Awards and Recognition Garnered by Your School

Cousino High School began a new North Central Accreditation process in 2002–2003. Accreditation is a process through which staff, district personnel, and Board of Education Committees meet a set of standards necessary to ensure quality education for Cousino students. The process fosters school improvement through requirements of self-study, a visitation by other educators, and evaluation of all programs and services.

In the fall of 1999, Cousino applied for Michigan Blue Ribbon status and received approval for the Michigan Blue Ribbon. On Monday, May 24, 2000, Cousino was honored to receive national recognition as an Exemplary Blue Ribbon High School.

On April 6, 2005, North Central Association of Colleges and School announced that Cousino was again accredited through the 2004–2005 school year. The continued accreditation means that the conditions for effective education exist in the school.