Assessment: Student Prompts/Directions

1) Individual: The Big Picture: A Strategic Plan (Benchmark Assessment)

a) School Profile
i) In Module 3 and using the institution you with which you are associated, you wrote a school
profile (1000–1250 words). The school profile’s major goal is to describe the school and its
programs with the intent to improve the institution through informed decision making. Issues to
consider when developing the school profile included:
(1) Philosophy, mission, and vision.
(2) Community and school (staff and students) demographics, including the well-being of the
community.
(3) Existing school improvement plans and activities, including support for remediation.
(4) Special education programs.
(5) Student performance/achievement profile.
(6) School progress.
(7) School resources.
(8) Community support.
(9) Stakeholder principles.
(10) Professional development programs.
(11) Technology.
ii) APA format was not required, but solid writing skill in APA style and a title page were expected.
Presentation of the material was student choice of either a written essay or a PowerPoint
presentation. If you chose a PowerPoint presentation, you were required to submit the slide notes,
background materials, etc. to the instructor with the final project.
b) School Strategic Plan
i) Revise the School Profile you submitted in Module 3 according to the instructor’s comments.
ii) Develop a Strategic Plan in the form of an essay (2250-2500 words) that includes the school’s
vision for excellence and school improvement, stakeholder expectations, strategies for meeting the
needs of stakeholders, descriptions of curriculum and instructional programs, the revised School
Profile, and the school’s role within the larger community. Specifically describe how the ISLLC
2008 Standards 1 and 3 frame the plan you develop. Demonstrate critical thinking in the
development of the plan, including how it will inform decision making.
iii) Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the GCU APA Style Guide,
located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
iv) Submit the Strategic Plan to the instructor in ANGEL by the end of Module 8.
v) Additionally, submit the assignment in TaskStream. Directions for submitting to TaskStream can
be found on the College of Education’s page in the Student Success Center.

Notes to Instructor:
1. I am including the School Profile as Appendix A but I am
not including it in the word total because it is an assignment that was
already turned in and is only being used here for reference.
2. The strategic plan I developed could be more detailed
but I would quickly eclipse the word count so I am not including all
details. Should you need more details, please let me know and I will
supply them.
3.
 ABSTRACT

This Strategic Plan presents conclusions drawn from classroom observations, discussions
with Leadership team members, and conclusions drawn from various educational
experiences. This strategic plan describes promising practices observed; next steps planned
by the school and areas of improvement that should be addressed. An action plan is given
for addressing the areas of improvement, including stakeholders responsible for specific
areas of the plan and what steps can be taken to ensure success. The information contained
in this strategic plan is limited by the data available at the time of the assignment.

HHS is committed to raising expectations for students through continued school

improvement. The biggest expectation is that students will graduate within a four year time
frame and be college-ready or career-ready. The strategic plan for HHS is divided up into
five parts.

First, the school must continue to use and improve on the current system of distributed
leadership it employs. This system works because it allows for ease in communicating core
beliefs, goals and values to all stakeholders involved in school improvement efforts.

Second, HHS and the Leadership Team must create high expectations for all students. This
involves several stages of development, starting with increasing rigor in the curriculum. By
increasing rigor teachers are better able to prepare students to be college and career ready.
One way to increase rigor is to require that all students must enroll in at least one
Advanced Placement class before they graduate. They should also be required to take a
course on-line, even if that course is facilitated on the school campus (over 45% of HHS
students do not have access to a computer at home). Both these suggestions better prepare
students for life after high school. Creating a culture of high expectations means that
teachers must establish and communicate these expectations to students. Teachers must
develop grading and homework policies that will be enforced and then utilize school
resources to assist the students who struggle by providing tutoring or extra help. Teachers
must design curriculum that motivates students to learn and achieve. Two ways to ensure
teacher compliance is to give teachers time to collaborate by department and by grade level
and also by having teachers design rubrics and post student exemplars matching the rubric.

Third, instruction must be researched-based, rigorous, and engaging. This instruction should
also be standards-based and relevant. One way to ensure success is to have the various
departments work together to create lesson plans, rubrics and projects. The data on reading
levels at the school also suggests that literacy strategies should be incorporated into as many
lesson plans as possible regardless of subject. Additionally, professional development must be
provided to teachers for topics like differentiated instruction, rubric-building, effective
learning strategies, alternative assessments, higher order questioning and multiple
intelligences. District budget cuts will cut into money available for professional development
so the Leadership team should consider identifying staff members who could lead PD sessions
on campus without incurring large expenses.

Fourth, continue with the current Advisory system, but bolster it by increasing the rigor of the
advisory class curriculum. Increase the number of advisory classes to one each day for the
first week of each semester, followed by advisory classes every Friday. Step up the curriculum
to include study skills and interpersonal development skills. One possible instructional piece
could be Sean Covey’s Seven Habits of Effective Teens. Franklin Covey’s son, Sean,
developed strategies for teenagers based on his father’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,
and these strategies include everything from decision-making, paradigms and paradigm shifts,
to most importantly, beginning with the end in mind. It is also vital that more importance be
placed on the mentoring opportunities that were the original reason for creating advisory
classes. Advisory teachers must help students make the connection to some goal beyond high
school and how to achieve that goal.

Fifth, and finally, HHS must focus more energy on developing Career Technical courses that
align to career-readiness standards. HHS Leadership has an obligation to train CT and
academic teachers to work together developing curriculum, assignments, assessments and
rubrics and then delivering that curriculum at a more rigorous level. Make available to all
students Programs of Study and Career Pathway information and make sure it is in both
English and Spanish. When registering students, make sure counselors are prepared to make
recommendations to students on available classes geared toward specific careers or areas of
study.

Based on the above information it is clear that the Leadership Team starts it and must also
finish it. By dividing the work among the various leadership teams (as stated in Appendix A)
accomplishing the work suddenly seems possible. By spreading out the challenges, the
successes are also spread out. Stakeholders suddenly feel more vested in the process,
successes continue to build and HHS becomes an exciting and enjoyable place to learn and
work.

IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

Utilizing many of the basic strategies available to schools that are part of the High Schools
That Work contingency, identifying improvement strategies was not a difficult process. After
identifying some of the strategies that would work at HHS, details specific to the school were
added in. The premise behind High Schools That Work is that most students can master
rigorous academic and career/technical studies if they are in an environment that motivates
students to make the effort to succeed. This effort-based school improvement initiative is
changing high schools across America and has given the plan most of the fuel to ignite
positive change in the school environment.

1. EXAMINE THE SCHOOL MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT

The school mission statement was revised one and a half years ago by the Leadership team but
has not been fully received within the school community. The school motto, Traditions of
Excellence, has been around since the 1960s and has been linked to HHS by teachers,
students, alumni and the community. The Leadership Team determined that a vision statement
that focused on the school new-found focus was appropriate. After several sessions a motto
was created that spoke to what HHS was trying to accomplish. The vision was simple yet
profound:
College and Career Readiness for ALL Students

This focus will assist the new leadership team to provide a strategic purpose to everyday
practices at the school. It is easily stated by both teachers and students and connects the fact
that ALL students must be ready for either college or career.

2. BUILD ON THE EXISTING FOUNDATION

HHS teachers and leaders have worked for the last two years to establish a set of HHS
Core Values that communicate how work is done on campus. The Core Values are grouped
into five areas that include:
• Rigor
• Collaboration/Empowerment/Engagement
• Diversity/Equity
• Efficacy/Effectiveness/Efficiency
• Open Door to the Classroom/Community Involvement

Each area was shaped by teachers during PLCs (Professional Learning Communities).
Each group provided descriptors of each area, brought together the staff and voted on each
set of descriptors to narrow it down to those that clearly communicated the level of focus
that either existed or was desired. There were many factors expressed by teachers to lead
this writer to believe that even more drastic action is required to affect change in the
school. The necessary steps to maintain continuous improvement now would be to adopt
HSTW core beliefs. They are listed below:
High Schools That Work Core Beliefs

1. Almost all students can and will make the effort to learn grade level and course standards if
adults in the school create the right conditions.
2. All students should be enrolled in a program of study that will prepare them for further
study and a career.

3. Students who have a goal and see meaning and purpose in learning are more motivated to
learn grade level and course standards.

4. Students learn best when they have a personal connection to the school.

5. Students learn best when teachers maintain a demanding and supportive environment that
pushes students to do their best.

6. All faculty should be involved in continuously improving teaching and learning.

7. Students change behavior and become more motivated to meet school goals when adults
use school and classroom practices based on effort rather than ability.

Research has shown that a change in teacher behavior, regardless of the teachers’ beliefs,
can change student performance sufficiently enough to change teacher beliefs based almost
solely on their observations of improved student achievement. The foundation of this
strategic plan is based on this huge observation: changes in beliefs can follow changes in
behavior. This distinction is vital to the plan because leaders can mandate behaviors much
easier than beliefs.

3. ESTABLISH MEASURABLE GOALS THAT WILL SUPPORT CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS

Setting goals and measuring progress is the key element of continuous school
improvement. The school must identify specific targets that will measure
school/student/teacher progress toward reaching the goal. It is just as important to measure
progress in improving both the experience and the achievement as it is establishing
measurable goals. The strategic plan calls for implementing 2 measurable goals to use in
assessing continuous improvement:

1. Academic Knowledge and Skills

a. Students have the academic knowledge and skills needed to meet state and
district achievement goals
b. 85% of students who enter ninth grade in a given year complete high school four
years later

2. College and Career Readiness

a. 80% of graduates complete the new, more rigorous core curriculum
recommendation along with five courses (none in 9th, one in 10th, 2 each in 11th &
12th grade) in an academic or career/technical area
 b. ALL students exit HHS with ability to demonstrate the skills necessary to further
their studies or enter a career as measured by
i. passing a college placement exam (accuplacer, ACT, SAT, etc)
ii. earning postsecondary credit (dual enrollment, CEC, on-line, etc)
iii. earning a state license or employee certification (nursing program, Skills
USA auto certificate, Culinary Arts certification, etc)

HHS has not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) based on the state’s accountability
system for math and reading. The data bear out that HHS is scoring lower and lower so
drastic changes are necessary. Examining the data reaffirms that increasing rigor is vital to
turning it around. Students currently (class of 2012 and newer) must earn 25 credits to
graduate. The district does not require the English and math classes to be college-
preparatory in nature but this HHS strategic plan calls for students to take at least one
advanced placement class and one on-line class in preparation for college or career. The
plan calls for an 85% graduation rate. HHS currently has the lowest graduation rate in the
district (49%) but the Leadership team believes that by implementing change the grad rate
will improve dramatically. The grad rate must also contend with students who literally
disappear (i.e. immigrants who return to their country without taking transcripts or
withdrawing properly) so the plan calls for better record keeping. Only 14% of HHS
students who took the ACT were found to be college-ready in all four areas (math, English,
science, social studies) so the plan calls for requiring AP classes and college prep classes
be offered and recommended. Through partnerships with CNM and UNM, students can
easily take dual enrollment classes for free at the local colleges.

The strategic plan would call for aligning HHS core academic classes to college and career
readiness and to high school graduation. The curriculum must reflect college-readiness
standards that identify critical thinking knowledge and skills in both math and language
arts. As part of the plan, teachers must be given professional development opportunities on
standards-based instructional planning. As stated earlier, the plan also requires enrollment
in honors, advanced, distance-learning and dual enrollment courses.

4. BELIEVE THAT STUDENTS CAN DO BETTER AND LET THEM KNOW YOU
DO

This is definitely a strong suit for HHS teachers. HHS leaders are promoting a culture of
high expectations and are providing students with many opportunities to receive the extra
help they need to reach these higher expectations. The plan calls for every teacher to
provide a syllabus to each student that includes rubrics and scoring guides, outlines course
content, contains class rules and lays out class and course expectations. The plan calls for
teachers to post student work and to specify daily objectives. Teachers will also be asked to
make bell-to-bell instruction the norm in ALL classrooms in order to utilize every minute
of instructional time to teach required content.
In addition, the school has provided tutors to help in every area and in every language.
Students have access to tutoring from 6:00am to 6:30pm and this aspect is a big part of the
plan to continually improve academically. HHS has programs set up with LULAC,
ENLACE, Sandia Labs, Upward Bound, Project Diversity, Catholic Social Services,
Kirtland Air Force Base, as well as volunteers from Walmart, UNM, and the City of
Albuquerque.

The plan also calls for utilizing the Advisory program fully by teaching study skills and
habits of success. Leaders will make teachers accountable for reinforcing guidance and
advisement as a means of connecting students to goals beyond high school. Teachers will
be asked to provide advisement, mentoring, support, and monitoring of students’ education
and career plans in a purposeful way. Leaders will continually monitor, evaluate, and
revise the program to meet emerging student needs. Finally, teachers and leaders must act
in unison to provide
Students and in particular seniors a meaningful academic experience. This strategic plan
would call for every senior to create a portfolio listing their accomplishments over the four
years, including what they have done to prepare for college or career, They would have to
defend it in front of a panel of stakeholders, which could include their parents, school
leaders and teachers who have had a stake in their growth.

5. DEFINE AND REFINE THE ROLES OF THE VARIOUS SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

TEAMS TO ENSURE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

It begins with the Leadership team and it cycles through the team constantly. The plan calls
for leaders, whether it be administrators, department chairs, members of HSTW, AVID,
PLCs, or SLCs, to constantly evaluate and reevaluate; to analyze data to set goals; to use
data to inform instruction and to change instruction; to make the hard decisions that will
infuse rigor into the classroom; and establish consistency in decision making.

The biggest challenge facing leadership is empowering teachers to take ownership of

school improvement efforts and ensure that teachers are able to fully understand how their
efforts in SLCs, PLCs and Goal Teams are designed to help restructure the school. It is
also important that school leaders make instructional leadership the primary focus of the
school. This plan recognizes the urgency of improving both teaching and learning and
daily improvement of these areas must come before all else.

CONCLUSION

This strategic plan calls into play many of the points learned in EDA575. It is the hope of
this writer that many of these suggestions could eventually be implemented because they
all make sense in terms of reaching the goal. If nothing else, this strategic plan makes a
suitable framework for creating change in an educational environment that has similar
conditions. This plan goes a long way in: embracing continuous school improvement by
putting in place systems of collaboration or improving on existing systems; focusing on
 goals that are data driven and reviewable; using data to inform change; taking ownership
for not only the challenges facing HHS but the solutions as well; letting students and
teachers know loud and clear that the school believes and expects ALL students to learn at
high levels; and finally, HHS will do what it takes to create an educational environment
conducive to growth and learning.

APPENDIX A

Proposed Guiding Principles for Highland High School

Highland has an instructional vision that drives decision making in all

facets of the school. We have worked with all stakeholders involved
(students, staff, administration, parents, community) to develop a plan
that will guide Highland toward achieving the goals set out by the state
and the district. The following points are utilized by the stakeholders to
achieve these goals.

1. Shared Vision and Plan.

Highland has engaged stakeholders in the planning process and it has
achieved incredible results. Highland has a shared vision, mission,
and educational plan for school and student success. The school is
developing an instructional vision based on shared assumptions
about teaching and learning. Staffing, schedule, budget, and
professional development plans are being developed to support the
instructional vision. The Highland Leadership Team, the High Schools
That Work (HSTW) team, department chairs and teachers in their
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have dedicated time and
resources to seeing through the proper implementation of the plan.
Implementation required that teachers have adequate and well-
planned and facilitated time to deliberate on teaching and learning
together during the school day.

2. Personalization.
Students are more likely to succeed in an environment where staff
know every student and no student slips through the cracks. For this
reason, Highland has broken 9th and 10th grade academies into small
groups of less than 100 students (all at the same grade level). These
groups are created based on assessments mentioned above so that
members of each group share some or many similar likes.
 3. Flexibility and Accountability.
Highland has given teachers an opportunity to collaborate with each
other, and has empowered them to make mission driven decisions
about staffing, schedule, budget, and curriculum.

4. Equity.
The goal of the school is to ensure high quality education to ALL
students in Highland’s neighborhood.

5. Community Engagement.
Highland has made it a top priority to engage the community and
seek their input into decisions that affect the school and community.
For change to occur, Highland’s students, parents, community
members, and teachers must have buy-in. The best way to achieve
buy-in is to involve these stakeholders in creating the plan for
redesigning the school and involve them in the governance of the
school as it moves forward. In addition, Highland has moved to
become a central hub for a community by inviting parents and
community members to come to the school for English lessons, GED
classes, computer classes, dance and yoga, and on and on.

6. High Quality Teaching and Learning.

Increasing rigor in the classroom has been at the top of the agenda
and Highland has made strides in reaching our goals. All students are
engaged in a learning process that is rigorous, relevant, and prepares
them for both college and the workforce of the 21st century.
 APPENDIX B

Highland High School School Profile

"TRADITIONS OF EXCELLENCE"
Highland High School strives to be the premier high
school in
Central New Mexico. The school provides a learning
environment
that prepares young people for college and careers.
We accept the
challenge to make a difference in the lives of our
students, to
recognize their strengths, to prepare them for careers
and to
empower them to make a difference in the world.

School Information
Highland High School
CEEB code: 320020
Main Office: 505-265- 3711
Address: 4700 Coal Avenue SE

Albuquerque, NM 87108
Counseling Office: (505) 265-3711 ext 26018

www.highlandhornets.com
Principal: Nikki Dennis
9th Grade Principal, in charge of 9th grade academy: Lupe Martinez
10th Grade Principal, in charge of finance: Larry D’Anza
11th Grade Principal, in charge of buildings and grounds: Frank Maestas
12 Grade Principal, in charge of curriculum and instruction: Harriet
Crawford
Assistant Principal in charge of Special Education: Ben Chavez
Coordinator of Small Learning Communities: Mary Anne Polster
Activities Director: Patrick Arguelles
Athletic Director: Ryan Kettler
School Counselors: Christina Vasquez, Analisa Lujan, Trudy Mueller,
Teya Nguyen, Derek Maestas

School
Highland High School opened its doors in 1949. Today, Highland is the second oldest public
high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently operates out of the oldest standing
school building in the state. The school occupies 33 acres. Currently the Albuquerque Public
Schools District consists of 13 high schools, 27 middle schools, and 89 elementary schools
utilizing a K-5, 6-8, 9-12 grade-level configuration. The student body of Highland High
School is culturally diverse with a population that is 8.5% African American, 3.6% Asian,
18.2% Caucasian, 57.2% Hispanic, and 12.5% Native Americans. Highland High School is a
comprehensive four year public high school enrolling 1797 students in grade 9 through 12.

School Level High School

Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Bernalillo County, NM

Students & Faculty

Total Students 1797 students

% Male / % Female 49% / 51%

Total Classroom Teachers 127 teachers

 Grade 9 - 588 students
Grade 10 – 508 students
Students by Grade Grade 11 - 379 students
Grade 12 - 322 students

(NM) School
This School
Average
Teacher : Student
1:16 1:14
Ratio

Students by Ethnicity

% American Indian 13% 14%

% Asian 4% 1%
% Hispanic 56% 51%
% Black 8% 2%
% White 19% 31%

Additional Student Information

(NM) School
This School
Average
% Eligible for Free
45% 44%
Lunch
% Eligible for
6% 6%
Reduced Lunch
% Migrant Students
Enrolled
- -

School Performance: (NM) Statewide Testing Performance

School Statewide
View Education Department Test Scores
Performance
School District Name Albuquerque Public s School District
 This School's Agency (NM) District
(APS) Average
Number of Schools
172 5
Managed
Number of Students
95,083 students 637 students
Managed
District Total
$909,023,000 $9,524,000
Revenue
District Expenditure $902,192,000 $9,834,000
District Revenue /
$9,560 $14,951
Student
District Expenditure /
$9,488 $15,438
Student
District Graduation
66% n/a
Rates

Curriculum
The academic program is organized on a rotating block schedule. Students can earn seven
credits per year during a regular school day. Students take six 95-minute classes, and one 50-
minute class. Students attend 3 block classes and the 50-minute class daily, rotating Monday
& Wednesday and Tuesday & Thursday. On Friday, the students go to all seven classes
lasting 50 minutes each.
AP courses are offered in Art History, Art, Calculus AB and BC, Chemistry, Biology, English
Language, English Literature, U.S History, World History, Government and Economics,
Spanish, French, and German. AP is an open-enrollment program.
Honors classes are offered in English, Algebra, and Geometry. Entry into the courses is
determined by student commitment and teacher recommendation.
Highland High School has dual enrollment with UNM and CNM which enables sophomores,
juniors, and seniors to enroll in college level courses and earn college credits at local
institution of higher education. The students also receive high school elective credit for these
courses.
Grading and Ranking
A 90 – 100 4pts
B 80 – 89 3pts
C 70 – 79 2pts
D 60 – 69 1pts
F 59 - below
Class rank is determined by the student’s weighted cumulative GPA.

Class of 2007
There were 322 students in the Class of 2009.

• 26 earned a 4.0+
• 47 earned 3.5–3.99
• 76 earned 3.0–3.49
• 82 earned 2.50–2.99
• 54 earned 2.0–2.49
• 37 earned less than a 2.0

Advanced Placement Results

In 2008-2009, 203 students took one or more AP exam. Of these students, 30 scored a 5, 25
scored a 4, 55 scored a 3, and 93 scored a 2 or lower.

Awards and Distinctions 2008- 2009

We the People - State Champions and Regional Representatives
DECA – 8 National Qualifiers
Track & Field - State Champions
1 National Honor Society Scholar Recipient
Students Passing German AP Exam with a 5 – 9 out of 9

Colleges attended by Highland High School graduates over the last four years
• Adams State College • Mesa State College
• Arizona State University • NMMI
• Arizona, University of • New Mexico State University
 • Northern Colorado, U of
• Brigham Young University
• Purdue University
• Carleton College
• Southern Colorado, U of
• Colorado State University
• Texas Christian University
• Colorado, U of Boulder
• Tulane University
• Cornell University
• United States Air Force
• Denver, University of
Academy
• Eastern NM University
• United States Military
• Fort Lewis College
Academy
• Georgetown University
• UCLA
• Harvard University
• University of Southern
• Humboldt State University
California
• Louisiana Tech
• University of New Mexico
• Massachusetts Institute of
• University of Wyoming
Technology
• Western NM University

• Plus many more…

:

Academic Philosophy

Highland High School provides a well-rounded college preparatory

curriculum with extensive offerings in English, social sciences,
mathematics, foreign languages, sciences, art, music and drama.
Advanced placement classes are offered in biology, chemistry, physics,
psychology, European history, calculus AB and BC, economics, and
statistics. Students are able through their choices to create an individual
schedule tailored to their needs and interests. Some courses are required
and some are recommended, but there are many electives, increasing in
number as the student progresses through school. Students make their
own choice of study based on data from several career exploration
assessments (ASVAB, PSAT, Accuplacer, etc.). This is important because it
develops responsibility, increases commitment, and encourages
exploration of new areas for learning.

The faculty and administration of Highland High School recognize the

individuality of each student and the right of that student to receive and
opportunity in education to develop to his/her fullest potential. Through
dedication, hard work and effective planning, a flexible academic and
extracurricular program can be offered that will allow each student
opportunities to experience success. Through positive discipline, we
believe an atmosphere can be created in the school to enable academic,
social and physical development. We further believe that through
cooperative interaction of the administration, faculty, students, parents,
and community, each student can achieve his/her academic goals, develop
a love for learning, respect for self and others, and an enthusiasm for life
that will help to ensure his/her success and happiness.

Special Education Department

Highland High School special ed teachers are responsible for developing

individualized education programs (IEPs) for each of their special education
students. The IEPs are based on personalized goals tailored to each
student's individual learning ability and style. Teachers also formulate
transition plans to prepare the students for postsecondary study or for
jobs. There is a wide variety of disabilities that require students to be in
special education programs. These include autism, mental retardation,
emotional deficiencies, language and speech impairments, visual
problems, hearing impairments, mobility limitations, and many other
disabilities.

Many of the daily job tasks of Highland’s special ed teachers mirror those
of their general education counterparts. Special ed teachers are
responsible for things like taking attendance, developing lesson plans,
assigning and correcting homework, enforcing school rules, keeping
inventory of supplies, and administering standardized tests. There is also
an additional layer of duties unique to special ed teachers that, among
other duties, includes the following:

• Meeting with parents to review the IEP and note progress and
problems
• Making referrals to sources within the community that may be able to
assist the student
• Helping students learn to use various tools such as computers,
wheelchairs, hearing aids or other devices
• Developing new strategies to meet the needs of students with a
variety of handicaps
• Making modifications in the general education curriculum for special-
needs students
• Coordinating placement of students with special needs into
mainstream classes
• Monitoring teachers and teacher assistants to ensure adherence to
special education program requirements
Technology

Highland currently has four computer labs, each with an average of 35

computers. Highland also has two mobile computer labs, one with 20
laptops, the other with 15 units. Our recent addition of Figge Hall means
we have two more computer rooms that will be up and running very
soon. Also, Figge Hall has a great deal of technology in each classroom,
like promethean boards and projectors.