Role Play Welcome to Benedict Arnold High where:
15% of students don't speak English as native language; 6% are recent immigrants.20% are minority; 25% live in poverty; 33% live alone with a working mother. 16% have a mental or physical disability; 30% are latchkey children; 25% will not finish high school; 54% have used drugs; 14% are teenage mothers.
Teachers: 93% of local teachers are white; 70% female.
PROFILE OF STUDENT BODY in raw numbers
High school of 1,000 (290 ninth grade, 260 10th grade, 240, 11th grade, 210 twelfth grade).
9th 10th 11th 12th Don't speak English as a native language
44 39 36 31 Minority
58 52 48 42 Live in poverty
76 65 60 53 Live with one parent
87 78 72 63 Have a disability
48 40 37 33 Have used drugs
190 130 125 110 Teenage moms
15 30 40 55 More than 1 grade level below standard reading ability for age
30 35 40 45 As of now, 100 of the graduating seniors intend to go on to higher education; 45 will go onto a four year college; the rest will enter a community college or pursue advanced vocational training.
Your current taxation rate is high: about $2500.00 a year for a $100,000 house. The state gives you 35% of your current funding but that amount won't increase next year. You are allowed to increase your tax rate but only if district residents approve in a referendum. Such referendums in the past have been unpopular.
TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS - INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF OF 35
30 SUBJECT AREA TEACHERS, 1 GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, 1 PART-TIME NURSE, 1 VICE PRINCIPAL, 1 PRINCIPAL, 1 SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
BUDGET - $3 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR. Teacher and other staff salaries constitute 75% or $ 2 million 250,000 dollars of your annual budget.
Parents - Average income - $30,000/year for a family of four; 25% of the adults in your community have had four years of college; 25% have attended some form of schooling after high school graduation.
Your job is to propose the creation of a new school, given the community, student body, teaching staff, and budgetary characteristics listed above. You are coming into a situation where there has been widespread discontent with the operations of the current institution: Benedict Arnold High School. Thus, your work is cut out for you. Within the parameters that have been described, you can change staffing, develop curriculum, and create those educational policies that will truly improve your students' education. You can even change the name of your school!
Your model school proposal must include in addition to a new name for your high school:
a. a mission statement detailing the purpose of the school, the school's philosophy of education and set of common beliefs to which everyone (parents, teachers, students) share.
b. a set of goals and objectives that will be met within the next five years.
c. a plan for meeting those objectives.
d. a detailed budget including allocations for:
1. teachers, administrators, staff: salaries, benefits2. resources including curricular materials: textbooks, films, paper, writing utensils, audio-visual equipment, xerox machines, computers and computer accessories, etc.
3. transportation: bus transportation including drivers' salaries, fuel costs, vehicle maintenance and insurance (for the purposes of this exercise, we will assume that the high school itself must account for its students' transportation costs within the district ).
4. maintenance costs for the upkeep of the school building: grounds, heating costs, air conditioning for summer school, replacement of classroom furniture, windows, lighting, etc.
5. safety mechanisms: security, metal detectors, etc.
6. food and cafeteria maintenance: provisions for lunch for 1,000 students (some of the cost will be federally subsidized).
e. a governance system that allows for faulty and parental input.
f. a curriculum that reflects the mission of your high school
g. a conclusion stressing the most important changes you wish to make.
Each group will present their version of a model school before the rest of the class. A written outline and supporting documentation accompanying the oral presentation, is expected. After the presentation, we will take those components of each school to form a super model school with which we will work the rest of the quarter. Then, a hypothetical problem will be presented to you which you will solve by playing the roles of superintendent, assistants to the superintendent, school board members, principal, assistant principals, teachers, parents, students, union representatives, etc. During the final week of the semester, we will pursue a response to that problem through enacting a simulation of the school board meeting. A summary statement indicating your specific strategy, tactics, and evaluation of their effectiveness will be turned in following the final simulation.
Remember, each class activity and reading in the syllabus that we have already completed is a potential resource for your model school presentation. In addition, consult internet, First Search, our library and the ISU library for information. Be sure to especially document your budget and financial allocations; actual school budgets and mission statements can be obtained through contact with local school districts. All of this means that you need to assign a recorder in your group so that, next to your own notes, you have detailed minutes of your discussions and questions.
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