Courtesy Photo
Mt. Pleasant High School faculty examine some of the data that resulted in MPHS being named a mentor campus in the state of Texas. Pictured are (right to left) Head Counselor Kelly Cowan, Agriculture Teacher Susie Hearron, English Teacher Barbara Carroll, and Math Department Chairman Ann JenkinsMPHS Recognized as Mentor Site
Mount Pleasant High School is one of three high schools in Texas chosen by the Southern Regional Education Boards (SREB) High Schools That Work (HSTW) school reform movement to serve as a mentor to other Texas high schools that have joined the High Schools That Work Enhanced Design Network. MPHS was chosen in September of 2006, based on performance and rankings on the HSTW Assessment and student and teacher surveys. The other two mentor sites in Texas are Birdville ISD (Dallas metro) and Lubbock Cooper High School.
"This is quite an honor for MPHS," said Principal David Davis. "To be selected as a mentor site, we had to be rated as a High Implementation Site, meaning we have fully adopted the HSTW framework and Key Practices and have improved student achievement here. To be one of only three schools in the entire state of Texas selected as a mentor campus speaks well of the efforts of our faculty, staff and students."
As a mentor campus, Mount Pleasant High School will be called upon to make presentations at the state and national level, according to Debbie Thompson, Director of the MPHS Career and Technical Education Department. "For example, we recently made presentations at the National High Schools That Work conference in Orlando, Florida and conducted a workshop in Galveston. "We will also be hosting one portion of a three-part National Math Workshop. That workshop will bring together high school math teachers from across the country to study how to improve math instruction," Thompson added.
The third requirement for a mentor campus is to be available to assist schools that are joining the High Schools That Work effort. "This means we are available online, through email and for phone calls to offer assistance to these schools," Thompson said. "We will also be hosting schools here so that they can see in practice the things we are doing to improve student achievement.' MPHS joined the SREB's High Schools That Work in 2001, according to Shirley Peterson, MPHS Academic Dean.
"As part of that effort, the school adopted 10 Key Practices that have been proven to increase student achievement. These include having high expectations for all our students and adopting a rigorous course of study in all of our classes. That included academics, fine arts and CATE," Peterson explained. High Schools That Work is not a program that a campus adopts but rather a framework that the school adapts to meet the needs of its community, explained Judi Saxton, MPISD Public Information Officer. "It assumes that you know who your students are and what your community needs and expects. It gives a school a framework of 10 practices that have been proven to work in other districts and asks that you adapt them to fit the needs and characteristics of your student body."
"It's all about adding more rigor across the board in academics, fine arts and Career and Technology," Peterson said. "It's about getting all of our students ready for what comes after high school whether that is college, technical school or the workforce. For example, one of the key practices is 'to provide challenging career and technical studies that utilize rigorous mathematics, science, language arts and problem-solving skills in the context of the modern workplace practices and in preparation for continued learning'. It doesn't separate students into tracks but rather says that all students need to be prepared in all areas."
Participation in High Schools That Work has gotten Mt. Pleasant national recognition according to Saxton. "We have been featured in the national publication Education Week in an article about our Tiger Academy and in the Southern Regional Education Board Best Practices Report. We have given presentations at national and regional levels. Being asked to serve as a mentor campus is yet another indication of the great things going on at our high school."
The High Schools That Work Enhanced Design Network is a partnership between the Southern Regional Education Board and the Texas Education Agency aimed at raising student achievement in high schools across the state. The Southern Regional Education Board is a multi-state compact for education, founded in 1948. High Schools That Work is the oldest and largest high school improvement effort in the United States, with more than 1,100 school sites in 32 states. High Schools That Work is supported by member states and grants from organizations, such as the Wallace Foundation, Goldman Sachs Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Whitehead Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
