Feinstein+High+School

= = =Feinstein High School=

**Basic Information**
544 Elmwood Avenue Providence, RI 02907-1820 (401) 456-1706 Kenneth C. Perry, Principal

**Introduction**
Feinstein High School is a small public school located in the Elmwood section of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The school has students grades 9-12. Shortly after it was founded, Feinstein was closed and then reopened with site-based management. It was broken down into four "schools" with 90 students each to provide a revolutionary teaching and learning environment. This report contains both statistical facts and observational analyses of different aspects of the school including standardized test scores, demographics, student safety and satisfaction, and accountability. The purpose of this report is to give a concise overview of the school for parents, educators, and students alike.

//"Feinstein works to realize its vision of developing an interdisciplinary project-based academic program."//

**Academic Performance**
At Feinstein, the teachers and students are broken up into teams to harbor collaboration and ingenuity. They run on block scheduling, allowing more time in each class every other day. According to the most recent SALT report (January 12, 2007), projects are the most prevalent type of schoolwork. There are no tests, and no immediate grades for in-class assignments or homework. Book talks replace book reports. Some of the students are still adjusting to the nontraditional teaching style at FHS. The faculty works hard to engage students in the community by creating partnerships based on the guidelines of the Providence One Plan. The teachers give the students complex problems for long term projects with flexible deadlines. The students do not know how to tackle a problem that is not a direct question, thus giving up and waiting for face-to-face assistance with the teacher. Although this curriculum induces creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, the students will not learn the importance of deadlines or problem solving methods if the "let's wait for the teacher" mentality remains. To quote the evaluation "[Feinstein students] are typically open-minded, interested, and curious. However, they generally lack the self awareness, needed motivation, persistence, and confidence to communicate their thinking, reflect on their work, and evaluate their progress. These students do not successfully meet small deadlines, and they wait until the last moment to complete their projects."

Figure 1. Assessment Results

There is plenty of room for improvement in Feinstein academic achievement. The NECAP test results show that 95% of the students in 11th grade tested well below the proficiency level in math and the majority (74%) are below satisfactory in writing as well. Only 43% of teachers at Feinstein report that at least weekly, students receive instruction in writing. The reading scores of these students show that almost half are above the proficiency line, with four percent of those students being proficient with distinction. Feinstein students scored extremely low on the SAT in all subjects with 348, 346, and 353 points in math, reading, and writing, respectively; well below both the state and national averages as seen in Figure 1 above. Compared to other Rhode Island high schools, Feinstein is below them in all aspects of academic performance. According to No Child Left Behind, FHS has not made Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2007-2008 school year, and is classified as having made "insufficient progress" from the most recent previous evaluation. The performance progress of the school is not up to par; mathematics index scores are far below other Rhode Island schools, and writing index scores do not meet the standard either.

**Demographics and Graduation Rates**
Figure 2. Graduation and Dropout Statistics

Feinstein is a very diverse school. The majority of the 367 students are Hispanic (59%), followed by African Americans (22%), with 12% being Caucasian and 7% Asian Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaskan Native. There is plenty of staff with a 17:1 student-teacher ratio. As seen in the chart above, of these 367 students, Feinstein consistently graduates only 56% of them, one of the lowest graduation rates for a school of that size, but in the top 15 of all schools in Rhode Island. Each year, some 13-27% of students drop out; the number fluctuates from year to year.

**Demographics and Academic Performance**
Figure 3. Performance by Characteristic

In all cases of different demographic indicators, math scores on the NECAP are alarmingly low; none of the African Americans, Asians, females, or students with disabilities even reach proficiency. No information was given for the Native American, white, or migrant students because there are not enough of them to provide a solid sample. Poverty does not seem to measurably affect either math or reading scores; there is no achievement gap between these two groups. Although reading scores are unacceptably far beneath state standards and not even half of the student body reaches proficiency, as a whole, they are the "strong point of Feinstein High School. The school is currently coming up with ideas to incorporate math into their curriculum of projects to raise their standard testing scores.

**Safety, Satisfaction**
Figure 4. Student Survey on Safety and Satisfaction

Feinstein is one of the happier, safer schools for student of Rhode Island. A little more than one-third of the student population experiences academic issues most of the time, which is less than the state average of 47%. Getting along with teachers is also a minor issue that 9% of Feinstein students experience. Nearly 15% are experiencing personal or family problems. These numbers are not the highest in the state, but not the lowest either. The school location in Providence is probably a factor in the student's responses; drug dealing and robberies are somewhat common in most major cities. 19% of Feinstein students say they've been robbed one or more times in school while 14% say someone tried to sell them drugs in school once or more. Of all 367 students, 9% say that being bullied or harassed by other students is an obtrusion at school. Each of these numbers is lower than the Rhode Island state average.



Figure 5. Teacher Responses on School Connectedness

Teachers at Feinstein feel that they are included, treated with respect, and are an important part of decision-making and curriculum establishment. At Feinstein, the percentage of teachers who say those things is much higher than the state average In particular, 80% of FHS teachers feel that they help to make school policy decisions versus only 40% of teachers throughout the rest of the state. They also feel that they maintain a good spirit amongst each other. Most teachers say that they interact with students in a way that shows both interest and respect, and that they use positive approaches to help the student behave constructively. Teachers also believe that students in their classes enjoy working together. 38% of students say that their teachers do take a personal interest in them and their academic success, and 25% say that they often get help and advising from teachers.

**Conclusion**
Feinstein High School is a revolutionary institution with the capacity to change both learning and teaching techniques. Teachers should encourage students to not only reach standards, but to exceed them. The students are in a free environment such that they are able to explore, question, and communicate with each other, teachers, and member of the community with whom they are working. Since FHS does not require any type of testing, it comes as no surprise that the NECAP and SAT test scores are so low across the board and that student at the school are not meeting state standards. Within a few transition years, students will be able to come up with creative solutions to problems with which they are faced; at some point they will not be such a low-rated school simply because they run a different program with a different - yet still effective - teaching style. As the teachers and students learn to understand and help each other, the school will begin to show significant improvements in the abilities of its students.