Sports Therapy Academy



Sports Medicine/Careers Academy

Proposal

Lead Teacher: Kristen Farrell

Unifying Vision/Identity

A unique and dynamic opportunity exists at VHS. A shared vision created by a group of educators, support staff, students, parents, community and industry (Advisory) who advise on a distinctive and focused CTE standards-based curriculum has been instrumental in Venice High Schools vision to create a Sports Medicine/Careers Academy. Detailed facility upgrades to support the CTE program for the Sports Therapy Academy are well under way.

The CTE education plan offers multiple career pathways including a Therapeutic Services Pathway to include Sports Therapy Aide. Pathways provide all pupils with a rigorous academic curriculum that integrates academic and career skills, incorporates applied learning in all disciplines, and prepares all pupils for high school graduation, college admittance or career entry. The Therapeutic Services Pathway allows students to complete “A-G” university and Career Technical Education requirements. The program is open to all students including English Learner and Special Education students. These subjects will also allow students to not only consider career opportunities in the area of sports but also jobs in both medical and sports medicine fields such as an EMT, personal trainer, physical therapist, physical therapist assistant, x-ray technician, nurse, or physician's assistant, among others.

Career opportunities in healthcare specifically related to sports and the active population continue to grow and expand. More jobs become available each year with the aging of the baby boomer generation, developmental sports leagues and the crossover into industrial, military and artistic athletes. The National Athletic Trainer's Association is making a push to have an athletic trainer in every high school across the nation.

Although other sports therapy programs exist in the district, none have the potential of creating an on campus health care facility with an emphasis on sports medicine that VHS is proposing.

VHS has an ongoing relationship with the not for profit West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation (WCSMF) that assigns a certified athletic trainer to campus. This placement will greatly enhance the quality of the proposed program. WCSMF has provided Venice High School with over $250,000 worth of coverage and services for the past 10 years.

VHS draws students from diverse socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. VHS students come to us from 10 zip codes, including 200 students through the Capacity Adjustment Program. VHS is committed to providing students with the skills they need to graduate from high school and have success at the college level.

Student enrollment for the 2006-2007 school year in grades 9 through 12 is at 2496 students representing the following groups:

72.6% Latino or Hispanic 28% are designated English Language Learners

11.4% African American 54% are designated as Title 1

11.1% White 10% of students receive Special Education services

3.0% Asian

1.2% Filipino

A CTE standards-based educational program includes high expectations for every student so that they achieve grade-level standards, use appropriate technology, meet high school graduations requirements, college entrance requirements and are prepared for post-secondary experiences and the world of work. Include CTE Career pathways, Course sequence and Industry-validated Certifications

In VHS’s Sports Medicine CTE Program, students are prepared for entry-level jobs and/or post-secondary training in the Therapeutic Services Pathway. Each CTE Pathway consists of a sequence of courses, from introductory to capstone, which are aligned or currently being aligned with the new State-approved CTE Standards and Frameworks. One of the strong points of our Sports Therapy/Medicine program is that it represents topics such as anatomy, physiology, emergency preparedness and first aid. These subjects allow students to not only consider career opportunities in the area of sports but also jobs in both medical and sports medicine fields such as an EMT, personal trainer, physical therapist, physical therapist assistant, x-ray technician, nurse, or physician's assistant, among others.

Student in the Therapeutic Services Pathway in Sports Therapy will enjoy ongoing opportunities in a real-world setting and learn the hands on skills needed in the world of sports medicine including sideline management, emergency preparedness and clinical work.

VHS will promote equal representations of the entire Venice student population within each CTE Pathway. Each CTE Pathway will have ELL classes and Special Education classes. The first two years of the Therapeutic Services Pathway are open to all students at Venice High School. The final year enrollment is dependent on performance over the previous two years. Additionally, the pathway will focus on the following prioritized CTE standards that are applicable across industry sectors.

CTE01. Academics: Students understand the academic content required for entry into postsecondary education and employment in the chosen sector.

CTE02. Communications: Students understand the principles of effective oral, written, and multimedia communication in a variety of formats and contexts.

CTE03. Career Planning and Management: Students understand how to make effective decisions, use career information and manage career plans.

CTE04. Technology: Students know how to use contemporary and emerging technological resources in diverse and changing personal, community and workplace environments.

CTE05. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Students understand how to create alternative solutions by using critical and creative thinking skills, such as logical reasoning, analytical thinking, and problem-solving techniques.

Specific Standards to be addresses in the Sports Therapy Therapeutic Pathways through integrated, themed class work aligned with CTE courses will include as an example but are not limited to:

Foundation Standards:

Communications 2.5 - Know and understand medical terminology to interpret, transcribe, and communicate information and observations necessary for workers in the health care industry.

Communications 2.7 - Understand the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication in the health care industry.

Technology 4.5 - Know how to interpret technical materials and medical instrumentation used for health care practice and policies.

Demonstration and Application 11.0 - Students demonstrate and apply concepts contained in the foundation and pathway standards.

Therapeutic Pathway Standards:

HSMT E1.0 Students know how to communicate procedures and goals to patients and clients and members of the health care team by using a variety of strategies.

HSMT E1.1 Know how to evaluate the ability of patients and clients to understand the information provided.

HSMT E1.2 Use appropriate communication strategies with patients and clients.

HSMT E5.0 Students know how to evaluate patients’ and clients’ needs, abilities, and challenges to determine whether treatment goals are being reached.

The course sequence for the Sports Therapy Academy includes:

Grade 9 – Recruitment from proposed 9th grade house.

Grade 10 – Sports Culture (Fall), Introduction to Medical Terminology, which includes American Red Cross Professional Rescuer First Aid, CPR and Sports Safety Training (Spring)

Grade 11 – Sports Therapy Aide A and B

Grade 12 – Advanced Sports Therapy Aide A and B (Curriculum to be proposed as a UC lab Approved Science Course)

Grade 10-12 Sports Therapy Lab Experience

Suggested electives:

▪ Journalism

▪ Broadcast Journalism

▪ Internet Publishing

▪ Yearbook

▪ Speech

▪ Sports Management (New course being developed, approval by 2010)

▪ Fundamentals of Coaching and Recreation (New course being developed, approved by 2010).

▪ Physiology

As 10th graders, students would be introduced to the culture of sports and related careers as well as the language of medicine through a terminology class. The students will also be learning basic rules of CPR and Professional Rescuer First Aid. In the 11th grade, students would take the introductory sports medicine class. In the final year of high school, students would take the advanced level of sports medicine class. Once a student is in the program they will also begin working on the on campus athletic training facility created through this facilities grant. The amount of time and responsibilities each student spends in the athletic training room would be in direct correlation with their academic progress. All students would earn ARC CPR/AED certification (renewable every year) and a Blood Borne Pathogen certification.

As part of the CTE Program, all students will be required to visit a local community college or four year college campus to investigate post secondary education options. As this program continues to grow and develop it would foster a relationship between post secondary institutions and the high school to provide opportunities to visit classes and athletic events, as well as have post secondary sports medicine students come and work with the high school students. Students will receive a First Aid certificate and once UC approval of the Advanced Sports Medicine class is obtained, more opportunities for interaction will be available, in addition to the aforementioned ARC CPR/AED certification (renewable every year) and a Blood Borne Pathogen certification.

Another goal is to eventually make the advanced class a UC approved lab course. This process takes approximately two years. A presentation was given, at The Far West Athletic Trainer’s Conference, on procedures necessary to get a sports medicine class UC approved and we are currently taking steps to get course approval at VHS approved.

The Sports Therapy classes are currently held in the Shop-6 classroom on the VHS campus. There is a need to create a reliable, state of the art facility to adequately support a Therapeutic Services Pathway. It would be easy to modify Shop-6 to a comprehensive athletic training room and classroom that provides an atmosphere for education, injury assessment and athlete care. This care encompasses prevention, evaluation, rehabilitation and treatment of all athletic injuries, as well as guidance concerning nutrition, strength and conditioning and provides a platform for athletes to cope with the psychological impact of injuries. As a working health care facility this room would provide students in the Therapeutic Services Pathway an On Campus internship location.

The Therapeutic Services Pathway at VHS is in its infancy, growing from an initial input of 4 students three years ago to the current level of 150. Placement research does not exist at this point. As students complete the CTE Pathway, exit interviews will take place to determine post secondary plans. Annual contact will be made with alumni of the pathway to track education and career progress.

We project enrollment of approximately 150 students (2008) in the classroom aspect as well as approximately 400 student athletes being served by the new facility. The Sports Medicine Therapeutic Pathway will enroll all interested students grades 10-12 and make necessary accommodations for students with special needs. Over the next five years the student growth is expected to be at least 20 students per year.

|2007-2008 |2008-2009 |2009-2010 |2010-2011 |2011-2012 |

|150 |170 |190 |210 |230 |

The administration, counseling staff and instructors of VHS will ensure that every student will participate in a rigorous quality curriculum that is culturally relevant and linguistically responsive to their unique learning needs, thereby eliminating the achievement gap between groups of students by focusing on each student as an individual. District-wide, we have instituted the implementation of the Individual Graduation Plan, in which each student plans his/her high school program for completing his or her graduation requirements and career pathway plan. VHS provides high quality programs, resources and services to prepare all students for career and academic success postsecondary education, and adult roles and responsibilities.

Career awareness begins in the middle school. VHS will work with Palms, Marina and Mark Twain Middle Schools to develop career awareness before students arrive on the high school campus. The CTE courses will be complemented with field trips, industry guest speakers and job shadows. Venice High School will work with industry partners to create opportunities for advanced internships once an on campus internship has been completed in the new athletic training facility.

This is achieved by providing all students with full access to learning opportunities with differentiated instruction in high quality career technical education offerings. The student population includes socio-economically disadvantaged students, English learners, Standard English learners, students with disabilities, and gifted and talented students. Currently, our school offers students courses in the following career pathways: Cabinetmaking and Wood Products, Graphic Arts Technology, Ornamental Horticulture, Vehicle Maintenance, Service & Repair, and Media and Design Arts.

The stakeholders involved in the planning of the Sports Therapy Academy are as follows:

Venice High School Sports Therapy Advisory Committee

Jill Sleight, MS, ATC, Director

West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation

1200 Rosecrans Ave, #101

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

(310) 726-0750

Keith Feder, MD

West Coast Center for Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

1200 Rosecrans Ave, #208

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

(310) 416-9700

Carol Frey, MD

West Coast Center for Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

1200 Rosecrans Ave, #208

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

(310) 416-9700

Eli Hallak ATC, EMT

Head Certified Athletic Trainer

St. Francis High School

200 Foothill Blvd.

La Canada, CA 91011

(818) 790-0325 ext. 310

Brendan Murray, DC

Spine and Sports Care

2825 Santa Monica Blvd # 101

Santa Monica, CA 90404

(310) 998-5800

Veronica and Amber Hansen

Parent/Student

425 W. Manchester Ave

Playa Del Rey, CA 90293

Migdalia and Briana Richardson

8632 Kentwood Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90045

Lonnie Wallace, Principal

Mark Paez, Assistant Principal

Craig Alessi, Assistant Principal

Frank Nunez, Assistant Principal

Tony Chretin, Athletic Director

Monica Studer, Perkins Advisor

Betsey Alkaly, Career Counselor

Venice High School

13000 Venice Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90066

(310) 577-4200

LAUSD Career Technical Advisory Committee

|NAME |TITLE |AGENCY |EMAIL |

|Barnes, Eddie |Regional Director |Building & Construction |faseddie@ |

| | |Trades Council | |

|Cambell, Errol |Teacher |Regional Occupational Center |erroljc@ |

|Carbino, Vince |Administrator |LAUSD |vince.carbino@ |

|Chavez, Manny |Director, Workforce Development |City of Los Angeles |manuel.chavez@ |

|Clerx, John |Associate Vice Chancellor |LA Community College District|clerxja@email.laccd.edu |

|Coffeen, Vincent |Director, Design Management |LAUSD |vincent.coffeen@ |

|Crippens, David |Director |Youth Council |dcrippens@ |

|Dolphin, Michael |Division Chief |Employment Development Dept. |mdolphin@edd. |

|Drummond, Marcy |VP Academic Affairs |LA Trade Tech |drummomj@lattc.edu |

|Folsom, Scott |Parent | |scott.folsom@ |

|Garcia, David |Principal |Gompers Middle School |david.garcia@ |

|Groman, Bill |Teacher |North Valley Occupational |wfgroman@ |

| | |Center | |

|Hebert, Darrel |Training Mgr. |Sempra Energy |dhebert@ |

|Kettenring, Ernest |Teacher |Harbor Community Adult School|arnestk@ |

|Kol, Koda |Teacher |Roosevelt High School |kodakol@ |

|Loncar, Alicia |Director |SEIU |aloncar@ |

|McKoy, Josue |Student - Roosevelt High School |A. Friedman Occupational |Bbbygo@ |

| | |Center | |

|Melvin, Veronica |Executive Director |Alliance for a Better |veronica@ |

| | |Community | |

|Nelson, Debbie |Parent | |dbirdnelsn@ |

|Porter, Pamela |Assistant General Manager |Department of Water and Power|Pamela.Porter@ |

|Retana, Alberto |Director of Organizing |Community Coalition |alberto@ |

|Ring, Bill |Parent | |lausdparents@ |

|Ross, Tony |VP Student Affairs |Cal State University LA |tony.ross@calstatela.edu |

|Slawson, Richard |Executive Secretary |LA/OC Building Trades Council|laocbtc@ |

|Soto, Veronica |Manager, Small Business Program |LAUSD |veronica.soto@ |

|Tash, Larry |Director, Middle Schools |LAUSD |larry.tash@ |

|Templin, Jane |Outreach Director |Electrical Training Institute|janet@ |

|Torrero, Francisco |Parent | |ftor1@ |

|Trigueros, Susan |Regional Public Affairs Manager |Southern CA Gas |susifuentes@ |

| | |Company/Sempra | |

|Vasquez, Delia |Student |East LA Occupational Center | |

|Villanueva, Kathy |Teacher |Belmont High School |skmnv@ |

|Walker, Chris |Attorney |Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & |cwalker@ |

| | |Elliott | |

|Williams, Clarence |Teacher |Jefferson High School |cwill6@ |

Personalization

The Sports Careers Academy will service between 150-250 10th –12th graders beginning September 2008. Our desire is to grow our academy to eventually service between 300-500 students. The student population at Venice High School is approximately 73% Hispanic, 11% Black/Non-Hispanic, 11% White/Non-Hispanic, 3% Asian, 1% Filipino, 0.4% American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 0.2% Pacific Islander. Current enrollment is about 2,200 students.

Currently, many students are disengaged from their learning and lack the connection between their core course of study and the relevance it will play in their lives now and in the future.

When interviewed by the school PSA, many at-risk students report that they lack the motivation to attend school because they fail to see the connection between what they are required to study and “real life.” After years of failure in the academic setting with increased course work in intervention reading and math, many students develop lower self-esteem and negative attitudes towards the school environment. The Sports Careers Academy aims to provide these students with opportunities to be successful using strengths and skills they may not access in the typical high school classroom. These positive experiences will provide the basis for increased student involvement in school and therefore increased exposure to the core curriculum vital to every student’s success.

Venice High School staff is currently united in its’ effort to enforce school rules and regulations, especially regarding student attendance and safety issues. Teachers post rules and expectations in their classrooms; they call students’ homes to discuss issues related to student performance, and refer students to higher authorities in the Dean’s office, as necessary.

Typically, at-risk students are accommodated through a variety of direct and indirect academic interventions such as DRW, individual student/teacher conferences, after-school tutoring programs such as Homework Haven or Xinachtli, counseling services through the Multi-Agency At-Risk Student Task Force. Consequences for poor attendance have been detention in the Dean’s office, phone calls home to notify parents, possible legal ramifications if students receive a ticket for truancy and parents are required to pay a fine. Students who receive truancy tickets may participate in a Truancy Reduction Intervention Program, (TRIP), in order to reduce their fines.

The Sports Careers Academy seeks to foster a 3 year relationship with their students where teamwork, commitment, respect, trust in their coach and team(s), and accountability to self, school and community is infused into all academy activities and curriculum. Academy students will learn the values that go along with sports (sacrifice, discipline, integrity, tenacity, working as a team, collaboration and cooperation) in addition to learning to see themselves as a “whole” person, not just an athlete. Students who never saw themselves as being part of “a team” will become part of “our team”. Students will learn how to carry their love of sports into their life pursuits and recognize that athletics is one of the multiple intelligences and become aware that their “talent” is a valid category of intelligence.

Curriculum will be structured around an over-arching theme for each semester that all teachers (core and elective) gear their instruction around, leading to a cross curricular project which would integrate all of the learning for that semester. Vocabulary (medical terminology) will become part of the curriculum and connections will be made between language and real-life applications. Students will encounter all modalities of learning where they will read, write and apply. Literature will be infused throughout the curriculum in addition to history, science and math. There will be an emphasis on vocabulary building and learning the linguistic roots of words. Supplemental texts will be utilized to enhance special literacy and reading intervention strategies. A core list of vocabulary will be developed and span across the curriculum. Strategic Lit. will still be utilized. The Literacy Coach will collaborate and plan personal intervention strategies with teachers for academy students. In addition, SDC and ESL core teachers will be given time and resources to integrate sport medicine themes into their curriculum. All classes in the academy will utilize SDAIE strategies.

Once students are selected to enroll in the Sports Careers Academy, IEPs, anecdotal records, 504’s and reading and math scores will be reviewed to identify students who might need additional services to be successful and to insure students with IEP’s have the appropriate accommodations provided for them. We will be working to implement a procedure so that one resource teacher is assigned to our academy so all resource kids in our academy are serviced by the same resource teacher.

Students will commit to go to summer school as needed as part of their student-parent-teacher contract. An extra period tutorial and weekly grade checks may be conducted as students demonstrate the need. We will follow the sequence of courses for the academy if the prerequisite course is passed. If not, the prerequisite course must be repeated before students can continue in the sequence. If core classes are failed, they will have to be repeated during the school year, adult school or summer school. If a student fails the course a second time, an elective intervention course will be required before the students attempts to repeat the course again.

The designated Sports Careers Academy counselor will enroll and program students, plan interventions for students demonstrating academic need, follow up on their intervention, and establish their 4-year plan that will include graduation (A-G) and academy requirements in addition to post secondary options.

In addition to these strategies, the Sports Careers Academy will personalize the learning experience for their students by hosting an Introductory Banquet, lunch meetings, orientations, picnics, mixers, and other team building activities. Academy teachers and students will create academy tee shirts and sweat shirts. All academy students will be encouraged to participate in the AA Track Team and the Special Olympics as a way to help earn community service hours. As the academy grows in number, we will also plan and conduct an academy retreat for students and parents. Academy students will participate in and complete internships on and off campus. The Sports Medicine Team, that consists of 80 hours a semester, not only helps to unify academy students, but develops in our students, responsibility, maturity, adaptability, flexibility, a willingness to collaborate and a desire to learn.

Equity and Access

Instruction will be tailored to meet the special needs of our diverse population. All special needs students (EL, SEL, Special Ed, SDC) will be provided with instruction using SDAIE techniques and other differentiated instruction strategies with general assessments being administered so that frequent adjustments can be made as needed. In addition students will receive instruction that fosters collaboration, teamwork and team building. Direct teaching of foundations of concepts and vocabulary technical terms will be provided. Culturally relevant curriculum and instruction will be utilized. Information about our academy will be presented at students 9th grade IEP meeting.

GATE students will be offered enrichment opportunities to obtain advanced skills. Advanced courses and third-year capstone courses will be available so that AP and accelerated students will have the opportunities to be challenged. Multiple levels (AP and honors) will be offered throughout the curriculum so students have access to these courses as appropriate.

Interventions, such as tutoring opportunities, one-on-one counseling, mentoring, peer counseling, and student contracts will be provided. Special Education (and SDC) students will also be given opportunities to have lessons that allow them to use visualization, multiple examples, one-on-one instruction, multiple repetitions, manipulatives, modeling and anything else indicated in their IEP. Other types of multiple intelligences will be accessed for practical application of techniques and theories.

All students will be enrolled into introductory courses. No criteria need to be met for enrollment. For students to advance to an intermediate course, a C or better has to be earned in the class that preceded it. Personalization and intervention will be provided throughout the school year so all students finish with at least a C. For students to enroll in an advanced class, a C or better has to be earned in the intermediate course.

Parents will be notified and approve internships and other academic activities. Parents will also sign all programming requests and participate in the selection of courses and graduation plans with their child. The Parent Center will be used to help facilitate the distribution of information. Parent Orientation meetings will be conducted to solicit ideas from parents regarding academy events and activities and to give support to the academy. A student-parent-teacher team will develop a contract to assist the student to achieve academic proficiency. This team will monitor the student’s progress in all these academic areas.

The Academy teachers will work with the Resource Teacher to ensure appropriate academic goals are met within the structure of the SLC (accommodations and modifications). IEP’s will be reviewed by the counselor and lead teacher and distributed to academy teachers to guarantee the IEP academic goals, accommodations and modifications are implemented for each student.

Parent/Community Collaboration

Parent, students and community stakeholders are an active part of our planning process. These stakeholders are a part of our School Site Council and our Advisory Committee where they provide feedback on our proposal. Members of Student Government also collaborate with our design team. In addition, parents and students who are currently involve with the Sports Careers Academy are participating on the design team and are an integral part of our planning and design process. The Advisory Committee, which includes parents, community stakeholders, students, teachers and Venice HS administration will continue meeting throughout the year regarding academy needs, concerns and coordinate the operating procedures of the academy.

Our future plans to expand parent and community collaboration efforts include hosting a Family Dinner Night to solicit ideas and review plans for the academy. We plan to work with students and teachers in the New Media Academy to develop and Sports Careers web page to post academy new and upcoming events. This web page will include a link so parents can communicate with academy teachers regarding their child’s progress. We will also compile a parent email list so teachers can communicate with teachers via email in addition to phone calls. Newsletters throughout the school year will be generated by students in our academy and posted electronically on our web page. In addition, parent trainings (CPR) will be conducted by academy students. Before Back to School Night or Parent Conferencing, our academy will host an addition open house for parents in the academy’s Sports Therapy Room that will include student presentations.

We will encourage 9th graders to participate in our academy by inviting them to join various sports team on campus and begin developing relationships with them by giving them assistance and providing intervention while helping them establish a “mind set” of academics being important and needing good grades to participate in sports. Orientations will also be held for 9th graders in the fall and spring semester to familiarize them with our academy.

Distributed Leadership and Accountability

There will be an administrator who is assigned to work with our academy as one of their duties. They will work with the lead teacher, counselor and resource teacher to assist academy teachers help develop a focus and direction for the academy as we implement the 7 attributes.

Our principal will provide guidance and information and will collaborate with academy teachers as needed. In addition, she will provide support to academies and will encourage and direct administrators to be involved with the academy they select.

An SLC/Academy Leadership Team, which will consist of students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and community members, will be established. Their role is to oversee the running of the SLC’s/Academies and handle disputes. They will operate in concert with School Site Council and School Based Management to enable the school to function as a collaborative unit. Decisions made by School Site Council and the SLC Leadership Team directly relate to budget, student conflict, facilities, master schedule, student programming, student behavior and safety.

There is currently a “strand” group of teachers who have been working to develop the 7 attributes of our academy and will teach in the academy as enrollment increases. We will also provide informational sessions and luncheons for teachers in addition to putting memos and academy information in their boxes to encourage their participation in our academy. We hope to motivate teachers participation in our academy by stressing our desire to develop new courses (using district guidelines), modifying current curriculum, incorporating their love of sports into what they teach, and working as a team versus in isolation.

Case carriers for our special needs students will collaborate with academy teachers. Regular staff meetings will be conducted to assist in coordinating the integration of special needs services and expertise into our program. As numbers increase the hope is to have designated special needs staff for our academy.

We are looking at outside funding sources to provide support personnel for our academy. Present personnel will continue to provide attendance and test data with the assistance of the academy administrator and lead teacher.

Professional Development

Currently, Venice has two professional development days per month that are held on the first and third Tuesday. The Sports Medicine/Careers Academy proposed to use one of those days to meet as an academy/slc. Those professional development days will be open to all stakeholders and will provide a forum for collaborating on issues involving students, curriculum, events and evaluation of assessment results that inform future planning.

Our academy teachers will work together in a way that encourages colleagues to share ideas for curriculum and advancement in a collegial atmosphere. Meetings will be open to administrators and all stakeholders. Standardized test results will be reviewed and studied to discover ways that instruction can be changed an implemented to improve student learning. The team will share and communicate updates with the parent community and conduct parent and student workshops to improve student learning and educational opportunities as well as further communication with the community.

Academy teachers will meet on a weekly basis to discuss students, their work and to plan and implement academy lessons and activities. We will function as a collaborative group that works in partnership with each other and all stakeholders to develop methods of instruction that encourages and inspires student learning that covers all expected academic standards and goals. Our team will consciously work towards creating an environment that personalizes education to ensure students succeed. All central, district and site-specific school improvement goals, including ESLRS, will be implemented to the best of our ability during planning.

Sports Medicine/Career teachers will share strategies that incorporate best practices throughout the curriculum, including multi-modal teaching strategies, modeling expected behavior and performance outcomes, providing clear criteria and rubrics for evaluating student work, collaborating on curriculum across all disciplines.

Any member of our team that attends outside professional development workshops will be expected to come back and share all information learned for the betterment of our students. When time and finances are available, the entire team will jointly attend professional development workshops to further learning, inspire creativity and bond as a cohesive unit.

Standards-Based Instruction and Assessment

The Sports Medicine/Careers Academy is a three-year program, in grades 10-12, incorporating a curriculum focused on sports medicine coordinated with related academic classes, a voluntary student selection process that identifies interested ninth graders for the following academic year, a small team of teachers who work together to plan and implement the program, and a variety of motivational activities to encourage parental support. The activities include guest speakers, field trips, job shadowing, a mentor program, work experience, and regular monitoring of progress with feedback to students. Completing the Sports Medicine/Careers Academy meets the California A-G requirements ensuring that our graduates will be California State University and University of California eligible. Academic progress is also compared to and incorporates state content and performance standards and ESLRs.

The curriculum is focused on sports medicine but also includes an introduction to various other careers fields that involve sports, athletics and/or medicine. There will be an active attempt at reaching out to middle schools that feed into Venice High School to establish a partnership with a science teacher to introduce the career of sports medicine and generate interest at the middle school level. Upon high school graduation, out students will be prepared for a four-year university, a community college or vocational/trade school, or for immediate employment in the work force.

A Prop 1D grant recently awarded to the Sports Therapy class will enable a state-of-the-art classroom/athletic training facility to be completed on campus no later than January of 2010. This will give students access to the latest modalities and equipment available in addition to a professional, on-campus, internship location.

Our team will meet weekly to discuss student achievement, teaching strategies and work on lesson planning. Students who fall below the desired performance benchmarks will be assigned to tutoring sessions. Parent contact for both academic and attendance issues is essential and will be done at available opportunities. The team will also meet at the end of each term to evaluate the previous semester and prepare for the upcoming semester. Together, we will identify areas of improvement.

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