Join the conversation

Story posted May 30, 2008

Results:
• 73% of 10th graders scored at or above proficient on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) math section in 2007, up from 49% in 2004
• Math SAT scores have been above the state and national average for the past two years
• 78% of students who took the AP Calculus exam passed in 2007, making them eligible for college credit

Only a decade ago, Interlake High School was the lowest-performing school in the Bellevue district. As Bellevue is an open enrollment district, Interlake parents and community members knew they needed an academically rigor­ous program to turn the school's performance around and draw students to the school. In 1997, Interlake implemented the prestigious International Bacca­laureate (IB) Degree program and in 2003 added the Advanced Placement pro­gram.

Access to challenging high school courses has more impact on the likelihood of a student successfully completing a bachelor's degree than any other factor. While recent studies have identified Algebra II as the "gatekeeper" for college entry, Interlake has set the bar even higher, with the goal that all students will successfully complete pre-Calculus prior to graduating. And whereas Washington State requires three years of math in high school, Interlake strongly encourages students to take four.

Interlake's principal and math chair point to the following three elements as critical to students' success in math:

• Making high-level math courses available to all students
• Encouraging students to take more challenging courses
• Providing supports to help students succeed

Making high-level math courses available to all students
Inquiry-based approach: Math at Interlake is more than just memorizing formulas and doing countless practice problems. Rather, the math curriculum is inquiry-based, so learning math is an interactive experience for students and staff. Teachers encourage students to ques­tion answers and processes, investigate alternative possibili­ties, and draw from their prior experiences to build on their knowledge.

A variety of course options: Recognizing that students come in with a variety of skill sets and experiences, Interlake offers a wide range of high-level course options to increase students' chances for math success. Over the past ten years, Interlake has expanded the number, levels, and variety of math courses available to students while eliminating the most basic courses. Interlake currently offers 16 different math courses--all at the honors level or above.

District-defined curriculum: The district's curriculum is consistent throughout K-12, so as soon as students enter grade school, they begin the path that will prepare them for high-level coursework in high school. The math program is the same across all 16 elementary and 6 middle schools, so when students enter Interlake in ninth grade, they are prepared for rigorous math courses.

Encouraging students to take more challenging courses
"Every child is a math student": Interlake staff encourage all students--regardless of their past performance--to take advanced math courses to increase their chances of college success. When Interlake eliminated its more basic math courses, making all math classes honors level at a minimum, there was concern that some students would struggle. However, they rose to the challenge. A majority of the students were achieving at a higher level in a more rigorous class.

Providing supports to help students succeed
A sampling of the supports Interlake offers includes:

Starting Strong: Staff work with middle school teachers to identify eighth grade students who could benefit from additional assistance and are offered the opportunity to come to Interlake the summer before their freshman year and get a head start on their classes.

College Corps Program: Specially trained community volunteers assist students with every aspect of the college process, including identifying and selecting the right school, preparing the application, and applying for available financial assistance.

Tutorial High: Students can receive tutoring every day, in every subject, from 2:30-3:05 pm.

Safe Study: An after-school program allows students to receive assistance for a variety of social or emotional issues that may have a negative impact on their school work, such as coping with stress, assistance with time management, or ideas to help them get organized.

Math Support: The school provides a mathematics class that meets at the end of the school day and is required of students who are struggling academically.  The course is also open for all who would like a little more assistance with math.

Results:
As a result of these programs, Interlake has seen great success. Over the past four years, the school has greatly improved the performance of its tenth grade students on the state's exam. In 2003-04, less than half (49 percent) of Interlake's students scored at proficient or above in math.  In 2006-07, almost three fourths (73 percent) scored at proficient or above.

For the past two years, Interlake mathematics scores on the SAT college entrance exam have been higher than scores in the state and the nation as a whole.

And in 2006-07, 74 percent of Interlake seniors were enrolled in AP and IB coursework. An increasing number of these students are taking the AP and IB exams, from 227 in 2002 to 776 in 2007. Even more impressive, 78 percent of students taking the AP Calculus exam received a passing score, making them eligible for college credit.

This story came to LFA's attention after being featured in "Rethinking High School: Supporting All Students to be College Ready in Math," the fifth report in the series "Rethinking High School," published by WestEd with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Story adapted from "Rethinking High School" with permission from WestEd and the Gates Foundation

For additional information about Interlake's programs, please contact:
Sharon Collins
Principal, Interlake High School
CollinsS@bsd405.org