During the 03-04 school year Vernon ISD initiated the development of a Scope and Sequence (S&S) for all core subjects Pre-K through high school. The S&S’s are based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the TAKS objectives. Teachers communicate regularly in grade level and department meetings to review progress made on the S&S. This focus ensures that students are prepared to go to the next grade level or course in each of the core subjects and will be prepared for continuing their education at the local community college, another two-year college or a four-year university. Using the TAKS results and the S&S, teachers identify areas where additional training is needed for successful instruction and student achievement.

During Fall 2004 VISD applied for a Comprehensive School Reform grant to support VHS in reaching these goals. The grant required partnership with an outside provider. Modern Red SchoolHouse (MRSH) Institute, our chosen model provider, is a not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. MRSH has more than ten years’ experience in school improvement and reform—serving schools in thirty states. The MRSH approach to teaching is modern in its pedagogy, relying on research evidence in cognitive psychology and neuroscience to inform best practices, yet traditional in its commitment to student mastery of academic subjects. MRSH emphasizes the use of data and research-supported evidence to inform instructional and organizational decisions.

The emphasis on helping teachers to orient instruction around academic standards originated 10 years ago with a large body of research demonstrating that the achievement of children from low-income families was more dependent on whatwas taught than it was for children from more economically advantaged backgrounds. MRSH developers determined that what is taught must be an essential part of the equation in improving student learning. MRSH was able to adapt its work, quite seamlessly, to help educators develop a coherent plan for instruction that is both rich in content and—in this case—directly addresses the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

The MRSH design is a process-oriented design that builds on the strengths of existing schools, based on student achievement data and a detailed analysis of the school’s characteristics. In cooperation with school leaders, the MRSH develops a customized implementation program of staff development that provides the school with tools and strategies to accomplish the following:

Implementation of the Modern Red SchoolHouse design does not require significant changes in staffing, although it is important to have one person at the district level identified as the coordinator for the MRSH initiative. Changes are considered if the change has the potential of improving student achievement. However, any changes are determined cooperatively by staff members, building administrators, parents, and district personnel. Focusing on the MRSH goals listed above, Vernon High School staff will reach its campus improvement goals and directly impact the successful implementation of the No Child Left Behind requirements.