DeBakey Qatar Annual Report 2015-2016_FINAL

DeBakey High School for Health Professions – QatarANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 2016 Student Success is Our Aim – DeBakeyatQatar.org





Our VisionTo provide a challenging and well-balanced college preparatoryprogram focused on academic excellence and character development,while empowering students to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Our MissionMichael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar, anoutstanding multicultural institution, provides a well-rounded programdedicated to academic excellence and character development. Ourexceptional faculty prepares students to compete in a global societythrough a rigorous American curriculum focused on science,mathematics, technology, and health science. The DeBakey communityworks together to create a collaborative and mutually supportive familyatmosphere in which every student succeeds.

ContentsMessage from the Director 2Advisory Board Members 3Commencement 47Strategic Goals And ProgressLooking Ahead 30 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 1

Message from The Director SY 2015-2016 has been a remarkable year for DeBakey in so many ways. We revised our vision and mission statements, launched a new school-wide framework for continuous improvement, and renewed our international school accreditation through AdvancED. We crossed a very important milestone with our reaccreditation this year. Every five years DeBakey undergoes a rigorous external review through which a team of highly qualified experts evaluates our practices against a set of stringent performance indicators. The renewal of DeBakey’s AdvancED accreditation was a wonderful validation of all of the hard work our staff puts into providing our students with high quality education. We are privileged to apply for the Qatar National Schools Accreditation next school year. This will enable the school to have local and international accreditation. Also of note this year was the strong spirit of volunteerism in our school community. Our students were more civically active than ever before, collecting school supplies for children in Syria, volunteering with individuals with special needs, and donating pet food to a local animal shelter. Our parents relaunched DeBakey’s PTA with gusto, coordinating monthly ‘Rise & Coffee’ socials, a teacher appreciation brunch, and a dune bashing safari for students, to name just a few of their activities. Needless to say, this has been a busy year! It is my distinct pleasure to share in this publication some of the many highlights of these past 12th months. DeBakey at Qatar’s SY 2015-2016 Annual Report presents an overview of the great work our school community has done this year toward meeting the eight goals in our 2013-2018 Strategic Plan. It continues to be a privilege to work with such devoted staff, parents, students, and friends who truly believe in DeBakey’s mission. I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone who contributed to making 2015-2016 an exceptionally productive year. Yours sincerely, Linda Mabrie, MA Director2 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016

Advisory Board MembersDeBakey High School for ExternalHealth Professions at Qatar RepresentativesMrs. Linda Mabrie Dr. Khalid AlaliDirector Associate Vice President for FacultyDeBakey High School for Health Professions Affairsat Qatar Qatar UniversityMrs. Rim Kabbara Dr. Rachid BendrissDirector, Student Affairs Assistant Dean for StudentDeBakey High School for Health Professions Recruitment, Outreach, andat Qatar Foundation Programs Weill Cornell Medical College-QatarMr. Issa SaidiDirector of Finance/Administration and Mr. Rifaat CharafeddineOperations Project Planning & ProgrammingDeBakey High School for Health Professions Directorat Qatar Sidra Medical & Research CenterMr. Justin Mabrie Dr. Kim CritchleyDirector, Communications & Admissions Dean & CEODeBakey High School for Health Professions University of Calgary in Qatarat Qatar Mr. Muqsit Hussain Head of Commercial Banking Al Khaliji Bank Dr. Omar Zaghmout Assoc./ DIR. Medical Education Hamad Medical HospitalDeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 3

Commencement Class of 2016 On June 3, 2016, faculty, board members, family and friends gathered for the sixth annual commencement exercise of the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar. Held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, Qatar Minister of Education and Higher Education, the ceremony honored graduates of the Class of 2016 for successful completion of the requirements to earn a high school diploma. Mr. Justin Mabrie, Director of Communications and Admissions, presided as Master of Ceremonies, with a keynote address delivered by Dr. Kim Critchley, the Dean & CEO of the University of Calgary in Qatar, and a member of the DeBakey at Qatar Advisory Board. Dr. Critchley spoke of the strong platform for success provided by a DeBakey at Qatar education. School Director Mrs. Linda Mabrie also addressed the graduates, acknowledging the close ties that had formed between students and staff over the course of their journey together. Of the Class of 2016’s 43 students, 20 graduated with honors. Those who participated in DeBakey’s six-week Hamad Hospital rotations internship were recognized with a certificate of completion presented by Dr. Omar Zaghmout, Associate Director of Medical Education at Hamad Medical Hospital, and a member of the DeBakey at Qatar Advisory Board.4 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016





Strategic Goalsand ProgressDeliver a rigorous, college preparatory curriculumfocused on science, mathematics, technology,engineering and the health professionsFacilitating Authentic Learning Within and Beyond the ClassroomWithin the classroom, our teachers helped students to relate course theory to the realworld through laboratory experiments, case studies, and interdisciplinary projects.DeBakey’s biology, chemistry and physics labs saw increased use after the administrationset new requirements for the minimum number of experiments that must occur in eachscience course. High school students performed a minimum of one wet or dry lab perweek, while middle school students performed a minimum of one wet lab per cycle.Art students completed interdisciplinary projects integrating geometry and IslamicStudies wherein they created optical illusions based on geometric concepts, andgeometric patterns common in Islamic art. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 7



We hosted our first annual science fair this past May, and every DeBakey student tookpart. In the first phase of planning, all science courses required students to prepare aresearch paper which applied the scientific method to a science project proposal. Thisgraded assignment provided a major project grade for the 6th academic cycle, and theScience Department selected the most creative project proposals for inclusion in thescience fair. The chosen projects were then put on display for review by students,parents, staff, and a panel of esteemed judges from the community at large.Judges included DeBakey faculty, a scientific research specialist from the Qatar Ministryof Education, and professors from Texas A&M University, University of Calgary, and theCommunity College of Qatar. The Judges’ feedback was extremely positive, and manycommented that students’ projects were both creative and well presented. The fair wasa tremendous success, providing students the opportunity to apply the scientific methodto research, practice public speaking, and exercise their creative problem solving skills.We intend to host next year’s science fair as a collaborative effort between our Scienceand Health Science Technology (HST) departments. Faculty have also proposed sendingthe top projects to the Qatar National Science Research Fair.Connecting Course Content to the Real WorldDeBakey leveraged partnerships with area universities and medical facilities as well aslocal events to extend students’ learning beyond the classroom. Our studentsparticipated in internships, guest lectures, training sessions, field trips and a host of otherprograms both on- and off-campus.DeBakey was proud to be represented by two 11th graders at Qatar’s 8th NationalStudent Research Fair. High school students attended a Sidra workshop on the ethics,legal implications and social impact of genetics in the Middle East. Students in HealthScience Technology 2 (HST 2) participated in a hands-on field trip to Qatar Prime DentalClinic where they took x-rays, prepared clinical materials and watched a livedemonstration of dental procedures they had learned about in class.Through our ongoing partnership with Hamad Hospital, 12th grade students in DeBakey’sHealth Science Technology 3 course (HST 3) participated in our annual six-week medicalinternship program. This eye-opening experience gave DeBakey seniors exposure to thepractical aspects of medicine, in addition to helping them identify a possiblespecialization once they enter medical school. During the internship, DeBakey studentsshadowed doctors in six different clinical practice areas. New this year was the additionof the Psychiatric Department, where students observed procedures in the mental healthpractice. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 9



DeBakey was also pleased to partner with University of Calgary in Qatar this year, hosting11 nursing students for a three-month community internship. The interns conductedlectures and training sessions, hosted information booths, and interacted with studentsand staff in a variety of structured and unstructured activities. The Calgary studentsgained valuable community experience while sharing their knowledge and experienceas nurses in training.Specific projects included hosting DeBakey’s World Kidney Day, assisting with medicalcoverage for DeBakey’s annual Sports Day, and collaborating with Health ScienceTechnology teachers to apply course theory to the real world through practicalexamples from the field of nursing. The Calgary students also helped our HST students toprepare for their CPR and BLS certification at Hamad Medical Corporation by providinghands-on training and CPR dummies for practice activities.Developing Higher Order Thinking, Creative Problem Solving and Rigorous AnalyticalThinking Skills Through Elective CoursesOne feature that distinguishes DeBakey from other schools is that we offer university-levelcourses through the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program. The purposeof AP courses is to challenge students to use rigorous analytical thinking skills, whileproviding them with the opportunity to receive college credit upon successfulcompletion of College Board AP exams. This year DeBakey offered AP courses in Biology,Calculus, Chemistry, English, Physics, and Statistics, and through our partnership withTexas Virtual School, 10 students took AP Psychology online. In SY 2015-2016 DeBakey’s APprogram saw a total of 52 enrollments from students in the 11th and 12th grades.DeBakey offered Journalism and BIM 2 (the second level of our Business InformationManagement 1 course), as elective courses this year. Journalism students learned themethods of investigative inquiry and journalistic writing, while students in BIM 2 honedtheir project management, interpersonal communication and presentation skills.Plans are in place to offer Business Management, Introduction to Engineering, andIntroduction to Computer Science as additional electives in SY 2016-2017. Staff areconducting outreach to area universities to explore possible partnerships to support inthese subject areas. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 11

Goal: Ensure consistent delivery of high quality instruction.

Ensure consistent delivery of high quality instructionPracticing Sound Pedagogy as A Foundation for Quality InstructionTo support our faculty in maintaining a clear and common understanding of qualityinstruction, DeBakey invested in certifying all Academic Department Heads inAdvancED’s Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool (ELEOT). All teachersreceived training on integrating the core elements of the ELEOT framework: creatinglearning environments that are equitable, supportive, well-managed, active and digital,and ensuring that students are held to high expectations, progress is monitored closely,and students receive immediate feedback on their work. These focus areas werecornerstones of DeBakey’s professional development program this year.Teaching with TechnologyDeBakey made major investments in its technology infrastructure this year, and providedfaculty with extensive training on integrating technology into instruction. We acquired120 digital tablets which students used during class time to conduct research, reviewonline case studies, and complete short assessments. The school also increased thenumber of computer workstations in our library, robotics lab and two computer labs,raising our computer-to-student-ratio to just under 1:2.Faculty participated in a wide variety of in-service trainings on teaching with technology,including hands-on sessions on specific software. One faculty member led a Lunch n’Learn session for fellow teachers, and guest trainers led an after-school workshop on theassessment tools Plickers and Kahoot respectively. DeBakey sent 15 faculty to theExploring ICT in Education Conference presented by College of the North Atlantic-Qatar.Selected conference workshops were offered in Arabic, and were attended bymembers of our Islamic Studies and Arabic department.The school also hosted its first Annual Digital Forum. The entire teaching facultyparticipated in this two-part professional development series which covered six differentinstructional technologies, namely Socrative, Google Forms, Moodle, Google Slides,Zipgrade, and SAMR. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 13

NEED PICTURES OF TEACHING FACULTY IN A PD

Providing On-going Professional Development and Teacher SupportTo support the achievement of our student performance and professional developmentobjectives, DeBakey launched Professional Learning Communities, or ‘PLCs’ as they aremore commonly known. PLCs organize teachers into small groups where they worktogether to strengthen teaching practices and improve students’ academic outcomes.DeBakey’s PLCs were organized by academic department, and their activities wereguided by Data Wise, an eight step process for continuous improvement of instruction tosupport student achievement. These collaborative teams served as a form of on-goingprofessional development in which our teachers shared their expertise, insights andexperiences to help each other more effectively serve DeBakey students.A key feature of the PLC model is the use of peer observations to facilitate teacherlearning. The peer observation framework creates a low stakes, low pressure context inwhich teachers can give and receive feedback on their own and others’ teachingpractices, demonstrate the instructional approaches they have mastered, and shareideas. This year DeBakey teachers observed each other’s classes and exchanged ideason how to approach the delivery of content, or sought examples of ways to integratenew teaching methods.PLCs were just one component of DeBakey’s comprehensive professional developmentprogram. The Curriculum and Instruction Department built a PD calendar for the year,which required teaching faculty to attend a minimum of one extended Thursday orSaturday PD per month. DeBakey was also pleased to send faculty to a wide range ofoff-site training programs on diverse topics ranging from teaching Advanced Placementcourses to integrating technology into instruction.Improve the academic achievement of all studentsAssessing for LearningDeBakey rigorously assesses students to make sure they are equipped to succeed at thecollege level. The school administers both internal and external assessments to measurestudents’ mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)curriculum standards. Outstanding academic performance on internal assessments,classwork, and homework are recognized on DeBakey’s “All ‘As’” bulletin board, andthrough our annual Principal Awards event which celebrates students’ academicsuccess and encourages students to continue their positive progress.DeBakey’s external assessments include the MAP, Stanford 10, PSAT, SAT, and CollegeBoard Advanced Placement (AP) examination. DeBakey uses the NWEA Measures ofAcademic Progress® (MAP) Test to evaluate the extent to which students are meeting orexceeding academic standards. SY 2015-2016 is the third consecutive year that DeBakeyhas administered the MAP Test, and our students complete this assessment in the Fall andSpring to enable the school to measure growth, project proficiency and understandwhere DeBakey students stand in relation to their counterparts at other institutions thatadminister this assessment. DeBakey students’ permance on the Spring MAP test inrelation to US norms is summarized in the graphs that follow. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 15

NWEA MAP Spring General Science RIT Comparison with US Norms S.Y 2015-2016230 228225 223 Average of RIT 221 Spring 2016220 AUvSeNraogremof Norm Spring215 214 215 215 211 213210 210205200 7 8 9 10 11*Only status norms are provided for grades 9 and 10 general science. These status norms describe the distributions ofachievement in general science academic skills and content knowledge for the relevant student populations for these gradesand are useful for screening and placement purposes. Test results should not be used to evaluate performance where sciencecontent is more specialized, such as in topically differentiated high school science courses (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics). NWEA MAP Spring Math RIT Comparison with US Norms S.Y 2015-2016260 255255250 248245 243240 Average of RIT SUpSrNinogr2m016235 231 233 235 Average of Norm230 229 231 233 232 Spring225220215 7 8 9 10 1116 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016

NWEA MAP Spring Language RIT Comparison with US Norms S.Y 2015-2016235 231230 229 225225 221 Average of RIT 222 Spring 2016220 218 220 220 UAvSeNraogrme of 219 218 Norm Spring215210 7 8 9 10 11 NWEA MAP Spring Reading RIT Comparison with US Norms S.Y 2015-2016228 226 226 221 222226224222 222 220220 219 Average of RIT218 218 218 Spring 2016216 AUvSeNraogremof214 214 Norm Spring212210208 10 11 789As reflected in the preceding graphs, DeBakey students on average outperform the USnorm after the lower grade levels. As noted above, student scores in Science wereslightly below the norm in grades 7 and 8, while in grades 9 and 10 students scoredabove the norm, and did so by a progressively larger margin at each subsequent gradelevel. In Math, DeBakey students were above the norm in all grades, and after the 8thgrade, the performance differential increases by a progressively larger margin at eachhigher grade level. 7th grade students performed at the norm in Language, with grades 8through 11 outperforming the norm, while performance in Reading saw average scoresbelow the norm in grades 7 through 9, with 10th and 11th graders performing above thenorm by similar margins. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 17

NEED PICTURES OF STUDENTS OR TEACHER LOOKING AT DATA

Using Data to Adapt Instruction to Students’ Learning NeedsThis year’s longitudinal analysis of DeBakey’s student performance data revealed thatstudent achievement in reading, particularly in the areas of vocabulary andinformational text, has not kept pace with strong scores in Science and Math. Thisobservation prompted school administrators to adopt ‘improving student performance inreading vocabulary’ as a school-wide instructional focus for the year.The Curriculum and Instruction Department employed a two-pronged strategy to meetthis challenge. Academic departments selected and implemented research-basedinstructional strategies for improving vocabulary, and the entire school community wasengaged in a semester-long campaign to achieve significant growth scores on theSpring NWEA MAP Reading test.The administration hosted a dedicated parent night to present SY 2015-2016 Fall MAPscores, to announce the school’s new instructional focus, and to share the school’sstudent growth targets for the Spring MAP Reading test. The administration also hosted astudent assembly to present the Fall scores, and to challenge students to work diligentlyto maximize their growth for the chance to win prizes and recognition in the Springsemester. Curriculum and Instruction staff worked closely with DeBakey’s EnglishDepartment and Librarian to host a ‘March Reading Madness’ competition. Throughoutthe month of March and the first week of April, students independently read books oftheir choice and posted their book reports to the March Reading Madness bulletin boardfor the chance to win door prizes. Participation in the program was particularly strongamong middle school students. In the month of May the PTA collaborated withDeBakey’s Librarian to host a book drive and fair in conjunction with the science fair.Providing Students with Academic Support and RemediationOur Curriculum and Instruction Department introduced Individualized AcademicImprovement Plans as a framework to provide highly targeted support to students withlow achievement. Under this new protocol, teachers worked closely with parents andstudents to identify and document the root causes of low performance, and implementa personalized plan of action to improve the student’s academic outcomes.DeBakey also relaunched its English as a Second Language (ESL) program this year. Wehired a dedicated faculty member to work both one-on-one and in small groups with 7thand 8th graders who were found to be in need of ESL remediation. In SY 2016-2017DeBakey will provide ESL classes for grades 7 and 8, and English for Speakers of OtherLanguages (ESOL) for the 9th grade.High achievers also received targeted academic support. Teachers of AP coursesoffered Saturday and after-school sessions for AP students throughout the month leadingup to AP testing. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 19



Provide students with well-rounded preparation forcollege and career through physical, psychological,character and leadership development programs andservicesEnriching Student Life Through Extracurricular Activities and Special EventsDeBakey’s Office of Student Affairs coordinated clubs, sports, life-skills training andstudent government. Highlights of the year included the INJAZ program, impressivecharitable projects coordinated by the Lend A Hand Club, and various internationalprograms aimed at celebrating diversity and building global awareness. DeBakeyintroduced INJAZ, an afterschool life skills program, for students in grades 7 through 12.Participants learned business skills, and clarified their career interests through interactivesessions with local entrepreneurs and professionals. Given the success of the SY 2015-2016 program, Student Affairs plans to grow the INJAZ program to include more topicsand sessions.DeBakey’s Best Buddies and Lend A Hand club led many of this year’s charitableactivities. The club hosted a healthy bake sale to benefit people living with diabetes inBangladesh, partnered with the PTA to coordinate a pet food drive for the Qatar AnimalWelfare Society, and held ‘Shami Week’, a fundraiser for Palestinians and Syrians in need,among other activities. DeBakey’s relationship with Best Buddies has grown since ourinitial partnership last year, engaging student volunteers to connect socially with personswith developmental disabilities.As a multicultural and international institution, DeBakey embraces diversity and engagesstudents in activities that build their global awareness. Highlights from SY 2015-2016include our International Day and Qatar National Day events where students and staffcollaborated to share rich displays of tradition and culture through student-decoratedbooths, games, national dress, food and dance. We also hosted two internationalstudent trips this year. The Arabic and Islamic Studies Department led our annual Omratrip to Mecca, with close to 20 students participating, and 12th graders travelled toMalaysia for their ‘Senior Trip’. In addition, DeBakey was pleased to send studentdelegates to Georgetown University’s Model United Nations Conference here in Doha.Our sports program was a tremendous success this year. DeBakey students competed inthe Qatar Schools’ Olympic Program and enjoyed major victories in basketball andgymnastics. Our high school girls and boys basketball teams reached the national finals,with girls placing first to take home the gold medal, and boys placing second to takehome the silver. DeBakey girls also competed in the national gymnastics program andsecured third place in the level 3 competition(all around routine) earning the bronzemedal. In individual sports, we were proud to have DeBakey students win a gold medalin tennis, and a silver medal in track and field.This year’s clubs included photography, robotics, cooking, arts and crafts, and debateand public speaking among others. DeBakey hosted the Qatar Debate School’s Leaguefor Girls tournament. Three DeBakey students achieved a top 10 rank nationally. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 21

College Acceptance Rates Colleges and Universities to whichYear-to-Year Comparison 2013-2015* Class of 2016 Graduates Have Been Accepted*100% American University of Sharjah North Carolina State University University of Guelph 90% Arizona State University Northwestern University in Qatar University of Idaho 80% Baylor College of Medicine Pennsylvania State University University of Illinois-Urbana 70% Brandeis University Purdue University University of Kent 60% Brunel University London Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Liverpool 50% Bryant University Rochester Institute of Technology University of Manitoba 2013 Capitol Technology University Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai University of Maryland Eastern Shore Carleton University Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - University of Miami Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar Medical University of Bahrain University of Ottawa Colorado State University Ryerson University University of Portsmouth Columbus State Community College Saint Ambrose University in Iowa University of Regina Dalhousie University St George's, University of London University of Sheffield Georgia Perimeter College Syracuse University University of Sussex Hult International Business School Texas A&M University at Qatar University of Texas at Dallas King’s College London The University of British Columbia University of Toronto Kingston University London University of Brighton University of Waterloo Lawrence University University of Calgary University of Westminster Lehigh University University Of Calgary in Qatar University Of Windsor Maastricht University University of California, Davis Virginia Tech McGill University University of California, Santa Barbara Washington State University McMaster University University of Central Lancashire Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar Middlesex University London University of Denver York University Newcastle University University of Exeter 2014 2015*At the time of the printing of this report, the SY 2015-2016 college admissions process was still underway. Final college acceptance data for the Class of 2016 will be available inSY 2016-2017. The list on the right reflects the set of institutions to which Class of 2016 graduates have been accepted as of June, 2016.22 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016

Providing Students With College Readiness SupportDeBakey’s college counselor provided 11th and 12th graders with information sessions,individual coaching and support to successfully complete their college search andadmissions process. We hosted college fairs featuring postsecondary institutions based inQatar and abroad, and students used Naviance, a career planning software tool, toclarify their professional aspirations and chart a path to success.Through DeBakey’s college fairs, held several times throughout the year, students hadthe opportunity to speak with recruiters from institutions such as Baylor, Chapman,University Of Central Lancashire, Rutgers, and the University of Colorado at Boulder toname a few. In addition, students attended a session on using LinkedIn to connect withuniversities of interest. Students learned how to use LinkedIn to compile and showcasethe kinds of personal and internship experiences that make them competitivecandidates for college admission. The Office of Student Affairs will forge a formalrelationship with LinkedIn to help next year’s 11th and 12th graders leverage strong onlineprofiles to connect with college admissions opportunities.Students in the Class of 2016 were accepted to a wide range of postsecondaryinstitutions. A number of our graduates were admitted to prestigious internationaluniversities here in Qatar, including Weill Cornell Medical College, Carnegie Mellon,University of Calgary in Qatar, and Texas A&M, while others chose to travel abroad tosuch institutions as the Royal College of Surgeons in Bahrain, and the University of Toronto.Leveraging Naviance’s Comprehensive College and Career Guidance ToolsNaviance is a college and career readiness platform that helps connect academicachievement to post-secondary goals. Its comprehensive college and career planningsolutions optimize student success, maximize counselor effectiveness and track results forschools. Therefore; Naviance is a liaison between students, parents and the counselor.Naviance offers a series of career assessments that help students discover multiplecareer options, and plan their career paths based on general areas of interest, and thelevel of education and training required to achieve their individual goals and objectives.These tools allow students to realize their goals, skills, knowledge, values, constraints andinterests to help them make better academic decisions. During this process, studentsgain a clear understanding of the academic preparation required to pursue careers thatare likely to be fulfilling to them.This comprehensive college and career readiness solution empowers students andfamilies to connect learning and life and provides schools with the information they needto help students prepare for life after high school. It also allows students to create a planfor their futures by helping them discover their individual strengths and learning styles andexplore college and career options based on their results. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 23



Family Connection is a customizable planning portal for students and families includingself-discovery assessments, goal-setting, college research tools, course planning, careerexploration resources, and individual learning plans. Parents have access to Navianceand are better able to support their child and are able to track their college searches. Inaddition, parents are able to communicate with the counselor.Through self- discovery and collaboration, Naviance enables students to find collegeand career pathways that are right for them. Personality type, strengths, and interests arefoundational to students’ education, career and life goals. The path to college andcareer readiness begins with self-discovery. The self-discovery tools let students learnabout their strengths and reflect on their interests, while assessments provide suggestionson how to apply personality traits in school, career and life. During this process, studentsgain a clear understanding of the academic preparation required to pursue careers thatare likely to be fulfilling for them. This insight means that students are more likely tosuccessfully accomplish their post-secondary goals.The implementation of Naviance will offer support and additional guidance to thestudents and parents and will be the gateway to college and career planning.Building Character and Student Discipline Through Pastoral and Counseling SupportThis year DeBakey put in place a school-wide values education program that usedfortnightly assemblies to promote each of DeBakey’s pillars of character. Under this newinitiative, students voted to recognize the individual staff member who best exemplifiedthe character development focus for that month. Student Council launched an ‘Acts ofKindness’ box, inviting students to anonymously write down and commend acts ofkindness they witnessed during the course of their day. Selected acts were then sharedwith the school community during character development assemblies.The counseling and pastoral team adopted an open-door policy to create a welcomingatmosphere in which students felt safe to speak openly. The Pastoral Office wasredecorated to promote DeBakey’s pillars of character using vibrant colors, inspiringquotes and text to create a positive and supportive environment.Strong synergy among counseling and pastoral team members spurred many positivechanges to DeBakey’s discipline program. The team used behavior incidents to facilitatestudent reflection and shape character. Before applying more punitive punishmentmeasures, staff employed directive teaching, self-esteem building, and systematicrecognition and reward for positive behavior after infractions.DeBakey placed renewed focus on student attendance. A staff position was created toperform daily tracking of student absenteeism and lateness. As a result, the school wasable to monitor attendance rosters more closely, and communicate with parents whentardiness and absences were approaching unacceptable levels and might result indisciplinary action or academic repercussions. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 25

Strengthen DeBakey's leadership and policy-setting structures In SY 2015-2016, DeBakey unveiled new vision, mission and purpose statements that bring into sharper focus the values and priorities of our students, parents, faculty, and advisory board. All stakeholder groups took part in a comprehensive process to review and revise DeBakey’s vision and mission this year. Through surveys and in-person meetings, the entire school community was engaged in the creation of DeBakey’s current vision and mission statements, and the articulation of a distinct purpose statement. This reflective exercise, in combination with preparations for our AdvancED reaccreditation, renewed our School Management Team’s (SMT) focus on overall organizational effectiveness. To ensure that those at the helm of the institution are well positioned to meet the needs of our students and the organization, a number of key actions were taken to strengthen the school's leadership and policy-setting structures this year. DeBakey created and implemented a professional development plan for the governing body. In addition, the School Management Team revised DeBakey's organizational structure and flowchart to establish clearer reporting channels for all personnel, particularly those filling newly created roles. The administration also established a Continuous School Improvement Steering Committee consisting of governance-, teaching faculty-, parent-, student- and support staff representatives. Through a process of shared decision-making, the Steering Committee provided oversight for a school-wide improvement team structure, and worked collaboratively to review, approve, guide and monitor strategies to enhance and support strong school performance. The School Improvement Steering Committee was also responsible for drafting the SY 2015-2016 School Improvement Plan (SIP) which defined four broad improvement goals:  All students will be proficient in English Reading and Vocabulary.  All teaching faculty will integrate technology into instruction to engage students and facilitate learning.  All teaching faculty will use student data systematically and effectively to monitor learning, adapt instruction and improve student achievement.  The School Community will maintain a positive and supportive school culture and learning environment. The administration conducted a comprehensive review of school policies and procedures to ensure that documentation was complete, and that all new and existing policies had been captured and communicated to the applicable stakeholders. DeBakey’s Advisory Board, which launched in March of the previous year, contributed great value to school decision-making in SY 2015-2016. This esteemed group of advisors and allies included executives from prestigious local universities and medical colleges, as well as members of the medical community and the banking sector. All members provided feedback, guidance and support to the School Management Team.26 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016

Improve school infrastructureMaintaining a Safe, Secure, Functional and Effective Learning EnvironmentDeBakey made major investments in school infrastructure this year. In addition to theaforementioned investments in technology, the school installed artificial turf to providean outdoor soccer field, purchased a small school bus, and began construction on anadditional gymnasium to accommodate simultaneous girls and boys PE classes andsports practices. The school also acquired a portable stage for assemblies,performances, and special events, and we have already experienced cost savings fromavoiding rentals for Principals’ Awards Day, International Day and Qatar National Day.DeBakey’s student body grew 20% in SY 2015-2016 creating the need for a largerteaching corps, and as a result more staff desk space. To address this need, DeBakeyconverted the teacher's lounge into a shared workspace divided into semi-partitionedoffice units, with adjacent open faculty seating.Investments in DeBakey’s library increased the print and digital circulation, introducednew online resources for students and faculty, and enhanced the physical facility. Wepurchased over QR 1,000,000 worth of instructional materials, and we subscribed toEbscohost, an online resource providing access to full text and bibliographic researchdatabases. The library received a minor makeover with the addition of a cozy readingnook, and comfortable slouchy beanbag chairs. This quiet inviting space continues toprovide a place for students to read library books, do homework and peruse magazines. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 27

Ensure the short- and long-term fiscal solvency of the institution This year’s economic downturn negatively impacted both student attrition in SY 2015- 2016, and student recruitment for SY 2016-2017. To make sure that enrollment in the coming academic year is strong, DeBakey explored new ways to raise the profile of the institution among prospective parents and students. While DeBakey continued to pursue strong visibility in the local press, new marketing efforts included hosting a promotion table at Villagio and Landmark Shopping Mall, and advertising in publications such as Marhaba and Doha Family. Targeting new opportunities for cost savings this year, DeBakey’s Finance and Administration Department secured approval from the Ministry of Education to sell, rather than lend DeBakey course textbooks. This represents a ‘win-win’ for students and the school, as students are now able to own these valuable resources permanently, and use them as reference books at the next grade level, while the school benefits from reducing costs associated with replacing damaged and lost textbooks, and reduces the time required to determine how to dispose of old books when new editions are published. The school has continued to leverage rental of the gymnasium and outdoor sports facilities to bring in additional revenue. Create meaningful opportunities for parents to support and participate in student learning and school operations DeBakey relaunched its Parent Teacher Association in SY 2015-2016. The new PTA has been extremely active, holding regular Leadership and General Assembly Meetings, in addition to coordinating programs for parents, students and staff. Initiatives of the PTA have included monthly Rise 'n Coffee and Tea ‘n Talk social events where parents meet and greet each other and members of the staff, a safari desert fieldtrip for students, and an animal shelter fieldtrip coordinated in collaboration with DeBakey’s Lend A Hand club. The PTA also organized dessert decorating, a book fair drive, and a teacher appreciation brunch, among other activities. The PTA has been a valuable resource for promoting parent involvement. As a result of parent feedback, staff incorporated new strategies for parent engagement such as sending out dedicated parent invitations to targeted events, in addition to regular memos and newsletters. DeBakey saw increased parent participation in Qatar National Day, where parents hosted a face painting booth, and International Day where parents provided student supervision or simply attended the event. In addition, parents are now able to sign-up to chaperone off-site school programs through the field trip consent form.28 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016

FThe administration updated DeBakey’s Parent & Student Handbook this year. Thispublication continues to be an important resource for stakeholders regarding theschool’s standard operating procedures, rules, and expectations for student conduct.We hosted our annual parent orientations during the first cycle of the school year toinform parents of key school policies and discipline expectations. Orientations were heldby grade level, and covered school protocols with page number references to theParent & Student Handbook. In the coming academic year, these sessions will emphasizekey components of our grading and attendance policies to improve parentunderstanding of these items.The school will continue to work toward increased parent involvement by creating morespecific roles for parents during school events. Parent initiatives anticipated for nextschool year include a DeBakey family day, career day, and game day, completion ofthe DeBakey Family Cook Book, and more. The PTA will take the lead in developing theseprograms. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016 29

Looking Ahead In SY 2016-2017 we plan to maintain this year’s positive momentum. The relaunch of our PTA, and the spirit of collaboration we experienced during preparations for our AdvancED reaccreditation set new precedents for how members of our school community work together to achieve our vision. We are eager to build upon this year’s successes, and are pleased that many new initiatives for next year have already begun to take shape. To share a small sample of the items we have in store for the year ahead: On the academic front, DeBakey has opened enrollment for the 6th grade. Plans are in place to introduce new elective courses including Business Management, Introduction to Engineering, and Introduction to Computer Science. Staff have reached out to area universities to support and enrich the content that will be presented in these subjects. DeBakey is also in discussions with the University of Calgary about the possibility of offering a Psychology course for university credit. Faculty in our Science Department are exploring ways to leverage next year’s science fair to give students national exposure within the field, and are looking forward to making this event a cross-disciplinary collaboration between the Science and Health Science Technology (HST) departments. The Office of Student Affairs plans to expand existing initiatives that support our life-skills, character building, and college admissions programs. DeBakey will grow its INJAZ program to offer a wider variety of sessions, and topics for next year will include, among others, ‘More than Money’, which will teach students about earning, spending, sharing and saving money, and ‘Career Success’ which will discuss what is required to secure and keep a job in high growth industries. As a follow-on to the social media presentation delivered to our 12th graders this year, Student Affairs will establish a more formal relationship with LinkedIn to both support students in their college admissions process, and to reconnect with the six cohorts of alumni that have graduated from DeBakey as of the printing of this report. In the coming year, high school students will make greater use of DeBakey’s subscription to Naviance, an online platform that facilitates self-discovery, awareness of career options, and overall college readiness. Our PTA will continue to have an active role in increasing parent involvement. Parent initiatives anticipated for next year include family day, career day, game day, the DeBakey Family Cook Book, and more.30 DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar – Annual Report 2015-2016

School Year 2015-2016Faculty and Staff

Michael E. DeBakey High School For Health Professions – Qatar Students’ Success is Our Aim P.O. Box 7582 Doha, Qatar Phone: +974 4499-9851 Fax: +974 4499-9852 debakeyatqatar.org