Annual Report 2014-2015

Michael E. DeBakey High School For Health Professions QATAR ANNUAL REPORT 2014 -2015

Our Mission Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar, an outstanding multicultural institution, provides a well-rounded programdedicated to academic excellence and character development. Our exceptional faculty preparesstudents to compete in a global society through arigorous American curriculum focused on science,mathematics, technology, and health science. The DeBakey community works together to create a collaborative and mutually supportive family atmosphere in which every student succeeds. Our Vision To provide a challenging and well-balanced college preparatory program focused on academic excellence and character development, while empowering students to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Student ArtwoROBOTICS OLYMPIAD COMPETITION 2016-2017rk by Yara Abdelrahim, Class of 2017

Table of ContentsPg. 1 Message from the Director.Pg. 2 Goal 1: Deliver a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum focused on science, mathematics, technology, engineering and the health professions.Pg. 4 Goal 2: Ensure consistent delivery of high quality instruction.Pg. 6 Goal 3: Improve the academic achievement of all students.Pg. 9 Goal 4: Provide students with well-rounded preparation for college and career through physical, psychological, character and leadership development programs and services.Pg. 12 Goal 5: Strengthen DeBakey's leadership and policy-setting structures.Pg. 13 Goal 6: Improve school infrastructure.Pg. 14 Goal 7: Ensure the short- and long-term fiscal solvency of the institution.Pg. 15 Goal 8: Establish positive and productive ways for parents to support and participate in student learning and school operations.Pg. 16 Looking Ahead.

Message from the Director Students’ success is our aim, so we are proud to share the many ways we have lived our school’s mission and vision this year. DeBakey’s SY 2014-2015 Annual Report describes our progress on the eight goals outlined in our 2013-2018 Strategic Plan. In this report you will find an overview of the activities, accomplishments and critical milestones we have crossed toward meeting the goals that define our school’s purpose and direction.We present this report as a reflection of the tremendous work we have donetogether as faculty, parents, students and members of the community. That said,we know that we can never be complacent. We are committed to continuouslyaiming higher, reaching farther and doing more to support our students’ success.When we surveyed our stakeholders this past June, suggestions for how we couldimprove included offering more ways for parents to get involved, providing moreopportunities for stakeholders to contribute to school-wide decision-making, andbringing more fun to the student experience both within and outside of theclassroom.Looking back at the year we have just completed, I feel confident that we havelaid a strong foundation to build upon our achievements, and successfully tackleopportunities for improvement in the year ahead. Thank you for joining us on thisjourney.Yours sincerely,Linda MabrieDirector 1

Goal 1: Deliver a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum focused on science,mathematics, technology, engineering and the health professions. Facilitating Authentic Learning Within and Beyond the Classroom In SY 2014-2015, DeBakey students applied course theory to the real-world through a wide variety of authentic learning experiences both within and outside of the classroom. In addition to completing practical projects in class, students attended seminars, orientations, field trips and other programs connected to their coursework, interests and aspirations. Grade 7 students practiced design thinking when they built and raced ‘edible cars’ in Math. Both 7th and 8th graders participated in International Pi Day on March 14th with a wide variety of hands-on activities to celebrate the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. High school students visited the Sidra Medical Simulation Center, conducted experiments at Texas A&M University, and participated in a hands-on field trip to the Mesaimeer Dental Clinic. DeBakey was also pleased to build-upon its on-going partnership with Hamad Hospital through which 12th grade students in Health Science Technology 3 participated in doctor shadowing and hospital rotations in five different clinical practice areas. Looking to the year ahead, DeBakey re-initiated discussions with Calgary University’s Nursing program to formalize a partnership for SY 2015-2016. Partnership objectives focus on bringing nurse practitioners in training to our campus to expose students to the nursing profession, while providing students at Calgary with valuable internship experience in their local community. 2

Enhancing Course Offerings Through Virtual LearningEach year DeBakey strives to ensure that a wide range of course options are available tohelp students hone their higher order thinking skills and explore their interests. DeBakey’son-going partnership with Texas Virtual School brought new opportunities for 11th and 12thgraders to go beyond the traditional high school curriculum. For the first time, DeBakeyoffered AP Microeconomics, and for the second consecutive year students enrolled inAP Psychology online. 3

Goal 2: Ensure consistent delivery of high quality instruction. Recruiting and Retaining Highly Qualified StaffQuality instruction starts with passionate, skilled and knowledgeable teachers. In a regionknown for its transient labor force, high teacher turn-over is a challenge faced by manyschools. As such, DeBakey employed a variety of strategies to maximize retention ofcurrent staff, and to attract new faculty for the coming school year.Retention efforts in SY 2014-2015 focused on teacher appreciation, while recruitmentefforts focused on diversifying the outreach resources used to connect with high qualityprospects.This year DeBakey introduced Teacher Appreciation Week to honor the value and hardwork of our dedicated faculty. We retained Search Associates, a reputed internationalteacher recruitment agency, renowned for its rigorous pre-screening process, to identifyour newest hires. We also secured employer subscriptions to LinkedIn, and Bayt.com, anonline recruitment database that allowed us to search for regional candidates that areactively seeking new placements for SY 2015-2016.Through a 'faculty sharing' arrangement with the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) wewere pleased to welcome a seasoned college level faculty member to DeBakey'sScience Department. Dr. Pahlavan of CCQ taught Chemistry and AP Chemistry inDeBakey’s Science program, and will continue on as a consultant to the ScienceDepartment in SY 2015-2016 to maximize utilization of the school’s Physics, Chemistry andBiology laboratories.New hires for the coming school year bring impressive pedagogic expertise, contentknowledge, and teaching experience to our existing teaching corps. Practicing Sound Pedagogy As A Foundation for Quality InstructionIn the Fall of 2014, DeBakey faculty were introduced to the Madeline Hunter lessonplanning model. Madeline Hunter requires teachers to use a blend of direct instruction,modeling, and guided practice, ensuring that students have multiple opportunities tomaster content according to their individual needs. 4

Providing On-going Professional Development and Teacher SupportThe school administration initiated integration of the Charlotte Danielson teacherevaluation framework into teachers' individualized development plans. This year theframework has been integrated on a limited basis. Curriculum staff plan to expandusage in SY 2015-2016. 5

Goal 3: Improve the academic achievement of all students. Assessing for LearningThe NWEA Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP) Test is one of the externalassessments DeBakey uses to evaluate the extent to which students are meeting orexceeding academic standards. SY 2014-2015 is the second consecutive year thatDeBakey has administered the MAP Test, and our students complete this assessment inthe Fall and Spring to enable the school to measure growth, project proficiency andunderstand where DeBakey students stand in relation to their counterparts at otherinstitutions that administer this assessment.2015 Spring Science MAP Results* 250240 DeBbaakkeeyyMMeeaann230 Norm220210200 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Ggrade 11 Grade 72015 Spring Math MAP Results* 250240230220 DDeeBbaakkeeyyMMeeanan Norm210200 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 7 6

2015 Spring Reading MAP Results*250240230220 DeBbakey Mean Norm210200 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Ggraraddee1111 Grade 7*11th grade data for Science, and 12th grade data for all subjects was excluded as no norm was provided in the2014-2015 school year.An analysis of our students’ average performance on the MAP by subject area revealsthat in grades 7 and 8, student scores in Science were slightly above the norm, while ingrades 9 and 10, scores were above the norm by a progressively larger margin at eachsubsequent grade level. 11th grade data for Science, and 12th grade data for allsubjects was excluded as no norm was provided in the 2014-2015 school year. In Math,DeBakey students were at the norm in grade 7 and above the norm for eachsubsequent grade level. Average scores in Reading were below the norm in grades 7through 9, while 10th grade students were at the norm and 11th graders were slightlyabove it. Using Data to Adapt Instruction to Students’ Unique Learning NeedsTo ensure that all faculty are effectively using student assessment data toinform their teaching practice, administrative staff participated inprofessional development focused on data-driven instruction. Thetraining received lays the foundation for our administration to provideenhanced guidance and support to teaching faculty in adaptinginstruction to students’ unique learning needs. 7

Providing Students with Academic Support and RemediationDeBakey aims to set students up for success, no matter what their current level ofpreparation is. To support students in need of academic remediation, DeBakey provideda morning tutoring program and partnered with an external tutoring company to offeradditional after-school assistance. The morning tutoring program placed students in anadvisory section with a teacher of the subject in which the student was experiencing lowperformance, allowing for one-on-one help with questions arising from the relevantacademic course. Our partnership with StudyPlus gave students the option to receiveassistance outside of normal school hours when needed.Academic support was also provided to our high achievers. As is our tradition every year,AP course instructors provided Saturday and after school support for AP students duringthe month prior to the 2014-2015 College Board AP testing season. 8

Goal 4: Provide students with well-rounded preparation for college andcareer through physical, psychological, character and leadershipdevelopment programs and services. Enriching Student Life Through Extracurricular Activities and Special EventsStudents participated in extracurricular activities, on-campus and offsite educationalprograms, special events and field trips. Our Office of Student Affairs provided oversightand support for a wide variety of activities ranging from bake sales to raise funds forcancer research and the children of Gaza and Syria, to World Book Day, during whichstudents, teachers and members of the administration took time to read their favoritebooks together.Highlights from this year included our annual International Day on which students andfaculty celebrated the rich diversity of the DeBakey family. Students wore their nationaldress, shared foods from their countries of origin, and participated in a national flagceremony, among other activities. The Arabic and Islamic Studies Department led ourannual Omra trip to Mecca, and our PE department partnered with Al-Rayyan SportsClub for Qatar National Sports Day, enabling DeBakey students, parents and faculty toenjoy a fun-filled day of family sporting activities off campus. 9

DeBakey had a vibrant sports program this year. We increased DeBakey's participationin the Qatar Olympic Program, and were pleased to see our students receive nationalrecognition for their performance in interschool competitions in basketball andgymnastics. Our middle school boys and middle school girls made it to the finals inbasketball, securing second place to win the silver medal. We added gymnastics to oursports program and were proud to secure third place in middle school girls gymnasticsat the national level.DeBakey offered a weekly club period on Tuesday mornings during advisory. Clubsincluded robotics, debate, cooking, yearbook, and arts and crafts to name a few. Plansfor next year include adding additional club options to create new opportunities forstudents to explore their affinities, and to move clubs to after-school to allow more timefor club activities. Providing Students with Comprehensive College Readiness SupportOur college counselor and Office of Student Affairs worked closely with 11th and 12thgraders throughout the year to provide them with information, coaching and support toidentify postsecondary institutions of interest, and to successfully complete the collegeadmissions process. We provided our students with exposure to local and internationalcolleges and universities by hosting college fairs and inviting individual recruiters todeliver presentation sessions to the upper grade levels. 10

100% of the students in the Class of 2015 successfully matriculated to postsecondaryinstitutions. A number of our graduates were accepted to universities in Qatar’sEducation City including Weill Cornell Medical College, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown,and Texas A&M, however many of our students chose to travel abroad to suchinstitutions as UC Davis, University of Beirut, and London Brunel University. The graphbelow shows comparative data on year-to-year college acceptance rates.College Acceptance RatesYear-to-Year Comparison 2013-2015 100%90%80%70%60%50% 2013 2014 2015 Building Character Through Student DisciplineDeBakey created a new staff position to lead our pastoral and counseling services forboys, and to manage school safety and security. In the Spring of 2015 we welcomedMr. Wayne Van Sitters to fill the role of Head of School Safety and Pastoral Services. Mr.Wayne has taken on numerous functions that were previously spread among membersof the School Management Team. His presence has already contributed greatly tostudent discipline and an overall positive school climate. 11

Goal 5: Strengthen DeBakey's leadership and policy-setting structures.The administration took a number of actions to strengthen the school's leadership andpolicy-setting structures. We refined the role of our School Management Team(SMT)which is comprised of the School Director and the Directors of Curriculum andInstruction, Finance/Administration and Operations, Communications and Admissions,Student Affairs, and After-School Activities. Under the leadership of Mrs. Linda Mabrie,the SMT fills a dual function wherein it performs both operations management andgovernance. In addition to managing the school’s day to day operations, our SMT workscollaboratively to guide the school’s overall direction, and to set policies that ensureeffective operation of the school.DeBakey also established an Advisory Board consisting of members of the communitywho are passionate about education, and are highly motivated to advance DeBakey'svision and mission. Their role will be to work collaboratively with the School ManagementTeam to support strategic decision-making. This valued network of advisors and alliesincludes executives from prestigious local universities and medical colleges, as well asmembers of the medical community and the banking sector.The Head Of Department (HOD) role was rewritten for the coming academic year inpreparation to integrate more targeted support for curriculum and instruction and toprovide ongoing mentorship and coaching support to our teaching faculty. Recruitmentefforts for SY 2015-2016 reflected these priorities for the revised HOD role. 12

Goal 6: Improve school infrastructure. Maintaining a Safe, Secure, Functional and Effective Learning EnvironmentEffective learning environments are safe, secure and supportive to students and staff.Ensuring clean, comfortable and functional school facilities is a top priority for the schooladministration, so we took special measures to improve turnaround times betweenmaintenance requests and service delivery. We have outsourced components of ourinfrastructure maintenance to a cadre of reliable vendors with whom we haveestablished long-term relationships, and so far we are pleased with the swift and efficientresponse we are receiving to our maintenance requests. 13

Teachers requested more writing space for instructional purposes during class, and a larger surface area on which to display exemplars and student work, so the school has increased available dry-erase and bulletin boards in classrooms. Growth in our student population, and the need for separate simultaneous boys and girls PE classes and sports practices has created a need for an additional gymnasium. In SY 2014-2015 DeBakey signed a long term contract with a sports services company to install a mobile gym on campus. Installation is projected for SY 2015-2016.Goal 7: Ensure the short- and long-term fiscal solvency of the institution. DeBakey ramped up its marketing efforts in SY 2014-2015 to optimize student enrollment and ensure appropriate tuition revenue to finance school operations in the coming year. We had very strong visibility in the local press that included several placements in the Gulf Times and the Peninsula. Projected enrollment for SY 2015-2016 is at approximately 360 students which would represent a 20% increase in enrollment over the current year. Revenue diversification efforts focused on rental of DeBakey’s gymnasium, outdoor sports facilities, classrooms and auditorium. While we currently maintain ongoing rental contracts with two entities, in SY 2014-2015, we secured additional small rental contracts. 14

Goal 8: Establish positive and productive ways for parents to support andparticipate in student learning and school operations. The school invited parents to attend and assist with annual school events such as Qatar National Day, International Day and Qatar National Sports Day. Parent participation was lower than expected, however plans are in place to consult with parents about how to increase their participation in the future. While in-person participation was lower than expected, we found new ways to connect with our parents in SY 2014-2015. To complement ongoing contact through RenWeb’s parent communication system, we subscribed to an SMS service that allowed us to send text messages to our parents on their cellular phones. To date we have used the system to send follow-ups to school emails, as well as brief notices and reminders. The SMS system will be available for immediate communication with parents in the event of an emergency situation. Our Parent & Student Handbook continues to be an important communications tool through which we inform parents of standard operating procedures, school rules and expectations for student conduct. We revised the handbook, and distributed it at the start of the school year in both electronic and hard copy format. We hosted our annual parent orientations during the first cycle of the school year to inform parents of key school policies and discipline expectations. Orientations were held by grade level, and covered school protocols with page number references to the Parent & Student Handbook 15

Looking Ahead We have accomplished much in SY 2014-2015. As we look to the future, our sights are set on continuing the great progress we have made on all aspects of our current 5-Year Plan. Going forward, our major focus will be to maintain high standards of quality for instruction by making sure that the right team and support structures are in place. We will also look at how we can augment our curriculum to provide more support for English Language Learners, and to provide students with more course offerings that reflect their interests and challenge them to think more broadly. 16