From: Campbell, Carri J

To: O"Connor, Roxane A

Cc: Davies, Ashley E; Kim Schmanke; Nakanishi, Rachel
Subject: Top thoughts for each question from Vendor
Date: Friday, January 5, 2018 9:20:49 PM

Roxane - here you go. These are the top thoughts (scored the highest and # of times) for each
open ended question. Only for questions 1 and 2. We will need the data pull from the vendor
for question three. Q3 was: what other questions do you have? I recommend Melissa reads
through the PPT deck I sent to better understand the methodology. Top thoughts from each
school (up to 20 were selected, tagged, and themed) those then rolled up into a district
view. These are direct quotes from participants.We haven't made any changes. Let me know if
you need anything else! Carri

Answers provided in rank order based on community scoring.

Q1: Considerations
Equal Access (95 comments in this area)
o AP should be available to all students, not just those in the "AP/HCC track".
o Merely offering some AP courses at one HS does not equate to dedicated Advanced
Learning Services (ALS) offered at another HS. Just because a high school offers AP courses
does not mean our students will receive the same high quality of education as at a HS with
dedicated ALS.
o Making sure it's available and accessible to our students. It's important to offer advanced
learning opportunities to keep our kids interested, engaged and challenged.
o Advanced Learning opportunities should be available at every high school, in the school
itself (not just Running Start)
o All students deserve to be able to work to their highest potential in the schools in their
neighborhoods.
o Accommodate advanced learning opportunities in all high schools
o Students shouldn't have to be segmented into special schools or groups to take higher level
course work than their same-age peers at high school.

Availability of Advanced Education (75)

o Have more advanced learning classes available in our local high school.
o I find the local science choices too limited.
o Availability of many AP courses, quality of teaching, good school spirit
o HCC students need to be challenged enough to stay interested. They need to feel proud of
and connected to the school
o HS students need access to a diversity of challenging classes, including a variety of AP
offerings.
o For HCC pathway students who have experienced years of acceleration, and in order to grow
they need to be challenged in HS, which requires depth of AP
o The necessity of sufficient north-end AP opportunities for students coming out of HCC in
middle school
o Garfield can no longer serve HCC needs; kids need to be able to continue on an AP pathway
in neighborhood schools, and not pushed into Running Start.
o Ensuring that there are adequate advanced learning opportunities throughout the four years
of high school
o With the 24 credit requirement it is important that there are in depth, meaningful, rigorous
classes available for students throughout high school.
Support for Advanced Learners (28)
o Seattle is incredibly fortunate to have the HCC program and it should be improved and
valued.
o HCC's magnet school approach provides a free public option and critical mass for a large
group of high-achieving, motivated kids.
o If the pathway moves from Garfield, Will there be sufficient access to the level and
complexity of classes my student needs
o If Garfield is no longer an option how can the district guarantee that the school my student is
assigned to will be prepared to meet my child's needs?
o Establish a North Seattle Advance Learning High School
o Many North Seattle advanced learning students do not attend the current Advanced Learning
High School because of over crowding, transportation issues.
o HCC high school pathways shouldn't be changed if the result is that some HCC students
cannot access a full selection of AP classes or IB program.
o Parents enrolled their students in HCC, and made tradeoffs, with the understanding that it
would provide access to this challenging coursework.
o The most important thing for us is to make sure an advanced, challenging HCC level
program is in place for our children.
o Removing the HCC pathway in the name of equity is a mistake. Instead, more
underrepresented kids should be tutored so they can pass the admission test

Q2: Access
Equal Access (54 thoughts)
o Accommodate academically bright students and offer AP and acceleration in all high
schools, while offering specialized instruction at some.
o Make more opportunities available to all and specialized opportunities (arts, woodworking,
welding, sports, STEM) for some to reduce HCC frenzy
o Advanced Learning should happen in more than just Garfield for all central and southend
children.
o West Seattle is a huge community now and it is not an easy task commuting for work let
alone as a 15 year old. There should be access closer to home.
o Advanced learning should be at all schools
o Place the advanced learning program in all schools and eliminate the need to "opt in" to the
program.
o Offer more AP courses at all high schools in the district.
o Ensure that access is equal across all parts of the city.

Availability of Advanced Education (66 top thoughts)

o Offer more AP classes at West Seattle HS
o There is a natural HCC pathway developing in WS - let's accommodate it.
o Offer more advanced classes at the HS - not running start
o Students need to have a high school experience and be academically challenged in high
school. A 16 yr old isn't socially equipped for college.
o Have all the classes available for those who can handle the material
o After testing into and taking level 4 as 9th graders, they were not allowed to proceed in their
learning as 10th graders into AP
o More advanced course offerings, particularly in science. Most neighborhood schools do not
offer four years of science courses for HCC students.
o Students should be able to attend the classes they need at their neighborhood high school
without going to a community college.
o Have more classes available.
o Access for all students

Eligibility Testing (42 thoughts)

o Continue to test all kids for HCC at a young age and do the same in early 5th grade.
o Kids improve at different times. When you actively look for more high-achieving kids, you
will find more.
o Test all students in first grade
o This was a secret and arcane process when our son started HCC five years ago. If you
weren't in the know, your kid wasn't getting in
o Encourage teachers to identify potential AL students and recommend that they be tested,
instead of solely relying on parent referrals
o Some capable students may not have the parental support and involvement - teacher support
can ensure they receive AL testing and opportunities
o Institute District-wide HCC testing in First Grade to all students.
o Students of color are greatly underrepresented in the HCC program. If testing is at school all
can participate.
o Separate math and language test scores for HCC admission.
o This requirement guarantees that the immigrant ESL kids in South Seattle don't qualify for
the HCC program. We're missing great math students.