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At Cherry Hill High School West, we working with these teams as well as in of personalized and specific learning
have established an all-encompassing tandem with the Principal and depart- opportunities in addition to the district’s
approach to certify that our focus is on ment supervisors to bolster classroom in-service days. We have been able to
student achievement while ensuring that pedagogy, to create a content specific utilize our Aspirations Team to revamp
students feel a sense of value, accep- in-house professional development our use of faculty and department meet-
tance, belonging, and ultimately Self- academy, coordinate the Quaglia Insti- ing time to develop and instruct biweekly
Worth. We have named this approach tute for Voice and Aspirations to incor- workshops to promote 21st Century
No Child Left Invisible. No Child Left porate Student Voice, and to enhance skills to engage our digitally native
Invisible entails a systematic approach the current Intervention and Referral students in a way that is natural to their
to ensuring that all students experience Services (I&RS) model. learning and comfortable to our teach-
academic success (i.e. obtain a grade We have committed to work with the ing staff. The use of technology has
of B or higher in all courses) or be met Quaglia Institute and as a result have enhanced teaching and learning through
with a corresponding action plan to al- been able to develop a teacher-led the infusion of programs like Google
low them multiple opportunities to do so. Aspirations Team. According to the Classroom, Actively Learn, Edpuzzle,
The No Child Left Invisible approach is Quaglia research, students who have a Lexia, Apex Tutorials, ALEKS, and Pear
not “another thing” necessary for staff to voice are seven times more likely to be Deck. Additionally, we work directly with
do, rather it encapsulates the core vision motivated to learn (Quaglia Institute for prominent consultants to bring in current
and mission of Cherry Hill High School School Voice and Aspirations, 2016). and relevant professional development
West. Administrative duties were revised This work has incorporated on-going to enhance pedagogy and classroom
to include a Coordinator of Student discussion and recognition of self-worth engagement. The staff has worked on
Success. We created three distinct Suc- and engagement leading to motivation Social-Emotional Learning, reaching
cess Teams that meet weekly to identify for learning. We conduct student and struggling math learners, best practices
students who are experiencing barriers teacher voice surveys, and then conduct in World Language Education, the Art
to achievement. Each team consists of focus groups to address their observa- and Science of Writing, and cultural
a study skills teacher, Title I teacher and tions and ideas about our school. We proficiency to recognize the individuality
up to three counselors. We use a grade then incorporate the ideas directly into of our learners.
coherence process for the teachers to classroom pedagogy and into improving We juggle many challenges as educa-
identify struggling students through an the school’s environment. This work led tors. With meaningful exploration and
analysis of root causes as reflected in directly to the introduction of the West planning we have been able to incor-
Hattie’s Visible Learning Study (2011). PD Academy and a strong focus on 21st porate a system of change to intercon-
Action plans are then created once a Century teaching and learning. We used nect each of our systems into a cohe-
student has shown a struggle in meet- a survey to collect the ideas of staff for sive focus on student voice, student
ing an A or B in a core content course. their desired professional development achievement, and ultimately No Child
The Coordinator of Student Success options, which led to the development Left Invisible.
was charged with the responsibility of

References
Hattie Ranking: Backup of 195 effects related to student achievement. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://visible-learning.org/
hattie-ranking-backup-195-effects/
Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations. (2016.) School voice Report 2016. Retrieved from quagliainstitute.org/
dmsView/School_Voice_Report_2016
Quaglia, R. J., & Corso, M. J. (2014). Student Voice: The Instrument of Change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

About the Authors
Dr. Kwame R. Morton is the principal of Cherry Hill High School West in South Jersey. As the first African-
American appointed as a principal in a Cherry Hill high school he has focused his efforts on providing
students with access, opportunity and equitable outcomes while promoting 21st Century teaching and
learning strategies. He has held a variety of administrative roles and positions. Prior to serving as the
principal of Cherry Hill High School West he served as the principal of Joyce Kilmer Elementary of School
(Cherry Hill, NJ). He obtained a National Turnaround Specialist Credential while serving as the principal of
Frederick Douglass Elementary School (Philadelphia, Pa). He has served as an assistant principal in Thomas Fitzsimmons
HS (Philadelphia, Pa) and Public School 188 (Brooklyn, NY). Dr. Morton began his career as a teacher in the New York City
Department of Education working at Public School 288 and Public School 188.
Allison Staffin has been part of the Cherry Hill Public Schools since 1991. She began her career as
a social studies teacher spending 12 amazing years in the classroom at Cherry Hill High School West.
Now in her 15th year in administration, Allison is an Assistant Principal at High School West, and was
honored to be named the 2016-2017 NJ Visionary Assistant Principal of the Year.

Educational Viewpoints -37- Spring 2019