IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT INTERVENTIONS IN VIRGINIA

1. IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT INTERVENTIONS IN VIRGINIA Lauren Morando Rhim, LMR Consulting April 2010

2. OVERVIEW OF DAY

3. CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW

4. LOGIC MODEL

5. FLOOR VERSUS CEILING…

6. DISTRICT ROLES UNDER SIG

7. ADDITIONAL DISTRICT ROLES* 7 *Adapted from Kowal, Hassel & Hassel, December 2009

8. BURNING QUESTIONS?

9. SELECTING THE INTERVENTION: ASSESSING SCHOOL, DISTRICT, AND PROVIDER CAPACITY**Adapted from Center on Innovation and Improvement SIG Webinar series, 3/10 Lauren Morando RhimLMR Consulting April 2010

10. SELECTING THE INTERVENTION MODEL

11. BRUTAL FACT: ADULTS MUST CHANGE BEHAVIOR

12. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PRIORITY SCHOOLS UNDER SIG

13. DRAMATIC SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

14. TURNAROUND MODEL OVERVIEW May also implement any of the required or permissible strategies under the Transformation Model Source: Carlas McCauley, U.S. Department of Education. Presentation for webinar series hosted by CII and CCSSO. January 28, 2010.

15. RESTART MODEL OVERVIEW Source: Carlas McCauley, U.S. Department of Education. Presentation for webinar series hosted by CII and CCSSO. January 28, 2010.

16. SCHOOL CLOSURE MODEL OVERVIEW Source: Carlas McCauley, U.S. Department of Education. Presentation for webinar series hosted by CII and CCSSO. January 28, 2010.

17. TRANSFORMATION MODEL OVERVIEW An LEA with nine or more Tier I and Tier II schools may not implement the Transformation Model in more than 50% of those schools. Source: Carlas McCauley, U.S. Department of Education. Presentation for webinar series hosted by CII and CCSSO. January 28, 2010.

18. KEY COMPONENTS OF TRANSFORMATION

19. ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL…

20. DIFFERENTIATE INTERVENTIONS BASED ON SCHOOL AND SYSTEM CAPACITY*Different Performance/Capacity = Different Intervention * Distribution is not accurate representation of performance/capacity levels distribution

21. Good to Great v. Incremental v. Turnaround GOAL: DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS

22. SELECTION CHALLENGE…

23. INTERVENTION SELECTION APPROACH* *Adapted from Redding (2010). Selecting the Intervention Model and Partners.

24. 1a. DEVELOP MODEL PROFILES

25. VIRGINIA TURNAROUND LEADER PARTNER “The main purpose of the Lead Turnaround Partner Provider is to increase student achievement in the persistently lowest-performing schools. The conceptual framework for Lead Turnaround Partner was created using the work published in The Turnaround Challenge by the Mass Insight Education and Research Institute. A full copy of the report can be found at: http://www.massinsight.org/turnaround/reports.aspx”

26. VIRGINIA TURNAROUND LEADER PARTNER “This model creates a turnaround zone for a school or a cluster of schools. Divisions could form a consortium to engage an LTP to work with a cluster of schools within the consortium. The purpose of this zone is to provide parents of students in persistently low-performing schools with choice and to provide students with an opportunity for additional research-based instructional resources to increase student achievement. This model is centered on the Lead Turnaround Partner (LTP) providing an outside-the-system approach inside-the-system. Under the ultimate authority of the school divisions’ local school boards, the LTP will lead the reform effort within the turnaround zone and be given increased ability to act and authority to make choices.The program within the turnaround zone will focus on instruction in the four core content areas of math, science, social studies and language arts.”

27. VIRGINIA TURNAROUND LEADER PARTNER “The LTP will bring in increased resources to the students served. These resources include people, time, money and programs ... Triggered by parental choice, a school or cluster of schools in a turnaround zone must be led by an LTP that provides deep, systemic instructional reform.”

28. MASS INSIGHT EDUCATION LEAD PARTNER MODEL

29. VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATEMENT OF TLP NEEDS Provide comprehensive, coherent, manageable and integrated instructional and support programs. Recommend which existing programs are to be continued and which programs are to be eliminated. Consistent with the state Standards of Learning recommend alignment of curriculum, instruction, classroom formative assessment and sustained professional development to build rigor, foster student-teacher relationships, and provide relevant instruction that engages and motivates students. Organize programming to engage students’ sense of adventure, camaraderie, and competition. Develop and implement evidence-based discipline programs that minimize time out of school and/or class. Identify and recommend supporting partners to address social, emotional and behavioral issues (e.g., over-age students). Identify and obtain adequate materials from school system resources (such as the Algebra Readiness Diagnostic Assessment (ARDT) or benchmark assessments). Identify and recommend outside resources needed in the reform effort. Develop and recommend a budget to the School Board based on available per pupil amounts of local, basic Standards of Quality (SOQ), school improvement, appropriate Title monies, and special education funding in addition to other sources identified and aligned specifically for the turnaround zone. Work with school division to seek outside funding from the greater community (business, private foundations, federal and state sources) to support the reform effort. Integrate all academic and support services. Provide formative and ongoing reports on program effectiveness to include, but not limited to, student achievement, parental involvement, student attendance, and student discipline. Employ research-based strategies that provide an immediate and dramatic turnaround in student achievement. Work with the school division to recruit and recommend teachers and a leader(s) who have a proven record of success of increasing student achievement. Recommend necessary restructuring of teacher and leader contracts. Develop and engage teachers and the leader in professional development aligned to programmatic goals. Promote student motivation for learning. Secure parental commitment and involvement through school choice. Promote parental capacity to support student engagement, motivation, and learning within school, at home and in the community. Work with the school division to expand community support to garner human resources needed for reform. Evaluate teacher and leader performance and outcomes and make staffing recommendations accordingly. Develop constructive relationships with existing school personnel. Recommend changes to the school calendar according to student and program needs, for example, year-round schools or extending the length of the school day. Require commitment from parents to allow for additional time for instruction (such as after school support). Work with the school division to obtain a commitment from teachers to allow for additional time for instruction and professional development

30. 1b. DEVELOP PARTNER/PROVIDER PROFILES

31. 2. DEVELOP SCHOOL PROFILE

32. 2. DEVELOP SCHOOL PROFILE cont.

33. 3. DETERMINE BEST-FIT MODEL AND PARTNERS/PROVIDERS FOR SCHOOL What improvement strategy will result in the most immediate and substantial improvement in learning and school success for the students now attending this schoolgiven the existing capacity in the school and the district?

34. 4. DEFINE ROLES AND DEVELOP CONTRACTS Given identified capacity and “best fit,” determine what if any role each of the following stakeholders play in the intervention model. What are the performance expectations?

35. Virginia SIG Grant Timeline 35

36. SAMPLE DISTRICT-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

37. SAMPLE DISTRICT-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

38. PITFALLS TO AVOID

39. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE… “So, if a school is struggling, we have to work with the principal and the teachers to find a solution.  We’ve got to give them a chance to make meaningful improvements.  But if a school continues to fail its students year after year after year, if it doesn’t show signs of improvement, then there’s got to be a sense of accountability.  And that’s what happened in Rhode Island last week at a chronically troubled school, when just 7 percent of 11th graders passed state math tests — 7 percent.  When a school board wasn’t able to deliver change by other means, they voted to lay off the faculty and the staff.  As my Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, says, our kids get only one chance at an education, and we need to get it right.” Barack Obama, March 1, 2010

40. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

41. PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING 101*Adapted from Center on Innovation and Improvement SIG Webinar series, 3/10 Lauren Morando RhimLMR Consulting April 2010

42. PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING

43. DEFINITION

44. OBJECTIVE IN VIRGINIA CONTEXT

45. PARADIGM SHIFT…

46. SHIFTING DISTRICT ROLE Leverage outside expertise and market forces to focus resources on school transformation

47. PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKLIST

48. PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKLIST cont.

49. PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKLIST cont.

50. PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKLIST cont.