Idaho Statewide System of Support Coordinating Multiple Systems to Support Idaho’s Schools and Districts

1. Steve Underwood, Statewide System of Support Director Jodie Mills, Systems Improvement Coordinator Lisa Kinnaman, School Improvement Coordinator Idaho Statewide System of SupportCoordinating Multiple Systems to Support Idaho’s Schools and Districts

2. Each state must establish a “statewide system of intensive and sustained support and improvement for districts and schools.” – NCLB Statewide System of Support Overview • You don’t change performance without changing the instructional core. The relationship of the teacher and the student in the presence of content must be at the center of effort to improve performance. If you can’t see it in the classroom, it’s not there. - Richard Elmore, Harvard University

3. The Logic Model Behind our Theory of Action Outcomes Impacts Activities Idaho Building Capacity (IBC) Network A cadre of highly trained and experienced Capacity Builders with the knowledge and skills to coach district and school leaders to implement the elements of effective reform • Elements of Effective School Improvement • IF the SSoS provides effective supports and services that result in district and school staff and administration who: • Possess a sense of urgency about the need to continuously improve the instructional core • Establish ongoing learning communities that foster a sense of collective responsibility for students and deprivatize practice in order to focus on continuous improvement at the instructional core • Analyze multiple sources of data to monitor, guide, and adjust instruction at the system and student level • Utilize available instructional leadership to effectively implement efforts to improve the instructional core • Implement a system to immediately and effectively identify and provide interventions and services to address the needs of students • Align the enacted curriculum with state standards Schools as Learning Communities Teachers will possess the knowledge, skills, and attitude to effectively engage in efforts to continuously improve the instructional core • Build School Capacity • IBC Training and Support • Instructional Leadership Trainings • Other Support Services* • Build District Capacity • Idaho Building Capacity Training and Support • Superintendents Network of Support • Focus Visits • RTI Training and Support (plus LEA grants) • Other Support Services * • PBIS Training and Support • School Leadership • School leadership that: • Instills a sense of urgency for improvement efforts and advocates for continuous improvement of the instructional core • Implements policies and practices that support ongoing learning communities • Supports effective use of data to inform instruction • Ensures effective use of instructional leadership • Proactively works to establish an effective RTI system • Establishes mechanisms to ensure enacted curriculum is aligned with standards Successful Students Students will be engaged in more effective learning experiences that will result in improved academic achievement and greater success in school and future life experiences • Improvement Plan Monitoring • A mechanism to: • Provide schools and district with clear guidelines for developing improvement plans • Review, provide feedback, and hold schools and districts accountable for their improvement planning Sustained Improvement Infrastructure SDE and district policies and procedures are in place to monitor and support continuous improvement of the instructional core • District Leadership • District leaders who: • Instill a sense of urgency for improvement • Implement policies, processes, and practices that sustain continuous improvement efforts • Develop and support instructional leadership • Operationalize a district-wide RTI infrastructure • Operationalize a comprehensive district-wide assessment system District and School Improvement Plans (WISE Tool) Well developed improvement plans that address the elements of effective school improvement

4. 9 Characteristics of High-Performing Schools Clear and shared focus High standards and expectations for all students Effective school leadership High levels of collaboration and communication Curriculum, instruction, and assessments aligned with state standards Frequent monitoring of learning and teaching Focused professional development Supportive learning environment High level of family and community involvement

5. Requirements for Schools & LEAs in Improvement Status

7. School Improvement Planning Improvement Plans, including the documentation of Corrective Action and Restructuring Plans, are to be submitted in the Idaho online planning tool called the WISE Tool, developed by the Center for Innovation & Improvement.   Improvement Plans are required of Year 1 Improvement Status & Beyond 2-Year Review Cycle LEA is Responsible to Review School Improvement Plans for Quality SEA is Responsible to Review District Plans for Quality, and Compliance Check School Improvement Plans School Board Chair’s signature is required on Assurance Pages NEW DUE DATE FOR PLANS: Assurances for School Improvement Plans due to State School Improvement Office by March 1, 2011

8. Beyond Restructuring – New School Status The Idaho Board of Education has authority under NCLB to grant New School Status to schools that have substantially restructured. New Schools must demonstrate how they are highly distinguishable from the way they looked when first entering into AYP needs improvement status and that significant achievement gains have been made. To evaluate the changes a school has made, the Subcommittee on Restructuring evaluates the evidence that the school has submitted via a comprehensive portfolio that represents what the school has accomplished. The Subcommittee evaluates such schools holistically to make such a determination and recommends the New School status for approval to the Board of Education, which makes a final decision. Any school recommended and approved as a New School is thereby exited from AYP restructuring and begins with a fresh start on the AYP timeline.

9. School/District Improvement Plans The official list of those schools and districts that are required to submit School/District Improvement Plans in this year’s review cycle can be found at: http://csi.boisestate.edu/Improvement/SIPlans.html For more information about School Improvement status and AYP, visit the Report Card website: https://www.sde.idaho.gov/reportcard/

10. WISE Tool The WISE (Ways to Improve School Effectiveness) Tool has many support features built into the tool that provides schools and districts with best practice research at their finger-tips, linked to the areas used for planning. Idaho is currently using the WISE Tool for the following: School Improvement, Corrective Action, & Restructuring Plans Title I Schoolwide Plans Special Education Performance Success Factor Plans Parent Involvement Analysis Regional Support Sessions will be offered throughout the fall. Additionally, onsite technical assistance can be provided upon request. A Webinar overview presentation of the WISE Tool can be accessed at: http://csi.boisestate.edu/improvement/WISETool.html

11. Center on Innovation & Improvement The Center on Innovation & Improvement is one of the National Content Centers supported by the U.S. Department of Education. They created, house, and support the Indistar System, called the WISE Tool in Idaho, and serve as a critical partner with the Department of Education and the Center for School Improvement at BSU. The Center on Innovation & Improvement is a partnership of the Academic Development Institute (Lincoln, IL), Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education (Philadelphia, PA), and Little Planet Learning (Nashville, TN). www.centerii.org

12. Additional WISE Tool Resources More information on the WISE Tool can be found at http://csi.boisestate.edu/Improvement/WISETool.html School Improvement Plan Writing Workbook Title I Schoolwide Planning Workbook WISE Tool PowerPoint WISE Tool District Indicators WISE Tool School Indicators WISE Tool Brochure WISE Tool Sample Login & Access Descriptions Crosswalk of WISE Tool School Indicators and the Nine Characteristics of High Performing Schools Crosswalk of WISE Tool School Indicators and Danielson Framework Crosswalk of WISE Tool School Indicators and the Instructional Review

13. Regional School Improvement Workshops Districts that are in Needs Improvement Status, and/or have a School in Needs Improvement Status are invited to send a team of up to 5 participants to a Regional School Improvement Workshop. It is asked that the Superintendent, Federal Programs Director, and Special Education Director be represented. The Workshop will focus on all areas of WISE Tool related planning: School Improvement, Corrective Action, Restructuring, Title I Schoolwide, Parent Involvement Analysis, Special Education Performance Success Factors, Indicators in Action, Resources, Supports, etc. To register for these sessions, visit: http://csi.boisestate.edu/improvement/SIWorkshops.html North Southeast Southwest October 5 Coeur d’Alene October 6 Lewiston September 21 Idaho Falls September 23 Twin Falls September 17 Nampa September 27 Boise

14. School ImprovementSupport & Programs

15. Regional School Improvement Centers School Improvement Programs Organized Regionally Services of Capacity Builders Technical Assistance Partnership with Idaho Universities as Regional Support Centers Director of Statewide School Improvement Programs (BSU) Lisa Kinnaman, lisakinnaman@boisestate.edu North Idaho School Improvement Coordinator (U of I) Gail Hanninen, gailh@uidaho.edu Southwest Idaho School Improvement Coordinator (BSU) Rosie Santana rosiesantana@boisestate.edu Southeast Idaho School Improvement Coordinator (ISU) Deb Pfost, pfosdebr@isu.edu

16. Idaho Building Capacity Project Goal: To significantly raise and sustain student achievement Build leadership capacity and technical knowledge of school improvement at all levels Empower local leadersto build their own internal capacity to sustain and continually evaluate, adjust, and implement school improvement efforts Build capacity for Idaho to systemically offer assistanceto schools and districts in needs improvement status Currently serving 91 sites statewide Cohort IV Applications are due to the Statewide School Improvement Office by October 15, 2010.

17. Idaho Building Capacity Project Three-year Enrollment Differentiated & specific support each year Year One: 8 Hours/Week Year Two: 15 Hours/Month Year Three: 8 Hours/Month Can Only Serve Title I Schools and Districts Professional Development & Technical Assistance Capacity Builders Outside Consultant/Highly Distinguished Educators Trained by the state to provide onsite and ongoing professional development in the technical aspects of school improvement CBs Work with School AND District Leadership Teams More information on the IBC Project can be found athttp://csi.boisestate.edu/Improvement/IBC.html

18. North Regional IBC

19. Southeast Regional IBC

20. Southwest Regional IBC

21. Superintendents’ Network The Superintendents Network is a project developed by the State in conjunction with BSU’s Center for School Improvement and the University of Washington’s Center for Educational Leadership to support the work of district leaders in improving outcomes for all students by focusing on the quality of instruction. The network is comprised of over 30 superintendents who work together to develop a cohesive and dedicated leadership community focused on excellence in teaching. They support each other as they bring about change and collectively brainstorm obstacles that may prevent improvement in the quality of the instruction in their districts. The Department acts as a resource and provides the necessary research, experts, and planning to bring superintendents from across the state together to discuss self-identified issues. The Superintendents Network is being coordinated by: Dr. Marybeth Flachbart Deputy Superintendent, Division of Student Achievement & School Improvement mbflachbart@sde.idaho.gov Phone: (208) 332-6973 More information can be found at:http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/sasa/

22. Principal Academy of Leadership (PALs) The Principals’ Academy of Leadership was originally designed to support Middle School principals during the early years of NCLB when other programs were largely used to meet the needs of elementary school leaders. Over time, PALs opened up to others and focused on helping principals connect the moral imperative of leadership to the instructional delivery of standards based curricula. The original funding stream for PALs is no longer available, so the State found a way to secure funding through ARRA for 2010-11. However, because the use of ARRA funds falls under different federal regulations in terms of appropriation requirements, the program is temporarily delayed and will undergo some programmatic revisions to enable it to both meet fiduciary requirements as well as to better serve principals throughout the state. Keep an eye out in the weekly Superintendent’s Weekly e-Newsletter for details to come.

23. Focus Visits In order to determine differentiated support to districts and schools, Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) has reinstituted Focus Visits as an observational review process to assist persistently low-performing schools and districts. This process is directly correlated with WISE Tool indicators. The review process includes: Teacher Interviews and Classroom Observations Superintendent/Principal/Central Office Interviews Focus Group Interviews with Instructional Staff, Support Staff, Leadership, Students, and Parents Perceptional Survey Data Document/Evidence Review Focus Visits are being coordinated by: Jodie Mills Systems Improvement Coordinator, Statewide System of Support jmills@sde.idaho.gov Phone: (208) 332-6869

24. Principal Effectiveness Effective instructional leadership is a critical component of school improvement. As part of the SIG with Tier I and II schools, and in partnership with Superintendent Judi Sharrett of Plummer-Worley, the SSoS team is developing a process for district leaders to examine principal effectiveness. The process will be used to support conversations around instructional leadership, with plans to make it available for voluntary adoption elsewhere, and is intended to assist district leaders in improving the overall quality of instructional leadership. Research from Marzano and Public Impact will be utilized to create both the process and a tool. The data gathered from this process will be used to inform professional development decisions related to Tier I and II “Turnaround” Schools. Supports for Principal Effectiveness are being coordinated by: Jodie Mills Systems Improvement Coordinator, Statewide System of Support jmills@sde.idaho.gov Phone: (208) 332-6869

25. Programs and Supports Available to All Districts

26. School Improvement Webinars Archived School Improvement Webinar Trainings 9 Characteristics of High Performing Schools Mega Systems & Idaho Instructional Leadership Effective Teaming Instructional Planning & Delivery Classroom Culture Collegial Learning WISE Tool Delivered through Idaho Live Archived Presentations (http://idla.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_41_1) Presentations & Resource Materials Available (http://csi.boisestate.edu/Improvement/MonthlySIWebinars.html)

27. Special Education Statewide Technical Assistance (SESTA) The Special Education Statewide Technical Assistance project is committed to building statewide capacity within school systems and empowering special education staff to become instructional leaders and experts in their specific field of study. Support statewide initiatives through training and technical assistance Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Idaho Mentor Network (ESCE, K-8, and Secondary) New Teacher Orientation and Training Special Education Statewide Technical Assistance efforts are coordinated by: Gina Hopper Statewide Special Education Technical Assistance Coordinator ginahopper@boisestate.edu Phone: (208) 426-4363

28. Regional Special Education Consultants Partnership with Idaho Universities as Regional Support Centers Statewide Special Education Technical Assistance Coordinator Gina Hopper, ginahopper@boisestate.edu University of Idaho North Idaho Special Education Regional Consultants Beverly Benge, bbenge@uidaho.edu Kathy Buswell, kbuswell@uidaho.edu Boise State University Southwest Idaho Special Education Regional Consultants Robin Carter, rcarter@boisestate.edu Debbie Smith, debbiesmith@boisestate.edu Idaho State University Southeast Idaho Special Education Regional Consultants Beth Eloe-Reep, eloebeth@isu.edu Frank Howe, howefran@isu.edu Rich Henderson, hendrich@isu.edu

29. Response to Intervention The State is committed to supporting the implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) as a framework for continuous improvement since it provides high-quality, standards-based instruction and research-based systematic interventions for all student needs. As such, the state provides differential levels of support to districts. Available to All: The State is providing a three module training series in the Fall, Winter, and Spring that is available regionally to district leadership teams. Available via Grant: The State is continuing to provide RTI Grants to selected districts. A cadre of individuals who are also Capacity Builders have been selected to specialize in the RTI framework and serve as district coaches to assist with RTI design and implementation. For more information contact: Nancy Thomas Price Response to Intervention Coordinator nthomasprice@sde.idaho.gov Phone: (208) 332-6979 More information can be found at:http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/rti/

30. Parent and Community Involvement Similar to the WISE Tool, the State has partnered with Academic Development Institute (ADI) to provide the Parent Involvement Analysis (PIA) as a companion tool that helps districts and schools assess and meaningfully address parent involvement policies and practices. The use of the PIA supports districts in meeting Title I regulations and creating a plan to meaningfully involve parents in decision-making centered on continuous improvement. Analysis and planning takes place at a school level, but the tool allows for district and state review and support. For more information please contact: Matt Hyde Parent & Community Involvement Coordinator mhyde@sde.idaho.gov

31. Federal Program Monitoring & TA Compliance - It's the LawMonitoring federal programs helps ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. Compliance monitoring has been significantly redesigned with the intent of being a collaborative partnership between the State and district. Technical Assistance - We're here to helpState monitoring teams provide technical assistance during the review visit and beyond. It is not the State's intent to tell a district how to run its programs, but rather to answer questions, facilitate dialogue, and exchange ideas and information for program improvement while, at the same time, leveraging all federal requirements to benefit both students and the district. Building Relationships - We're in this togetherSuperintendent Luna's main objective is to raise student achievement for Idaho's school children. We view our role as a way of supporting districts while ensuring through compliance procedures that federal money continues to flow to Idaho districts.

32. Federal Program Monitoring & TA Contacts Marcia Beckman Fernanda Brendefur Director of ESEA/Title I Programs Coordinator of Title III (LEP) mmbeckman@sde.idaho.govFMBrendefur@sde.idaho.gov Mary Lou Wells Joe Burris Coordinator of Title I-C (Migrant) Coordinator of Title II-A (Teacher Quality) JBurris@sde.idaho.gov MLWells@sde.idaho.gov Karen Seay Coordinator of Title I-A (Basic Programs) & X (Homeless Education) kjseay@sde.idaho.gov

33. Statewide Framework for Teacher Evaluations As Idaho has moved to utilizing the Danielson Framework for Teaching as a formative evaluation tool, various supports are available to all districts throughout the state. Among other things, the State is providing access to online training modules, available at no cost to districts, through Educational Impact. For participants in the Idaho Building Capacity Project, individualized technical assistance can be designed to coordinate with the Danielson Framework. Several Capacity Builders have also been identified as experts in the Framework and partner with the Professional Standards / Teacher Certification team to support the larger state rollout and training process. Teacher Evaluation and the Danielson Framework are coordinated by: Christina Linder Director of Professional Standards / Teacher Certification cplinder@sde.idaho.gov (208) 332-6884 More information can be found athttp://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/teacherEval/.

34. Contact Us Steve Underwood Director, Statewide System of Support Idaho State Department of Education (208) 332-6922 sunderwood@sde.idaho.gov Lisa Kinnaman, Ed.D. Director, Statewide School Improvement Programs Center for School Improvement & Policy Studies at BSU (208) 426-4852 lisakinnaman@boisestate.edu Jodie Mills Coordinator, Systems Improvement Idaho State Department of Education Phone: (208) 332-6869 Jmills@sde.idaho.gov