Hereford & U. S. v. Huntsville City Bd. Of Ed.

1. Hereford & U. S. v.Huntsville City Bd. Of Ed. Public Status Conference August 28, 2019

2. Outline for the Day • Introductory remarks from Christie Finley, Superintendent • Financial Update from Tina Hancock, Chief School Financial Officer • Consent Order implementation update given by counsel for the Parties • Discussion of November 2018 Court Report • Discussion of current issues pertaining to HCS • Opportunity for Private Plaintiffs and Desegregation Advisory Committee members to address the Court • Opportunity for members of the public in attendance to address the Court

3. Huntsville City Schools Strategic Plan HCS Mission Inspire, engage, and empower all students in becoming creative problem solvers, active citizens, and life- long learners through rigorous curriculum and relevant instruction within a supportive environment HCS Vision High Expectations Character Driven Student centered HCS Vision Become a model school system, demonstrating commitment to equity and excellence by ensuring all students graduate with the capacity to compete successfully and contribute responsibly as citizens in a global society Focus Student Learning & Achievement • Learning Outcomes • Whole Student • Professional Growth • Operations and Resources • Community • Connections • Ensure a positive school climate • Increase attendance rates for all students • Implementation of a comprehensive guidance curriculum • Ensure all HCS facilities are safe and promote a conducive learning environment • Maintain an appropriate reserves to cover operating expenses • Solicit feedback from community members and stakeholders • Partner with community organizations to provide enrichment opportunities for students • Focus on Reading and math for all students with intention and integrity • Ensure students are on-track for on-time graduation by the end of 9th grade • Continue to expand career technical programs to align with workforce demands • Ensure all teachers have a positive and supportive work environment • Increase teacher retention • Provide purposeful professional development that directly supports classroom instruction

5. 2018-2019 Highlights • Develop District Strategic Plan • Create plan that would encompass current state accountability measures and Consent Order Green Factors • Identify and organize pillars that support District Strategic Plan • Identify benchmark measures to determine effectiveness of goals • Development of school level and District level tools for tracking implementation of Strategic Plan • Student Achievement Focus • Developed Indicators of Future Success, which were identified by the State as a model (see previous slide) • Created Reading and Math goals consistent with the Consent Order • Identified ACT goals • Supported school leaders in implementing College and Career Readiness Indicator

6. 2018-2019 Highlights • Professional Growth Focus • Renewed the use of Teacher Improvement Plans, which focus on growing our new teachers • Worked with community leaders to develop a plan for expansion of National Board-Certified Teacher opportunities • Developed an evaluation measurement for principals, assistant principals, and District certified staff • Created New Mentor/ Mentee professional learning community for new principals • Operations and Resources Focus • Made strategic financial decisions that progressed the District towards one-month General Fund reserve while preserving the teacher pay-raise • Where possible, protected the classroom by reducing “stuff” and not staff • Realigned District staff to support schools • Conducted high school facilities assessment to determine capital improvements

7. 2019-2020 FOCI • Continued focus on increasing student achievement • Continued focus on teacher retention • Continued focus on transparency and community connectedness • “Year of the Whole Student”

8. 1 9/12=75% 2 3 4 5 General fund analysis 6 7

9. Fiscal Year 2019 Fiscal Year 2018 CASH BALANCES TO DATE

10. Fiscal Year 2018 Fiscal Year 2019 General fund

11. General Topics • General monitoring, reporting, and oversight updates • Notable Changes in the District • School Climate Issues • Rolling Hills Elementary School - Update • Huntsville High School • Jemison High School • McNair Junior High School • Blossomwood and Jones Valley Elementary Schools – Update • Budget Cuts

12. General Monitoring, Reporting, & Oversight • Requests for information from the United States • Approximately 66 from July 2018 to August 2019 • Requests for information from the DAC: • Approximately 35 from August 2018 to August 2019 • Approximately 33 teleconferences between the Parties from August 2018 to August 2019 • DOJ visits to Huntsville City Schools facilities • 2, 4-day site visits since the last status conference (October 2018; February 2019) _______________________________________________________________ • DOJ Comments

13. Notable Changes in the District • Board Member • May 2019: Pam Hill Resigned as District 5 Board Member • June 2019: Carlos Mathews named as new District 5 Board Member by City Council • New CSFO • Retirement of Dr. Tammy Summerville • Splitting the P-8s

14. School-Specific Issues & Updates • Rolling Hills Elementary School • Improved Climate • McNair Junior High • New Principal • Projected Improved State Report Card Performance • Blossomwood Elementary School • Firearm Incident • Jemison High School • Principal Turnover • Projected Improved State Report Card Performance • Huntsville High and Jones Valley Elementary Schools – Update

15. Budget Cuts • Reduced local units by 57.5 for a cost savings of $4,300,000 • Reduced support staff by 16 units for a cost savings of $1,200,000 • Reduced outsourced staff for a cost savings of $150,000 • Combined after school care sites for savings of $75,000 • Implemented fee for Pre-K classes based upon sliding scale for OSR Pre-K classes to generate approximately $200,000 of income • Rebid contract labor to reduce costs by $700,000 • Eliminated 6 bus routes for savings of $380,000 • Eliminated daily stipends/supplements associated with early morning and evening bus duty for savings of $200,000 • Split P-8 schools for increase in state allocations of $600,000 • Reduce curriculum software contracts for savings of $500,000

16. DOJ Comments

17. Student Assignment • M-to-M Program • Magnet School Updates • Enrollment and Capacity Updates • Closure of Sparkman Homes Public Housing • State Magnet School

18. Notable Data from November 2018 M-to-M Transfer Report • Number of Students Offered & Accepted M-to-M Transfers • District-Wide: 307 • Blossomwood Elementary School: 17 • Jones Valley Elementary School: 15 • Hampton Cove Elementary School: 16 • Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary School: 9 • Grissom High School: 6 • Huntsville High School: 78

19. Magnet Successes • Lee Performing Arts – 1st Place in statewide “How We Achieve Excellence in Our School” video contest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQKqHAPxFOg& • New Century - #3 High School in Alabama per NICHE and US News and World Reports • ASFL • State Report Card Grade – Increase from 79 to 86 • Future City Competition – 1st Place Statewide; 3rd Place Nationally! • https://futurecity.org/showcase/asfl-future-city-team-places-3rd-future-city-national-finals • College Academy - houses grades 9th-12th for first time • AAA – Music department expanding to offer students the opportunity to learn instruments beyond strings (recorders, keyboards, percussion, etc.) • Magnet Fair – Over 300 Attendees

20. Diversity in EnrollmentReport X.A

21. Capacity Issues • No changes to the school attendance zones • Growth in Huntsville has led to increased enrollment in certain areas • Hampton Cove Elementary and Middle Schools • Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary School • Other schools at or near capacity: • Monte Sano Elementary • Morris Elementary and Middle Schools • Columbia High School • Grissom High School • Whitesburg Elementary and Middle Schools

22. Closure of Sparkman Homes • All 166 units to be relocated by Huntsville Housing Authority. • Option to move to other Public Housing • Option to move via Tenant Protection Vouchers • Approximately 100 families with school-aged children • Sparkman Homes is zoned for Morris Elementary, Morris Middle, and Columbia High Schools. • The District does not know where the students in these families will end up. • Estimate that closure of Sparkman Homes will be this fall.

23. Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering • Announcements: • President: Mr. Matt Massey • Estimated Opening Date: August 2020 • Location: Research Park • Other Information: • The District is working to obtain additional information about student enrollment. • It is the District’s goal to work collaboratively with the ASCTE so that both the District and ASCTE can meet their goals.

24. DOJ Comments:Student Assignment • M-to-M Program • Enrollment and Capacity Updates • Magnet School Updates

25. Extracurricular Activities • Improved Plans and Goals • Remedying low participation

26. Extracurricular Activities • The District has continued to push schools to set aspirational goals for extracurricular activities. • Each school considers its previous year’s data when determining how to set the goal for the upcoming year. • The District continues to expand opportunities for club offerings: • Power Hour – in high schools • Club Days – in elementary and middle schools

27. Low Participation Issues • In the November 2018 Court Report, the District Reported the following: • In the November 2019 Court Report, we expect to show:

28. DOJ Comments:Extracurricular Activities

29. Equitable Access to Course Offerings • Gifted Education • Honors/AP Enrollment • Proficiency Data • Continued State Testing Challenges

31. Gifted Education Update • As a reminder, the District had difficulties obtaining a waiver from the Alabama State Department of Education • Recently, the District has been made aware of the fact that the ALSDE would reconsider its waiver. • As of August 21, 2019, the District has resubmitted its waiver to the ALSDE.

32. Honors/AP Enrollment • The District is seeing a generally positive trend in Honors enrollment at the middle school level. • The District is not seeing that same upward trend in Honors and AP enrollment at the high school level. • This was a major topic of discussion during the Superintendent’s summer leadership team meetings, and the District leaders are working with the high schools to develop plans for increasing enrollment.

33. Honors/AP Enrollment • The District is seeing a generally positive trend in Honors enrollment at the middle school level. • The District is not seeing that same upward trend in Honors and AP enrollment at the high school level. • This was a major topic of discussion during the Superintendent’s summer leadership team meetings, and the District leaders are working with the high schools to develop plans for increasing enrollment.

34. Honors/AP Enrollment • The District is seeing a generally positive trend in Honors enrollment at the middle school level. • The District is not seeing that same upward trend in Honors and AP enrollment at the high school level. • This was a major topic of discussion during the Superintendent’s summer leadership team meetings, and the District leaders are working with the high schools to develop plans for increasing enrollment.

35. Academic Proficiency

36. Academic Proficiency

37. High SchoolAcademic Proficiency Example Secondary Action Steps • Teachers will develop small group differentiated instruction based on students who need remediation, clarification, or enrichment. • Teachers will develop student engagement activities to increase student participation during lessons. During the month of October, principals and teachers will participate in professional development to increase student engagement. • English, math, and science teachers will use bell ringer activities in grades 10-12 focusing on ACT and ACT WorkKeys skills. • Students will participate in online ACT preparation provided by the Alabama State Department of Education. • Students in grades 11 and 12 will have the opportunity to enroll in an ACT prep course as a regularly scheduled class.

38. High SchoolAcademic Proficiency Example Secondary Action Steps • School administration will observe classroom instruction to ensure consistent and effective instructional delivery. • Teachers will provide reinforcement of instructional standards not mastered by students during Power Hour at least once per week. • Teachers will participate in professional learning communities with the purpose of enhancing teacher effectiveness: effective delivery of instruction, meaningful tiered instruction, development of rigorous daily lessons, and consistent progress monitoring of student achievement. • District wide instructional conversations will occur four times a year to measure the level of implementation of the steps and procedures for closing the achievement gap.

39. Growth Data:Positive Trends

40. Growth Data:Positive Trends

41. Collaborative Classroom Model • As mentioned in last year’s status conference, the District implemented a new model for teaching literacy in the 2018-19 school year called Collaborative Classroom. • Student Success: • There was a 15% and 10% increase in the number of Kindergarten and First Grade students (respectively) attaining benchmark status from beginning of year to end of year during the 2018-2019 administration of DIBELS. • Teacher Buy In: • 89% noticed increases in their students’ writing as a result of engaging with Being a Writer. • 95% noticed improvements in their students’ reading as a result of engaging with Being a Reader, Making Meaning, or SIPPS. • 80% indicated opportunities to collaborate (lesson studies and planning sessions) and embedded instructional coaching had the most impact on their teaching of Collaborative Literacy. • All schools were and are expected to develop master schedules that allow time for teachers to regularly collaborate each week.

42. State Testing Challenges • Alabama State Department of Education found that ACT Aspire wasn’t aligned to Curriculum. • ALSDE has repeatedly changed the assessment for determining grade 3-8 proficiency: • 2016-2017: ACT Aspire is summative (given 1 time) • 2017-2018/2018-2019: Scantron is formative and summative (given 3 times) • 2019-2020: Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program is summative (given 1 time) • This will affect the ability to compare reports year to year • As mentioned in the past, this makes comparing proficiency year over year more difficult.

43. DOJ Comments:Equitable Access to Course Offerings • Gifted Education • Honors/AP Enrollment • Proficiency Data

44. Faculty • Compliance with Singleton Ratios • Committee Demographics • Assignment of Principals and Assistant Principals • Update on Teacher Raises

45. Compliance with Singleton Ratios • Reports shows small number of schools outside Singleton Ratio. McNair and Jemison were the out by the largest margin: • District Wide 28% Black | 69% White | 3% Other • McNair Junior High School 58% Black | 42% White |0% Other • Mae Jemison High School 56% Black | 41% White |3% Other • Throughout the year, these numbers fluctuate as teachers transfer, resign, retire, etc. • This leads to the District needing to take steps to ensure that the ratios stay in compliance with the Singleton Ratios.

46. Diversity on Selection Committees

47. Selection of School Level Administrators

48. Plan to Retain Teachers • National Board Certified Teachers • Annual bonus from the state (as high as $10,000 per year) • Commitment and partnership with industry • Teacher Raises • The District maintained the teacher raise despite the need to correct finances. • Improving climate for teachers • Implementation of the Consent Order is challenging. • Counsel is working with HEA to find ways to better communicate the goals of the Consent Order with teachers.

49. Teacher Raise – Update

50. DOJ Comments:Faculty