Improving Student Learning When Budgets Are Tight

1. Improving Student Learning When Budgets Are Tight Dr. Timothy Mitchell Rapid City Area Schools-Superintendent ASBSD/SASD Joint Convention 2012

2. Reality “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least”

3. Contact Information tim.mitchell@k12.sd.us www.rcas.org

4. Reality What could be your “Crossing Guard” dilemma?

5. Reality Regardless of your political views, the fact is the school budgets are tight. Two related factors are a cause: • The public and most political leaders seem to be unwilling to raise taxes to continue the expansion of public services. • The demand for other services and other commitments means tight state and local budgets.

6. Reality Most people believe today that public schools ask for more money to support the status quo: *Many people do not understand the challenges facing public schools *A vocal minority is dominating the conversation, and that conversation is often based upon myths

7. Reality June 2011 Report – 70% of all school districts across the country had to cut budgets in 2010-2011 and 60% predicted more cuts in 2011-2012. Compounding the fiscal realities is the continuing pressure to increase student performance and close achievement gaps. Simply put, despite decreasing school budgets, educators must boost student learning.

8. Reality Schools and districts must now figure out how to set new strategic direction and align dollars with programs, strategies, and systems that together boost student learning, whether the overall budget stays the same or must be reduced. Schools can’t just cut across the board with no plan for moving forward.

9. Reality Using the education dollar strategically is not accomplished by saying that the dollars will be used only for programs and services that benefit the students as that rationale has been used almost universally for decades.

10. What Does the Public Think? If the public education system in the Untied States must curb its total caloric intake, what diet regimen is most apt to win public support?

11. What Does the Public Think? “How Americans Would Slim Down Public Education” • By Steve Farkas and Ann Duffett • August 2012 • Thomas B. Fordham Institute

12. What Does the Public Think? The public is aware of the situation and does not believe it will get better soon (62% / 77%) The solution lies in cost cutting – not raising taxes (48% / 11%) The public does believe in several specific cost cutting measures:

13. What Does the Public Think? • Shrink administration (69%) • Freeze salaries to save jobs (58%) • If teacher layoffs-effectiveness not seniority (74%) • Larger classes if effective teachers (73%) • Move from traditional pension to individual retirement plans (53%) • Closing or combining schools that have declining enrollment (63%) • Merging small districts so they merge administrative services (63%)

14. What Does the Public Think? When it comes to budget cuts, special education is not immune – that is not to say the commitment to educate children with disabilities is waning but they have concerns with growth, cost and effectiveness of service

15. What Does the Public Think? What do they not want cut: Shortening of the school year (64% reject) Reducing non-teaching staff (70% reject)

16. What Does the Public Think? Where are they split: Charging for extracurricular (32%-good to 39%-reject Hire local artists/fitness experts instead of teachers (49%-good to 48%-reject) Blended Classes (46%-reject) Virtual Schools (32%-reject)

17. What Does the Public Think? Summary • Americans show a great deal of common sense relative to future education spending • The public has some priorities askew when it comes to cost saving measure • Taxpayers is some cases, want to have their cake and eat it too

18. What Does the Research Say? Four resource shifts with great potential: -away from quantity of staff towards quality -from remediation to early identification -from isolated practitioners to teacher teams -from full-time teachers toward creative and effective alternative delivery systems

19. What Does the Research Say? Visible Learning by John Hattie synthesized the results of more than 15 years of research involving millions of students and it represents the biggest collection of evidenced-based research into what actually works in schools to improve learning.

20. What Does the Research Say? “One of the fascinating outcomes of research on school effects is the number of issues in education where achievement evidence is close to zero but the heat is as high as it is as if it would be if the policy were obviously effective.” John Hattie

21. What Does The Research Say? • John Hattie (2009), in his book Visible Learning, examines numerous instructional practices and concludes that teachers working together in collaborative teams to clarify what students must learn, gather evidence of learning, and analyze that evidence so that they can identify the most powerful teaching strategy is indeed the practice that yields the most results in improving student learning. Getting this powerful continuous model in place requires both structural adjustments and cultural shifts.

22. What Does the Research Say? The main outline of a comprehensive strategy to improve student learning and close the achievement gaps in schools with diverse student populations is not a secret. The elements have been described in countless case studies, books, and articles.

23. What Does the Research Say? • Analyzing the current performance situation to include data analysis of student achievement conducted by teachers and administrators. • Setting high goals focused on student performance. This step is not resource intensive. • Changing curriculum and defining effective instructional practices to achieve a more rigorous guaranteed and viable curriculum.

24. What Does the Research Say? • Being strategic about reviewing the financial implications of how schools are organized. • Implementing less expensive ways to schedule students for instruction that will not negatively impact student achievement. • Using a wide variety student performance data to improve instruction

25. What Does the Research Say? • Organizing teacher work in different ways to positively impact student performance. • Implementing a systemic approach (PLCs) to change the culture in order to achieve a more uniform deployment of effective instructional practice into all classrooms. • Investing in ongoing, comprehensive, and intensive professional learning.

26. What Does the Research Say? • Embedding professional learning into the school day. • Utilizing an instructional coaching model to increase teacher effectiveness. A recent randomized trial study of coaching found significant, positive impact on student achievement in all core subjects. • Developing an understanding among all stakeholders that professional learning cannot be viewed as a once and done element.

27. What Does the Research Say? • Providing struggling students with extra help to meet rigorous performance standards. This requires substantial resources. • Distributing leadership across all levels and all roles. • Creating a density of leadership (many leaders) and dispersion of leadership (leaders at all levels) within the system.

28. What Does the Research Say? • Creating a professional culture with high expectations for the learning of all students. • Keeping abreast of ongoing education research continuously searching for the best practices.

29. What Does the Research Say? • Taking teacher and administrator talent seriously. Effective teachers and administrators are needed to successfully implement the strategy. • Embracing a performance culture of accountability for the student achievement results.

30. Reality A strategic approach means aligning the use of resources to a solid, powerful and comprehensive improvement strategy. Further, using the education dollar strategically would mean specific and clear links between the resource and staffing needs of the improvement strategy and the allocations of the dollars toward those resources and staffing needs.

31. What is a Leader to Do? • Public support is clear and strong-take a hard look at spending • Make the tough call-the public wants to support you • It will take courageous leadership to elicit the support needed to prevail • Think strategically-closely aligning resource use to strategies and programs that are known to work

32. What is a Leader to Do? • Avoid short-sighted cost cutting measures-slashing budgets in ways that erode schooling • We must convey the seriousness of the crisis • Present easy to understand and accurate data • Fiscal responsibility while embracing the current research • Strive for an effective, efficient, innovative and creative system • Be prepare for your “Crossing Guard” issue

33. Can Leaders Count on the Public? • Any cut will activate a vocal constituency • Press will cover the conflict • Support until the sacrifice is their own to make • We are pitting public interest versus self interest • The majority that support you are not likely to show up • The opposition that does show up is most probably a vocal minority

34. Can the Public Count on its Leaders • The public is pressing for leaders to make the hard choices • Together we need to confront wishful thinking and avoidance • We need to confront self interest-particularly when adults threaten to overwhelm those of student

35. Resources • How Americans Would Slim Down Public Education • Thomas Fordham Institute-Farkas & Duffet • Improving Student Learning When Budgets Are Tight • Odden • Stretching the School Dollar • Hess & Osberg

36. Resources • How Schools Can Stretch the School Dollar Issue Brief • Thomas Fordham Institute- Petrilli • Smart Money: Using Educational Resources to Accomplish Ambitious Learning Goals • Adams • Visible Learning & Visible Learning for Teachers • Hattie

37. Lincoln on Leadership “ When the occasion is piled high with difficulty, rise with it. Think anew and act anew”