Learning Intentions

2. “(Our) ultimate goal is to have all kids succeed. The pathway might change, could be flexible, but the goal never changes. It’s ultimately about ensuring that all kids succeed.” - Teacher, Maple School

3. Learning Intentions During today’s presentation, you will learn about: • The characteristics of effective Vermont schools identified by a large-scale teacher survey • What these characteristics look like “on the ground” from in-depth site visits to three schools that are “beating the odds” 3. The value of a systems approach to school improvement

4. Study Context • Vermont has a large poverty-based achievement gap. • Low-income students do not perform as well on assessments like NECAP and NAEP as their wealthier peers. • In addition, they are more likely to drop out of high school. • Compared to other demographically similar states, Vermont is not doing any better or worse even though we outperform those states in the aggregate.

5. Research Questions Are there any schools in Vermont that are “beating the odds,” i.e. where students excel academically even though many of them come from low-income backgrounds? What makes those more effective than others?

6. Value of Study • Studies of characteristics of successful high-poverty schools are not new. • But much of the current literature focuses on gaps between white and minority students in large, diverse, urban school systems. • It is important to identify factors in place in Vermont schools that contribute to the academic success of all students, particularly low-income students. • We now have state-specific information, aligned to national research, on how to improve outcomes for students.

7. Study Design • Combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. • Quantitative: Large-scale survey of more than 2000 teachers in 87 medium-high density poverty and medium-large size schools across the state. • Qualitative: Intensive site visits to three schools with student performance histories that defy expectations and trump those of schools with similar demographics.

8. Study Timeline • Study design developed winter 2007. • DOE assembled and convened advisory panel spring 2008 (met three times over next year). • Teacher survey conducted fall 2008. • Site visits conducted spring 2009. • Study release date: October 2009.

9. Advisory Panel Bonnie Bourne (Principal, Mary Hogan School) Jeanne Collins (Supt., Burlington School District) Adrienne Fisher (Dir. Support Services, FWSU) Joseph Mark (Academic Dean, Castleton State) Bob Pequignot (Principal, MVU) Theodore Riggen (Principal, Barre Town School) Mary Lynn Riggs (Curriculum Coord., FWSU) Becky Sausville (Special Educator, MAMS) Katharine Shepherd (Professor of Education, UVM) Paul Smith (Curriculum Coord., Windham SE S.U.) Katie Sullivan (Teacher, Warren Elementary School) Otho Thompson (Retired Principal, Peoples Academy Pam Toof (Reading Specialist, Georgia School)

10. Overall Findings • There is a particular set of school characteristics that produce high student achievement, even for low-income students. • All characteristics are interconnected and interrelated. Successful schools are successful systems. • This study, therefore, provides a blueprint for systemic school improvement.

11. Teacher Survey • Schools with at or above the state average for poverty (29 percent) and at or above the state average for grade size (19 students) invited to participate. • 87 of 91 schools agreed. • Response rate over 83 percent. • More than 2000 K-8 Vermont teachers completed survey.

12. Teacher Survey • Survey gauged teachers’ perceptions of their school on seven dimensions national research has identified as common to successful, high-poverty schools: • Focus on student achievement • Frequent assessment of student progress • Support for struggling students • Staff collaboration • High expectations for all students • Effective school leadership • Parental involvement • Teachers’ ratings compared to school Reading and Mathematics NECAP scores to see if schools with better performance looked different (based on teacher ratings) than those with lower achievement.

13. Survey Highlights • Effective schools are different. Teachers in schools with better NECAP scores rated their school much higher on the seven themes than teachers in schools with lower NECAP scores. • Schools matter. Each of the seven themes explored by the survey was found to be related to student achievement even after accounting for the effects of poverty. Although schools cannot change students’ socioeconomic status, they can improve outcomes by focusing on factors within their control.

14. Survey Highlights • Effective schools are effective systems. Rather than implementing one practice in isolation, effective schools have a web of successful practices in place. Very high degree of correlation across all seven themes. • Teacher expectations are very important. Teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about student potential influenced NECAP scores more than any other theme and were the most powerful predictor of school performance.

15. Site Visits • Teacher survey demonstrated that effective schools are different. • But we wanted to know more. What do effective schools look, sound, and feel like? • This question motivated us to more fully examine school success. • We decided to visit three schools with performance histories that defied expectations and NECAP scores that trumped those of other schools with similar demographics. • Site visits revealed eight school characteristics that closely match the seven themes confirmed by the survey.

17. Internal and External Factors • Eight internal factors: • Two external factors: • High expectations • Continuous improvement • Leadership • Use of data • Professional teaching culture • Student supports • School climate • Family engagement • Supervisory union/district and local school board support • Community support

18. 1. Effective systems believe that all students can succeed. • Every child, regardless of socioeconomic background, is held to high standards. • Poverty is never used as an excuse for low student achievement. • Student supports are not based on socioeconomic status; the needs of all students are addressed, regardless of subgroup category. • Staff strives to give students a vision for the future and help them see beyond high school.

19. 1. Effective systems believe that all students can succeed. “I’ve been in other schools and there’s clearly a different climate here…there are high expectations for all students. Just because they’re in poverty, we’re not just going to give up on them (thinking) well, we don’t really have to go the extra step. That (attitude) doesn’t exist here.” -Teacher, Spruce School “Students are held to the same expectation as everybody else in the room, regardless of what their home life is like.” - Teacher, Maple School

20. 2. Effective systems take responsibility for students’ achievement and therefore continually improve their own practice. • Staff feels responsible for students’ success and failure. • Staff is committed to ensuring that all students excel. • There is a school-wide culture of continuous improvement; entire staff is always asking, “How can we do better?”

21. 2. Effective systems take responsibility for students’ achievement and therefore continually improve their own practice. “It’s not the kids and the parents. It’s us. We’re the problem with the students’ learning and you have to put the focus back on the professional staff and not on to the problems of the children and the parents. An effective teacher meets the needs of the children no matter what their background is.” - District Superintendent, Maple School “The research (about how to reach this population of students) has been there. It’s been around for a long time. We’ve got the information. What we need is the will. That’s what drives me.” - Principal, Maple School

22. 3. Effective systems are guided by strong leadership. • Effective leaders are compassionate and supportive of staff, both professionally and personally. • Effective leaders prioritize three primary responsibilities: setting a vision for the school; creating a safe, positive school climate; and hiring, supervising, and evaluating staff. • Effective leaders hold tightly to their vision but allow staff flexibility in determining how best to achieve it.

23. 3. Effective systems are guided by strong leadership. “I am really big on not jumping on every bandwagon. I can only ask those teachers to do so many things. I’ve got to prioritize…what we need. I really believe you can only do so many things well and I want to teach reading and math and the other subjects really well.” - Principal, Pine Tree School

24. 4. Effective systems use data in an ongoing way to provide feedback to staff as well as monitor and support students. • Staff collects and analyzes data, both at the building and classroom level, to continually refine their practice. • Faculty engages in analysis of results from school-wide assessments like NECAP to determine where they need to improve. • Schools take specific actions based on what they learn from data analysis. • Instructional decisions made by teachers at the classroom level are data-driven. • Teachers assess continuously and formatively to inform their instruction.

25. 4. Effective systems use data in an ongoing way to provide feedback to staff as well as monitor and support students. “It’s important to know that the strategies, the techniques, and the programs that we’re using are effective and in order to do that we have to do regular assessments. If our assessments aren’t showing that those programs are working, then we need to look at different programs.” - Speech Language Pathologist, Maple School “Assessment is really great because then you know where every child is and then you can plan for that child. I like to know where I need to start and what I need to tackle and then go and do it.” - Teacher, Pine Tree School

26. 5. Effective systems establish a professional teaching culture that supports high-quality instruction. • Staff members are dedicated to their jobs and do whatever it takes to meet the needs of students. • Teachers do not work in isolation but collaborate regularly to share instructional strategies and refine their practice. • Teachers align their curriculum and instruction vertically and horizontally (within grades and across grades) to ensure that there are no gaps in skills or content. • Paraprofessionals are valued as members of the school’s instructional team and align their work fully with that of classroom teachers.

27. 5. Effective systems establish a professional teaching culture that supports high-quality teaching. “Teachers don’t give up on the kids. As frustrated as we may get at times, they just are tenacious. They stick with it and want the best for kids.” - Teacher, Spruce School “We want to see our kids do well and we know that collaboration is an important piece of that. So it’s just a priority.” - Teacher, Maple School “As a staff, we want to work together. Nobody wants to go into their room and close the door and be alone.” - Teacher, Spruce School

28. 6. Effective systems have a comprehensive and highly functioning support system to address students’ academic, emotional, behavioral, and social needs. • Schools prioritize students’ academic needs but recognize that it is also necessary to address students’ other needs (emotional, social, physical). • ESTs respond quickly and thoroughly to any identified student need. • Schools understand the importance of early educational experiences (Pre-K). • Schools extend students’ learning opportunities by offering after school and summer school programs. • Schools hire a cadre of support professionals to work with students and families.

29. 6. Effective systems have a comprehensive and highly functioning support system to address students’ academic, emotional, behavioral, and social needs. “We’re here to educate kids. We look at kids’ needs. We meet those needs of kids, be they physical needs, emotional needs, (or) behavioral needs. But we don’t meet those needs because we’re nice people. We may be nice people but that’s not why we do it. We do it so that we can get kids to a place where they can then learn the stuff that we want to teach them. That’s the philosophy here.” - Principal, Maple School

30. 7. Effective systems create a supportive climate that makes all students, as well as adults, feel valued and safe. • The culture of the school is caring and supportive. • Students feel safe, protected, and secure at school and have trusting relationships with adults. • Schools are clear in their behavioral expectations for students and consistent in their response to infractions. • The school’s positive climate attracts and retains teachers.

31. 7. Effective systems create a supportive climate that makes all students, as well as adults, feel valued and safe. “It’s just a positive place. You come into the building and you see people interacting with kids in respectful ways. I feel good about coming to work every day and I think that that resonates throughout the school. A lot of people are proud to be part of this community.” - Teacher, Spruce School “The words, the attitude, trickle down. If we’re in a better mood and loving what we’re doing, the kids are doing well. Kids respond to what they see and I think if the teachers are happy and excited to teach, I think the kids will be excited to learn.” - Teacher, Spruce School

32. 8. Effective systems build constructive relationships with families and involve them in their child’s learning. • Schools believe it is their responsibility to engage parents in their child’s learning. • Schools publicly state their commitment to involving families. • Schools make their building a welcoming place for families and reach out with empathy and compassion to all parents, paying particular attention to the needs of low-income families.

33. 8. Effective systems build constructive relationships with families and involve them in their child’s learning. “You don’t find teachers here (who think), ‘Ah, thank God, that parent didn’t show up’…and then never call them. That doesn’t happen here. People (think), we’ve got to get these parents on board because without them, it’s a slippery slope and a tough battle.” - Teacher, Spruce School “There’s a lot of support from the parents and given our low-income population, that’s not always the case. I think it’s a safety that this school has built over the years, that the parents do feel safe and (that) they’re doing the best with what they have and we’re doing the best with what we have.” - Teacher, Spruce School

34. Effective systems receive support from their supervisory union/district office and local school board. • Districts provides support and resources to schools to align their curriculum, instruction, and assessment with the state standards. • District provides needs-based professional development to teachers. • District researches and chooses a teacher evaluation model for administrators. • School boards trust the professional expertise of staff and do not try to micro-manage school activities. • School boards do not advocate for particular agendas.

35. Effective systems actively reach out to their communities and benefit, in return, from community support and resources. • Schools have a positive relationship with their surrounding community. • Schools serve as a hub for community activities. • Towns are supportive of education and consistently pass school budgets. • Families, particularly those living below the poverty line, depend on community-based resources such as health services, food shelves, and mental health facilities.

36. It’s About Systems Change • Findings from the teacher survey and site visits indicate that to meet the needs of all students, schools must have an effective system, all elements of which (staff attitudes and beliefs, leadership, and specific educational practices) are targeted at improving student achievement. • Unfortunately, many schools latch onto isolated initiatives that do not bring about substantive, lasting, transformative change. • Schools must be encouraged and supported to adopt a systems approach to improvement. • The Department should focus its efforts on informing schools about the characteristics of effective systems identified through this research and guiding them in implementing those elements.

37. Learning Intentions During today’s presentation, you will learn about: • The characteristics of effective Vermont schools identified by a large-scale teacher survey • What these characteristics look like “on the ground” from in-depth site visits to three schools that are beating the odds 3. The value of a systems approach to school improvement