BEGINS

1. Welcome to Transforming the urban schools. Beyond Restructuring: Reculturing and Retiming is where the Real Work BEGINS

2. A Warm Welcome to ALL

3. The CHALLENGE • Despite steadily increasing URGENCY… efforts-to-date to turn around the Nation’s lowest performing schools have largely FAILED. • 5000 schools serving over 2,500,00 students are on track for RESTRUCTURINGunder NCLB legislation.

4. The Consequences are Devastating - Moments in America for Children Every second a public school student is suspended. Every 10 seconds a high school student drops out. Every 17 seconds a public school student is corporally punished. Every 25 seconds a child is arrested. Every 21 seconds a baby is born to an unmarried mother. Every 35 seconds a baby is born into poverty. Every 36 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected. Every 41 seconds a baby is born without health insurance. Every minute a baby is born to a teen mother. Every 2 minutes a baby is born at low birthweight. Every 5 minutes a child is arrested for a drug offense. Every 9 minutes a child is arrested for a violent crime. Every 18 minutes a baby dies before his first birthday. Every 3 hours a child or teen is killed by a firearm. Every 5 hours a child or teen commits suicide. Every 6 hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect. Every 14 hours a woman dies from complications of childbirth or pregnancy. *Facts and figures courtesy the Children’s Defense Fund

5. According to the Pew Center on the States: • The US has the greatest percentage of people in prison of any other country in the world…greater than China, India, Russia…

6. Including 1-in-9African-American malesages 20-34

7. Albert Einstein • ‘The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.’ ‘The

8. The purpose of our session today is to share with you a unique model to transformone of the chronically lowest performing schools in New Jersey’s largest city, Newark…The Newton Street School

9. The Newark Star Ledger called it a Radical School Reform Model • One reporter called it ‘The grandest experiment the state has seen.’ • The New York Times is running a four-part series of articles and this quote appears in the first article: ‘For one struggling urban school there is hope and a fresh start.’

10. ABC’s Eyewitness News has this to say…

11. Eckart Tolle, The Power of Now

12. T. S. Elliott • ‘We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time’

13. Ron Edmonds • ‘We can whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need, in order to do this. Whether we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.’

14. The Basic Assumptionsthat Guided our Work: • We must diagnose, before we can prescribe.

15. NAESP School Survey Form • What are the three most persistent problems in your school that if solved, would significantly increase student success? Please briefly explain your response in the space provided. • Problem 1: • Problem 2: • Problem 3: Please use other side if more space is needed.

16. The Basic Assumptionsthat guided our Work: • We deeply and uncompromisingly believe in the educability of every child in every Urban school.

17. The Basic Assumptionsthat Guided our Work: • We believe that we had to be as anxious to avoid things that don’t work as committed to implementing things that do.

18. How to Ride a Dead Horse Common advice from knowledgeable horse trainers includes the adage: “If the horse you are riding dies, get off.” It seems simple enough but in education, we don’t always choose to follow that advice. Instead, we choose to: • Buy a stronger whip. • Appoint a committee to study the horse. • Say things like: “This is the way we have always ridden the horse.” • Come up with new styles of riding dead horses. • Blame the horse’s parents. The problem is in the breeding.

19. We must look inside the public school box (school, district, Union, community, state) and see it for the first time with new eyes and new possibilities. The Basic Assumptionsthat Guided our Work:

20. The Four Basic Assumptions that Guided our Work  • We must diagnose, before we can prescribe. • We deeply and uncompromisingly believe in the educability of every child in every Urban school. • We believe that we had to be as anxious to avoid things that don’t work as committed to implementing things that do. • We must look inside the public school box (school, district, Union, community, state) and see it for the first time with new eyes and new possibilities. v

21. Who are the PARTNERS? • Newton Street School -Willie Thomas, Principal. • Newark Public Schools (NPS) Central Office – Dr. Gayle Griffin, Assistant Superintendent. • Newark Teachers Union (NTU) - Joe Delgrosso, President. • Geraldine Dodge Foundation -Dr. Ross Danis, Education Officer. • The New Jersey Department of Education. • Seton Hall University (SHU) – Dr. Lourdes Zaragoza MitchelandDr. Charles Mitchel.

22. The Newton Street School: Portrait of a failing school • Seton Hall University was invited to lead the restructuring of the Newton Street School, a pre-K through 8 elementary school with an enrollment of 444 children. • Newton Street School is the second oldest school in the city and is located in the Central Ward. • Race: 93% black, 7% hispanic • Poverty: 61% eligible for free or reduced lunch • Special Education: 22% • In 2005, a state review revealed perennially low scores, poor professional-development training for teachers, a building in disrepair, and little to no analysis of testing data to guide future instruction. • Newton Street School was failing its children and teachers.

23. Newton Street SchoolStudents Passing State Tests – ElementaryTotal Students

24. Newton Street SchoolStudents Passing State Tests – MiddleTotal Students

25. CENTRAL OFFICE PERSPECTIVES • How can we increase the capacity of districts to support re-structuring of schools? • What role should the central office play in removing obstacles to change? • What institutional reconfiguring is needed to dramatically change support systems at the central office level?

26. Dr. Marion A. Bolden Superintendent Dr. Gayle W. Griffin Assistant Superintendent NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS CONFERENCE APRIL 7, 2008

27. 2006 – 2007 Year 6 Schools • Avon Avenue • Burnet Street • George Washington Carver • Dr. E. Alma Flagg • Rafael Hernandez • Maple Avenue • Newton Street • Vailsburg Middle

28. 2007 – 2008 Year 6 & 7 Schools • Year 6 • Dr. Martin L. King • George Washington Carver – 6H • Dr. E. Alma Flagg – 6H • Maple Avenue – 6H • Avon Avenue – 6H • Year 7 • Rafael Hernandez • Newton Street • Vailsburg Middle

29. Newark’s NCLB/CAPA Oversight Committee • Comprised of school principals, district administrators, university partners, and Newark Teachers Union • Established in Fall 2006 • Provide oversight and technical assistance as schools strive to meet AYP • Reduce school management prerogatives; increase district oversight and review of decisions

30. Newark’s NCLB/CAPA Oversight Committee • Support achievement goals and provide access to realigned district resources • Integrate accountability for student performance into the culture of schools • Collaborate to ensure that all students are achieving, valuing rigor, high expectations, and high standards of performance

31. Newark’s Specific Interventions for Year 7 Schools • Data Analysis • Partnerships with Highly Skilled Professionals • Professional Development • Teacher Changes: Assess teachers’ needs • Changes in Leadership • Curriculum Emphasis • Curriculum Interventions • Governance Oversight and Prerogatives

32. Data AnalysisSISS: School Year 2007

33. 2007 Math – Elem (GE) + 3.0 Newton is 12 points below Benchmark + 3.1 -25

34. 2006-2007Math– Middle (GE) Newton is 2 points below Benchmark + 9.0 + 15.2 + 10.9

35. Partnerships with Highly Skilled ProfessionalsUniversity Partners • Avon Avenue - Montclair State University • George Washington Carver – Montclair State University • Dr. E. Alma Flagg – Kean University • Rafael Hernandez – Montclair State University • Maple Avenue – Montclair State University • Newton Street – Seton Hall University, NTU “New Newton” • Vailsburg Middle – Seton Hall University – Stillman School of Business

36. Professional Development -New Jersey City University providing classroom-embedded professional development in Literacy -National Urban Alliance providing classroom-embedded professional development in Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies -Literacy and Math Coaches -Coached teachers in Guided Reading and “Coach the Coach” sessions for literacy coach -Conducted weekly grade level meetings and provided professional development on staff development days

37. Teacher Changes: Assess Needs of Teachers - Highly Qualified Teachers • Reducing Vacancies • Transfers • Assignments • Experience • Professional Development

38. Changes in Leadership • Avon – 1st year – new principal • George Washington Carver –2nd year • Dr. E. Alma Flagg –4th year • Rafael Hernandez –1st year • Dr. Martin L. King –2nd year • Maple Avenue –3rd year • Newton Street –Veteran Principal • Vailsburg Middle –1st year

39. Changes in Leadership • Partnership with Seton Hall University and NTU and Dodge Foundation • Redesigning Schools Seminar 3 day workshop for leadership team representatives – sponsored by NTU • Provided System Thinking seminar for school leadership team

40. Curriculum Emphasis Language Arts Literacy Support • Funded K-3 teachers in CLI training; Trained Reading Recovery teachers • New core curricula in grades PK – 12 • Comprehensive Assessment of Schools – CAPA Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment School climate and culture School leadership effectiveness

41. Curriculum Emphasis • Mathematics Support • New adoptions PK - 12 • Math coaches in 24 low performing schools • Intensive professional development – after school and week- end institutes • Science Support • Content-based summer institutes for lead science teachers • New adoptions of inquiry-based science programs – FOSS, STC • After school institutes for teachers

42. Curriculum Emphasis • Special Needs Support • Inclusion Initiative • Special Education Literacy RTCs • Behaviorists in specific schools • Professional Development Support - Resource Teacher Coordinators • New Teacher Support

43. Curriculum Interventions • Intervention curricula – READ 180 • Reading Recovery • Reading Intervention Kits for K - 5 • Math manipulatives kits • Mandatory tutoring

44. District Self Assessment • Data Analysis • External Partnerships • Professional Development • Human Resources • Leadership • Operations • Fiscal Resources • Governance

45. Newark Public Schools Strategic Plan Logic Model Objective: To improve student achievement on state assessments in Literacy, Mathematics and Science CONDITIONS Incremental growth is not sufficient to match trajectory needed to meet NCLB goals by 2014 Data are not consistently used to inform instructional decisions and implement best practices Level of curriculum implementation varies Lack of rigor, low expectations, varying degree of teacher content knowledge and pedagogy Low performing schools need attention and resources Current HRS functions and services do not enable us to meet recruitment needs; Teacher vacancies in critical content areas; Rising gang violence, high unemployment, and community challenges; Need to improve drop out and graduation rates; Need for systemic district-wide professional development for administrators to transform classroom practices and meet student needs; Unpredictable budget resources have created fiscal instability that works against district success; Special education operations hampered by limited resources, inadequate inclusion practices and non-accomplished IEP goals RESOURCES HUMAN NPS Staff:teachers, school leaders, students, parents, central office administrators and support staff INFORMATION -Data from assessment produces disaggregated data analysis -Strategic Plan with measurable goals, objectives and strategies to guide district progress -Updated Curriculum for all NJCCCS -Increased use of student work protocols -Monitoring of data from Walk Throughs to ensure implementation of curriculum FISCAL -General fund budget and grant sources -Aggressive pursuit of competitive grant funding -Impact of state funding due to economic downturn and new funding formula EXTERNAL PARTNERS Parents Foundations Universities Corporations Community agencies State, local, and federal governmental entities • ACTIVITIES • -Data Analysis of district and state assessments; • -focus on differentiated student affective and cognitive needs: NCLB subgroups, gender, gifted and talented, at risk; • -Professional development: • Classroom-embedded coaching, modeling, teaching institutes • Grade Level Meetings/Collaborative Professional Learning Communities • -Exemplary Lesson Planning and Design • -Monitor implementation of district curriculum objectives, alignment, pacing, and program implementation plans • -PK – 12 Vertical and horizontal articulation • -Teacher Study and Focus Groups • -Walk Throughs for implementation and accountability • -Looking at Student Work Protocols • -Principal Professional Development • -Technology tools for teaching, monitoring, and managing • -Multiple forums for community and partner empowerment and outreach to address community challenges OUTPUTS Increased level of consistent and effective curriculum implementation Ensure core curriculum intervention and enrichment opportunities meet diverse student needs Principal and teacher evaluations reflect use of data, implementation of curriculum, and serve as accountability for student achievement Increase special education inclusion to 25% Application of Systems Thinking in School Improvement Plans to align priorities, professional development and budget resources Teacher Vacancies reduced by 25% and early recruitment of mathematics and science teachers with contingency contracts by May 2008 Middle level teachers participate in cross content literacy professional development through Striving Readers’ grant and Middle Level Literacy Initiative Intensive support for low performing schools in staffing, professional development and principal supports SHORT TERM OUTCOMES -Students improve their literacy, mathematics, and science outcomes by 6%. -HS graduation rate is 82% with a 10% reduction in the number of students passing through SRA. -More cohesive, consistent and effective alignment of curriculum implementation, professional development, and fiscal • LONG TERM OUTCOMES • -Meet NCLB Benchmarks by 2014 of 100% proficiency for all student subgroups in literacy, mathematics, and science. • -HS Graduation rate is 90% with at least 75% of students passing HSPA and end of course examinations.

46. Data Analysis of district and state assessments; focus on differentiated student affective and cognitive needs: NCLB subgroups, gender, gifted and talented, at risk; Professional development; Classroom-embedded coaching, modeling, teaching institutes Grade Level Meetings/Collaborative Professional Learning Communities Exemplary Lesson Planning and Design Monitor implementation of district curriculum objectives, alignment, pacing, and program implementation plans PK – 12 Vertical and horizontal articulation Teacher Study and Focus Groups Walk Throughs for implementation and accountability Looking at Student Work Protocols Principal Professional Development Technology tools for teaching, monitoring, and managing Multiple forums for community and partner empowerment and outreach to address community challenges ACTIVITIES

47. Increased level of consistent and effective curriculum implementation Ensure core curriculum intervention and enrichment opportunities meet diverse student needs Principal and teacher evaluations reflect use of data, implementation of curriculum, and serve as accountability for student achievement Increase special education inclusion to 25% Application of Systems Thinking in School Improvement Plans to align priorities, professional development and budget resources Teacher Vacancies reduced by 25% and early recruitment of mathematics and science teachers with contingency contracts by May 2008 Middle level teachers participate in cross content literacy professional development through Striving Readers’ grant and Middle Level Literacy Initiative Intensive support for low performing schools in staffing, professional development and principal supports OUTPUTS

48. SHORT TERM OUTCOMES • -Students improve their literacy, mathematics, and science outcomes by 6%. • -HS graduation rate is 82% with a 10% reduction in the number of students passing through SRA. • -More cohesive, consistent and effective alignment of curriculum implementation, professional development, and fiscal resources

49. LONG TERM OUTCOMES • -Meet NCLB Benchmarks by 2014 of 100% proficiency for all student subgroups in literacy, mathematics, and science. • -HS Graduation rate 90% with at least 75% of students passing HSPA and end of course examinations.

50. Newark’s Goals • Reduce number of Year 6 & 7 Schools • Continue district supports & interventions for schools in need of improvement • Collaborative Professional Learning • New Lesson Plans for better lesson design