Title I §1003(g) School Improvement Grant Writing Workshop

1. Title I §1003(g) School Improvement Grant Writing Workshop April 21-22, 2010 Presented by: Karen Davies, Kenny Moles & Erin Sullivan WVDE Title I School Improvement Coordinators

2. Overview: Title I 1003(g) School Improvement Grant Writing Workshop • The BIG Picture of 1003(g) Grant Funding • Letter of Intent Feedback • Grant Application Guidance • Section I: Schools to be Served • Section II: Descriptive Information • Section III: Transformation Model and Tier III Activities • Section IV: Additional Information • Section V: Budget • Section VI and VII: Assurances and Waivers • Questions and Next Steps

3. Workshop Objectives • Intent by the end of day two is for each district to: • Complete a draft school improvement proposal SEA Technical assistance to: • provide information and guidance to assist eligible districts with the development of a quality grant proposal • provide access to state Title I school improvement representatives for technical assistance and feedback • offer time away from the district to adequately plan the timeline and activities included in the grant proposal

4. The BIG Picture • Basic Purpose of 1003(g) grants: Provide funds to LEAs that: • Demonstrate the greatest need for funds • Demonstrate the strongest commitment to use the funds to turn around the district’s lowest achieving schools and raise student achievement in those schools Purpose of Workshop: To provide Information and technical assistance to plan and implement a quality LEA school improvement grant • School Improvement Grant Funding 1003(g) • Competitive Grants: grants-SEA will prioritize school improvement grants to LEAs if sufficient school improvement funds are not available for all the schools for which the LEA applies to serve • Amount $50,000 to 2 million per year for each Tier I and Tier II school (unless a lesser amount is needed) • $50,000 minimum for Tier III schools

5. Identification of Schools Tier I schools - Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that— Is among the lowest‐achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State or the five lowest‐achieving such schools (whichever number of schools is greater); or Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 C.F.R. § 200.19(b) that is below 60 percent over a number of years. Tier II schools - Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I, Part A funds that— Is among the lowest‐achieving ten percent of secondary schools or the five lowest‐achieving secondary schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds; or Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 C.F.R. § 200.19(b) that is below 60 percent over a number of years. Tier III Schools Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that is not a Tier I school

6. SEA Allocation of Funds • Priority will be given first to LEAs applying to serve Tier I and Tier II schools • If grant funds are not sufficient to serve all Tier I and Tier II schools for which applications are approved, then the following criteria will be utilized to determine which LEAs have the greatest need and strongest commitment: • one or more schools in Tier I or Tier II • a total score of twenty or more points on the capacity index • inclusion of a signed assurance statement that the LEA will fully implement one of the rigorous intervention models • LEAs with schools in the bottom 10% of achievement in reading and mathematics • Higher point total received on the LEA application and presentation

7. SEA Allocation of Funds • SEA may not award funds to any LEA for Tier III schools until the SEA has awarded funds to serve fully, throughout the period of availability, all Tier I and Tier II schools across the State that its LEA commits to serve. • If an SEA has awarded a grantto each LEA that requested funds to serve a Tier I or Tier II school, the SEA may award remaining school improvement funds to LEAs that seek to serve Tier III schools, including LEAs that apply to serve only Tier III schools.

8. SEA Allocation of Funds The SEA will use the following to prioritize among Tier III schools: • First priority will be given to schools further along in school improvement sanctions • Higher point total received on the LEA application

9. WVDE Grant Timeline THE BIG DAY!

10. Letter of Intent Feedback

11. LEA ApplicationSection I

12. Section I – Schools Served • Tier I • Tier II • Tier III • NCES # • http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/

13. Section II: Descriptive Information

14. Section II-ANeeds Assessment and Capacity Index • Attach if revisions are required. • If you scored below 20 points on the capacity rubric, specific technical assistance must be requested from the SEA.

15. Section II-BConsultation with Relevant Stakeholders • Summary • Process for obtaining stakeholder input • Stakeholder groups consulted • Meeting format • Key discussion points • Outcomes

16. Section II-CMeasurable Summative and Growth Goals • For each school served • Both Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics • Based on the all subgroup

17. Annual Summative Goal • One each for reading and one for mathematics • May come from school strategic plan • Based on WESTEST 2

18. Annual Growth Goals • The percentage of students who exhibit typical growth in grades 6-8 in mathematics will increase annually as measured by the WESTEST 2.

19. Section III: Transformation Model and Tier III Activities

20. Areas of Transformation

21. A. Develop Teacher & School Leader Effectiveness • Develop a District Transformation Team • This could be the grant writing team you brought with you today. • Assess Team and District Capacity • Completed through the LOI • Decide on an Internal Lead Partner for each transformation school • School Turnaround Specialist or other existing Central Office Personnel (Turnaround Office) • Resources: • Successful School Turnarounds: Seven Items for District Leaders • Effective District Practices for School Turnaround

22. Replacement of the Principal • Choose one of the following: • The principal has been replaced within the past two years, (newly defined by ED as the fall of 2007 or more recently). • The principal has been or will be replaced through a mutual agreement. • The principal has been or will be replaced through performance evaluation. • Resources: • School Turnaround Leader Competencies & Selection Toolkit

23. Leading Change • Form a new Transformation (Leadership) Team • SSOS Diagnostic Visits • Resources: • Restructuring Team Checklist- p.67 • Meeting Action Planner- p.74 • Establishing Team Structures to Drive Improvement • Provide team members with information on what the school can do to promote rapid improvement • Be Open & Transparent • Resources: • Enabling More Quick Wins (free registration required)

24. Leading Change con’t • Becoming a “Change Leader” • School Turnarounds: Leader Actions & Results • Restructuring Through Learning-Focused Leadership • Communicate The Message of Change • Communicating Useful Approaches • Collect & Act on Data • Using Student Data to Drive Instruction • Using Operational Data, Including Classroom Observations • Establishing Early Warning Systems • Principal’s Reading Walk-Through: K-3 Classrooms

25. Leading Change con’t • Seek Quick Wins • Do We Encourage Quick Wins and Local Innovations? • Provide Optimum Conditions for the School Turnaround Team • Developing the Dream & Developing Team Muscles • Persist & Persevere • Mastering the Difficult Middles

26. 30 minute timer

27. 2. Evaluation System • All schools accepting Title I 1003(g) funds will be “early adopters” of the new evaluation system • Data reflecting student growth becomes a factor in the evaluation of teacher and leader effectiveness • Three components will be used for evaluation purposes: • Observation & Teacher Evaluation • Collaborative Team Goals & Action Steps • Classroom & Individual Student Growth Scores

28. 2. Evaluation System con’t • Timeline: • 2009-2010: State task force to study the WV evaluation system • 2010-2011: State task force recommends revisions to policy 5310 and WV evaluation system • 2010-2011: Provide professional development to teachers and administrators • 2011-2012: Implement revised evaluation system

29. 3. Rewards & Incentives • Reward all teachers in the school for an increase in student achievement • Reward all teachers within a collaborative team in a school receiving 1003(g) funds if there is an increase in overall school scale scores. • Allocate annual amount per teacher to the school for use in one or more of the options below: • Materials or supplies for their classroom • Attend an out of state conference • Utilize the funds towards tuition for advanced coursework and LEA HQ teacher plan • Enrichment camps for students • Other

30. 4. Professional Development • Be Specific & Targeted • Providing Career Growth Ladders • Enhancing Teacher Leadership • Section 3 • Alignment • Providing Professional Development • Reorganizing Scattershot PD Efforts Into a Coherent 5-Year Plan

31. PD - Overall Description Based on the specific subject (reading) and the subgroup (all students) in which the school did not meet AYP, the following sustained professional development will be offered throughout the year with focus on research-based reading strategies. Professional development will focus specifically on the effective implementation of the three tiered instructional approach and successful administration and analysis of formative assessment. A reading coach will be contracted to provide sustained, research based and job embedded opportunities for all teachers throughout the school year and will also facilitate regularly scheduled collaborative time.

32. Professional Development Plan

33. 5. Recruit, Place, & Retain Staff • New Teacher Mentoring Program • Mentoring Support of New Teachers • The Preparation & Induction of New Teachers in Learning Communities • Recruitment • Retention 6. Other Activities

35. B. Comprehensive Instructional Reform Programs • Instructional Programs • Research-Based • Vertically Aligned • Student Data • Continuous Examination • Drives Differentiated Instruction • Other Permissible Activities • Be Specific

36. C. Increased Learning Time & Community Involvement • Schedules • 300 hours is the ED recommendation • Expanded Learning Time • Family & Community Involvement • Making the Case • Building Public Will • Other Permissible Activities

37. D. Operating Flexibility & Sustained Support • Operational Flexibility • Rapid District Improvement (pp. 6-19) • Let History Teach Us • Technical Assistance • SSOS will provide training for: • Transformation Specialists: August 2010 in addition to • School Leadership Teams: October 2010, February 2011, April 2011 • Are We Making It Easy • Working With People • External Lead Partners • Other Permissible Activities

38. Additional Information New Requirement • All external support providers must submit an application to the WVDE to be considered for addition to the State List of Approved External Supporting Partners • Chuck Heinlein, Executive Director, Office of Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership, is the leader of this initiative • Application can be found on the Title I website at this link: http://wvde.state.wv.us/titlei/1003partners.html

40. Day Two

41. Section IV: Additional Information

42. Additional Information This section must be completed for schools in all three tiers and consists of 3 sections (A, B & C)

43. Additional Information • Section A: Recruit, screen and select external providers (if applicable) to ensure their quality • Ask these questions per each school served: • Does the school staff have the capacity/skills needed for successful school reform? • Is an outside external provider needed to assist the school in successful school reform? • If so, what type of external provider support is needed per each receiving school?

44. Additional Information • Activity (20 minutes): • Discuss with your district team the three questions to determine if an external support partner is needed for each school served: • Does the school staff have the capacity/skills needed for successful school reform? • Is an outside external provider needed to assist the school in successful school reform? • If so, what type of external provider support is needed per each receiving school? • Write or begin a draft to address section A.

45. Additional Information Section B: Describe how the LEA/schools served will modify practices or policies to enable its schools to implement the interventions fully and effectively. Each LEA must: 1) Review the 1003(g) requirements and identify any district practices or policies which are barriers to successful school reform implementation Examples: • Student & teacher attendance policies • School schedule • Homework policy • Grading policy • Highly qualified plan • Utilization of staff (including itinerate, Title I, and special education teachers) • Parent involvement policy/activities • School/student compact • Extended day and year activities • Professional development • On-going data analysis used to drive instruction • Discipline policy & procedures

46. Additional Information Activity (20 minutes): With your district team identify barriers and discuss possible modifications to current practices or policies to enable selected schools to successfully implement reform interventions. Write or begin a draft to address section B.

47. Additional Information Section C: Describe how the LEA/schools served will sustain the reform efforts after the funding period ends. Each LEA should consider the continuation of 1003(g) funded efforts such as: • additional personnel (including transformation specialists) • external supporting partners • rewards for principals and teachers • necessary equipment & supplies • funding to support additional time (e.g., substitutes &/or stipends for professional development, stipends for outside of school tutoring or summer programs) • costs associated with extended day/year

48. Additional Information Activity (15 minutes): With your district team describe how the LEA/schools served will sustain the reform efforts after 1003(g) grant funding expires. Write or begin a draft to address section C.

49. Section V:Budget

50. Detailed budget spreadsheet • 2011-Title-I School-Improvement-Budget-revised-04-09-10.xls