Texas Transformation Project Sam Houston High Fox Tech High Board Presentation September 20, 2010

WHAT IS IT? It is a project that is funded by the Texas Title I Priority Schools (TTIPS) Grant to assist the state’s most struggling lowest achieving schools. The commitment on the part of the LEA and campus is the implementation of rapid, dramatic reforms employing one of four school intervention models.

RESTART MODEL Statutory Requirements RESTART MODEL Statutory Requirements The campus must implement the following federal requirements: A. Convert or close and reopen the school under a charter school operator, a charter management organization (CMO), or an education management organization(EMO) that has been selected through a rigorous review process. A (CMO) is a non-profit organization that operates or manages charter schools by centralizing or sharing certain functions and resources among schools. An EMO is a for-profit or non-profit organization that provides “whole-school operation” services to an LEA. B. Enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend the school.

SCHOOL CLOSURE MODEL Statutory Requirements SCHOOL CLOSURE MODEL Statutory Requirements The campus must implement the following federal requirements: A. Enroll the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving within reasonable proximity to the closed school and may include, but are not limited to, charter schools or new schools for which achievement data are not yet available. B. A grant for school closure is a one-year grant without the possibility of continued funding.

TURNAROUND MODEL Statutory Requirements TURNAROUND MODEL Statutory Requirements The campus must implement the following federal requirements: A. Any of the required and permissible activities under the transformation model; or B. A new school model (e.g., themed, dual language academy).

TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements 1.Develop and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness (A) Replace the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the transformation model (B) Use rigorous, transparent, and equitable evaluation systems for teachers and principals that– (1) Take into account data on student growth as a significant factor as well as other factors such as multiple observation-based assessments of performance and ongoing collections of professional practice reflective of student achievement and increased high school graduation rates; and (2) Are designed and developed with teacher and principal involvement;

TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements (con’t) TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements (con’t) 1.Develop and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness (C) Identify and reward school leaders, teachers, and other staff who, in implementing this model, have increased students achievement and high school graduation rates and identify and remove those who, after ample opportunities have been provided for them to improve their professional practice, have not done so; (D) Provide staff ongoing, high-quality, job-embedded professional development (e.g. regarding subject-specific pedagogy, instruction that reflects a deeper understanding of the community served by the school, or differentiated instruction) that is aligned with the school’s comprehensive instructional program and designed with school staff to ensure they are equipped to facilitate effective teaching and learning and have the capacity to successfully implement school reform strategies; and

TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements (con’t) TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements (con’t) 1.Develop and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness (E) Implement such strategies as financial incentives,, increased opportunities for promotion and career growth, and more flexible work conditions that are designed to recruit, place, and retain staff with the skills necessary to meet the needs of the students in the transformation school. 2. Comprehensive instructional reform strategies (A) Use data to identify and implement an instructional program that is research- based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next as well as aligned with State academic standards; and (B) Promote the continuous use of student data (such as from formative, interim, and summative assessments) to inform and differentiate instruction in order to meet the academic needs of individual students.

TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements (con’t) TRANSFORMATION MODEL* Statutory Requirements (con’t) 3. Increasing learning time and creating community-oriented schools ( A ) Establish schedules and strategies that provide increased learning time; and (B) Provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement 4. Provide operational flexibility and sustained support (A) Give the school sufficient operational flexibility (such as staffing, calendars/time, and budgeting) to implement fully a comprehensive approach to substantially improve student achievement outcomes and increase high school graduation rates; and (B) Ensure the school receives ongoing, intensive technical assistance and related support from the LEA, the SEA, or a designated external lead partner organization (such as a school turnaround organization or an EMO)

HOW MUCH MONEY? This is a 3 year grant starting with the school year

AWARDS AMOUNTS Fox Tech HS: $4,316,581 Year 1---$1,526, Year 2---$1,527, Year 3---$1,527, Sam Houston HS: $4,662,956 Year 1---$1,623, Year 2---$1,554, Year 3---$1,554, * Please refer to Appendix A for a complete yearly budget breakdown

WHAT IS THE PLAN? Transformation Overviews

Fox Tech HS Transformation Overview Fox Tech HS Transformation Overview ( A) Fox Tech HS started to undergo a transformation over the past 18 months including: ◊ The hiring of a new principal, new curriculum instruction coordinators and new leadership staff ◊ A 50% turnover in teaching staff in and 31% in ◊ A series of public community meetings which have led to the adoption of a plan to become a thematic high school for health and law professions within the next three years (B)With traditionally lower teacher to student ratios, the focus on individual student needs, and a balance of rigorous core academic classes and hands-on opportunities inside and outside the classroom to develop practical, work-based skills, these programs have demonstrated success in attendance rates and academic performance (Kemper & Willner 2008) (C)The five year plan includes the graduation of health and law professions students who are both college and career ready and have earned dual credit hours. Expectations are that each graduate be accepted and enrolled in a university. (D) Within five years, Fox Tech expects to create a reputation of excellence that attracts students and results in steady enrollment increases that will maximize at 400 students in each program.. This will occur in a state of the art facility that will afford students a plethora of hands on experiences, investigations and project- based learning.

Sam Houston HS Transformation Overview Sam Houston HS Transformation Overview ( A) Sam Houston HS started to undergo a transformation over the past 18 months including: ◊ The hiring of a new principal, a new academic dean and two new curriculum instruction coordinators in ◊ The decrease in discipline incidents (2759 incidents down to 1252) ◊ The increase in academic performance as measured by the TAKS scores (Math from 43% to 53% and Science 37% to 62%) ◊ The commencement of an extensive school and community needs assessment and dialogues with community stakeholders ◊ The administration by the LEA’s Research and Evaluation Department of a comprehensive community survey through in-person interviews and telephone surveys (English & Spanish) ◊ The opening of the Magnet Program for Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology ◊ The rating of Advanced in technology infrastructure (B)Sam Houston plans to infuse a technology-focused, project based learning program that will change the climate of the campus as well as the academic outcomes and graduation rate. (C)Intensive traditional as well as job embedded professional development will be conducted to ensure sustainability of the curriculum and improve teacher quality. (D)The skills and expertise of the New Technology Network (NTN) will be employed in Spring 2011 to create Sam Houston New Tech High with a new level of technology integration that will transform the campus as NTN has done successfully in campuses across the country

Buy In What was the process for obtaining it and how will we keep it?

STAFFING What does the staffing look like on both of these campuses for this year as well as the next two years?

STUDENT AND PARENT RESPONSIBILITY What is it?

SUSTAINABILITY How do we sustain these programs once the money is gone?

HOW WILL WE ASSESS & MONITOR? The 7 Critical Success Factors

CSFs Improve Academic Performance Improve School Climate Increase Use of Data Driven Instruction Increase Parent Community Involvement Increase Teacher Quality Increase Learning Time Increase Leadership Effectiveness

Critical Success Factor Increase Leadership Effectiveness Milestone On-going Job- Embedded Professional Development Milestone Operational Flexibility Milestone Resource/Data Utilization 12

Improve Academic Performance Data Driven Instruction Curriculum Alignment On-going Monitoring of Instruction

Increase Use of Quality Data to Drive Instruction Data Disaggregation/ Training Data-driven Decisions On-going Communication

Increase Learning Time Flexible Scheduling Instructionally- focused Calendar Staff Collaborative Planning

Increase Parent/ Community Involvement Increased Opportunities for Input Effective Communication Accessible Community Services

Improve School Climate Increased Attendance Decreased Discipline Referrals Increased Involvement in Extra/ Co-Curricular Activities

Increase Teacher Quality Locally Developed Appraisal Instruments On-going Job- Embedded Professional Development Recruitment/Retention Strategies

Performance Goals (APGs) Improvement Activities Found in TTIPS Application Campus Improvement Plans (CIPs) Contains APGs and Improvement Activities 90-day Strategy Arises out of CIPs These are the immediate steps needing to be taken/what has to be done now. Quarterly Implementation Reports (QIRs) Pull from APGs, Activities, 90-day Strategy and CIPs Critical Success Factors (CSFs)

Connections CSFsAPGs Improvement Activities Campus Improvement Plans 90-day Strategy QIRs

WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS?

Key Players In The Transformation Key Players In The Transformation LEA District Shepherd Principal Teacher Leaders Professional Service Provider SIRC-TTIPS NCLB-TTIPS

Principal PSP District Shepherd LEA

WHAT IS OUR COMMITMENT?

LEA Commitment for Transformation Expected involvement includes: Creating and clearly communicating a vision for the participating schools and Identifying dedicated personnel whose role is to support the participating schools Supporting the implementation of purposeful instructional arrangements and grant requirements at the designated campus Customizing supplementary support and resources provided to participating campuses

District Commitment (cont.): Making necessary adjustments to budgeting procedures/practices to effectively and efficiently address identified campus needs Providing priority/preferential status in HR practices Expressing/demonstrating explicit board support and active engagement of the superintendent for Transformation

WHAT IS THE DISTRICT SNAPSHOT? SAISD In Focus

Framework Research Basis Foundational Practice Turnaround Practice Targeted Intense Early/Immediate Flexible District Snapshot Overview

It’s time…

to get uncomfortable

to form bold partnerships

“I wish we were bolder for kids.” Joel L Klein, Chancellor New York City Schools

QUESTIONS?