SURN Leadership Conference Dr. Steven R. Staples Superintendent of Public Instruction Commonwealth of Virginia June 20, 2017 Williamsburg, Virginia Virginia Department of Education

SURN Leadership Conference Dr. Steven R. Staples Superintendent of Public Instruction Commonwealth of Virginia June 20, 2017 Williamsburg, Virginia Virginia Department of Education

“The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.” -Henry Kissinger

Virginia Public Education 1.3 Million Enrolled Students More than 1,850 Public Schools 132 Distinct School Divisions 100,000 Teachers

The Changing Face of Student Enrollment in Virginia Education Briefing: Diversity in Ed Pipeline 2016 The Changing Face of Student Enrollment in Virginia Source: VDOE Fall Membership Data Virginia Department of Education

Number of Languages Reported in Virginia Schools 223

Student Demographics English Language Learner (ELL) students represent twelve percent (12%) of the statewide student enrollment or 154,020 students. Economically Disadvantaged students represent thirty-eight percent (38%) of the state wide student enrollment or 487,834 students. More than half of Virginia students (50.22%) identify as non-white.

Performance Data

English Reading and Writing SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

English Reading and Writing SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

Math SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

Math SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

“One of the tests of leadership before it becomes an emergency.” is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” -Arnold Glasow

Leadership is needed to bring needed change Not just state level Not just division level Every school…..Every Classroom

The Beginnings . . . The Committee of Fifteen The Committee of Ten 1895 Outlined elementary education Noted need to align with secondary education The Committee of Ten 1915 (after preliminary discussion in 1893) Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education Organized the secondary program of education and U.S. high schools Envisioned the secondary educational experience as “workforce preparation” for the coming Industrial Revolution

Charles Eliot, President of Harvard University Guiding principle was that all students should receive the same high-quality liberal arts education All public-high-school students should follow a college preparatory curriculum, regardless of their backgrounds, their intention to stay in school through graduation, or their plans to pursue higher education. As Eliot, author of the final report, put it, “every subject which is taught at all in a secondary school should be taught in the same way and to the same extent to every pupil so long as he pursues it, no matter what the probable destination of the pupil may be, or at what point his education is to cease.…” Source: “The Traditional High School:” Jeffrey Mirel

The Beginnings . . . . . . A Bit Later In 2014 the Virginia Board of Education began their work to reform high school graduation requirements with a simple question: Are Virginia’s high school graduates well prepared for what comes next?

Board of Education Engagement Process 24 Stakeholder Meetings Multiple panel presentations before the Board 4 Public Hearings (summer, 2016) Manassas Lynchburg Williamsburg Abingdon

The answer to the question was a resounding NO

Not an Indictment of the Work All groups indicated that high school students and staff were working hard They were just working hard at things that did NOT connect to the “next steps…..” The Industrial Age model was not aligned with 21st century workforce needs

21st Century Careers Virginia Employment Commission Data: 45 fastest growing/good pay (>$45,000 jobs) in Va. next 10 years 25 require 2 years or less after high school Some require only certification after high school “Guarantee” of quality of life for 4 year degree in question The Challenge: How to better connect high school outcomes to 21st century workforce needs?

Changing Student Needs Based on multiple meetings with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Business Council, higher education, and military recruiters….. “5 C’s” (communication, collaboration, creative problem-solving, critical thinking, citizenship)

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” -Warren G. Bennis

Structure of Schools and the Profile of a Virginia Graduate

“Profile of a Virginia Graduate” Current Graduation Requirements Include only academic expectations Earning “credits” by completing courses Completing “verified credits” through SOL Exams Students are expected to show they have acquired knowledge Colleges and employers noted “gaps” in these graduates

Reforming Expectations for High School Graduation The Virginia Board of Education is reforming graduation requirements to respond to those gaps and better prepare students for expectations in the 21st century to create: Smoother transitions to “what comes next” after high school An awareness that “content knowledge”, while important, is not sufficient Stronger alignment with future projection of workforce needs Student experiences in higher order thinking and problem-solving

How? The State Board Identified Priority Areas for Profile of a Graduate EXPAND the use of performance assessments and REDUCE the number of credits verified by SOL tests INCREASE internships and work-based learning experiences INCREASE career exposure, exploration, and planning EMPHASIZE the “5 Cs” (critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship)

In Virginia, the Life-ready Individual will, During His or Her K-12 Educational Experience: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE Achieve and apply appropriate academic and technical knowledge Attain and demonstrate productive workplace skills, qualities, and behaviors “WHAT” Students Need to Know Different Types of Assessments Blended Content 5 C’s Approach Connections to Real World Issues Elementary Exposure Middle Exploration HS Focus on Career Clusters Aligned Program of Study Multiple Pathways All Students Transitions from School to Worksite Continuum of Options More than Learning About Work on a Real World Community Problem Research and Present Capstone Project CAREER PLANNING WORKPLACE SKILLS Align knowledge, skills, and personal interests with career opportunities COMMUNITY & CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY Build connections and value for interactions with diverse communities

Accreditation and Accountability Reform ESSA State Plan

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Unintended Outcomes of Current Accountability System List of “failing” schools paralleled poverty % Sanctions “demoralized” community & staff High quality staff refused to work in “failing” schools Test Prep dominated school day & year Teachers reverted to “drill & kill” methodology – not best practice approaches Non-tested subjects pushed out of school day Parent/community backlash – “anti-testing” Key Point here is “new” system is working to fix some of these – the intent of Accountability Reform is to “do this better” and “fairer”

Insanity is doing the same things over and over again but expecting different results Albert Einstein

“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” -John D. Rockefeller

State Board Reform Philosophy of Accountability 4 Main Principles: Provide comprehensive picture of school quality Drive continuous improvement for all schools Build on strengths and address gaps and unintended outcomes in current system Inform areas of VDOE technical assistance and use of school improvement resources In previous discussions, we’ve heard consensus from you about some key principles for state accountability and I’ve listed them here on the slide. For Virginia, our accountability system should provide: a comprehensive picture of school quality (includes multiple measures), drives continuous improvement (focus on achievement for ALL students), builds on strengths and addresses gaps in current system (recognizes that we’ve learned some things from our experience with current and previous accountability systems) and importantly, provides a system that informs technical assistance and drives school improvement resources (targeted interventions vice a one size fits all approach).

Matrix Approach for State Accreditation and ESSA Level 1 (At Standard) Level 2 (Near Standard) Level 3 (Below Standard) DRAFT Criteria Number of schools DRAFT/PROPOSED

Proposed Accreditation Indicators Performance Levels Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Combined Rate for English Reading and Writing* 75% or higher (state benchmark) Between 66% and 74% 65% or lower Combined Rate for Math* 70% or higher Between 66% and 69% Pass Rate for Science* Achievement Gaps: English Reading and Writing* Less than 10 points below state benchmark 10 or more points below state benchmark Achievement Gaps: Math* Less than 5 points below state benchmark 5 or more points below state benchmark *Schools can improve the performance level on the indicator by decreasing the assessment failure rate by 10% or more

Proposed Accreditation Indicators Performance Levels Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Graduation Completion Index† 88 or higher Between 81 and 87 80 or lower Dropout Rate‡ 6% or lower Between 7% and 8% 9% or higher Chronic Absenteeism‡ 15% or lower Between 16% and 24% 25% or higher College and Career Readiness Index 85% or higher Between 71% and 84% 70% or lower †Schools can improve the performance level on the indicator by increasing the index value by 10% or more ‡Schools can improve the performance level on the indicator by decreasing the rate by 10% or more

Developing Achievement Indicators Pass rate (with recovery) on state assessments for reading and writing Achievement Student Growth English Learner Progress Pass rate (with recovery) on state assessments for math Pass rate on state assessments for science Year-over-year gains in reading based on progress tables Year-over-year gains in math based on progress tables Year-over-year gains towards English proficiency based on ACCESS for ELLs assessment

Role of ESSA Under ESSA, State Accountability Systems must address: Academic achievement; Academic progress; Graduation rates; Progress in English Learners gaining proficiency; and One or more other indicators of school quality.

Proposed Accreditation Indicators Category Indicator Required by ESSA? Achievement English Academic Indicator (includes passing state assessments, student growth and English Learner progress) Math Academic Indicator (includes passing state assessments and student growth) Science Academic Indicator (includes passing state assessments) English Academic Achievement Gap (examines all reporting groups) Math Academic Achievement Gap (examines all reporting groups) Testing at each level

Proposed Accreditation Indicators Category Indicator Required by ESSA? Graduation/ School Progress Graduation and Completion Index Dropout Rate (high schools) Student Engagement Chronic Absenteeism (elementary and middle schools) College and Career Readiness College and Career Readiness Index (includes advanced coursework, CTE credentials, and work-based learning)

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” -Publilius Syrus

Superintendent of Public Instruction Commonwealth of Virginia Q & A Dr. Steven R. Staples Superintendent of Public Instruction Commonwealth of Virginia Steven.Staples@doe.virginia.gov www.doe.virginia.gov