Managing Cohesive Instructional Change Across Buildings: The Academies of Cleveland Erin Frew Academic Superintendent STEAM Network

Problem Of Practice Over the course of three years, 5 Career and Technical Education High Schools were transformed into Career Academies. High turnover in both the Principal Supervisor and Executive Principal roles have impeded change. How can the turnover be mitigated to cohesively improve instruction?

District Contextual Information​ 104 schools​ Current enrollment is approximately 39,000 students​​ 100% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch​​ Third year of implementation of school-based resource autonomies​

History and Context, Part 1 Fall 2014: Visit to the Academies of Nashville by Principal Supervisor and 5 Principals. Spring 2015: Planning Begins and Academies Director is put in Place. Fall of 2016: New Principal Supervisor put in Place. 2 New Principals join. Spring 2016: 2 Principals and Academies Director Resign. Summer 2016: Integrated Unit Training Summer 2016: Principal Supervisor #2 Resigns.

History and Context, part 2 Early Fall 2016: After school year begins, New Principal Supervisory and Academies Direct Hired Late Fall 2016: Joint Agreement with Union to have Integrated Units Winter 2017: Principal Resignation Winter of 2017: Integrated Unit Training, take 2

Connecting the Principals with the Vision Step 1: Desired Future Step 2: Current Reality Step 3: Connecting the Desired Future to the Current Reality

The Desired Future High Performing Academically Graduates can choose between entering the workforce as a trained, certified employee or attend college without remediation. Connected to the Business Community with internship and externship opportunities for students and teachers.

The Reality of Academies

The Reality of Academies

The Reality of Academies Strong resistance by staff to change with a heavy union presence Limited engagement with the business community at 4 of the schools

Creating a Pathway to the Future As a team, we determined: Transform Teaching & Learning—We want to students connect their CTE coursework to the rest of the curriculum. Transform Culture—We want each Academy to have its own Identity? Transform Business Engagement—We want students and teachers working with the community.

Transforming Teaching & Learning First Steps As a cohort, we agreed that integrated project based units would successfully connect CTE and the general curriculum Partnered with PCG to provide intensive professional development to principals and staff. Principals and Academy Leaders met in November and December with Union Leadership to develop a timeline and agree to unit planning. All day PD to kick-off second semester. Teachers met weekly to plan together along with Academy Leaders Second Touch with PCG in March. Month-long integrated Units for all Academies!

Transforming Teaching & Learning First Steps Executive Principal and Academy Leader Expectations: Attend Weekly Planning Meetings Provide Feedback on Planning Executive Principal Responsibility to the Community of Practice: Bring Examples of Walkthrough Feedback Are walkthroughs showing alignment to expectations? How are teachers being coached to improve alignment? Student Work Samples Are tasks aligned to the standards and rigorous? Is the student work meeting the standard? Is the teacher feedback appropriate and designed to improve student performance?

Transforming Teaching & Learning Beginnings of Success Integrated Unit Examples: Washington Park School of Environmental Studies: “How can you feed the world? “ Martin Luther King Jr Career Center: “What are the effects of incarceration on the community?” How does the relationship between the public and health & safety officials effect the greater community? Garrett Morgan High School “How can an irrigation garden help my community?

Transforming The Secondary School Experience Agreed Upon Principles: Teachers Instruct Only in One Academy in a School Common Planning Time for Academy Teachers Teacher Externships for both Core and CTE Teachers Academies 101 Course for 9th graders Multiple Exposures to On-site Career Experiences College Credit Plus Opportunities for All Career Certifications for All Students Student Ambassadors

Transforming The Secondary School Experience: Beginning Successes Garrett Morgan Ambassadors assist with the monthly Market Day by distributing fresh produce to the community. 10th graders participated in the Fenn College of Engineering Academy Day 11th graders will participate in the summer internships at the water department.

Transforming The Secondary School Experience: Beginning Successes Jane Addams Grille, a completely student run restaurant serves lunch 3 times a week. Student run food truck scheduled to open next year

Transforming The Secondary School Experience: Beginning Successes New and renewed Partnerships with University Hospital of Cleveland, Louis Stokes Veterans’ Administration and the Cleveland Clinic have led to internships for students and externships for teachers.

Transforming The Secondary School Experience: Beginning Successes On-going visits have taken place for students in the Construction Pathway through the Pre-apprenticeship program. Ten (10) students have been hired to work in the CMSD Bus Depot and twenty (20) Construction and Building Maintenance Students have been hired as a part of the CMSD Summer Facilities Internship Initiative.

Transforming The Secondary School Experience All Sophomores took the admission exam for Tri-C. The results of the exam will be used to determine student eligibility for Dual Credit Options and/or enrichment. Juniors from Washington Park will participate as interns for the Let's Move! Outside Environmental Service Learning Curriculum in collaboration with the YMCA.

Transforming Business & Civic Engagement Agreed Upon Principles Transformation Coordinators will serve as liaisons between the Academies and the Business Community All Schools will have a Friends Board Teacher Externships will provide concrete connections between the Business Community and the curriculum Businesses will engage with students through: Greater Cleveland Partnerships Sponsored Career Fairs for Freshman Industry Sponsored Field Trips for Sophomores Job Shadowing for Juniors Internships for Seniors

Transforming Business & Civic Engagement First Steps Coaching Principals Utilization of the Transformation Coordinator Ill-defined role when on-boarded Widely varying skill sets across schools Leveraging the Friends Board Formation a struggle for some schools Creating the right balance between input and informing Using connections to create opportunities.

Transforming Business & Civic Engagement Beginning Successes All Underclassman at every school participated in multiple career experiences Transformation Coordinators have scheduled 60% of Seniors for next year into internships All Schools have scheduled externships for teachers this summer. All Schools have functioning Friends Boards.

Ongoing Challenges Small School Sizes impede purity of teacher scheduling Turnover in Academy Principals Coaching Executive Principals on managing Union pushback on integrated units

Questions?