The Realities of School Reform Dr. Janeen Demi-Smith Dr. Beverly Johnson Dr. Terry N. Bishop Assessment, Evaluation and Research Office Division of Information, Technology, and CQI

Early Work and Research on Reform (80’s and 90’s) Conducted on schools and classrooms A lot of site based management because several states mandated SBM Some positive results, but the results were not sustained Islands of Excellence Results were not sustained when the principals left or teacher leadership changed in a building During these two decades most districts did not have a systems wide approach

The later 1990’s developed an Awareness of the Urban Setting 16,850 districts in the United States with 47 million students 25% of the 47 million students in the largest 100 districts 18.5 million minority students in the United States 40% of 18.5 million students in the 100 largest districts 20.0 million economically disadvantages students in the United States 30% of the 20.0 million in the 100 largest districts NCLB – emphasizes the gap between ethnic groups of students and between economically disadvantaged students

District Wide Instructional Reform Much of the work and research on district or centralized reform has been in the last 5 years Two (2) major studies looking at what successful districts are doing Beyond Islands of Excellence, What Districts Can Do to Improve Instruction and Achievement in All Schools Foundation of Success: Case Studies of How Urban School Systems Improve Student Achievement

District Wide Instructional Reform Common Themes of Success Board and Superintendent stability a and focus on student achievement System wide approach and processes District level determination of the “What” Schools determine the “How” Targeted staff development Decisions based on data Commitment to sustaining reform over the long haul Strong parental involvement

DISTRICT 11 CHARACTERISTICS Free and Reduced Lunch Approximately 31% in 2001 Approximately 39% in 2005 ESL (English as a Second Language) Average increase is 3-5% a year over time 800 + in 2003 2,100 + in 2005 District 11 is becoming more urban

WHAT WORKS Neither total site based nor total centralized decision making has worked Successful urban districts have used a combination Districts determine the “What” Schools determine the “How” Central – needs sufficient staff to provide the necessary direction, support and accountability School – needs staff with the proper training in instructional methods, use of assessments, the use of intervention to help determine the “How”

ALDINE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ALDINE, TEXAS Three (3) Superintendents in last 50 years Board has averaged 10 years of tenure over this time Programs in place Systems Approach Aligned Curriculum with Standards Short term Assessments every three weeks Data driven decision making/good data system Strong Instruction and Curriculum Department 5 area Superintendents with strong instructional background and responsibility for accountability Parental involvement Everyone seems to be on the same page – “Whatever it takes to increase student achievement”

In Summation No school is an island Central office is not an island Everyone must work together in order to move the whole district forward in order to increase achievement for all students. That’s what NCLB is about.