HEALTHY SYSTEMS: A diagnostic tool for your toolkit ONWARD Education Consulting Cindy Ward, Leadership Coach & Consultant www.ONWARDconsulting.org

To reflect about what makes a system healthy. Today’s objectives To reflect about what makes a system healthy. To understand how to evaluate the health of the five key systems that contribute to the health of the overall system. To identify priorities for AUs. To identify priorities for low performing schools or districts within AUs.

The situation With the implementation of Results Driven Accountability, Administrative Units are being asked to ensure systems are healthy as a way to address the need for dramatically improved student outcomes. 

What are the systems we need to be looking at? The situation What are the systems we need to be looking at? How do we know whether or not those systems are healthy?

Two part series Day Two 11:15 – 12:45 Differentiated Supports in Special Education Day One 10:30 – 12:00 Healthy Systems Concepts & Theory Introduction to Self-Assessment Tool Prioritization Case Study of Centennial BOCES’ Journey Application

In small groups, discuss what kinds of things you look for Healthy systems In small groups, discuss what kinds of things you look for when you are evaluating the health of your systems. Write each individual idea on a separate sticky note. 1 2 Please be ready to share your thinking.

Current research Research consistently points to a set of five key systems that, when implemented purposefully, promote the continuous improvement of instruction and dramatically improved outcomes for students. 

What is systems thinking? “The ability to see the big picture, and to distinguish patterns instead of conceptualizing change as isolated events. There must be a paradigm shift - from being unconnected to interconnected to the whole, and from blaming our problems on something external to a realization that how we operate, our actions, can create problems.” – Peter Senge

Key Systems in administrative units Culture of Performance Academic Systems Talent Management Differentiated Supports for Schools or Districts Board and Community Relationships

Context & disclaimer The systems we will discuss today are the intellectual property of the Colorado Department of Education. The research that led to the identification of these key systems began in 2013 and was undertaken in an effort to name key systems for underperforming districts. Two years later, it was hypothesized that the same systems identified as critical to success of Colorado’s underperforming districts were critical to the success of Colorado’s Administrative Units.

CULTURE OF PERFORMANCE Key systems CULTURE OF PERFORMANCE Systems and approaches to promote a positive culture at the AU level, resulting in high expectations for all schools and ensuring shared accountability for improved AU performance.

CULTURE OF PERFORMANCE key systems CULTURE OF PERFORMANCE Shared Vision Leader Accountability Strategic Resource Allocation Systems to Support Continuous Improvement

Self-Assessment And discussion: 10 minutes Assess the health of your AU’s culture using the Culture of Performance self-assessment tool. 1 In small groups, discuss what you notice about the health of this system in your AU and the potential impact it has on student achievement. 2

key systems ACADEMIC SYSTEMS Systems to ensure a standards-aligned guaranteed and viable curriculum paired with assessment tools that facilitate effective data-driven instruction.

Defined Instructional Framework Multi-Tiered System of Supports Key systems ACADEMIC SYSTEMS Defined Instructional Framework Multi-Tiered System of Supports Assessment Strategy Use of Data

Self-Assessment And discussion: 10 minutes Assess the health of your AU’s academic systems using the Academic Systems self-assessment tool. 1 In small groups, discuss what you notice about the health of this system in your AU and the potential impact it has on student achievement. 2

TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS key systems TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Systems to support a strategic approach to hiring, developing, retaining and compensating teachers and leaders aligned with AU needs and the AU’s vision for school performance.

TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS key systems TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Talent Strategy Professional Development Performance Incentives Teacher Leadership

Self-Assessment And discussion: 10 minutes Assess the health of your AU’s talent management system using the Talent Management self-assessment tool. 1 In small groups, discuss what you notice about the health of this system in your AU and the potential impact it has on student achievement. 2

DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS Key systems DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS A systemic approach to differentiating supports for schools or districts through the use of data and ongoing progress monitoring in order to foster a culture of shared ownership of student outcomes.

DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS key systems DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS Prioritized Support for Schools or Districts of Greatest Need Prioritized Hiring in Schools or Districts of Greatest Need Prioritized Performance Management for Schools or Districts of Greatest Need

Self-Assessment And discussion: 10 minutes Assess the health of your AU’s differentiated supports using the Differentiated Supports for Schools or Districts self-assessment tool. 1 In small groups, discuss what you notice about the health of this system in your AU and the potential impact it has on student achievement. 2

BOARD AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS Key systems BOARD AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS Systems to ensure the Board(s), Superintendent(s), and AU leadership present a unified vision for success that includes stakeholder voice, clear strategy and goals, and an effective progress monitoring process.

BOARD AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS key systems BOARD AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS Family and Community Engagement Board Adopted Goals Aligned Board Policy Stakeholder Voice in AU Strategy

Self-Assessment And discussion: 10 minutes Assess the health of your AU’s board and community relationships using the Board and Community Relationships self-assessment tool. 1 In small groups, discuss what you notice about the health of this system in your AU and the potential impact it has on student achievement. 2

Deep dive into priority systems 1 Identify the system that presents itself as your highest priority based on the self-assessment. 2 In groups, use the rubrics and questions provided to do a “deep dive” into that system. 3 Please be ready to share your thinking.

Deep dive into priority systems: low performing schools or districts Revisit the self-assessment and rubrics thinking about a low performing school or district you serve. 1 Think about the magnitude of the issues you identified earlier. How does the magnitude compare for the low performing school or district? Are their needs the same as the needs of the overall system? 2 3 Please be ready to share your thinking.

How does this information impact your work? The big question How does this information impact your work?

Part Two: Differentiated supports in Special education Friday, 11:15 – 12:45 As a follow up to the Healthy Systems break-out session, participants will go into a deeper dive of one anchor discussed, Differentiated Supports.  Learn how one AU is differentiating their practice to meet the needs of schools and districts as well as addressing a variety of stakeholders’ needs using one framework. Participants will brainstorm an initial framework they can take back to their teams to implement the following school year.

Questions & discussion ONWARD Education Consulting Cindy Ward, Leadership Coach & Consultant www.ONWARDconsulting.org Thank you for your time today and for all you do for kids.