Title I Needs Assessment/ Program Evaluation Title I Technical Assistance & Networking Session October 5, 2010

Needs Assessment Requirement Districts are required to conduct annual needs assessments for each Title I school (both Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance programs) that include data on student achievement relative to State standards, and input from parents and educators. Component of a schoolwide plan Needs assessment needs to develop school improvement plan Schoolwide program components Dev sch imp plan Needs of lowest achievers Data for eval Need to know hoow to do that now Plan – what you will use etc.

Components There is no single model or template for a needs assessment; the exact components will depend on a school or district's particular context. Flexible fluid Req level 3 school T1 need assess and Prog eval

Components (Continued) In general, a needs assessment: Considers a Range of Needs and Issues Student Needs Curriculum and Instruction Professional Development Family and Community Involvement School and District Context and Organization

Components (Continued) Includes Information Gathered from a Variety of Sources Quantitative Data, such as: student achievement results, enrollment counts, dropout rates, graduation rates from school and district records and reports, and demographic statistics from community- based or other organizations. Qualitative Data that reveal attitudes and perceptions, such as: written surveys, face-to-face or telephone interviews, focus groups, or classroom observations. (e.g., MCAS, MCAS-Alt, MEPA, MELA-O, other standardized tests, district- based tests and rubrics, formative and summative assessments, portfolio assessments, end-of-course exams, etc.),

Components (Continued) Uses Valid and Reliable Data Involves Many Individuals Representing a Range of Knowledge, Skills, and Expertise Results in the Development of Goals and Action Plans Is Used as the Basis for Resource Allocation Includes Regular Follow Up and Evaluation of Plans and Strategies

Conditions for School Effectiveness Self-Assessment After completing the self-assessment, a school should have a clearer sense of which practices are contributing to success and which might be developed more fully. http://www.doe.mass.edu/sda/ucd/CSESelf-Assesment.pdf

Level 3 (districts with one or more schools among the lowest-performing 20% based on quantitative indicators): Schools in Level 3 are required to complete a self-assessment process aligned with Essential Conditions for School Effectiveness. Level 3 districts will be given high priority for Department assistance, including resources to assist their efforts to implement the Essential Conditions at each identified school. Coherence in what already doing

CSE Self-Assessment School Improvement Plan revision Well aligned and coherent – do one thing instead of two The planning process begins with the required comprehensive needs assessment. [Section 1114(b)(1)(A) of Title I of ESEA ]. The needs assessment is critical to developing a schoolwide program, as it reveals the priority areas on which the program will focus. The needs assessment guides the development of the comprehensive schoolwide plan and suggests benchmarks for its evaluation, and, as such, is closely linked to all aspects of schoolwide program implementation. The needs assessment is based on academic information about all students in the school, including economically disadvantaged students; students from major racial and ethnic groups; students with disabilities; limited English proficient students, and migrant students. Recommended steps that a school staff should take in conducting the required needs assessment include, but are not limited to:  (1) establishing a schoolwide planning team; (2) clarifying the vision for reform; (3) creating the school profile; (4) identifying data sources; and (5) analyzing data.

Example 1 IV. Effective instruction: Instructional practices are based on evidence from a body of high quality research and on high expectations for all students and include use of appropriate research-based reading and mathematics programs; the school staff has a common understanding of high-quality evidence-based instruction and a system for monitoring instructional practice.

Example 2 VII. Professional development and structures for collaboration: Professional development for school staff includes both individually pursued activities and school-based, job-embedded approaches, such as instructional coaching. It also includes content-oriented learning. The school has structures for regular, frequent collaboration to improve implementation of the curriculum and instructional practice. Professional development and structures for collaboration are evaluated for their effect on raising student achievement.

Program Evaluation Needs Assessment Continuous Improvement Program Evaluation is not a Needs Assessment – however thorough program evaluation can inform the needs assessment process. There is a connection between the two.

Program Evaluation The Title I Program Evaluation is an annual review of the strategies in the Title I plan to determine if they are contributing to the desired outcomes: Improved student achievement Greater parental involvement More high quality professional development There is no single model or template for a Title Program Evaluation; the exact components will depend on a school or district's particular context.

What it does Title I Program Evaluation: Measures the efficacy and impact of the district's Title I program Documents the impact of Title I services on student learning Informs school and district planning Is an advocacy tool Is conducted at the end of a program year Advocacy tool – if doing good things – this is a way to highlight the successes and share with key stakeholders April/May is an ideal time to work on this.

Why do it Understand, verify, or increase the impact of services for students Improve delivery mechanisms to be more efficient and effective Identify program strengths and weaknesses to improve the program Verify that you are doing what you say/ think you are doing Another reason to conduct a program evaluation is because it is required

Requirements Federal legislation requires that a school operating a Title I program annually evaluate the implementation of, and results achieved by, the Title I program. ESE Title I program review requires written program evaluation procedure document and program evaluation summary document. Another reason to evaluate the Title I program is because it is required

How – Key Questions Has the Title I program been effective? What has worked well in the Title I program? What has not worked well in the Title I program? How should the Title I program be refined? These are the primary questions that should be asked – what does it mean if the program has been effective? Go back to beginning - Has student achievement improved? How do you find this out? Has there been greater parental involvement? How do you find this out? Has there been more high quality professional development? What has its impact been on Title staff/ student achievement? The data are analyzed by the Title I Coordinator with the assistance of other staff, as needed. As necessary and appropriate, the results of the analysis are shared with Title I staff, Title I building classroom teachers, principals, district administrators, parents, and other stakeholders to determine necessary and important changes that should be made to the Title I program to better survey its students. The results of the evaluation, including information about any changes to the Title I program, are shared with district and school officials and Title I families in Title I schools.

Don’t forget to evaluate: PRIVATE SCHOOL SERVICES PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT CONSULTANCY SERVICES Collect and analyze data for students enrolled in private schools. Survey teachers who took advantage of Professional Development opportunities specific to Title I An LEA must annually assess the progress of the Title I program toward enabling private school Title I participants to meet the agreed-upon standards. In measuring annual progress, the LEA has the flexibility to group children in a manner that will provide the most accurate information about their progress. For example, the LEA may decide to group children by instructional method, grade level, school, or other appropriate basis. If the Title I program for the private school participants does not make the expected annual progress, the LEA must annually make modifications to the Title I program. Officials of the private schools may provide the LEA with the assessment data on Title I participants that the private school has collected as part of its testing program. However, private school officials are not obligated to do this, and refusal by private school officials to provide these data does not release the LEA from its obligation to provide services and assess the progress of the private school participants in the Title I program. Part of consultation process: How the LEA will assess academically the services to eligible private school children in accordance with §200.10 and how the LEA will use the results of that assessment to improve Title I services. The Program Evaluation Summary is each Title I school’s written summary of the procedures used to evaluate the Title I program, a list of strengths and weaknesses of the program as indicated by findings from data analysis, and description of any consequent program changes made.

For more information Need Assessment statutory requirements and suggested components: http://www.doe.mass.edu/titlei/programs/needs.html Conditions for School Effectiveness Self-Assessment: http://www.doe.mass.edu/sda/ucd/CSESelf-Assesment.pdf District and School Assistance Centers (DSACs): http://www.doe.mass.edu/sda/regional/ Title I Program Evaluation procedure and summary samples are located at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/titlei/monitoring E-mail: titlei@doe.mass.edu Phone: 781-338-6230