Leadership for Student Achievement National School Boards Association

Inform school board leaders of: The content and purpose of NSBA’s Key Work of School Boards. Resources available in support of the Key Work of School Boards. Objective for today’s presentation

How they do it: Community Engagement What boards do: Student Achievement The Essentials of “Key Work”

Vision Standards Collaboration Assessment Climate Alignment Accountability Continuous Improvement

Vision

Establish a clear vision of student achievement as top priority of board, staff, and community Vision

Community Engagement Strategies Involve community in: HVision Statement HMission Statement HCore Beliefs and Values HGoals Vision

Community Engagement Strategies Include community in regular revisions. Show eagerness to listen to the community. Strive for commitment to HClear Focus and Direction. HConstancy of Purpose. Vision

Standards

Set clear standards for student performance Standards

Relate to something external and credible in our community. Define what students should know and be able to do at key points in their school careers. Shared clearly and widely with students, staff and community. Standards

 What external sources do we use to benchmark and validate our standards?  Do the standards deal with what students should know and be able to do at key points in their school career?  What policies and resources have we provided to disseminate these standards clearly and widely to students, staff, and community? Standards

Community Engagement Strategies Create community forums to discuss: What standards for our students? How do our standards compare to state, national, and international norms? What needs do parents, business, and higher ed identify? Standards

Vision Standards Assessment

Establish an assessment process that measures success at regular intervals Assessment

 Is our assessment program explicitly tied to the standards we have set?  Does it assess both knowledge and skill?  Does it use multiple, ongoing measures (not single, high-stakes testing)?  Is there a range of achievement targets assessed that represent what the local community feels are important educational outcomes? Assessment

 Does it measure more than minimum competencies?  Does it provide progress data for every student?  Do we know and understand how the results of the assessments produced will be used? Assessment

 How will results of assessments be shared with teachers and curriculum developers?  How will it be used to alter instruction to focus on greatest needs?  What individual teacher-level progress data does it provide?

Community Engagement Strategies Assessment Establish community advisors as essential part of development and review Assure that assessment program is widely and well explained to the community in meetings and in the press

Vision Standards Assessment Accountability

Establish a strongaccountability process Accountability

Find the guilty! Blame! Punish! What is it?

Analyze data to determine what is effective and what is not. Discuss the data and analysis openly. Use the data to make decisions, including changes if necessary. Accountability What is it?

Data analysis is tied to staff evaluation. Success lack of successSuccess is tied to public recognition and lack of success to visible change. Disaggregated data is used to assess success of all students. accountability What’s a strong accountability process? Accountability

 What policy and resources have we provided to include data analysis as an essential component in our district's staff evaluation process?  How do we tie staff and student success to public recognition and lack of success to visible change?  How often do we require the staff to review with us disaggregated data to assess success of all students?

Accountability  How frequently does our district publicly report school- and district-wide data on multiple assessment measures to hold board, superintendent, and principals accountable?  Does the superintendent use individual teacher data to hold teachers accountable?  Do we provide individual student data to parents in a cumulative format to track progress over time?

Community Engagement Strategies Accountability Include parents and community on accountability team. Invite widespread input from community on how data should be disaggregated.

Community Engagement Strategies Accountability Promote widespread review and comment on published data. Establish policy expectation that principals meet with community on school data.

Community Engagement Strategies Accountability Establish policies and provide opportunities for parents to meet with teachers to discuss their student’s progress.

Vision Standards Assessment Alignment Accountability

Align resources to focus on enabling students to meet the standards Alignment

Align resources: Curriculum Staffing Training Books and Materials Technology Supplemental services Alignment

 Is it congruent with standards (internal and external)?  Is it clearly sequenced/aligned K-12?  What are the opportunities for individual student acceleration?  What are the opportunities and accommodations for students with special needs?  Is it implemented by research-based instructional practices? Curriculum questions to ask:

Alignment  Are staff assignments based on needs of students and aligned to assure adequate individual attention to students?  Are staff members assigned only to positions for which they are qualified?  Are staff assignments based on accountability data? Staffing questions:

Alignment  Are funds adequate for the materials needed to implement standards-driven curriculum?  Do we have an established process for local decision-making about use of materials funds, tied to accountability for results? Learning materials questions:

Alignment  Is technology fully integrated with curriculum?  Is it distributed and used equitably, with focus on achieving standards?  How thoroughly are staff members trained to use technology to enhance instruction? Technology questions:

Alignment  Are summer school opportunities provided for students who need them?  What provisions are made for students who are not meeting standards?  Do we provide enrichment programs for gifted students?  Are supplemental services provided in addition to regular instructional time, not as a replacement for it? Supplemental Services questions:

Community Engagement Strategies Process for community input into budget Business community review of budget and business practices Parents on district curriculum review process Alignment

Community Engagement Strategies Publish data on school staffing related to meeting standards. Parents review and comment on text and materials selection process. School staff invites parents in to see technology use. Alignment

Community Engagement Strategies Resources support parents to help their children with academic work. Community volunteers are welcome in schools to help students with academic work. Alignment

Vision Standards Assessment Climate Alignment Accountability

Create a positive climate for student success Climate

Empower staff to meet student needs. Model mutual respect and professionalism in Board meetings and in work with superintendent and staff. Climate

Negotiate employee contracts with expectations for accountability and rewards for successful performance. Climate

Student Discipline Policy based on mutual respect and support for achievement with clear expectations for a safe learning environment with clear and consistent consequences Climate

Assure a good facilities plan with appropriate space for student learning and staff productivity. Climate

 Do we, as a board, model mutual respect and professional behavior standards in Board meetings and in working with superintendent and staff?  Are we, as a board, committed to a continuous learning environment?  Do we empower staff to meet student needs by providing a policy framework, a clear direction, and adequate resources?

Climate  How do we assure decision-making at the level closest to implementation and tied to accountability?  How do we give recognition for quality staff performance?  Do we have a fair and effective process for evaluation of staff?  Do our employee contracts include expectations for accountability and rewards for successful performance?

Climate is based on mutual respect and support for achievement?  creates a strong academic program?  increases student opportunities to take challenging courses?  has clear expectations for a safe learning environment for student success?  encourages and emphasizes respect for lifelong learning?  has clear and consistent consequences for those who violate policy? Do we have a student discipline policy that:

Climate  How do we assure that facilities provide adequate, appropriate space for students to learn and for staff members to carry out their work?  Is training focused on staff skills and knowledge to assure that students meet achievement standards?

Community Engagement Strategies Include parents on school advisory teams. Survey parents and community for satisfaction with district services. Share and use the information in the planning process. Climate

Community Engagement Strategies Encourage community to recognize staff’s quality performance related to student success with standards. Encourage community volunteerism to help students learn. Climate

Community Engagement Strategies Recognize volunteers regularly. Assure that staff communicates and collaborates with Social Services and Juvenile Justice system. Provide opportunities for public comment at Board meetings. Climate

Community Engagement Strategies Assure community involvement in facilities planning. Make school facilities available for community use. Climate

Vision Standards Collaboration Assessment Climate Alignment Accountability

Build collaborative relationships with political and business leaders to make student success a top community priority. Collaboration

 How do we identify key business and political leaders in our community?  What process do we use to inform these key leaders of our standards and progress towards them?  How do we support these leaders?  How do we recognize the contributions that these leaders make to our educational goals?

Community Engagement Strategies Collaboration Schedule regular meetings with your state legislators to make them aware of your efforts and progress on student success standards.

Community Engagement Strategies Collaboration Communicate freely with local elected officials about student achievement issues, activities, and progress. Invite them to be part of recognition efforts.

Vision Standards Collaboration Assessment Climate Alignment Accountability Continuous Improvement

Commit to continuous improvement for student achievement Continuous Improvement

Key elements: Continuous Improvement  Set standards for performance  Benchmark processes  Collect data and feedback  Know your data!  Use data-driven decision making  Reward success, eliminate failure  Reassess and recalibrate standards

Board sets the tone to create a culture of continuous improvement throughout the school system. Continuous Improvement

Board members seek training for skills and understanding necessary to carry out the Key Work Continuous Improvement from state association from NSBA from community experts

Superintendent and staff collect and analyze data on student achievement measure customer satisfaction make program adjustments Continuous Improvement

Board regularly reviews summary data and individual school data on student achievement. Continuous Improvement

Board uses data on student achievement to set priorities for allocating resources. Continuous Improvement

Board and staff adjust strategic plan as necessary, based on data and community input. Continuous Improvement

Continuous Improvement  How do we include a commitment to ongoing training of board members in the budget and planning process?  Do we take advantage of existing training from our state association and NSBA, and do we seek customized training as needed to respond to issues identified in the planning process?

Continuous Improvement  Have we established the expectation and provided the resources for the superintendent and staff to collect and analyze data regarding student achievement and make appropriate adjustments to ongoing activities?  Do we formally review on a regular basis both summary and individual school data on student achievement?

Continuous Improvement  Have we set expectations for the superintendent to benchmark key district practices against the most successful districts?  In the yearly budget adoption process, do we use the data on student achievement to set priorities for allocating resources?  Do we adjust the strategic plan as necessary, based on the data and community input?

Community Engagement Strategies Discuss at Board meetings the Board’s development activities and learning. Get the community involved in regular data reviews and in making recommendations for program changes. Continuous Improvement

Community Engagement Strategies Board members and district leadership staff Participate in meetings of community organizations to discuss student achievement efforts and results. Are active with the media to discuss success and improvements. Continuous Improvement

Vision Standards Collaboration Assessment Climate Alignment Accountability Continuous Improvement