Summer 2013

Non-effective School Districts district staff issue a plethora of uncoordinated and often contradictory directives while presiding over resource allocation, staffing and other critical decisions bureaucracy abounds inefficiencies in operating processes such as human resources, purchasing, facilities and information technology highly politicized environment multiple constituencies with often-conflicting interests long-standing organizational mores

Information on the following slides was taken from The Role of the District in Driving School Reform By Robert D. Muller, Ed.D. November 2004

Effective School Districts 1. Transparent Focus on Student Achievement have an unwavering commitment to improving student achievement have high expectations for all students set expectations for their schools, with supports, rewards and sanctions as incentives do not prescriptively dictate how principals should run their schools and how teachers should run their classrooms have the courage to acknowledge poor performance and the will to seek effective solutions

Effective School Districts 2. Strong Emphasis on Instructional Support are instructional leaders assist with improvement efforts by helping build and coordinate the capacity of schools and teachers for teaching and learning that boosts student achievement help schools determine the best options for meeting standards help teachers perform to the best of their capacity provide guidance and leadership in areas where there can be synergy and benefit from a degree of centralized analysis and support, instead of having every school and classroom duplicate efforts in investigating options for improving performance

Effective School Districts 3. Better Use of Data improve collection, analysis and use of data for decision-making and community-building examine data collection practices to ensure that data requested is used, useful and accurate, and that it reflects a wide range of indicators that can help inform practice have a district wide system for periodically examining data and ensuring schools are routinely using data improve the validity and reliability of data collected provide technical assistance in how to use data for management, instruction and curricular purposes

Effective School Districts 4. Optimized Human Resources have a significant focus on recruiting, retention and development of high quality personnel at all levels ensure the personnel processes function well allow for local autonomy according to consistent standards of quality encourage innovation and creativity principals should make their own hiring decisions, within guidelines established by the district

Effective School Districts 5. Optimized Financial Resources are transparent with finances help principals to understand and control budgets for their staff and programs improve understanding of where resources exist and how they can be reallocated and better used

Effective School Districts 6. A Delicate Balance between Centralization and Decentralization consider what makes sense to do across the system and what makes sense to decentralize know that local control and autonomy are extremely important for ensuring accountability and providing incentives for improved performance provide a policy context, expertise, guidance and support

Effective School Districts 7. Effective Community Involvement establish open, credible processes for community and stakeholder involvement build trust to sustain strong and supportive collaboration have district guidelines for assisting schools in actively engaging parents

Effective School Districts 8. Shift from Bureaucratic Control to Customer Service have high quality services that are responsive to user needs give satisfaction surveys have clear process goals about turnaround time and quality raise expectations regarding the provision of basic services

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The District Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) District level set of indicators within Indistar (42) Aligned with five key areas of effectiveness

The School Comprehensive Achievement Plan (CAP) Districts should be involved in school plan(s). Districts may add tasks to school plan(s). The indicators are broad enough that districts can make sure district wide initiatives are included in school plan(s). Districts may have standard practices in data or curriculum, etc. that may look the same across all schools. Districts know their schools better than ODE knows their schools.

School Budgets All funding sources should be included for a full picture. Schools will need district support with the budget (object codes, etc.). Districts need to approve school budget(s) before uploading into Indistar. Communications between schools and ODE should include both school and district staff. District staff member should include name and contact info on “Start Here” tab of budget. District Indirect on “Summary” tab should be entered (not left blank).

District Level Set-Aside of Title IA Allocation (up to 20%)