Sanger Unified School District Presented by Matt Navo Superintendent, Sanger USD

Where is Sanger?

Sanger Unified School District

Marc Johnson, Superintendent The Basics of Sanger Located in the Central Valley approximately 20 miles Southeast of Fresno. 188 square miles, predominately rural. 10,535 students Schools: 14 elementary schools (2 of which are charter schools) 1 intermediate school 1 comprehensive high school 3 alternative education schools, and an adult school. 1 charter home-school program (K-12). 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

Sanger Unified At A Glance 85% minority enrollment 74% qualify for free or reduced price lunch 20% English Language Learners 17% RFEP, 3.3% IFEP 6% students with disabilities 22% of parents did not graduate from high school Elementary schools with greater than 50% initial EL Populations Richard Smith, Presenter

1999 Home of 400 Unhappy Teachers Looking Back...

Home of 400 Unhappy Teachers 1999 Home of 400 Unhappy Teachers Looking back

Home of 400 Unhappy Teachers!! 1999 Home of 400 Unhappy Teachers!! Looking back

Marc Johnson, Superintendent Where we were in 2004-05 Marc Johnson, Superintendent One of the first 98 California school districts to enter PI status. Five elementary schools were PI status (1 school at PI 4, 2 schools at PI 3, and 2 schools at PI 2), as well as intermediate school (PI 2). API of 599. The district had not maintained adherence to the State textbook adoption cycle, or maintained a focused staff development program. Schools had little fidelity to State curricular standards. There was not an effective district-wide assessment system to monitor student achievement. Speak specifically to the role and responsibility of the board. Big take a ways as a board member. Be focused on policy not running the district Be focused on equity Allow your districts time to make decisions, process and understand that movement toward improvement takes time. Richard Smith, Presenter

Superintendent’s Directives Marc Johnson, Superintendent Superintendent’s Directives Increase Student Achievement Build a collaborative culture Parents as partners Fiscally sound 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

As an organization we learned that’s not so easy, sometimes you need a little push. Sometimes you need a little help before you are willing to jump ALL IN. Next Slide: Where are we going?

District Achievement API 2004 API 2013 District 599 832 Centerville 675 876*** Del Rey 532 – PI 4 830* Fairmont 677 – PI 4 882** Jackson 624 842* Jefferson 531 854** John Wash 744 889*** Lincoln 536 – PI 3 789 Lone Star 643 862** Madison 644 825* Quail Lake 756 948** SACS 721 901*** Sequoia 898* Wilson 533 – PI 4 741* WAMS 549 – PI 4 848**** Sanger High 592 788* Stars are for internal marks *CA Dist. School *** National Blue Ribbon School ****CA School to Watch *CA Dist. School 2012 *CA Dist. School Visitation 2014 Richard Smith, Presenter

What’s the Vision…. It’s time for us to re-invent our district wide vision for creating college and career ready students who have options for college and opportunities for career. Where all students have options to demonstrate what they learn and opportunities to be successful and achieve their dreams!

Some of us fell in the mud stayed there a while. Next slide: Baby

Some of us enjoyed it more than others. Next slide: Risk and Reward

Three Guiding Principles Marc Johnson, Superintendent Three Guiding Principles Hope is not a strategy. Don’t blame the kids. It is about student learning. Instructional focus on PLC/RTI/EDI ----- Meeting Notes (9/12/11 20:31) ----- As a site we adopted district principles. 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

Believe ALL students can and must learn. Principles Believe ALL students can and must learn. NEXT SLIDE: Believe video ??

Leadership

Marc Johnson, Superintendent The good, the bad, and what we did about it, five reasons we turned the corner. Changing our culture. PLCs RtI EDI ELD ----- Meeting Notes (9/12/11 20:21) ----- Note that this is a school presentation, but I will highlight district information too. 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

A Systems View of School Reform Adapted from the work of Margret Wheatley Structure Strategy Operations Information Relationships Identity Connections Richard Smith, Presenter

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Understanding Staff Acceptance Adopters – 66% Late Adopters – 9 – 15% Early Adopters – 9 – 15% Fundamentalist – 3-5% Innovators – 3-5% Richard Smith, Presenter

Getting Everyone on the SAME PAGE What do we want students to learn? Agreed upon essential standards for every class – Every teacher… and every student must be crystal clear on what they are learning. Agreed upon learning objectives. How will we know when they have learned it? Agreed upon “common assessments” for every class… before any instruction begins. Clarity on the assessments brings clarity to the instruction. ----- Meeting Notes (9/12/11 20:45) ----- These 4 questions from Dufour helped to shape our conversations and brought us more together as a group.

Getting Everyone on the SAME PAGE How will we respond when learning doesn’t take place? Common pacing guides for same course Sharing and building lessons utilizing best practices Interdependency and learning from one another becomes a reality Each PLC plans a response after every common assessment (deployment, small groups, spiraling) How will we respond when learning has taken place? PLC’s plan a response when they do learn it that go deeper, not necessarily wider. Pre-assessments and classroom differentiation. Common assessments bring clarity to the curriculum which in turn brings clarity to the instruction. Common assessments bring clarity to the students

Marc Johnson, Superintendent Pyramid of Over-Interventions Intervention Programs Classroom response 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

Marc Johnson, Superintendent Pyramid of Lack of Interventions Classroom remediation 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

A District wide Approach to Improvement Common Intent Aligned goals and objectives Response to Intervention Philosophy Leadership Increased instructional competency, focus, and understanding by leadership at all levels Instructional Norms + HOTS EL Emphasis Common Core Curriculum Enhancement and Training District Progress Assessment With Reliable Reporting District Initiatives Development of Professional Learning Communities

SPED: Then and Now Then Now SPED Student Inclusion Limited Full Inclusion SPED Staff Inclusion Responsibility for SPED student success Resource Teacher ALL staff members Role of Resource Teacher SPED students only SPED students and struggling learners Level of SPED understanding Limited to resource teacher, possibly admin. Instructional and leadership teams with ongoing training & support IEP meeting Meeting we “must” attend Collaborative effort to support student achievement

Winning the Battle or the War? The answer is simple, leadership, true leadership, is the art of getting people to do what you need them to do, without them knowing that you need them to do it. Giving them wins along the way as you drive to the end outcome, gives them ownership, makes them part of the process and allows them to be heard. The key is strategically knowing which wins or battles to give them and, knowing when to let go of your grip and allow the process in the decision to unfold.

Loose – Tight Leadership Parameters School District Goal Current Reality

What do we need to do?

Current Partnerships Sanger, Clovis, Fresno, Central SANGER UNIFIED /FRESNO STATE PARTNERSHIP Current Partnerships Sanger, Clovis, Fresno, Central Clovis – Multiple Subject FALL 2012 –phase 3 Sanger – Multiple Subject SUMMER 2012 Fresno USD – Multiple Subject & SPED – FALL 2012 Fresno USD -Multiple Subject with a Foundational Math/Sci– Grades 4-8 FALL 2013 Others?

Partner School Programs School districts reported that partner universities produced new teachers who: utilized a greater variety of assessment strategies applied standards to classroom lessons managed classrooms effectively worked with diverse populations of learners used a variety of instructional strategies knew how to be better learners

Teacher Candidate Perspective Teacher candidates placed in a cohort in a partner school with a consistent faculty liaison or supervisor, rated their preparation higher than did their peers in more traditional programs. Dinsmore and Wenger (2006) Content vs Skills – Significantly higher

Phase I Summer Integration Introduction to co-teaching models SANGER UNIFIED /FRESNO STATE PARTNERSHIP Phase I Summer Integration Introduction to co-teaching models Take classes in PM on site, Take Science/Pedogogy/Math and reading k-3 Phase I and II are introduction to co-teaching partnership

Phase II AM co-teaching Introduction district EDI/PLCs/RtI SANGER UNIFIED /FRESNO STATE PARTNERSHIP Phase II AM co-teaching Introduction district EDI/PLCs/RtI Take classes in PM on site, Take Science/Pedogogy/Math and reading k-3 Phase I and II are introduction to co-teaching partnership

Phase III Final Student Teaching SANGER UNIFIED /FRESNO STATE PARTNERSHIP Phase III Final Student Teaching All day/Differentiated instruction course Streamline preparation standards/quality and effectivenss/recruitement Recruitement has plummeted over last 10 years 77,000/20,00 in 2013.

Defining Consensus We have arrived at consensus when all points of view have been heard and the will of the group is evident….. even to those who oppose it. Richard Smith, Presenter

A Culture of Collaboration “Improving schools requires collaborative culture…. without collaborative skills and relationships, it is not possible to learn and to continue to learn as much as you need to know to improve.” Michael Fullan Lee Adams story Fullan says it is required will not learn and improve as needed with out it What about others?

Leadership Knowing how to collaborate in ways that build capacity remains a daunting intellectual challenge.

Evidence of Collaboration Coherence system wide. Capacity building. Strong relationships parents, community, staff and students. Student centered focus. Shared responsibility for school improvement.

What is the leaders role? Technology and CCSS will improve education Next slide: Technology

Honesty! Transparency and observing perceptions!

Where are we going. I have told you Technology won’t be perfect/implementation dip coming Next slide: Initiatives

Learning by doing! Where are the solutions??? Most importantly we focus on ONE THING! The answers are in this room today! In us and we can’t expect anyone else to save us it’s up to us beliving in our kids and each other. Next slide: One thing

“tragic gap….believe!” The real tragedy. NEXT SLIDE: BELIEVING VS. ACHIEVING

The doubters will tell you we cannot do this The doubters will tell you we cannot do this..those that stay focused, patient and work to find solutions will achieve their goals. Seek solutions.

Marc Johnson, Superintendent What We’ve Learned You must change the focus from the needs of adults to the educational needs of children. Educational excellence is expensive. It requires targeted use and commitment of all available resources. You must develop a crystal clear vision focused on student learning. Competent and informed instructional leadership at the school site level is critical to improving student achievement. 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

Marc Johnson, Superintendent What We’ve Learned Reliable and valid student achievement data collected on a regular basis is essential to informing and guiding instructional and district decisions. You must have a willingness to confront deficiencies. No one of us is as good as all of us. Collaborative teams are much more effective than individuals working in isolation. Every child, every day, must know that there is an adult who cares about them and believes in them. ----- Meeting Notes (9/12/11 21:09) ----- Making these improvements and defining our needs wasn't easy. It was like herding cats for awhile. 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521

Marc Johnson, Superintendent And above all…. You must have courage. matt_navo@sanger.k12.ca.us 1-559-524-6521 1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657 (559)875-6521