Using the Indistar® Web-based Planning Tool to Support High School Improvement Session #3 Presenter: Yvonne A. Holloman, Ph.D. Associate Director Office of School Improvement January 19, 2012

Review process for assessing indicators Model the procedure for developing tasks associated with indicators Purpose

Indistar® Six-Step Improvement Plan A web-based tool for assessing, planning, implementing, and monitoring progress toward the rapid improvement high school indicators. Step 1 – Register school Step 2 – Provide school information Step 3 – Form school team Step 4 – Assess school indicators Step 5 – Create school plan Step 6 – Monitor school plan

Focus Questions: Step 5 (Creating Tasks) How will the school team ensure that tasks are directly associated with strategies to help the school become Fully Accredited? Describe the process that the school team used to determine the appropriate tasks needed to accomplish each objective (indicator). How did the school team decide who would manage or be responsible for task attainment? How and when will task managers report to the school team? Entire faculty? How is the continual review of data, for possible plan revision, built into the planning process?

Rapid improvement high school indicators are the “pie.” (“What” will happen) Yvonne Holloman will bake a cherry pie. The tasks are the recipe. (“How” the pie is created) 1)Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place bottom crust in pie pan. Set top crust aside, covered. 2)In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet--in case of drips! 3) Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Developing Tasks for an Improvement Plan

Step 1: Begin with the end in mind – the rapid improvement high school indicator. Step 2: Review the research related to the selected improvement indicators. This information will provide ideas for possible tasks. Step 3: Begin drafting the “recipe”(series of tasks) for the “pie” (indicator). The tasks should clearly outline the steps involved in making the indicator (objective) a reality in the school. The indicator tells “what” will happen. The tasks tell “how” the indicator will be accomplished. Step 4: After developing a series of tasks for an indicator, review research related to the indicator to determine whether your team has adequately addressed the literal meaning of the indicator.

Happy Hills High School is rated Accredited with Warning – Graduation and Completion Index (GCI). The school leadership team reviewed the following data: Student attendance Teacher attendance SOL assessment results Student discipline reports As a result of reviewing the data, the following rapid improvement high school indicator was selected: The division and school teams regularly look at school performance data and aggregated classroom observation data and use that data to make decisions about school improvement and professional development needs. (2483)

The division and school teams regularly look at school performance data and aggregated classroom observation data and use that data to make decisions about school improvement and professional development needs. (2483) (Remember, an indicator tells you what will happen.) Tasks developed by the Happy Hills High School Leadership Team (Remember, a task tells you how the indicator will be accomplished.) 1)Instructional teams will review Standards of Learning (SOL) data and benchmark test data. 2)Teachers will differentiate for all students. 3)Dr. Dan Data will present a workshop about data disaggregation. Review the tasks with your team. Do the tasks adequately address the indicator? Using the webinar icons, indicate yes with a “√” and no with an “X”. Be prepared to discuss your response with the group.

AvoidTry This Instead Writing generic tasks Sequence the steps involved in making the indicator a reality in the school (developing the recipe) Be specific about the actions of individuals and groups (i.e. teachers, leadership team, administrators) Ask yourself, “For indicator ___ to become a reality at my school, _____ will need to ________.” Listing programs/materials as tasks Identify the specific inputs that will be needed to implement the program. Example: Instead of writing, “Students will use iPads to improve reading comprehension,” consider: “Third grade teachers will participate in a series of four workshops presented by Dr. John Doe regarding the use of iPad applications (apps) to teach reading comprehension skills to intervention students.” Using rapid improvement school indicators as tasks Add details to the rapid improvement school indicator to align it with other tasks included within the overarching indicator.

Developing Tasks for a School Improvement Plan Click on Step 5 to begin the process

Sample School Improvement Plan Priority Score x Opportunity Score = Index An Index between 6 and 9 indicates a quick win for the school/division.

The team, with input from stakeholders, will complete Steps 1-5. The indicator tells you “what” will happen. A task tells you “how” the indicator will be accomplished.

Sample School Improvement Plan What? How?

Sample Task “Click” here to return to the Main Menu

Indistar® Frequently Asked Questions Q:What is the process for removing specific indicators or tasks? A: Indistar® is a continuous improvement process and is not designed for indicators to be removed. Please contact Dr. Holloman, not the Center on Innovation & Improvement (CII), to discuss any issues related to removal of indicators. Q:What is the process for editing/revising information (i.e. tasks, dates) included in the school improvement plan? A: Any information entered into the school improvement plan may be edited/revised at any time by revisiting Step 5. Q:I have entered information into Indistar® for one of the schools in my division that I supervise. However, I am unable to save the information. What should I do? A: Indistar® is designed for all school-related information to originate from the school. If someone attempts to enter information using an access-level other than the school’s, then the information will not be saved or the user will be unable to enter information.

Next Steps The school leadership team will make any needed adjustments to the list of selected rapid improvement high school indicators. The school leadership team will develop tasks for their selected rapid improvement school indicators. – Be prepared to share tasks that have been developed for one of your indicators. We will take a “field trip” to the Indistar site. The school principal and the division contact person will participate in the Session #4 webinar on January 26, 2011, to discuss procedures for monitoring the school improvement plan.

Thank you. You’ve been a great audience. For technical assistance please contact: Dr. Yvonne A. Holloman at (804) or