Unified Improvement Planning School Level: Day Two Sponsored by the Colorado Department of Education

Re-Introductions Center for Transforming Learning and Teaching Julie Oxenford O’Brian Mary Beth Romke

Introductions Introduce yourself to the folks at your table:  Name/Role  How did it go with your team as you engaged in Data Analysis and Root Cause Identification (UIP Template, Section III)?  What are your most pressing remaining challenges for your team in completing Section III ? Capture on sticky notes. We’ll collect the challenges.

One in a series of CDE sponsored sessions on UIP School Level Support for Schools assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan under state accountability 2. District Level Support for Districts with schools assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan Under State Accountability 3. District Level Support for Districts Accredited with Turnaround or Priority Improvement plans under state accountability or identified for improvement under ESEA, including Titles I, IIA and/or III 4. Using the Unified Improvement Plan for Title I Requirements (Webinar Only) Day Two

Today’s Purpose Answer your questions about Data Analysis (Section III of the Unified Improvement Plan). Ensure you are prepared to facilitate your school–level planning team in:  Identifying annual targets and interim measures  Developing major improvement strategies and implementation benchmarks

Materials

Norms The standards of behavior by which we agree to operate while we are engaged in learning together. Page 3

Participant Outcomes Provide and receive feedback about Data Analysis Worksheet and Data Analysis Narrative (Section III) based on Quality Criteria for UIP. Establish annual targets. Select and describe interim measures. Identify major improvement strategies and associated action steps Describe possible implementation benchmarks. Establish a calendar for monitoring school/district progress. Facilitate local understanding of plan review. Engage in hands-on learning activities and dialogue with colleagues. Complete readings. Facilitate processes locally.

Activity: Progress Monitoring Go to Progress Monitoring page 5. Describe what these learning targets mean to you. Create a bar graph which describes where you currently believe you are in relationship to each of learning target. Leave the “reflections” column blank for now. Learning Target I don’t know what this Is I need more practice I’ve got It I can apply it in a new way Reflections Provide and receive feedback about Data Analysis Worksheet and Data Analysis Narrative This means: I review another school’s plan and apply the quality criteria to provide advice about how they can improve their plan.

How you participate... Participating from three perspectives:  Learner  Facilitator  Planner Action Planning Facilitation Planner

Agenda Section III Review Annual Targets and Interim Measures Implementation Benchmarks Major Improvement Strategies Plan Review Planning to Plan

Your questions about Data analysis and Root Cause Identification

Review: Significant Trends Include all performance indicator areas. Include at least three years of data. Identify where the school did not at least meet state and federal expectations. Consider data beyond that included in the school performance framework (grade- level data).

Review priority need(s) Priority needs are... Specific statements about the school’s performance challenges Strategic focus for the school About the students in the school Priority needs are NOT What caused or why we have the performance challenge Action steps that need to be taken Concerns about budget, staffing, curriculum, or instruction About the adults.

Priority Need Examples For turnaround and priority improvement schools: Math achievement across all grade-levels and all disaggregated groups over three years is persistently less than 30% proficient or advanced. Median Student Growth Percentiles in reading across all grade levels and all disaggregated groups is below 30 and has declined over the past three years. For the past three years, English language learners (making up 60% of the student population) have had median growth percentiles below 30 in all content areas. Page 7

Priority Need Non-Examples To review student work and align proficiency levels to the Reading Continuum and Co. Content Standards Provide staff training in explicit instruction and adequate programming designed for intervention needs. Implement interventions for English Language Learners in mathematics. Budgetary support for para-professionals to support students with special needs in regular classrooms. No differentiation in mathematics instruction when student learning needs are varied. Page 7

Effective Feedback Clear, descriptive, criterion-based, and indicate: √ how their response differed from that reflected in quality criteria √ how they can move forward (what they might do next)

Provide feedback about Section III Choose a partner school team. On the UIP Section III Feedback Form, capture your partner school’s:  name,  plan type, and  Title I designations. With your partner school, exchange UIP Section III UIP drafts.

Provide feedback about Section III Use the Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Planning, Section III and the UIP Section III Feedback Form. On the feedback form, provide written feedback to your partner school about their Data Analysis Worksheet and Data Narrative (30 minutes):  To what degree does their section III meet the relevant quality criteria? Have they identified “priority needs” that are performance challenges? Do you understand the “data story” for their school?  How could they improve their plan?

Responding to Feedback Check-in with your team (15 minutes):  How did it go providing feedback about another school’s plan?  What did you learn?  How will you respond to the feedback you received? What will you do next? Large-group share out (5 minutes)

Agenda Section III Review Annual Targets and Interim Measures Implementation Benchmarks Major Improvement Strategies Plan Review Planning to Plan

Planning Terminology Consider the planning terminology, page 11. Use this legend as you review each term:  √ -- I’ve got it  ? – I could use further clarification. Review terms with ? with the people at your table.

Action Planning Consider the Section IV: Action Planning Overview, page 13. Form a triad. Assign A, B, C Read your section (10 minutes):  A = School Goals Worksheet: Establish Annual Targets and Interim Measures  B = Identify Major Improvement Strategies and Implementation Benchmarks  C= Monitor Progress Share: major ideas, local connections, etc (10 minutes)

Action Planning: Three Processes 1. Ensuring future activities are headed in the right direction:  Clarifying annual targets  Identifying interim measures. 2. Identifying Major Improvement Strategies  Action steps, Timeline,Resources  Implementation Benchmarks 3. Monitoring Progress  Establish a calendar  Monitor interim measures and implementation benchmarks

Capturing your questions Take out at sticky notes. Write your 3 most burning questions about UIP Section IV: Action Planning Combine and sort sticky notes at your table. Identify 3 for full group. Collect

Clarify Annual Targets: Federal For Title I schools, in ESEA performance indicators, annual targets have been set. See AYP Proficiency Targets and Safe Harbor, page 15. Identify and capture targets for priority need areas.  Content area focused  Disaggregated group focused

Annual Targets: State Indicators Academic Achievement, Academic Growth, Academic Growth Gaps, Post-Secondary/ Workforce Readiness Schools and districts will need to set annual targets for state performance indicator areas (for and ). Annual targets must result in schools at least meeting state expectations within 5 years. Take out: Setting Annual Targets for State Performance Indicators, page 19.

Setting Annual Targets Focus on a priority need Review state or local expectations Determine progress needed in first two years Determine timeframe (max 5 years) Describe annual targets for two years

Minimum State Expectations In the School Performance Framework Reports (excerpted in your packet, pages The value for which a rating of “meets” would be assigned for the state metric in each sub-indicator area.  Academic Achievement: the 50 th percentile of % proficient or advanced for Colorado schools.  Academic Growth and Academic Growth Gaps: a median growth percentile (MGP) of 55 if MGP is < AGP, and 45 otherwise.  Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness: Graduation rate at or above 80%, Drop-Out rate at or below the state average, and Colorado ACT Composite Score at or above the state average.

Setting Academic Achievement Targets 1. Consider the 50 th percentile of Colorado schools for % proficient or advanced for:  Your school level (elem, middle, high)  The content area(s) that is the focus of your priority need(s). 2. Is your school’s %P/A at or above the typical school in Colorado (50 th percentile value)? 3. If not, how long would it take for your school to meet that level? (at most 5 years) 4. How much progress can you make in the next two years?

Setting Growth and Growth Gap Targets (MGP) On which students do your priority need(s) focus? For that group of students, is your school’s median growth percentile < median adequate growth percentile?  If yes, set a median growth percentile target of not less than 55.  If no, set a median growth percentile target for not less than 50. No penalty for not making targets in one year. Targets can be set for any state metric, but should include median growth percentile.

Practice: Setting Annual Targets Consider Unified Improvement Plan Quality Criteria: Annual Targets  What do annual targets need to include? (Buzz with a partner.) Choose one of your school’s priority needs. Identify Annual Targets for at least one priority need for the next two years (10 minutes). Using the quality criteria, evaluate your annual target(s) and revise if needed (15 minutes). Share out examples.

Interim Measures Interim measures must be identified for each annual target. Data from interim measures should be available more than once during the school year. Across all interim measures, data should be available that would allow schools to monitor progress quarterly. Examples: District Benchmark Assessment, NWEA MAPS, Galileo, Aquity, DIBELS, commonly administered end-of-unit assessments

What interim measures do you have available? Consider your Data Sources Calendar Work with your team to generate a list of interim measures available within your school or district. Additive share-out of interim measures available across schools (districts) Are there gaps in the interim measures available to you?

Practice Review UIP Quality Criteria: Interim Measures Consider your example annual target(s),what interim measures could you use to monitor progress towards that target? Write a description of the interim measure you will use, include:  Assessment/performance measures administered during the school year (more than once).  Specify how frequently the data will be available.  Specify what metrics you will consider.

Progress Monitoring Consider Progress Monitoring Calendar: Annual Targets and Interim Measures, page 25. Team Dialogue: How could you use this calendar to:  Describe the performance data that will be used to monitor progress towards annual targets.  Plan for how school stakeholders will consider performance data (at least quarterly) in monitoring progress towards annual targets.

Tools you can Use Tool Use Action Planning Overview Build background on action planning. AYP Proficiency Targets and Safe Harbor Identify pre-set annual targets for federal performance indicators. Setting Annual Targets for State Performance Indicators Process to follow for setting annual targets for state performance indicators. School Performance Framework Scoring Guides Identify state expectations for state performance indicators (some metrics). Progress Monitoring Calendar: Annual Targets and Interim Measures Organize and plan progress monitoring efforts.

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Action Planning Facilitation Planner Make notes about how you will facilitate your teams efforts to identify annual targets, and identify interim measures What tools will you use?

Agenda Section III Review Annual Targets and Interim Measures Implementation Benchmarks Major Improvement Strategies Plan Review Planning to Plan

Major Improvement Strategies Respond to root causes of the performance problems you are attempting to remedy. Action steps are smaller activities that fit within larger major improvement strategies. Improvement Strategies and Action Steps must be associated with resources, people, and time.

What is a Major Improvement Strategy Review Unified Improvement Plan Quality Criteria: Major Improvement Strategies. Table Dialogue:  Do any of the criteria need clarification?  What do you anticipate will be the most difficult criteria for your team to meet? Understand?  What is the difference between a major improvement strategy and an action step?

School Case Studies Consider School Restructuring Case Study List, page 29. Identify a school that is the closest to your school. Team emissary: Get enough copies of the case study for your team. Individually read the case study (10 minutes). Team discussion (10 minutes): What can we learn from this school’s experience?

How to Identify Major Improvement Strategies 1. Focus on your root cause(s). 2. Describe the probable future (if action is NOT taken). 3. Identify a desired future (if action is taken, from the perspective of various local stakeholders). 4. Identify strategies to get to the desired future. 5. Articulate a Theory of Action (If, then, and then). 6. Re-write as a major improvement strategy.

Practice Development Major Improvement Strategies Take out: Developing Major Improvement Strategies Practice, page 41. Select at least one priority need (or more than one related priority need). Identify associated “root cause(s)”. Write your priority need and associated root cause(s) at the top of the practice sheet (5 minutes).

Theories of Action Theories of action, ensure major Improvement strategies: eliminate root causes of performance challenges; consider the relationship between where we want to get to and what we are going to do; clarifying the thinking at the time of planning; and prepare planners to answer: “Why are we doing this?” Reference “Theories of Action”, page 45

Developing a Theory of Action 1. Describe the probable future (if no action is taken). 2. Identify a desired future (if action is taken, from the perspective of various local stakeholders) 3. Brainstorm strategies to get to the desired future. 4. Articulate a Theory of Action (If, then, and, then).

Identify the PROBABLE FUTURE Based on the priority need (performance challenge) and root cause(s)... answer this question: “If we continue to do what we’ve been doing, what is the most likely result?” Work with your team to describe your probable future and capture it on your Developing Major Improvement Strategies Practice sheet (10 min).

Identify the PREFERRED FUTURE If we eliminate the root causes of our performance challenges, what would our preferred future look like? What will these different groups be doing differently?  Students  Staff members  Leadership team  Parents / Community Examples:  All students monitor the progress of their learning towards grade level expectations on a weekly basis and set personal learning goals.  Teachers daily use data about learning formatively to refocus instruction on their students’ needs.  Staff members consistently implement identified practices in effective literacy instruction.

Preferred Future Practice Work with your team to identify a preferred future. Make notes on your practice sheet. Describe what each stakeholder would be doing differently: students, school staff, leadership team, parents/community members, page

Brainstorm potential STRATEGIES With the preferred future in mind, brainstorm major strategies that would result in the preferred future. Consider the “root causes” that need to be eliminated. Don’t get caught up in the specific steps, rather stay at the major strategy level. Make notes on your practice sheet, page 42. Prioritize your strategies (indicate highest priority).

Articulate a THEORY of ACTION

Theory of Action Format  If… [teacher / adult actions]  Then … [student behaviors / student learning / etc.]  And … [measures for assessing growth]

What a THEORY of ACTION looks like: If…Then…And… This converts an explanation or process into an essential instructional practice. This describes what students will be able to do as a result. This identifies how to assess the implementation of teacher practices and student learning. If teachers fully teach and assess the new K-5 year-end writing outcomes and share them with students… …Then students will have common, spiraling expectations and vocabulary, which will improve their achievement… …And ongoing teacher records will show the progress students are making towards meeting year-end writing outcomes.

Theory of Action Articulate your Theory of Action Make notes on page 43 of your practice sheet. Make sure to include If..., Then..., And.. Write your theory of action as a major improvement strategy, page 43.

Major Improvement Strategies Action Steps TimelineKey Personnel ResourcesImplementation Benchmarks For each major improvement strategy you must define action steps.

What are Action Steps? Review Unified Improvement Plan Quality Criteria: Action Steps. Table Dialogue:  Based on state accountability plan type and Title I program designations, what action step criteria apply to your school?  What do you anticipate will be the most difficult criteria for your team to meet? Understand?  What is the difference between a major improvement strategy and an action step?

How to develop Action Steps Do a force field analysis in reference to your major improvement strategy  Identify driving forces  Identify restraining forces  Prioritize restraining forces. Identify action steps that would eliminate or weaken your restraining forces (in priority order).

Force-Field Analysis: Mind-set Change is a dynamic process that generates energy and movement in individuals and in organizations. Change can be viewed as a dynamic between forces seeking to maintain a status quo, and forces seeking to drive the status quo to change. When driving forces are the stronger force, change moves forward. When restraining forces are stronger or equal to the driving forces, movement can be blocked or stalled. – Ken Lewin (Force Field Analysis developer). Page 47

What does a Force-Field Analysis do? 1. helps people to think together about all the facets of a desired change; 2. develops consensus as an environmental scan, enabling participants to articulate key dynamics relevant to an upcoming change 3. aids in comparing the positives and negatives of a situation; 4. encourages creative thinking; 5. promotes agreement about the relative priority of restraining versus driving factors; and it 6. provides a starting point for the selection of action steps. Page 47

When should a force field analysis be used? after a root cause analysis after major improvement strategies have been identified when it is unclear which actions to prioritize when planners want to put new actions into the existing context when a team wants to maximize the success of a new venture either by approaching change from the perspective of strengthening driving forces or by reducing restraining forces.

How is a force field analysis conducted? 1. Select a major improvement strategy. 2. Brainstorm and list on the left side of a T-chart the existing forces/factors that support or are driving the school TOWARD the strategy. 3. Brainstorm and list on the right the existing forces/factors that are holding the school back or driving it AWAY from the strategy. 4. Clarify, explain, reach agreement on the items that have been charted. 5. Eliminate duplications and combine items as needed. 6. Rank the “restraining forces” from most to least important (can be done individually and combined, or as a group) 7. Begin identifying action steps by addressing the items with the highest ranking numbers.

Practice Force Field Analysis Use the force field analysis notecatcher on page 48 (or a flip chart). Write your major improvement strategy at the top of the page. Brainstorm driving forces and restraining forces (15 min). Prioritize your restraining forces (5 min).

Develop Action Steps Start with the highest priority restraining forces (work towards the lowest priority) For each, identify action steps to reduce or eliminate the restraining force. For each, you will need to determine:  Timing (when it will be implemented)  Person responsible  Resources (that will be used)

Practice: Action Steps Select your top two priority restraining forces. Identify at least two action steps to counteract your restraining forces. Capture your action steps on a flip chart.

Agenda Root Cause Review Annual Targets and Interim Measures Implementation Benchmarks Major Improvement Strategies Plan Review Planning to Plan

Implementation Benchmarks Implementation Benchmarks are...  how schools will know major improvement strategies are being implemented;  Measures of the fidelity with which action steps are implemented; and  what will be monitored. Implementation Benchmarks are NOT:  Performance measures (assessment results).

Selecting Implementation Benchmarks Review the Unified Improvement Planning Quality Criteria: Implementation Benchmarks Table Dialogue (5 min):  Do any of the criteria need clarification?  What do you anticipate will be the most difficult criteria to meet? Understand?  What is the difference between interim measures and implementation benchmarks?

Practice: Implementation Benchmarks Work with your table group. Use a flip chart page. For at least 2 action steps, brainstorm possible implementation benchmarks. Apply the UIP Quality Criteria for Implementation Benchmarks to your list. Action Step Implementation Benchmark (s)

When will you monitor implementation of your action steps? Consider the Progress Monitoring Calendar: Action Steps and Implementation Benchmarks, page When will data be available for each of your implementation benchmarks? What metrics will you consider? Who will monitor progress? When? Make notes for the implementation benchmarks you have identified.

Tools you can Use Tool Use Dramatic Change Reminder of what constitutes dramatic change Failed Turnaround Strategies Suggestions for Major Improvement Strategies What Rural Districts are Doing Suggestions for Major Improvement Strategies Theories of Action Provide a process for developing a theory of action Force Field Analysis Provide a process for identifying critical action steps Progress Monitoring Calendar Provide a template for planning progress monitoring.

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Action Planning Facilitation Planner Make notes about how you will facilitate your teams efforts to develop major improvement strategies, and identify implementation benchmarks What tools will you use?

Agenda Root Cause Review Annual Targets and Interim Measures Implementation Benchmarks Major Improvement Strategies Plan Review Planning to Plan

What School Plans will be reviewed by the State? The state will NOT review all school plans. Based on SB09-163, the state will review:  Priority Improvement Plans  Turnaround Plans Based on ESEA, the state will:  Monitor districts to determine if school plans are in place (e.g., desk review, onsite visits)  This includes Title I schoolwide, targeted assistance and school improvement/corrective action/ restructuring schools.

Who Will Review School Plans? Districts are expected to review all school plans.  Local school boards must adopt priority improvement and turnaround plans.  The principal and superintendent (or his designee) must adopt school performance and improvement plans. A state review panel appointed by the commissioner will review all state required turnaround plans. The state review panel MAY review priority improvement plans. District must use peer review if school is on Title I Improvement, Corrective Action or Restructuring within 45 days of submittal.

What criteria will be used to review plans? Unified Improvement Plan Quality Criteria Checklists of ESEA Requirements for Title I schools identified for: Corrective Action, School Improvement, Restructuring Checklist for Title I Targeted Assistance Programs Checklist for Title I Schoolwide Programs Page 53

How will school plans be reviewed? Consider  The “Review of School Plans” excerpted from the District Accountability Handbook, page 63.  Unified Improvement Plan Quality Criteria  Title I requirements, including checklists for TA and SW programs. With your team/table group discuss:  What are the critical steps in this review process?  Who will review our plan?  How will we respond to any feedback we receive through the review process?

School Accountability Committees Consider the School Accountability Committees information excerpted from the District Accountability Handbook, (page 65). Working with your table answer the following questions:  What are the required seven members of a SAC?  What are SACs responsible for in relationship to Unified Improvement Planning?  How have you engaged your SAC in improvement planning? Note: DACs are not required to review school plans.

Agenda Root Cause Review Annual Targets and Interim Measures Implementation Benchmarks Major Improvement Strategies Plan Review Planning to Plan

Go back to your Action Planning Facilitation Planner. Fill in any gaps related to taking the next steps in developing your school’s unified improvement plan. On sticky notes... identify remaining support needs.

Give us Feedback!! Written: Use sticky notes  + the aspects of this session that you liked or worked for you.   The things you will change in your practice or that you would change about this session.  ? Question that you still have or things we didn’t get to today  Ideas, ah-has, innovations Oral: Share one ah ha!