Using Adequate Resources to Double Student Performance Sarah Archibald Allan Odden CPRE Invitational Conference February 21, 2007

Today’s presentation will answer five questions: 1. Why link adequate resources to improving student performance? 2. Where have we studied this issue? 3. What have we found? 4. What did the process look like in a single Wisconsin school? 5. How can we move forward with this agenda?

Why link adequate resources to improving student performance? For a long time, resources have been considered separate from instruction – central offices often make resource allocation decisions on the basis of student numbers and fiscal constraints rather than schools’ instructional programs NCLB and state standards-based reform are placing more emphasis on performance

Why link adequate resources to improving student performance? Standards-based reform has also breathed new life into school finance court cases School finance adequacy court cases are forcing lawmakers in a number of states to grapple with the question of what an “adequate” education costs These states include AR, AZ, NY, WA, WY

Why link adequate resources to improving student performance? To answer the question of what an adequate education costs, it is necessary to specify the components and strategies and assign costs to all of them The Odden-Picus approach has been to identify research-based educational strategies and cost them out for each school (see Table 1 in policy brief)

For more information on the WI Adequacy Report Visit our web site: Follow the links to the Wisconsin School Finance Adequacy Task Force Report

Where have we studied this issue? In three states, Washington, Wyoming and Wisconsin, we have analyzed adequate resources and the link to student performance In two other states, we have studied either the question of adequate resources – Arkansas – or we have examples of improved student performance – Illinois

What have we found? Eight steps to instructional improvement: 1. Focus on Educating all Students 2. Use Data to Drive Decisions 3. Rigorous Curriculum Aligned to State Standards 4. Effective Professional Development 5. Restructure the Learning Environment 6. Extra help for Struggling Students 7. Powerful Instructional Leadership 8. Build a Professional Community

Eight steps to instructional improvement 1. Focus on Educating all Students Mission and instructional vision statements set high expectations for all students Teachers and administrators take responsibility for all students’ learning Gear curriculum and instruction towards all types of students Takes time to get buy-in – Teachers do it through committee & everyone is involved Everyone in the building feels accountable for every individual student’s learning

Eight steps to instructional improvement 2. Use Data to Drive Decisions Begin by looking at student data Identify holes in curriculum & instruction Identify struggling students Create teams to address curriculum gaps Focus professional development on improving instruction in targeted areas Create continuous assessment & feedback loops to identify struggling students Differentiate instruction & provide struggling students with extra help Students know & discuss their goals

Eight steps to instructional improvement 3. Adopt a Rigorous Curriculum & Align to State Standards Create in-house curriculum or adopt research- based curriculum aligned to state standards Train teachers and provide them with instructional coaches to effectively implement the new curriculum Develop formative assessments aligned to district’s curriculum & state standards

Eight steps to instructional improvement 4. Support Instructional Improvement with Effective Professional Development Instructional coaches focused on content Model skills for teachers Provide feedback Collaborative planning time for vertical and horizontal teaming Training on rigorous curricula and research- based instructional strategies

Eight steps to instructional improvement 5. Restructure the Learning Environment Small learning communities for students Multiage classrooms Continuous ability grouping for reading Reduced class sizes More instructional time in core content areas: block scheduling, longer school days, double periods

Eight steps to instructional improvement 6. Provide Struggling Students with Extended Learning Opportunities Quickly identify struggling students & focus help on core curriculum Early childhood programs & full-day kindergarten Tutoring, double periods of core classes, & ELL programs Before & after school programs Summer School

Overview of School Finance Reform for Instructional Improvement in Four States 7. Powerful Instructional Leadership Build instructional leadership capacity in administrators and lead teachers Minimize administrative roles & focus on instruction instead Provide teachers with constructive feedback on instruction Acknowledge successes at the school level

Overview of School Finance Reform for Instructional Improvement in Four States 8. Build Professional Community Time provided for teacher collaboration focused on improving instruction Vertical and horizontal teaming Culture change: Teachers are considered experts who learn from each other Teachers have come a long way from being isolated in their own classroom

Instructional Improvement in Wisconsin Schools Wisconsin Adequacy Task Force Report recommends strategies to improve instruction and specifies the resources necessary to do so To increase buy-in, we looked for examples of schools in Wisconsin that were using some of these same strategies to “double” their performance on the WKCE

A Wisconsin School that “Doubled” Performance Columbus School in Appleton 174 students K-6 73% participate in free or reduced-price lunch 43% minority 14% English language learners (ELL) Proficiency scores went from 51% in Reading in 2002 to 90% in 2005; math proficiency scores went from 55% to 75%

Growth in Students Scoring Proficient,

Percent of Students Scoring at the Advanced Level also “doubled”

First steps to improving test scores at Columbus District accountability program identified Columbus as school in need of improvement New school leadership focused on high expectations for all students Conduct needs assessment to determine where to focus instructional efforts

Strategies to improve test scores at Columbus Conducted needs assessment with the help of DPI, identifying five areas: 1. Coordinate existing programs and resources to maximize student learning 2. Revise the school schedule to maximize instructional time 3. Link assessment to instruction – students will not be able to perform well on a test if they are not taught the material the test covers 4. Have higher expectations of all students and their ability to develop higher order thinking skills 5. Coordinate staff development so that it is linked to what teachers need to improve instruction

Resources needed to accomplish school improvement Class size of 15 or lower in grades K-3 Research-based curriculum (Different Ways of Knowing) Powerful professional development around new curriculum with opportunities for teachers to practice Formative assessments used to identify struggling students for tutoring from certified reading specialist Before school and after school program (with tutors) Programs for parents to learn and feel part of the community

How can we move forward with this agenda? Demonstrate need for school improvement Continue to create discussion around the notion that we have a national accountability policy, so it makes sense to use a national standard by which to measure student performance Demonstrate link between adequate resources for all students and increased probability to teaching all students to standards