School Improvement Grant (SIG) & SFUSD Options

What is the School Improvement Grant (SIG) Program? The CA Dept. of Ed. was required to submit the list of the 5% “persistently Lowest performing schools” in the state by March 15 th, 2010 to be eligible for this federal funding. The School Improvement Grant Program is a federally funded competitive grant. (Award range $50,000 - $2 million per year for 3 years) Participation in SIG is a state law SBX5 1

How were schools selected? The state used CST data (grades 2-8) in English Language Arts & Mathematics and CA High School Exit Exam over a period of three years. Schools were ranked by their percentage of students scoring at “proficient” and “advanced”. The state then selected the lowest performing 5% for grant eligibility. Schools were removed from the list if any of the following criteria applied: less than 100 valid test scores for any of the 3 years. a net growth of 50 points or more on API in the last 5 years. an API of over 800 in Spring 2009.

Schools Eligible for SIG in SFUSD Bryant G. W. Carver Cesar Chavez John Muir Willie Brown 4-8 Paul Revere K-8 Everett Middle Horace Mann Middle Mission High John O’Connell High

Schools CST ELA & Math Combined 3-Yrs Average Proficiency Rate API 2009 API Net Gain Over 5-Year 456Bryant ES Carver ES Chavez ES Muir ES Everett MS Mann MS Mission HS O'Connell HS Brown CP Acdy Revere ES School Data

School Reform Alternatives via SIG 1. Turnaround 2. Restart 3. School Closure 4. Transformation

Turnaround Model Replace principal (if at school for more than two years) Change at least 50% of the staff Implement new governance structure Ensure high quality Professional Development Institute research-based & vertically aligned instructional program

Restart Model Convert a school or close and reopen it under a charter school operator, a charter management organization, or an education management organization.

School Closure Close the school and enroll the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving. Closure MUST occur by the end of the 2010/2011 school year. Will not result in additional funding for receiving school.

Transformational Model Replace principal (if at school for more than two years) Institute comprehensive instructional reform Use data to identify curriculum and monitor student learning to improve instruction Increase learning time

What have we heard from the state (CDE)? Priority will be given to districts that include ALL of it’s eligible schools with a model of improvement during the first year. If an LEA has more than 9 schools, the Transformational Model can only be used in half the schools. There WILL NOT be enough money for ALL the schools eligible for SIG in California.

Research on School Improvement and “Turnaround” efforts SFUSD central office leadership has investigated the school improvement efforts of many school districts including, but not limited to the following: New York Sacramento Montgomery County Boston Chicago

SFUSD’s Strategic Design for Quality Schools Indicators of School Success School Leadership Parent-Community Ties Professional Capacity Student-Centered Learning Climate Instructional Guidance

1. School Leadership Leadership as the Driver for Change THREE Dimensions of Leadership  Managerial: run the office efficiently, the most basic aspect of school leadership.  Instructional: the leadership directly impacts the dynamics of student engagement and learning.  Inclusive-Facilitative: nurture individual agency and builds capacity to support fundamental change.

2. Parent-Community Ties Enhance parent-teacher trust Understand students’ backgrounds Strengthen parent’s skills Communicate with parents to reinforce habits/expectations Engage parents/students in learning at home Employ 4 elements of trust: Respect, Personal Regard, Competence, & Integrity

3. Professional Capacity The school’s ability to recruit and retain knowledgeable and skillful staff QUALITY OF HUMAN RESOURCES The school’s efficacy in utilizing its own performance feedback and individual PD programs QUALITY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The staff’s capacity to form a viable collective that shares responsibility for student learning. NORMATIVE DISPOSITIONS The staff’s tendency to support one another in continuous improvement (i.e. ECPLC’s) PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

4. Student-Centered Learning Climate Anchor school behaviors through beliefs, values, and work habits (Restorative Justice) Promote/Provide an orderly and safe learning environment Institutionalize a “Continuous Improvement Process”: teachers engage in critical dialogue, identify common problems, and consider solutions. Social Justice: ensuring access and equity for ALL students.

5. Instructional Guidance THREE elements: 1.Arrangement of subject matter content and pacing over time and grades, and across classrooms. *Creation of Core Curriculum guides 2. The intellectual depth expected of students as they engage in the subject matter and reflected in the learning tasks assigned and assessments used. * Benchmark assessments 3. The pedagogical strategies, materials, and tools made available to teachers. *ECPLC’s at every school

Characteristics of Effective Schools A clear sense of purpose Core standards within a rigorous curriculum High Expectations Commitment to educate all students A safe and orderly learning environment Strong partnerships with parents A problem-solving attitude

Engaging the Community Objectives: Build understanding of the 5 indicators of school success that is guiding our work. Gather feedback and specific examples about what’s working and not working in these areas Gather specific ideas to inform the SIG

Engaging the Community The Process: 1.ALL SIG schools have had discussion with their school supervisor about their school’s options. 2.We have scheduled community meetings to elicit input from stakeholders. 3.Central Office staff begin to draft the actual grant with strategic input from SIG school stakeholders.

NEXT STEPS… Define the level of participation of SFUSD district-wide Identify which option will be used for each individual school Address staffing issues, if necessary Define accountability for district and school site – what will be the level of support provided by the district and what are the expectations of the schools.