Center on School Turnaround at WestEd

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3 Race to the Top School Improvement Grants Alignment of Existing Federal Resources ESEA Flexibility Lowest- Performing Schools ED’s focus on helping states and districts turn around the lowest-performing schools.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 4 S CHOOL I MPROVEMENT G RANT

SEA Requirements 5 Identify schools Tier I, Tier II, priority, and focus Develop SEA application, LEA guidance, and LEA application template Review, approve, and award (including renewals and goals) Consult with Committee of Practitioners Post application within 30 days of awarding Manage and monitor effort Report data on leading indicators

LEA Responsibilities Eligible Schools Applies to serve all or subset of eligible schools in the LEA Review Criteria Develops a needs assessment to determine which of the four required intervention models fits best with the needs of each Tier I, Tier II, or Priority school 4 Models Applies to implement one of the four required intervention models in eligible Tier I, Tier II, or Priority schools. LEA selects model after an analysis of local data, resources, and capacity. Prioritization Must serve Tier I schools it has the capacity to serve. May not apply to serve any Tier III school if it has not served at least one of its Tier I or II schools OR Must serve Priority schools it has capacity to serve that apply for and are awarded SIG funding Budget Submits three-year budget for each school it applies to serve ($50K-$2M per year) Goals Proposes achievement goals for each participating school

Previous SIG Intervention Models TurnaroundRestart ClosureTransformation

Transformation Model Overview Teachers and Leaders Replace principal Implement new evaluation system Developed with staff Uses student growth as a significant factor Identify and reward staff who are increasing student outcomes; support and then remove those who are not Implement strategies to recruit, place, and retain staff Instructional and Support Strategies Select and implement an instructional model based on student needs Provide job- embedded professional development designed to build capacity and support staff Ensure continuous use of data to inform and differentiate instruction Time and Support Provide increased learning time Staff and students Provide ongoing mechanism for community and family engagement Partner to provide social-emotional and community- oriented services and supports Governance Provide sufficient operating flexibility to implement reform Ensure ongoing technical assistance

Turnaround Model Overview Teachers and Leaders Replace principal Use locally adopted “turnaround” competencies to review and select staff for school (rehire no more than 50% of existing staff) Implement strategies to recruit, place, and retain staff Instructional and Support Strategies Select and implement an instructional model based on student needs Provide job- embedded PD designed to build capacity and support staff Ensure continuous use of data to inform and differentiate instruction Time and Support Provide increased learning time Staff and students Social-emotional and community- oriented services and supports Governance New governance structure Grant operating flexibility to school leader May also implement any of the required or permissible strategies under the Transformation Model

Restart Model Overview Restart model is one in which an LEA converts a school or closes and reopens a school under a charter school operator, a charter management organization (CMO), or an education management organization (EMO) that has been selected through a rigorous review process.

Restart Model Overview A restart model must enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend the school. A rigorous review process could take such things into consideration as an applicant’s team, track record, instructional program, model’s theory of action, and sustainability. As part of this model, the SEA must review the process the LEA will use/has used to select the partner

School Closure Model Overview School closure occurs when an LEA closes a school and enrolls the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving. These other schools should be within reasonable proximity to the closed school Office for Civil Rights Technical Assistance Module – Struggling Schools and School Closure Issues: An Overview of Civil Rights Considerations.

FISCAL YEAR C HANGES TO THE SIG P ROGRAM

New SIG Requirements 14 Incorporated FY 14 appropriation language  Added new models  Allowing States to propose a new model  Allowing districts to implement a model with at least moderate level of evidence of effectiveness  Allowed Rural districts to make modifications  Allowed States to make grants to districts for up to 5 years.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT 15 N EW M ODELS

SIG REQUIREMENTS E VIDENCE - BASED, WHOLE SCHOOL REFORM MODEL Supported by evidence of effectiveness, include at least one study of the model that-  Meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards with or without reservations Is a whole-school reform model as defined by requirements; and Is implemented by the LEA in partnership with a whole-school reform model developer as defined in these requirements. 16

SIG REQUIREMENTS E VIDENCE - BASED, WHOLE SCHOOL REFORM MODEL Whole-school reform model -means a model that is designed to  Improve student academic achievement  Implemented for all students in a school; and  Address, at a minimum and comprehensively, each of the following:  School Leadership  Teaching and learning in at least one full academic content area  Student non-academic support  Family and community engagement Developer -an entity or individual that a. Maintains proprietary rights for the model; or b. If no entity or individual maintains proprietary rights for the model, has a demonstrated record of success in implementing a whole-school reform model and is selected through a rigorous review process 17

SIG REQUIREMENTS Offer full-day kindergarten Establish or expand a high-quality preschool program (as defined in requirements) Provide educators, including preschool teachers, with time for joint planning across grades to facilitate effective teaching and learning and positive teacher-student interactions Replace the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the early learning model 18 Early Learning Model

SIG REQUIREMENTS Implement rigorous, transparent, and equitable evaluation and support systems for teachers and principals Use the teacher and principal evaluation and support system to identify and reward school leaders, teachers, and other staff who, in implementing this model have increased student achievement and identify and remove those who, after ample opportunities have been provided for them to improve their professional practice, have not done so Implement such strategies as financial incentives, increased opportunities for promotion and career growth, and more flexible work conditions designed to recruit, place, and retain staff 19 Early Learning Model (Cont’d)

SIG REQUIREMENTS Provide high-quality, job-embedded professional development Use data to identify and implement instructional programs that:  Research-based, developmentally appropriate, and vertically aligned from one grade to the next matching State early learning and development standards and State academic standards  Promote the full range of academic content across domains of development, including math and science, language and literacy, socio-emotional skills, self regulation, and executive functions 20 Early Learning Model (Cont’d)

SIG REQUIREMENTS A PPROVED S TATE - D ETERMINED M ODEL SEA may submit one state- determined intervention model Must be a whole school reform model Whole-school reform model means a model that is designed to  Improve student academic achievement;  Be implemented for all students in a school; and  Address, at a minimum and in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, each of the following:  School leadership  Teaching and learning in at least one full academic content area  Student non-academic support  Family and community engagement 21

SIG REQUIREMENTS R URAL M ODIFICATION LEAs must qualify under the U.S. Department of Education’s REAP program SEAs are to approve modification Modification must meet intent and purpose 22

SIG REQUIREMENTS E XTENDING G RANT L IFE : 5 YEAR GRANTS – M AY N OT E XCEED F IVE Y EARS Allows for a planning year for 1 year Still requires 3 years of full implementation Up to 2 years for sustainability activities SEAs Discretion in approving 23

SIG REQUIREMENTS O THER N OTABLE C HANGES Language alignment to include priority and focus schools Enhanced the review and monitoring of external providers (also clarified the review of providers) Added LEA requirement to monitor and support implementation Modified the teacher and principal requirement Reporting Changes (i.e., rural school with modified model, distribution of teachers by performance level on LEA’s teacher evaluation system 24

25 Questions Carlas McCauley at