1. Continuous Improvement and ACIP
Handouts – Planning Times Handout, Compass Points, Classroom Rounds Form, Provide QR code for online form, ACIP Rubric (Logan)
Embed videos on computer
Melissa Shields, ALSDE, Office of student learning
Regional Support Coordinator

2. OUTCOMES School/District Leadership will:
gain a better understanding of the Continuous Improvement Process.
collaboratively begin to develop a structure that will promote strong continuous improvement school teams.
develop next steps.
gain a better understanding of Continuous Improvement, expectations, and goals.
(2 minutes)

3. Time to Move is Now….

5. Plan 2020
Plan 2020 is the strategic plan for education in Alabama. The plan clearly defines the vision for every child to graduate from high school, and to be a graduate prepared for college or the workplace in the 21st century. A prepared graduate is defined as:
One who possess the knowledge and skills needed to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing, first-year courses at a two- or four-year college, trade school, or technical school without the need for remediation.
One who possesses the ability to apply core academic skills to real-world situations through collaboration with peers in problem solving, precision, and punctuality in delivery of a product, and has a desire to be a life-long learner
The goal of Plan 2020 is to improve educational outcomes for students and transform public education in Alabama. Implementation will increase student achievement, close the achievement gap, increase the graduation rate, and increase the number of students graduating high school that are college- and career-ready and prepared to be successful in our global society.
The priorities of Plan 2020 can be found in its foundational pillars.
Each of the four priorities contain objectives, strategies, and indicators designed to focus all available resources, completely address all critical aspects needed for each component, and make significant measureable progress by the year Collectively, these four pillars, and the indicators and strategies found in each, provide a comprehensive and child-centered approach to educational improvement in the state of Alabama.

6. Take stock What data do we already have?
What initiatives are we already implementing?
What is our current approach to improvement?
(2 minutes)
p. 25
The last set of foundational tasks involve taking stock of where you are.
There are 3 dimensions to consider:
What data do we already have?
What initiatives are we already implementing?
What is our current approach to improvement?
The DWIP is not a “program” to be implemented, but rather a means of organizing and bringing coherence to the work of improvement we are already doing. Wise data practices are not “one more thing”, but the thing that unifies your collective efforts.

7. Take stock Data Inventory Data Sources External Internal
Other Student-Level Information
(15 minutes)
Data Inventory – If we asked our teachers if students are tested enough, what would they say? We spend a great deal of time collecting data, but do we know what data we actually have? A data inventory provides a summary of all the types of data that are available in your school.
There are 3 types of data sources:
external assessments (state/district required)
internal assessments (school developed)
other student-level information (demographics and background)

9. “Schools don't need more things to do
“Schools don't need more things to do. They need to do less with greater focus.”

10. Continuous Improvement Process
All schools are expected to engage in a process of continuous improvement, with measurable goals of student outcomes and identified strategies found in the effective practices of school transformation.
Effective practices include strategies in the following Turnaround Principles…..

11. Turnaround Principles

15. ACIP
Alabama's Continuous Improvement Plan (ACIP) should be used by all schools in improvement and Title I schools not in improvement to facilitate the planning process. The ACIP should be developed by a school team that is representative of the challenges being addressed with support from the LEA. Team members that must be present include the principal, counselor, district school improvement specialist (or other designee), appropriate content-area teachers, parent representatives, and student representatives (as appropriate).

16. Formative Assessments
A Year-Long Journey
May - September
Attend Trainings
Disaggregate Data
Get Input From Faculty
Write the Plan
August - April
Set up Documentation
Communicate the Plan
Check Documentation
Formative Assessments
Update as Necessary
Keep the Plan Alive
Why is getting the team right so important? Because over the course of a whole year, this team does more than write the plan.

17. CIP Process

18. Analysis of Data
Essential Task: Collect, organize, and analyze data for collaborative inquiry into current reality.
School leadership teams are encouraged to collect, organize, and analyze multiple measures of school performance including assessment and achievement data, attendance and discipline data, and information related to the school’s culture and climate.
It is important to recognize that all data has limitations, and that no single data point should be the sole source of information used to make determinations or decisions.
School leadership teams should discuss trends and contradictions in the data, surprises and confirmations, and begin making informed conclusions about what the data indicates.
The purpose of this analysis is to inform and direct the continuous improvement process.
Upon request, members of the Regional Planning Team are available to assist districts and schools in the collection and analysis of data.

19. What data to use? STAR Reading and Math ASPIRE Discipline Reports
Attendance Reports
Graduation Data
College Remediation Data
EOCTs
Report Card Grades
Other Formative Assessments
Classroom Rounds Evidence
ASSIST Surveys

20.  Goal Setting
Essential Task: Use data to develop realistic and attainable goals.
After the data is analyzed, school teams should begin the process of developing goals for improvement. The development of goals should be made in consideration of desired outcomes, staff and student capacity, time constraints, and available resources. Well-written goals will have the following characteristics:
Specific. Goals should be detailed and explicit.
Measurable. Goals should articulate a desired outcome and how that outcome will be measured.
Attainable. Goals should be realistic and attainable.
Data-Based. Goals should be based on evidence of need.
Few. The number of goals should be kept to a minimum that is realistically attainable.
Collaboratively Developed. Goals should be developed with input from all stakeholders.

21. HOW MANY GOALS?

22. SMART Goals *
Increase the percent of students meeting and exceeding math and ELA readiness on ASPIRE from ___% to ___% during the 2015– 2016 school year.
Specific
Clearly define the outcome that you want to achieve
Measurable
Establish concrete measures of success
Attainable
Push your self past your comfort zone but you should still be able to achieve it with effort and commitment
Relevant
Connect the goal to the reason why you did not make AYP
Consider areas of needed improve-ment
Time Bound
Create a sense of urgency by defining when the goal will become reality
What is SMART an Acronym For??
Over the past several years in our trainings we have stressed that you should write SMART Goals. (click) Everyone should know by now that SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. The reason we are revisiting this is because in many cases, we find that goals are not clearly written. Here are some guiding points that may help you…(read the boxes).
Let’s look at this sample goal – the red part of the goal is very SPECIFIC. The blue part makes the goal MEASURABLE by stating what % of students who are currently scoring proficient and what % of students you expect to score proficient. The orange part of the goal states when this will happen – it establishes the TIME this goal will be completed. If it is connected to the reason you did not make AYP and/or connected to other areas of need which surfaced after a thorough look at your data, then it is RELEVANT. As a group, you must decide if this is truly ATTAINABLE.
Handout – where you are – where you want to be

23. Continuous Improvement Plan - Goals Check to insure the following are present :
Academic (specific to subgroup & subjects)
Organizational (non‐academic criteria)
Goals Follow Plan 2020 Goals
Growth and Achievement -Continuous Improvement
Gap – Increase achievement
Graduation – increase graduation rate
College and Career-Readiness
Teacher and Principal Effectiveness
Goals Based on Data

24. Strategy and Action Step Reminders
Effective Strategies and Action steps:
Are measurable
Include but are not solely centered around remediation/intervention
Address core instruction
Require evidence that is observable in a
classroom, not just found in a box
Involve more than just math and language arts teachers

25. Strategies: What will we do in order to achieve the goal we have set?
All teachers and administrators
All teachers and administrators
What will we do in order to achieve the goal we have set?
Many plans only involved intervention teachers and math and reading teachers
Many plans were written by just a few people rather than guided by a leadership team who gained whole faculty input
So now we have our academic goals set and have decided who we are wanting to target…
It’s time to choose the strategies that will best help us meet our goal. We encourage you to write 2 – 3 goals with multiple strategies.
The question you have to ask when selecting or writing your strategies is…(click and read) Ask the participants: “Who is we?” (click) all teachers and administrators implement the plan and (click) all teachers and administrators contribute to the writing.
The problem in the past has been that many plans (click and read ). While these particular people will play a key part in your plan – you need to also consider these questions:
what needs to be done in core instruction to ensure that fewer students in the future will need intervention?
What can general math and reading teachers as well as any non core teachers do to help?
Can these weaknesses be addressed in other content areas also?
Even though math and reading are the accountability areas, do we want to include goals that address other subjects like Science, Social Studies, etc?
If we are in improvement because of Grad Rate – what can all staff and teachers do to encourage kids to stay in school and be successful?
Another problem is that (click and read). Writing the CIP should be a team effort. People will buy into something much quicker if they are part of the process not the end product.
What needs to be done in core instruction to ensure that fewer students in the future will need intervention?
What can general math and reading teachers as well as non core teachers do to help?
Can these weaknesses be addressed in other content areas also?

26. Guiding Questions for Developing Strategies
Is this strategy…
An activity that will help accomplish the goal?
Specific, clear, and understandable to all stakeholders?
Measurable-able to be progress monitored and evaluated for effectiveness?
Attainable-due to time constraints, available resources, and staff/student capacity?
An activity that all stakeholders endorse and support?
During this stage of the continuous improvement process, all stakeholders will work to implement the improvement plan. Schools, in collaboration with district leaders, will implement and monitor the strategies identified in the Continuous Improvement Plan. Regional Planning Teams and Regional Support staff, in partnership with districts and schools, will provide professional development and support aligned to the needs of the school.

27. Planning
Essential Task: Develop specific strategies to accomplish goal.
After the development of improvement goals, school teams must determine what specific actions or strategies will be implemented to achieve the goal.
This planning process should allow time for collaboration and thoughtful discussion.
Good strategies will be measurable, with plans and timelines for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
Members of the Regional Planning Team and Regional Support Staff are available to provide professional development and coaching aligned to the strategies and goals identified by the school.

28. It is critical for school teams to monitor the implementation of their plans and their progress towards accomplishing their goals. Structured meetings to review progress should:
Focus on the plan.
Include data to monitor progress.
Allow for revisions to the plan.
Provide opportunities to
celebrate efforts and achievements.

29. Establish structures MAKE TIME FOR COLLABORATIVE WORK
When will instructional teams meet? (after school, during planning)
How often will teams meet? (weekly, every other week, monthly, quarterly)
How will data impact the schedule?
Distribute Collaboration/Planning Time Document
(8 minutes) Get PDF from Janet about time to work.
The last part of Establishing Structures is making sure the teams have time to collaborate.
P.19
Collaborative Planning Time – Time may be the hardest resource to find. For change/improvement to occur leaders must schedule time for teams to meet. The book suggests that instructional teams meet at least twice a month for collaborative planning time.
Data – When is data analysis the most useful? (beginning/end of the school year? Or would it be best to concentrate heavily on data analysis and discussion in January or February, when teacher can make midyear adjustments.)
Template C – When will the teams meet and how often?
Example: Grade level teams, during planning, once a week

30. Inspect what you expect…*
Inspect what you expect…
HOW??
TURN AND TALK
Speak the language.
Attend planning and data meetings.
Conduct formal and informal walkthroughs (or classroom rounds).
What else?

31. General CIP documentation recommendations for schools
KISS - Keep it simple…..
Principal Summary Forms (PSFs) - in school box.
CIP (and amendments) - in school box.
CIP on website.
Principal(s) is ensuring teachers are creating lessons plans that reflect the COS/CCRS.
Specific documentation, as mentioned in each school's CIP (in school box).
Secondary Schools - Syllabus (with COS/CCRS/EOCT correlations strongly suggested).  Syllabus should be posted on teacher's website. 

32. Walkthroughs….. Announced or announced? Who should conduct them?
What kind of form or documentation to use?
Do the teachers receive feedback?
Are you the judge and jury, or are you a partner?

33. Classroom Rounds Exercise*
Classroom Rounds Exercise
Classroom Rounds Spreadsheet and Graph Data

34. Other Items of Interest
School web presence, including teacher webpages (especially if teacher/student communication is mentioned in CIP)
Student engagement
Assessment Data – Charts Helpful!
Classroom/school culture
Utilizing technology, Web 2.0 tools, and/or project- based learning
Four-Year Plans (Middle and High Schools)
Kuder

35. Continuous Improvement Plan
Do’s
Involve the entire faculty in the process
Ensure goals are realistic
Revisit often to update and revise as needed
Develop goals with checkpoints throughout the year
Don’ts
Allow one or two people to devise the plan
Include goals that are unlikely to be attained
Put the plan on the shelf for the school year

36. Questions?