1. Redefining Evidence of Success: Best Practices in New York
Just for the Kids-NY
Know Your Schools
For NY Kids
Redefining Evidence of Success:
Best Practices in New York
Know Your Schools – For NY Kids
(Just for the Kids-New York)
DATAG Summer Conference
July 16, 2009
Janet Angelis & Kristen Wilcox 1

2. Redefining Evidence of Success: Best Practices in New York
Just for the Kids-NY
Know Your Schools
For NY Kids
Redefining Evidence of Success:
Best Practices in New York
Background
Overall findings
Exemplars of evidence-based best practice
Resources
Questions 2

3. 4 studies completed Elementary schools (2005) Middle schools (2007)
A report on best
practices in New York
State elementary
schools
What makes
elementary
schools work
4 studies
completed
Elementary schools (2005)
Middle schools (2007)
High schools (2008)
Middle school science (2009-report coming soon) 3

4. Our Samples
8-10 consistently HP schools; 3-6 similar but consistently AP schools, based on 3 years of NYS Assessment data
Favor poverty (F/RL)
Urban, rural, suburban
Open admissions
PPE cluster near NYS average
In consultation with our Advisory Board 4

5. Representatives of Advisory Board
The Business Council of New York State, Inc.
Conference of Big 5 School Districts
Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability
IBM
McGraw-Hill Companies
NY Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NYACTE)
NY Charter School Association
NY City Department of Education
NYS Association of School Business Officials (NYSASBO)
NYS Association of Small City School Districts (NYSASCSD)
NYS Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE)
NYS Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. (NYSPTA)
NYS Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS)
NYS Education Department (NYSED)
NYS Governor's Office
NYS School Boards Association (NYSSBA)
NYS United Teachers (NYSUT)
School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS)
State Farm Insurance
State University of New York (SUNY)
University at Albany  
Representatives of
Advisory Board 5

6. Just for the Kids–New York Best Practices Studies 2005-9
Higher-performing Elementary Schools
Higher-performing Middle Schools
Higher-performing High Schools
Higher-performing Middle Schools-Science 6 6

7. Methods: Data Collection and Analysis
Make 2-day site visits
Interview teachers and administrators
Collect documents
Classroom observations (MS science)
Analyze, write a case study for each site
Conduct and write cross-site analysis
Write summary report
Cases, reports, and school comparisons available at: 7 7

8. Some differences between AP and HP
Less dissatisfaction with the status quo
Remediate when trouble
Collaborate “as can”
More individualistic vision of success, responsibility
Less rich sources of data
Belief that some students won’t succeed in school
Curriculum more static, handed down from above
Teaching to the test
Culture of continuous improvement
Prevention > remediation
Collaboration supported
Shared responsibility and vision
Embrace variety of data
High expectations for all; no blame on student background
Differentiated instruction; relevant curriculum
Standards > assessments
Differences between HP and AP of extent and degree 8

9. Key Findings: Asking Essential Qs
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

10. Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
Key Findings: Creating Ethos of EBDM
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

11. Key Findings: Connecting Data to Action
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
Formally
Informally
Consistently
Coherently w/district & school mission
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

12. How do we help all students’ learn in our classrooms?
How do we define learning?
How can the district, school, community support learning?
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
Formally
Informally
Consistently
Coherently w/district & school mission
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

13. They try to identify gaps They look closely at student groups
Q1: What areas call for attention?
They look for trouble
They try to identify gaps
They look closely at student groups
“They” = teachers, administrators, teams, departments

14. They look for trouble Q1: What areas call for attention?
Prevention > remediation
They pay close attention to every student every day
High schools report every 5 weeks
Tuesday’s Child is the key meeting of the week.
Cambridge HS Guidance

15. They try to identify gaps
Q1: What areas call for attention?
They try to identify gaps
They look for what’s missing
Westbury Middle School
2005-6; 849 students, grades 6-8
NYS
Meeting/Exceeding Standards, Gr. 8 ELA
58%
49%
Meeting/Exceeding Standards, Gr. 8 Math
52%
54%
Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch
74%
45%
Limited English Proficient
14% NA
African-American
46%
20%
Hispanic/Latino
51%

16. They try to identify gaps
Q1: What areas call for attention?
They try to identify gaps
They compare themselves to the best
This year we’ve started to compare ourselves to Nassau County, which is a higher standard –
and our focus is on mastery
rather than proficiency.
Levittown administrator

17. Q1: What areas call for attention?
They look closely at performance of student groups
Black
Hispanic
White

18. Middle School ELA Department
Q1: What areas call for attention?
Middle School ELA Department
Agenda (11/3/06)
EQ: How can we use test data to inform inst?
8:15-8:45 General Overview
How are the tests developed? reported?
How do we compare to the region and state?
8:45-10:00 Grade level specific work
Item analysis
Look at actual test and questions
Summarize and share findings
10:15-11:15 Individual teacher/class data
Review Lucky Charms report
Determine next steps
11:15-11:30 Regroup, debrief

19. Smallwood (ES) building administrator
Q2: What do the data tell us about allocation of our resources?
Human, instructional, physical resources are deployed where most needed
Flexibility and focus are key
What goes on in the classroom is by design. Everything we do is deliberate nothing is left to happenstance.
Smallwood (ES) building administrator

20. Q2: What do the data tell us about allocation of our resources?
Human, instructional, physical resources are deployed where most needed
Teachers
Reassignments
New hires in high need areas
Different class sizes

21. Q2: What do the data tell us about allocation of our resources?
Human, instructional, physical resources are deployed where most needed
Time
Block schedules, hybrid block schedules (HS)
Flexible grouping (ES)
Coordinate with BOCES, breakfast
In and out of AIS as needed
Before, after school, summer help/tutoring
Enrichment
Flexibility and focus based on a broad range of evidence

22. Q2: What do the data tell us about allocation of our resources?
STRATEGIC DELIMITERS
We will not:
Adopt any new program or service unless it is
Consistent with and contributes to our mission;
Accompanied by an analysis of the resources and the staff development needed for its effectiveness;
Accompanied by a plan to asses its ongoing effectiveness.
White Plains Strategic Plan, adopted 12/3/07

23. Shared vision of success means
Q3: What do the data tell us about where we’re heading?
Shared vision of success means
never good enough
never being done
every student succeeding
we are collectively and individually responsible
Strive for 5
[5% improvement every year] remains a goal without a goal line.
Holland MS teacher

24. Communication and Planning
Q3: What do the data tell us about where we’re heading?
Communication and Planning
Strategic planning process
Reports to board and community beyond state report card
Looking ahead
My job is to be thinking 3-5 years up.
VVS Superintendent

25. Performance/growth targets- For students
Q3: What do the data tell us about where we’re heading?
Performance/growth targets-
For students
For teachers and groups of teachers
For administrators
We have one thing in mind – what can we do in our school to enhance student achievement?
Webster ES

26. Overall… in higher-performing schools…
State assessments (a given, but one genre)
Guided by state standards
Benchmark tests
Collaboratively developed quarterlies, mid-terms
Student and parent interviews, surveys
Graduates
Formal and informal classroom
Student self-reflection, assessment
Self-generated (action research)
Comparisons to other high(er) performers 26

27. Overall… Higher-performing schools…
share a belief that using a variety of evidence to inform strategic action is worthwhile and effective.
AP schools . . .
- primarily state assessments (and simulations)
- collect and analyze data only periodically
- rely on outside vendors for analysis

28. What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

29. Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

30. Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
Formally
Informally
Consistently
Coherently w/district & school mission
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

31. Key Findings: Connecting data to action
How do we help all students’ learn in our classrooms?
How do we define learning?
How can the district, school, community support learning?
What do the data tell us about our allocation of resources?
Ethos of evidence-based decision-making
Formally
Informally
Consistently
Coherently w/district & school mission
What do the data tell us about areas calling for attention?
What do the data tell us about where we are heading?

32. 32

34. 34

35. % Low income 35

36. 36

38. 38

39. High School Best Practice Framework39

40. 40

41. http://www.albany.edu/aire/kids/ www.knowyourschools.org
Resources:
Resources
Best Practices Reports and Summaries
Best Practices Frameworks, with documentary evidence
Case Studies of higher-performing schools
Key word searches (e.g., ELL, sped)
To come: Self-assessments tools, book
School look-up and comparison 41

42. Redefining Evidence of Success: Best Practices in New York
Just for the Kids-NY
Know Your Schools
For NY Kids
Redefining Evidence of Success:
Best Practices in New York
Questions?
Janet Angelis:
Kristen Wilcox: 42