1. Constructing High Performing Schoolwide Programs
Title 1

2. Region VII Comprehensive Center
Review: What are SWPs?
SWPs are schools that receive flexibility and resources (in exchange for accountability) in order to carry out major reform strategies to help all students meet high standards.
SWPs are schools that choose to create and implement highly effective, research-based, comprehensive reform plans.
SWPs are schools that target resources to address high priority student needs.
SWPs are the keystone of the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994 (IASA).
The legislation encourages high poverty schools to completely reform and upgrade their entire educational program to assist all students to achieve challenging state standards.
Emphasize that SWPs under IASA must integrate and coordinate their planning and resources with state and local improvement initiatives. Consequently, nearly every SWP will have a slightly different look to it in terms of how it plans for reform and focuses resources.
Under point two above, note that any comprehensive school reform effort requires strong support from all stakeholders--parents, teachers, staff, administration, etc. Many private consultants who promote validated reform programs and processes require that 85% of staff commit to the initiative. Additionally, representatives from all federal, state, and local programs affected by reform planning need to be at the table during major training and planning sessions.
Point three is that for schoolwide programs, most federal funds lose their identity at the schoolhouse door. However, the requirement that these funds supplement and do not supplant state and local funds still applies.
The former Director of Compensatory Education at the U.S. Department of Education Mary Jean LeTendre is fond of pointing out that the intent of the funds is to assist students, not maintain a JOBS program for aides and remedial teachers. (Next Slide)
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

3. Region VII Comprehensive Center
Review: What are SWPs? SWPs are schools that use funds from federal education programs to upgrade the entire educational program of the school in order to raise academic achievement for all students in the school.
SWPs grew out of research on what makes schools work for disadvantaged students--even in high poverty settings.
Primary Findings:
A high-achieving school carries out a comprehensive, schoolwide reform plan based on a clear school mission and a shared vision of what the school could and should be.
This chart indicates some of the major resources that can be combined in a SWP. (Point to and read the funding sources listed on the chart that can be consolidated in a SWP.) Once a school chooses to become a SWP, it is committed to using all its resources to transform itself. SWPs undergoing “transformation” in Kentucky, for example, consolidate planning, funding, and human resources from19 different federal, state and local sources in their consolidated plans.
Because planning is such a critical element in SWPs, each school embarking on this “transformational journey” is required to spend a full year in completing a comprehensive assessment and restructuring plan--unless planning that meets schoolwide requirements has already taken place. Note that many existing “schoolwide programs” are schoolwide in name only. A real schoolwide exhibits eight components in a well-focused program that achieves results for the children it serves. (Next Slide)
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

4. Region VII Comprehensive Center
SWP COMPONENTS
Teacher Involvement
“Safety Nets”
Transitions
Needs Assessment
Parent Involvement
Reform Strategies
Go over the following components emphasizing the highlighted elements (even though it might seem tedious).
As defined in section 1114(b)(1) of Title I, schoolwide programs must include the following eight components:
1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that is based on information on the performance of children in relation to the State content and student performance standards.
2. Schoolwide reform strategies that--
Provide opportunities for all children to meet the State’s proficient and advanced levels of student performance.
Are based on effective means of improving children’s achievement.
Use effective instructional strategies that increase the amount and quality of learning time, help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, and meet the needs of historically underserved populations, including girls and women.
Address the needs of all children, but particularly the needs of children of target populations of any program included in the schoolwide, and address how the school will determine if these needs are met. These programs may include counseling and mentoring, college and career preparation, such as college and career guidance, services to prepare students for school-to-work transition, and the incorporation of gender equitable methods and practices.
Are consistent with, and are designed to implement, the State and local improvement plans, if any, approved under Title III of GOALS 2000.
3. Instruction by highly qualified staff.
4. Professional development for teachers and aides, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, principals, and other staff to enable all children in the schoolwide program to meet the State’s student performance standards.
5. Strategies to increase parent involvement, such as family literacy services.
6. Strategies for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs, such as Head Start and Even Start, to local elementary school programs.
7. Steps to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessments.
8.Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering any of the State’s standards during the school year will be provided with effective, timely additional assistance. The assistance must include:
Measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.
To the extent the school determines it is feasible using Title I, Part A funds, periodic training for teachers in how to identify difficulties and to provide assistance to individual students.
For any student who has not met the standards, teacher-parent conferences.
Point out that the blocks representing the components are still jumbled up. Even with all the components in place, there is much more to creating a successful schoolwide program.
Note: Many of the highlighted elements get overlooked in low-performing schoolwide programs. (Next Slide)
Prof. Staff
Professional Development
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

5. 1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that is based on information on the performance of children in relation to the State content and student performance standards.
. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that is based on information on the performance of children in relation to the State content and student performance standards.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

6. 2. Schoolwide Reform Strategies
Schoolwide reform strategies that--
1. Provide opportunities for all children to meet the State’s content and performance standards.
2. Are based on effective means of improving children’s achievement.
3. Use effective instructional strategies that increase the amount and quality of learning time, help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, and meet the needs of historically underserved populations, including girls and women.
(continued on the next slide)
2. Schoolwide reform strategies that--
Provide opportunities for all children to meet the State’s proficient and advanced levels of student performance.
Are based on effective means of improving children’s achievement.
Use effective instructional strategies that increase the amount and quality of learning time, help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, and meet the needs of historically underserved populations, including girls and women.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

7. 2. Schoolwide Reform Strategies (continued)
Schoolwide reform strategies that--
4. Address the needs of all children, but particularly the needs of children of target populations of any program included in the schoolwide, and address how the school will determine if these needs are met.
5. Are consistent with, and are designed to implement, the State and local school improvement plans.
Address the needs of all children, but particularly the needs of children of target populations of any program included in the schoolwide, and address how the school will determine if these needs are met. These programs may include counseling and mentoring, college and career preparation, such as college and career guidance, services to prepare students for school-to-work transition, and the incorporation of gender equitable methods and practices.
Are consistent with, and are designed to implement, the State and local improvement plans, if any, approved under Title III of GOALS 2000.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

8. 3. Highly Qualified Staff
Instruction by highly qualified professional staff.
This component was included to encourage the use of trained professionals rather than paraprofessionals in these programs.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

9. 4. Professional Development
Professional development for teachers and aides, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, principals, and other staff to enable all children in the schoolwide program to meet the State’s student performance standards.
Professional development for teachers and aides, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, principals, and other staff to enable all children in the schoolwide program to meet the State’s student performance standards.
As part of the schoolwide program plan, districts and schools should develop a long-range professional development program that will support the implementation of the schoolwide program plan.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

10. Region VII Comprehensive Center
5. Parent Involvement
Strategies to increase parental involvement, such as family literacy services.
Strategies to increase parent involvement, such as family literacy services.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

11. Region VII Comprehensive Center
6. Transitions
Strategies for assisting preschool students in making transitions from early childhood programs, such as Head Start and Even Start, to local elementary school programs.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

12. 7. Teacher Decision- Making
Steps to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessments.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center

13. Region VII Comprehensive Center
8. Safety Net
Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering any of the State’s standards during the school year will be provided with effective, timely additional assistance.
Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering any of the State’s standards during the school year will be provided with effective, timely additional assistance. The assistance must include:
Measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.
To the extent the school determines it is feasible using Title I, Part A funds, periodic training for teachers in how to identify difficulties and to provide assistance to individual students.
For any student who has not met the standards, teacher-parent conferences.
2/23/2019
Region VII Comprehensive Center