Unified Improvement Planning: District Support for Turnaround and Priority Improvement Schools Sponsored by The Colorado Department of Education Fall 2010.

Unified Improvement Planning: District Support for Turnaround and Priority Improvement Schools Sponsored by The Colorado Department of Education Fall 2010 Version 1.0

Introductions Center for Transforming Learning and Teaching Julie Oxenford O’Brian Mary Beth Romke www.ctlt.org

Purpose Enhance the support that district leaders provide to turnaround and priority improvement schools as they engage in unified improvement planning.

One in a series of CDE sponsored sessions on UIP... 1.School Level Support for Schools assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan under state accountability 2.District Level Support for Districts with schools assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan Under State Accountability 3.District Level Support for Districts Accredited with Turnaround or Priority Improvement plans under state accountability or identified for improvement under ESEA, including Titles I, IIA and/or III 4.Using the Unified Improvement Plan for Title I Requirements (Webinar Only)

Materials

Norms The standards of behavior by which we agree to operate while we are engaged in learning together. Page 2

Introductions Introduce yourselves to the folks at your table: –Name/Role –One hope and one fear you have about supporting your district’s turnaround and priority improvement school(s). Select one hope and one fear from your table to share.

Outcomes Engage in hands-on learning activities and dialogue with colleagues. Complete readings. Facilitate processes locally. Understand district roles in supporting Turnaround (TA) and Priority Improvement (PI) schools. Recognize unique needs of TA and PI schools Support development and review of school plan components including: –Data analysis; –Annual targets; –Major improvement strategies; and –Title I requirements (if appropriate). Provide relevant views of school-level data. Determine the relationship between district and school-level improvement plans. Identify collaboration and support needs.

Activity: Progress Monitoring Go to Progress Monitoring page 5. Re-write the learning targets for day one in your own language. Describe what these learning targets mean to you. Create a bar graph which describes where you currently believe you are in relationship to each of learning target. Learning Target I don’t know what this Is I need more practice I’ve got It I can apply it in a new way Reflections Understand district roles in supporting Turnaround (TA) and Priority Improvement (PI) schools.. This means: Describe what we need to do and our progress to date to dramatically improve our lowest-performing schools.

Agenda Unified Improvement Planning Basics Review Turnaround and Priority Improvement Requirements UIP Quality Criteria for Development and Review The data views your schools need Support and Collaboration Opportunities School Plan Feedback and Review

Purposes of Unified Improvement Planning Support school and district use of performance data to improve student learning. Transition from planning as “an event” to planning as “continuous improvement”. Provide a mechanism for external stakeholders to learn about schools/district improvement efforts. Reduce the number of required improvement “plans”. Align improvement efforts within schools and districts. Meet state and federal accountability requirements.

What School Planning Requirements will the Unified Improvement Plan Meet? State accountability Title I –Improvement Plan for schools on improvement, corrective action or restructuring –Targeted Assistance Plan* –Schoolwide Plan* * some requirements may need to be included as addendums for Targeted Assistance and Schoolwide Plans.

Colorado Unified Planning Template for Schools Major Sections: I.Summary Information about the school II. Improvement Plan Information III. Narrative on Data Analysis and Root Cause Identification IV. Action Plan(s) Page 9

Basic Steps in Improvement Planning IV. Action Planning III. Narrative on Data Analysis and Root Cause Identification I.Summary Information about the school II. Additional Information

Theory of Action: Continuous Improvement FOCUS

Timeline August 15 th – SPF Reports and initial plan type assignments released to districts. October 15 th – district submits accreditation categories and case for revising plan type assignment if appropriate. November 15 th – Final plan type assignments. January 15 th – Priority Improvement, Turnaround and schools on improvement for Title I submit plans to CDE. February and March – state review, feedback to schools and revision April 15 th – plans submitted for publication on schoolview.org

Stakeholder Roles Consider: –District Roles –Add any missing roles (extra rows) Table discussion: –What questions, if any, do we have about these roles? –What additional roles should be added to the list? Share out additional roles Page 21

Chalk Talk Determine your table color (2 colors in the room). Each table has one of the following topics: 1.Timeline for school planning 2.Reviewing and providing feedback about priority improvement and turnaround plans 3.Building school-level capacity to engage in planning 4.Selecting and implementing turnaround options. Write notes on the paper at your table about where you are as a district on the topic at your table. Move with your district team to the next topic/table with the same color. Continue to make notes and move until all you have addressed all topics and return to your original table. Page 23

Current District Challenges Using sticky notes, brainstorm and record (one per sticky note): Our current most significant challenges in supporting Turnaround and Priority Improvement schools As a table group, sort like challenges together. Prioritize. Share top two.

State Distribution of Schools by Preliminary Plan Type Assignment Page 27

School Improvement Needed Incremental change: smaller, limited focus, over time Dramatic change: big, broad focus, fast District can choose but needs help managing change District can choose and manage change State takeover: district doesn’t have capacity to choose or manage change Reorganizing school management Innovation school Employing turnaround partner Public or private management organization Charter school Adapted from: School Restructuring: What Works When, Learning Point Associates, June 2010

Incremental vs. Dramatic Work with your table. Select a recorder. Using a flip chart page create a t-chart Brainstorm examples of incremental changes Brainstorm examples of dramatic changes IncrementalDramatic

School Turnaround is a dramatic intervention in a low-performing school that both produces significant achievement gains within two years and prepares the school for long-term transformation into a high-performance organization. – Mass Insight Restructuring means making major, rapid changes that affect how a school is led and how instruction is delivered. Restructuring is essential to achieving rapid, dramatic improvements in student learning – Learning Point Associates

Dramatic change for “persistently low- performing schools” This idea is not new... Comprehensive School Reform Designs (New American Schools Development Corp. & IASA) School Restructuring (NCLB) School Improvement Grants Under Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 -- January 2009 amendments – school turnaround, transformation, restart or closure. Colorado SB09-163 Educational Accountability Act: Turnaround and Priority Improvement.

School Improvement Needed Incremental change: smaller, limited focus, over time Dramatic change: big, broad focus, fast District can choose but needs help managing change District can choose and manage change State takeover: district doesn’t have capacity to choose or manage change Reorganizing school management Innovation school Employing turnaround partner Public or private management organization Charter school Adapted from: School Restructuring: What Works When, Learning Point Associates, June 2010

Reviewing Turnaround Options Work with a partner. Take out “Turnaround Options,” page 31. Silently read one row in the chart (individually). When each partner has completed a row, look up and “say something.” Something might be a question, a brief summary, a key point, an interesting idea or personal connection to the text. Continue until you complete all of the rows in the chart.

Title I Requirements If your school also receives Title I funding, additional planning requirements will apply... –Schoolwide Title I –Targeted Assistance programs –on improvement, corrective action or restructuring Quality criteria for school UIPs Review NCLB Restructuring Options, page 32 –How do the NCLB restructuring options compare to the Colorado Turnaround Options?

Factors for determining approach School performance – How persistent is the low performance? Are there any strengths to build upon? Root cause analysis – How far-reaching are the causes of persistent low performance? School-level leadership – Can current school- leadership lead dramatic change? Does school leadership understanding of root causes align with district understanding? Community readiness – Is the community ready, could the community be made ready for comprehensive change? Does the district have capacity to provide change leadership and support? Will an external partner be engaged? Is the school already implementing a dramatic change strategy?

Necessary for Dramatic Change A clear vision. What will the school look like when the restructuring process is completed? An empowered leader, a change agent, who can maintain a focus on the vision, motivate members of the school community, plan, communicate, and persist in keeping the change process on track. Improvement teams, generally at both the district and school level. Involvement of the whole school community: faculty, support staff, parents, community members, and students. Sufficient time to craft a quality plan. A summer is not enough. Small, “quick wins.” Relatively small, simple changes that have large, quick payoffs and can provide the momentum for more difficult changes. Wahlbert, H.J. Eds. (2007). Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement. Lincoln, NE: Center on Innovation and Improvement.

Resources to help... Resources available through: comprehensive school reform, NCLB restructuring, Turnaround/Transformation Centers: –The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement: http://www.centerforcsri.orghttp://www.centerforcsri.org –Center on Innovation & Improvement (CII): http://www.centerii.org/ http://www.centerii.org/ –Learning Point Associates: http://www.learningpt.org/http://www.learningpt.org/ –Mass Insight Education: http://www.massinsight.org/http://www.massinsight.org/ –Public Impact: http://www.publicimpact.comhttp://www.publicimpact.com –U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/http://www.ed.gov/ Page 35

Turnaround Options Table dialogue, consider: Which turnaround option(s) would your district be ready to implement and support with your school(s) by fall 2011? What needs to happen between now and fall 2011 to prepare various educational stakeholders for this approach to change?

Steps to prepare for dramatic change Determine who will engage in planning for dramatic change (district staff? new leadership?). Engage in a comprehensive qualitative review of school. Engage school and community stakeholders (input to the approach) Establishing data infrastructure. Determine an approach. Define a new vision.

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Supporting Schools Notecatcher Make notes about your efforts to determine a dramatic improvement approach and engage local stakeholders. What tools will you use?

Multiple measures must be considered and used to understand the multifaceted world of learning from the perspective of everyone involved. -Victoria Bernhardt

What types of data do we have? Demographics Perceptions Student Learning School Processes

Student Learning School Processes Perceptions Demographics Provides information that allows for the prediction of actions, processes, programs that best meet the needs of all students. Victoria Bernhardt

Activity: Data Intersections Refer to the Creating Intersections Activity worksheet Working with a partner, select a 2-way intersection, then identify what questions you can answer with that data intersection. Try a 3-way intersection. Page 43

For what do you use multiple data sources in UIP? To answer questions about performance: –Significant rends –Priority needs)? To determine why school performance is what it is (root causes)? To monitor school progress towards annual targets (interim measures). To monitor implementation of improvement strategies (implementation benchmarks). Performance Measures Process Measures

Drilling-Down Consider Data Analysis: Drilling Down, page 47 Choose a sub-indicator for which your school did not meet state expectations. Select questions that would help your school staff to drill-down. Identify what state and local data reports would be needed to investigate each question. Evaluate the data that is available: –State-provided reports –relevant/available local data Page 47

Develop a Data Analysis Plan Consider the data analysis plan template, p. 57. What guidance can you provide your school- level planning team about drilling deeper to understand the school’s performance? Evaluate the data that is available: –State-provided reports –relevant/available local data Is the data organized in a way that would allow your team to answer the most critical questions?

Data Sources Calendar Consider the sample Data Sources Calendar. –What are the benefits of having timing attached to a survey of data sources? –What would you add, delete from this template? –How will you facilitate school/district leader organization of their data sources over time? Page 63

Tools you can use ToolUse Using Multiple Sources Build background knowledge Multiple Measures Graphic Identify what data is needed to answer critical educational questions Data Questions Build background knowledge Creating Intersections Build background knowledge Summary of Data Intersections Identify what data is needed to answer critical educational questions SST Evidence Identify possible local data sources Drilling Down Supporting local data analysis Data Analysis Plan Supporting local data analysis Survey of Assessment Data Example Build background knowledge related to inventorying local assessment data Survey of Assessment Data Template Support gathering of local assessment data. Data Sources Calendar Prepare to use multiple data sources in improvement planning

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Supporting Schools Notecatcher Make notes about your efforts to support your schools in gathering and organizing data What tools will you use?

Agenda Unified Improvement Planning Basics Review Turnaround and Priority Improvement Requirements UIP Quality Criteria for Development and Review The data views your schools need Support and Collaboration Opportunities UIP School Plan Feedback and Review

Key Planning Resources Resource 1.Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Plans (school level) 2.Unified Improvement Plan Examples (elementary and secondary, turnaround) Uses Provide a “target” for plan developers for Section III and Section IV plan elements. Serve as the basis for plan review (district leaders, school accountability committees, local school boards, state department staff, state review panel) Examples of what might be included in each section of the plan.

UIP Components Section III Data Analysis Worksheet –Significant Trends –Priority Needs –Root Causes Data Narrative –Data analysis processes used –Data used –Significant Trends –Priority Needs –Root Cause Analysis Section IV School Goals Worksheet –Annual Targets (2010-2011 and 2011-2012) –Interim Measures Action Planning Worksheet –Major Improvement Strategies –Root Cause(s) addressed –Action Steps (timeline, key personnel, resources, implementation benchmarks)

Reminder: Significant Trends Include all performance indicator areas. Identify where the school did not at least meet state and federal expectations. Include at least three years of data. Consider data beyond that included in the school performance framework (grade- level data).

Reviewing priority need(s) Priority needs are... Specific statements about the school’s performance challenges Strategic focus for the school Description of what is based on analysis of trends Priority needs are NOT What caused or why we have the performance challenge Action steps that need to be taken Concerns about budget, staffing, curriculum, or instruction Data interpretation

Priority Need Non-Examples To review student work and align proficiency levels to the Reading Continuum and Co. Content Standards Provide staff training in explicit instruction and adequate programming designed for intervention needs. Implement interventions for English Language Learners in mathematics. Budgetary support for para-professionals to support students with special needs in regular classrooms. No differentiation in mathematics instruction when student learning needs are varied.

Priority Need Examples For turnaround and priority improvement schools: Math achievement across all grade-levels and all disaggregated groups over three years is persistently less than 30% proficient or advanced. Median Student Growth Percentiles in reading across all grade levels and all disaggregated groups is below 30 and has declined over the past three years. For the past three years, English language learners (making up 60% of the student population) have had median growth percentiles below 30 in all content areas.

Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Planning Choose a partner. Take out: UIP Quality Criteria, Section III – significant trends and priority needs. Read individually the two rows in the table related to significant trends and priority needs. When each partner has completed the first row, look up and “say something.” Something might be a question, a brief summary, a key point, an interesting idea or personal connection to the text. Continue until you complete the second row.

Priority needs when dramatic change is needed Consider the degree to which differences are evident between static achievement and growth. Should consider if any strengths are evident. May include all or most content areas. May include all disaggregated groups of students. Clarify the level of need and may not identify a strategic focus per se.

Apply Quality Criteria Section III: Significant Trends and Priority Needs Use the Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Planning and the “UIP Section III Feedback Form.” Use your school plan, or the sample turnaround plan, consider: –How are the significant trends and priority needs similar and/or different from that reflected in quality criteria –How could these sections be improved on this example plan (what they might do next)?

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Supporting Schools Notecatcher Make notes about your efforts to support your schools in identifying significant trends and priority needs What tools will you use?

The Role of Root Cause Analysis Root Cause Analysis Priority Needs/ Performance Challenges Action Plan

Moving up the Data Continuum Brieter & Light, Light, Wexlar, Heinze, 2004

Root Causes are... Statements describing the deepest underlying cause, or causes, of performance challenges. Interpretation of performance data Causes that if dissolved would result in elimination, or substantial reduction of the performance challenge(s). Things core changes the school needs to make The focus of major improvement strategies

Steps in Root Cause Analysis 1.Identify questions about the priority needs. 2.Generate explanations (brainstorm). 3.Categorize/ classify explanations. 4.Narrow (eliminate explanations over which you have no control). 5.Prioritize. 6.Get to root cause(s). 7.Validate with other data.

Tools you can use Tool/ ResourceUse Root Cause QuestionsSpur thinking for brainstorming Levels of Root CausesSupport categorizing root causes. Diagnostic TreeSupport organizing and categorizing root causes. Fishbone Diagram (Blank)Brainstorming in categories Narrowing Explanations (CTLT, 2009)Apply criteria to eliminate explanations that are not actionable The five why’sDeepen thinking about root causes When is a cause a root cause? (Preuss, 2003, p. 5-6) Build background knowledge on root causes Validate with Data (CTLT, 2009)Identify additional data sources to use to validate root causes

Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Planning Review: UIP Quality Criteria, Section III, Root Cause Analysis. Consider: –To what degree do the root causes in your school’s plan or the example turnaround plan meet the quality criteria –How could these root causes be improved?

Data Narrative Narrative Description of: –Trend Analysis and Priority Needs –Root Cause Analysis –Verification of Root Causes Tell the story of the school’s data. Describe the process in which the school planning team engaged to identify trends, priority needs and root causes.

Generating a Data Narrative 1.Identify critical elements of the data narrative 2.A small group (or individual) generate a draft of data narrative based on data analysis and root causes analysis notes. 3.Reach consensus among all planning participants that the narrative: –tells the “data story” for the school. –meets state criteria 4.Revise data narrative as needed.

Apply Quality Criteria Section III Use the Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Planning and the “UIP Section III Feedback Form,” page 99. Provide written feedback about Section III of your school’s plan (or the example turnaround plan): –how their response differed from that reflected in quality criteria –how they can move forward (what they might do next)

Clarify Annual Targets: Federal For Title I schools, in ESEA performance indicators, annual targets have been set. AYP and Safe Harbor targets available on www.cde.state.co.us

Annual Targets: State Indicators Academic Achievement, Academic Growth, Academic Growth Gaps, Post-Secondary/ Workforce Readiness Schools and will need to set annual targets for state performance indicator areas (for 2010- 2011 and 2011-2012). Annual targets must result in schools at least meeting state expectations within 5 years.

Setting Annual Targets for State Indicators Focus on priority need(s) Review state or local expectations Determine progress needed in first two years Determine timeframe (max 5 years) Describe annual targets for two years

How good is good enough? General guidelines: Median student growth percentile targets should not be less than 50 No penalty for not making targets in one year. State take-over in 5 years if school does not meet minimum expectations

Apply Quality Criteria for Annual Targets Review: UIP Quality Criteria, Section IV. Annual Targets Consider the Annual Targets from your school’s draft plan (or the example turnaround plan). –how do their response differ from the quality criteria –how they can move forward (what they might do next) to improve their targets

Review Interim Measures Interim measures must be identified for each annual target. Data from interim measures should allow schools to monitor progress quarterly. Examples: District Benchmark Assessment, NWEA MAPS, Progress Monitoring assessments Table discussion: –Review Quality Criteria, Section IV, Interim Measures –What interim measures are likely to show up in the school plans for your district/

Review Interim Measures What would be appropriate interim measure(s) for the targets in your schools’ plan (or the example turnaround plan)? Write a description of the interim measure, include: –Assessment or performance measures only –Administered during the school year (more than once). –Specify how frequently the data will be available. –Specify what metrics will be used.

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Supporting Schools Notecatcher Make notes about your efforts to support your schools in identifying annual targets, and interim measures What tools will you use?

Major Improvement Strategies Respond to root causes of the performance problems you are attempting to remedy. Reflect an understanding that state takeover will occur in 5 years if performance does not meet expectations. Are of appropriate intensity and scope for the level of change that is needed. –For 2010-2011 school year – reflect planning for dramatic change. –2011-2012 – beginning to implement dramatic change.

What is a Major Improvement Strategy Review Unified Improvement Plan Quality Criteria: Major Improvement Strategies and Action Steps Table Dialogue: –Do any of the criteria need clarification? –What do you anticipate will be the most difficult criteria for your school(s) to meet? Understand? –What is the difference between a major improvement strategy and an action step?

Implementation Benchmarks Implementation Benchmarks are... –how schools will know major improvement strategies are being implemented; –Measures of the fidelity with which action steps are implemented; and –what will be monitored. Implementation Benchmarks are NOT: –Performance measures (assessment results).

Selecting Implementation Benchmarks Review the Unified Improvement Planning Quality Criteria: Implementation Benchmarks Table Dialogue: –Do any of the criteria need clarification? –What do you anticipate will be the most difficult criteria to meet? Understand? –What is the difference between interim measures and implementation benchmarks?

Practice: Implementation Benchmarks Work with your table group. Consider the action steps in your school’s plan or the example turnaround plan. Identify appropriate implementation benchmarks based on the quality criteria..

Timeline August 15 th SPF Reports and initial plan type assignments released to districts. October 15 th District submits accreditation categories and case for revising plan type assignment if appropriate. November 15 th State releases final plan type assignments. January 15 th Priority Improvement, Turnaround and schools on improvement for Title I submit plans to CDE for state review. February and March State review, feedback to schools and local revision Aprils 15 th Plans submitted for publication on schoolview.org Local plan development and review.

Local Plan Review Now through January 15 th 2011 Take out District Accountability Handbook Excerpt, Consider: –School Accountability Committee Responsibilities. –Review of School Plans (Priority Improvement and Turnaround) Page 93

Some steps in local review Determine local review/feedback timeline (district staff, school accountability committees, local school board) Develop local capacity to use the UIP quality criteria. Complete district staff review/feedback for school plan. Structure local board review/ plan approval. Submit school-level plan to state.

Local Plan Review Review of Turnaround and Priority improvement plans are likely to include: –District Staff –School Accountability Committee –Local School Board Discussion: How are you (or do you plan to) involve each of these stakeholder groups in plan review? What is your timeline? Share examples.

Integrating your Thinking Take out, Supporting Schools Notecatcher Make notes about your efforts to engage in local review and provide feedback to schools and respond to state review feedback about school-level plans. What tools will you use?

Who can you learn from? Gallery walk of “chalk talk” Make notes about efforts of other districts that you’d like to know more about. Targeted cross-district sharing of progress so far.

Your Feedback!!! Written: –Take out several sticky notes. –Identify additional support needs (one per sticky note) –For the parking lot + the aspects of this session that you liked or worked for you.  The things you will change in your work or would change about this session. ? Questions that you still have Light bulb: ideas, a-has, innovations Oral: Your current thinking

Unified Improvement Planning: District Support for Turnaround and Priority Improvement Schools Sponsored by The Colorado Department of Education Fall 2010.

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Unified Improvement Planning: District Support for Turnaround and Priority Improvement Schools Sponsored by The Colorado Department of Education Fall 2010.

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