1. North Carolina ESEA Flexibility Focus Schools 1

2. How are Focus Schools identified?  Title I schools with in-school gaps between the highest- achieving and lowest-achieving subgroups  Title I schools with a proficiency score below 50%  Uses 3 years of data beginning with 2010-11 and two prior years 2 Focus Schools June 11, 2012

3. Focus Schools 3 Will the LEA be required to offer afterschool tutoring in its Focus Schools? No. Rather than focusing on implementing a “program,” districts must implement interventions in its Focus Schools that reflect evidence-based best practices aligned to overall school improvement efforts within the Title I school program. The comprehensive school plan must identify how the interventions demonstrate the most likelihood for increasing the academic performance for under-performing student subgroups. This may include afterschool tutoring. June 11, 2012

4. Focus Schools 4 With an approved waiver: An LEA may choose to implement afterschool tutoring or other interventions in its Focus schools. These afterschool tutoring services may be offered in a Focus school with funds reserved at the district level or funds provided in school allocations. Services are not limited to low-income students or subject to the per pupil cap. An LEA may continue to offer services through its own state- approved SES provider organization or may offer tutoring through a school (non-SES) program or through some other partnership with an external provider (e.g., State-approved SES, other tutoring service providers, volunteer programs, etc.). An LEA has flexibility in the use of funds previously required to implement choice/SES to support its Focus schools as well as its other Title I schools (i.e., 20% of total Title I allotment). June 11, 2012

5. Are there specific interventions that are required? No. However, the interventions selected must be: – Aligned to the school needs assessment – Supported through school processes (e.g., increased learning time) – Supported through effective instruction (e.g., methods or practices appropriate for the identified subgroups) – Supported through high-quality job-embedded professional development – Monitored through the use of academic assessments with teacher input – Supported with plans to ensure family engagement 5 Focus Schools June 11, 2012

6. How do LEAs get started? The LEA should follow the same process used each year for planning the Title I schoolwide program including stakeholder consultation during the development of the plan. In order to ensure the LEA implements some of the proposed interventions during the 2012-13 school year, the revised school plan should be approved by the LEA by November 1, 2012. 6 Focus Schools June 11, 2012

7. If the LEA has schools identified as Focus, must parents be notified of the status? Under this flexibility, an SEA and its LEAs must include the identification of schools under the SEA’s new differentiated recognition, accountability, and support system, including focus schools, in their annual report cards. An SEA and Title I LEAs must still meet all of the other statutory State and LEA report card requirements. Although an SEA and its LEAs will no longer have to report on LEAs and schools that have been identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring since no such LEAs or schools will be identified, Title I, Part A continues to provide for substantive parental involvement at every level of the program. Because regular communication is the foundation of effective parental involvement, SEAs, LEAs, and schools must continue to provide information about district, school, and student progress to parents. 7 Focus Schools June 11, 2012

8. What happens if subgroups do not meet AMOs ? Progress on AMOs, along with other measures of student achievement; will be reviewed annually by the SEA to determine schools/districts that may need additional support within the Statewide System of Support. Districts should also review AMO progress and use the results in making decisions about interventions and strategies to address in the district’s Title I Plan that will meet the needs of under-performing subgroups. 8 Focus Schools June 11, 2012

9. How can schools exit Focus status? In order to exit Focus School status, Focus Schools must demonstrate sufficient progress based on the following: Meet a minimum proficiency standard/graduation rate of 60% Make progress on closing significant gaps between subgroups (no gaps greater that the state average) Make progress on meeting “all AMOs” (90%) Meet the 95% participation rate rule for all subgroups 9 Focus Schools June 11, 2012

10. What happens if a Focus School does not make sufficient progress at the end of three years? LEAs with identified schools that do not exit Focus status must establish a School Implementation Team with a designated coordinator. The team will utilize the NC Indistar Tool to facilitate the continuous improvement process. Schools that do not exit Focus status will be given priority for SEA monitoring and support. 10 Focus Schools June11, 2012

11. What is NCCCIP? June 11, 2012 11 North Carolina Comprehensive, Continuous Improvement Plan A Web-based tool for electronic submission, review and approval of Entitlement and Competitive funding applications One view for NCDPI and Districts.

12. June 11, 201212

13. Planning Tool Conceptual Overview School Plan June 11, 2012 13 Same concepts apply to School Plan as District Plan except the following: School Plans Inherit Goals and Strategies from the District Plan School Plans do not inherit Action Steps from the District Plan School Plans create separate Action Steps from District Plan

14. Planning Tool Conceptual Overview Entry Screen June 11, 2012 14 School Plan is accessed by selecting the appropriate school and clicking on School

15. Accessing Focus School Plan Components June 11, 2012 15 Focus School Plan Components are accessed from the School Plan Overview Screen

16. Focus School Component Tab January 11, 2012 16

17. Action Steps June 11, 2012 17 Specific action to be taken in support of a strategy Most specific level of narrative detail that can be indicated within the goal hierarchy

18. Action Step/Plan Component Relationship June 11, 2012 Once an Action Step is expanded inside the Plan, a link to Create Component Relationship is displayed Action Steps may be used to fulfill multiple Plan Component Requirements 18

19. Action Step/Plan Component Relationship January 11, 2012 19 Once user clicks Create Component Relationship, the screen below is displayed User selects the Plan Component Item that is supported by that Action Step

20. Action Step/Plan Component Relationship 20 After the Action Step/Component Relationship is saved it is displayed on the Plan Overview Screen User may delete the Action Step/Component Relationship by clicking the trash can icon January 11, 2012

21. Action Step/Plan Component Relationship 21 The Related Action Step now displays under the Component Item inside the Plan Component tab and the associated checkbox is marked Compliant January 11, 2012

22. Questions and Feedback Focus Schools

23. June 2012 23 Contact Information: Donna Brown, Director Donna.brown@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3957 Anita Harris, CCIP Anita.harris@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3234