ESSA Boot Camp: School Improvement and Next Steps
SUBTITLE
October 20 – 21, 2016
Omni Houston Hotel at Westside
Houston, Texas
PART 2
I
MPROVEMENT
P
LANNING
Kati Haycock, The Education Trust
W
h
a
t
C
o
m
e
s
N
e
x
t
?
Mobilizing Change in Low Performing Schools and Schools
that are Consistently Underperforming for Any Group
What should we measure?
What should we measure?
(Indicators)
(Indicators)
What are the expectations for
What are the expectations for
performance on the things we measure?
performance on the things we measure?
(Goals/Expectations)
How do we identify schools for support
How do we identify schools for support
and improvement?
and improvement?
(Including schools that are consistently
underperforming for 1+ groups of students
)
Ratings
Ratings
So far in our conversations, we’ve focused primarily on how states
could assign ratings to schools …
B
u
t
i
f
t
h
e
r
a
t
i
n
g
s
a
r
e
n
’
t
a
c
c
o
m
p
a
n
i
e
d
b
y
a
c
l
e
a
r
e
x
p
e
c
t
a
t
i
o
n
o
f
a
c
t
i
o
n
–
a
n
d
t
h
e
s
u
p
p
o
r
t
s
/
r
e
s
o
u
r
c
e
s
n
e
e
d
e
d
t
o
t
a
k
e
t
h
a
t
a
c
t
i
o
n
—
t
h
e
y
w
o
n
’
t
g
e
t
u
s
v
e
r
y
f
a
r
.
T
o
d
a
y
,
w
e
m
o
v
e
a
w
a
y
f
r
o
m
r
a
t
i
n
g
s
,
a
n
d
s
h
i
f
t
t
o
t
a
l
k
i
n
g
a
b
o
u
t
t
h
e
s
c
h
o
o
l
i
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
—
o
r
,
w
h
a
t
h
a
p
p
e
n
s
a
f
t
e
r
t
h
e
s
c
h
o
o
l
h
a
s
b
e
e
n
i
d
e
n
t
i
f
i
e
d
?
A
n
d
I
k
n
o
w
t
h
a
t
m
o
s
t
o
f
y
o
u
i
n
t
h
i
s
r
o
o
m
w
o
u
l
d
a
b
s
o
l
u
t
e
l
y
L
O
V
E
t
o
j
u
m
p
i
n
t
o
t
h
e
c
o
n
v
e
r
s
a
t
i
o
n
o
f
w
h
a
t
t
o
d
o
—
w
i
t
h
,
f
o
r
,
o
r
a
b
o
u
t
—
t
h
a
t
p
a
r
t
i
c
u
l
a
r
n
o
t
-
s
o
-
g
o
o
d
s
c
h
o
o
l
.
•
What changes to instruction are needed to develop students’ literacy
skills?
•
What discipline policies could the school implement to replace “zero
tolerance”?
•
What kind of professional development might raise teachers
expectations?
•
How could the school structure the school day to give teachers more
time for collaboration?
•
What role could an engaged group of parents and community-based
organizations play?
T
h
a
t
,
a
f
t
e
r
a
l
l
,
i
s
w
h
a
t
d
r
e
w
m
o
s
t
o
f
y
o
u
i
n
t
o
t
h
i
s
r
o
o
m
i
n
t
h
e
f
i
r
s
t
p
l
a
c
e
:
Your knowledge that too many schools just plain aren’t
getting kids where they need to go. Your understanding
that many of them will need help of different sorts to
improve. And your desire to think about what kinds of
help might be most effective.
We’re not going to have that
conversation today.
That’s the conversation that will take place at
the community and school level.
O
u
r
j
o
b
i
s
t
o
b
u
i
l
d
a
s
t
r
o
n
g
f
o
u
n
d
a
t
i
o
n
a
n
d
c
r
e
a
t
e
t
h
e
r
i
g
h
t
f
r
a
m
e
w
o
r
k
f
o
r
s
c
h
o
o
l
s
a
n
d
d
i
s
t
r
i
c
t
s
t
o
b
e
a
b
l
e
t
o
m
a
k
e
e
f
f
e
c
t
i
v
e
c
h
a
n
g
e
s
.
B
e
c
a
u
s
e
t
h
e
d
e
c
i
s
i
o
n
s
s
t
a
t
e
s
m
a
k
e
a
b
o
u
t
:
•
Who needs to come to the table;
•
The content and timelines of the planning process;
•
The resources available to implement the improvement plan;
•
The role of districts and states when a school doesn’t improve;
•
Any protections the state should offer students in low-performing
schools …
ARE CRITICAL!!!
Past laws were far more prescriptive
about school improvement. ESSA lays
out a few things and leaves the rest
of the decisions up to states and
districts.
Throughout today’s conversation, you’ll want to
keep two different kinds of schools in mind.
•
Schools rated in the bottom 5% (and schools with low graduation
rates), known as
“low-performing”
or “
comprehensive support and
improvement schools
;” and,
•
Schools that have consistent underperformance for one or more
groups of students, known as “
targeted support and improvement
schools
.”
(Note: There is also a subset of targeted support and improvement
schools—called
additional targeted support and improvement
schools—where the performance for any group of students falls below
the cut-off for the bottom 5% of Title I schools.)
S
t
a
t
e
s
a
n
d
d
i
s
t
r
i
c
t
s
h
a
v
e
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
r
e
s
p
o
n
s
i
b
i
l
i
t
i
e
s
i
n
r
e
l
a
t
i
o
n
t
o
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
k
i
n
d
s
o
f
s
c
h
o
o
l
s
.
While the basic process is almost the same for all schools flagged under state
accountability systems, who is responsible for each stage varies.
New accountability
system in place
State IDs school
District submits
improvement
plan
ESSA School Improvement Timeline:
Schools in Bottom 5% (“Comprehensive”)
State assesses
school’s progress
against exit criteria
School implements plan with district
support, revising as needed
State IDs next cohort of Comprehensive
Support and Improvement schools
NOTE: This timeline is based on ESSA and our best guess about the final regulations.
State approves
plan
New accountability
system in place
State IDs school
District
approves plan
ESSA School Improvement Timeline:
Targeted and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement
(subgroup schools)
School implements plan with district
support, revising as needed
State IDs new cohort of
Targeted schools annually
If Targeted schools fail to
improve within district-
determined number of years,
district has to require additional
action. For Additional Targeted
schools, the State determines
number of years school has to
meet exit criteria before being
IDed for comprehensive support.
.
NOTE: This timeline is based on ESSA and our best guess about the final regulations.
School submits
improvement
plan
State IDs next cohort of Comprehensive
Support and Improvement schools
District/state
assesses school’s
progress against exit
criteria
W
e
’
r
e
g
o
i
n
g
t
o
f
o
c
u
s
t
o
d
a
y
—
a
t
l
e
a
s
t
i
n
i
t
i
a
l
l
y
—
o
n
w
h
a
t
h
a
p
p
e
n
s
d
u
r
i
n
g
t
h
a
t
p
l
a
n
n
i
n
g
y
e
a
r
.
But first, let’s think about what a coherent school
improvement process looks like.
T
h
e
I
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
P
r
o
c
e
s
s
School Ratings
Improvement
Insufficient
Improvement
Intensification
Plan Approval
T
h
i
s
i
s
N
O
T
w
h
a
t
t
h
e
s
c
h
o
o
l
i
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
p
l
a
n
n
i
n
g
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
h
a
s
l
o
o
k
e
d
l
i
k
e
i
n
m
o
s
t
p
l
a
c
e
s
.
R
e
a
d
y
,
f
i
r
e
,
a
i
m
!
•
Schools were typically identified as needing improvement in August;
•
Principals often had about a month to create a plan (or 2 or 3
plans)—and usually when both teachers and parents weren’t around;
•
Because there was little time for a needs analysis, test scores
themselves were often considered “root causes,” which is why
improvement plans so often had dumb stuff like test prep;
•
And schools were supposed to implement their plans immediately,
even though budget decisions were already made and master
schedules already set in concrete.
Not surprisingly, in a lot of places most
schools didn’t actually get better—even
when they got pretty generous funding.
1/3
School Improvement Grant (SIG)
Schools Got Better
2/3
School Improvement Grant (SIG)
Schools Stayed Same or Got Worse
T
h
e
r
e
a
r
e
a
l
o
t
o
f
p
o
s
s
i
b
l
e
r
e
a
s
o
n
s
f
o
r
t
h
a
t
.
But our job is to advocate for changes to the needs
assessment and improvement planning process that will
raise chances for success.
W
h
a
t
m
i
g
h
t
s
o
m
e
o
f
t
h
o
s
e
c
h
a
n
g
e
s
b
e
?
C
h
a
n
g
e
s
t
o
t
h
e
S
c
h
o
o
l
I
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
P
l
a
n
n
i
n
g
P
r
o
c
e
s
s
1
.
S
e
t
a
n
a
p
p
r
o
p
r
i
a
t
e
t
i
m
e
l
i
n
e
f
o
r
t
h
e
n
e
e
d
s
a
s
s
e
s
s
m
e
n
t
a
n
d
p
l
a
n
n
i
n
g
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
.
34
H
i
t
t
i
n
g
t
h
e
r
i
g
h
t
b
a
l
a
n
c
e
i
n
t
h
e
i
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
t
i
m
e
l
i
n
e
i
s
t
r
i
c
k
y
.
•
Too short a timeline, and the process will be too rushed to
get to real root causes and engage all relevant stakeholders.
•
Too long a timeline, and action is unnecessarily delayed. If
schools actually take a full year to write their plan, that really
means
two years
before that plan is implemented because
budget and personnel decisions are made in the Spring.
That’s
two years
before students experience improvements
in their education.
The best timeline may vary from state to state,
depending upon budgeting and scheduling
practices, but you won’t want to leave this to
chance.
If schools are going to be ready to implement
changes in the Fall, states should adopt a school
improvement timeline that requires needs
assessment, planning, and plan approval – including
ongoing community engagement – to occur
early
enough
that the plan can inform key decisions that
need to made for the next fall.
Recommendation #1: States Should Adopt
Appropriate Planning Timelines
State IDs school
Suggested Timeline: The Planning Year
March
April
May
June
Needs assessment
begins
Improvement
planning begins
School/district
submits plan
District/state
approves plan
What decisions will schools &
districts have to make to implement
their improvement plan at the start
of the next school year?
Hiring teachers/instructional support
Assigning teachers to classes
Assigning students to classes
Structuring the school day
Purchasing resources
Offering school choice
Bring together
school/ community
stakeholders
Share plan with
broader community
Note: For schools with different academic calendars, this timeline will shift accordingly
.
*
Districts may require a shorter review period than states.
District support
Share needs
assessment with
broader community
2. Ensure that parents and the community are
involved at every step of the way.
34
In most school improvement planning processes,
parents and community organizations are either left
out or engaged only on a token basis.
That’s unfortunate, because it misses a hugely
important source of insight, and leaves out
potentially powerful partners.
C
e
r
t
a
i
n
l
y
,
p
a
r
e
n
t
s
d
o
n
’
t
n
e
e
d
(
o
r
w
a
n
t
)
t
o
b
e
i
n
v
o
l
v
e
d
i
n
e
v
e
r
y
d
e
t
a
i
l
—
f
o
r
e
x
a
m
p
l
e
,
w
h
i
c
h
i
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
o
n
a
l
m
a
t
e
r
i
a
l
s
o
r
p
r
o
f
e
s
s
i
o
n
a
l
d
e
v
e
l
o
p
m
e
n
t
p
r
o
g
r
a
m
s
m
i
g
h
t
b
e
m
o
s
t
e
f
f
e
c
t
i
v
e
i
n
r
a
i
s
i
n
g
t
h
e
c
a
l
i
b
e
r
o
f
i
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
o
n
.
B
u
t
t
h
e
i
r
p
a
r
t
n
e
r
s
h
i
p
i
n
d
e
v
e
l
o
p
i
n
g
t
h
e
o
v
e
r
a
l
l
p
l
a
n
i
s
c
r
i
t
i
c
a
l
.
ESSA requires that school improvement plans be
developed “in consultation/partnership” with
“stakeholders” (including principals and other
school leaders, teachers, and parents).
Recommendation #2: States should ensure that
parent/community participation in improvement
planning is substantial and meaningful.
•
Require that all school improvement plans document the involvement
of parents and community organizations in the school improvement
planning process—up front, during the process, and at the
conclusion.
•
In the case of plans from targeted support and improvement schools,
require that parents of students from the affected group (for which
school is identified for consistent underperformance) be included.
•
Provide a rubric showing what good, acceptable, and unacceptable
forms of involvement look like. (Maybe Coalition organizations could
help?) State should reject any plans with unacceptable community
involvement.
3. Ensure that the improvement process begins with a
meaningful needs assessment
What do we mean by needs assessment and
why does it matter?
A needs assessment is a systematic process for
understanding the
school and district-based
causes
of underperformance.
It is more than just pieces of information – it’s a
process/set of questions used to look at that
information.
In many states, schools are left on their own to
conduct a needs assessment, or are given tools that
only ask them to look at achievement data and
student demographics.
Without guidance, school and district leaders
often bypass the needs assessment step and jump
to the happier task of brainstorming solutions.
So, the solutions don’t necessarily address the
challenges the school faces.
Even when tools are available, they often
don’t ask the tough questions.
W
h
a
t
k
i
n
d
s
o
f
q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
s
s
h
o
u
l
d
a
n
e
e
d
s
a
s
s
e
s
s
m
e
n
t
a
s
k
?
R
e
s
e
a
r
c
h
h
i
g
h
l
i
g
h
t
s
e
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
a
l
f
a
c
t
o
r
s
t
h
a
t
m
a
t
t
e
r
f
o
r
s
t
u
d
e
n
t
l
e
a
r
n
i
n
g
,
s
u
c
h
a
s
:
•
Aligned curriculum
•
Effective instruction
•
Strong leadership
•
Supports for students and teachers
•
A safe and positive climate
•
Family and community engagement
Certainly, a good needs assessment will address
these things.
But each of these domains can be approached from a
general perspective, and from an equity perspective.
What’s the difference?
In comprehensive schools, that are low-performing
overall, more of the focus should be on “general”
questions.
In targeted schools, which are underperforming for one
or more groups of students,
every question should be
equity-focused
.
ESSA also requires an analysis of whether
comprehensive schools are getting their fair
share of critical educational resources—
dollars, teachers and the like.
W
h
a
t
k
i
n
d
s
o
f
d
a
t
a
s
h
o
u
l
d
s
t
a
t
e
s
m
a
k
e
s
u
r
e
s
c
h
o
o
l
s
h
a
v
e
a
c
c
e
s
s
t
o
?
S
t
a
t
e
s
a
l
r
e
a
d
y
h
a
v
e
t
o
m
a
k
e
a
v
a
i
l
a
b
l
e
s
t
a
t
e
a
n
d
l
o
c
a
l
r
e
p
o
r
t
c
a
r
d
s
,
w
h
i
c
h
c
o
n
t
a
i
n
v
a
l
u
a
b
l
e
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
–
b
u
t
i
t
’
s
n
o
t
e
n
o
u
g
h
.
What might be missing?
Recommendation #3. Ensure that improvement
planning always begins with high-quality needs
assessment.
•
Establish criteria for what that needs assessment should cover;
•
Provide a needs assessment tool or template that
asks equity-
focused questions
;
•
Beyond required report card measures, make other important data
available—for example, through administration of research-backed
survey instruments.
4. Ensure that improvement plans lay out
evidence-based strategies that address the
challenges identified in the needs assessment
Once districts and schools have identified issues on which to focus, they
need to plan what they’ll do to improve the schools' outcomes.
An improvement plan specifies:
•
The actions the school will take to address the issues identified in the
needs assessment
•
What kinds of supports and resources – if any – the school needs
•
Who will do what
•
What kind of progress the school expects to see each year
What do we mean by improvement planning?
W
h
a
t
’
s
h
a
p
p
e
n
i
n
g
n
o
w
?
•
Improvement plans are written without a good
needs assessment.
•
They are written in a very short timeframe.
•
Schools often get conflicting information about
what they’re required to do.
M
o
r
e
o
v
e
r
,
a
l
m
o
s
t
n
o
b
o
d
y
e
v
e
r
h
a
s
t
o
t
a
l
k
a
b
o
u
t
e
v
i
d
e
n
c
e
—
o
r
e
v
e
n
w
h
y
t
h
e
y
t
h
i
n
k
t
h
e
p
r
o
p
o
s
e
d
s
t
r
a
t
e
g
y
w
i
l
l
b
e
e
f
f
e
c
t
i
v
e
.
ESSA Offers A Little Help Here:
ESSA says that both comprehensive and targeted plans should “include
evidence-based interventions” from research meeting certain
methodological requirements.
So, beyond establishing an appropriate timeline,
ensuring stakeholder participation and assuring the
planning begins with a needs assessment, what can
states do to support meaningful improvement
planning?
Recommendation #4. State should overhaul
their school improvement planning processes.
•
Instead of multiple plans, require only a
single streamlined planning
process
;
•
Adopt a
plan template
that requires schools (and districts) to explain
how they will address the major challenges identified in the needs
assessment with evidence-based strategies; and
•
Establish
clear criteria for the approval
of plans from both
comprehensive (bottom 5%) and targeted (underperforming groups)
schools.
School improvement funding as a
strategic lever
5. Use school improvement funding as a strategic
lever
More state responsibility
Under ESSA, 7 percent of the $15 billion in Title I funding is reserved for
school improvement (to be allocated to comprehensive and targeted
support schools).
That’s
1.1 BILLION
dollars.
An additional 3% -- half a billion dollars -- can be reserved for direct
student services.
That’s not chump change – and it’s far more than
was available for school improvement under most
NCLB years.
So one of the first decisions for state leaders will be
how to allocate the dollars set aside for school
improvement.
To comprehensive
and
targeted schools?
By formula or competitive?
Formula vs. competitive grants:
Benefits and considerations
Formula Grants
•
Greater predictability: Schools
will know that they will get
funding, and will be able to
estimate how much.
•
Less control over plan quality:
There is a higher chance of
ineffective use of funds.
Competitive Grants
•
Ensures that only high-quality
improvement plans get funding
•
More time consuming and costly
– because it requires a review
process
•
Disadvantages districts that have
less capacity to develop a strong
application – which could be the
districts with the greatest need
But this neglects even larger sources of dollars
to support improvement, including:
•
Title 1 Schoolwide Program funds,
•
Title II, Part A funds,
•
The Optional Reserve for direct student services, and
•
Basic state and local dollars that schools are already
receiving.
Bottom Line:
We’re not going to solve the problems
identified in school plans with the handful of
dollars that they might get for “improvement:”
the other 99% of their revenues have to be
harnessed as well.
So you are going to want to make sure that states provide
clear guidance on how to
leverage other funds
to support
improvement.
Recommendation #5. States should rethink the
way improvement funds are used.
•
Carefully consider advantages and drawbacks of formula versus competitive
funding, and providing funding to both comprehensive and targeted schools;
•
Consider providing planning grants;
•
Mine data to identify the domains on which schools are most likely to need
high-quality assistance, identify high-quality providers, and consider providing
more generous funding to schools that adopt research-backed practices or
that use the highest-quality providers.
•
Make second year funding contingent on progress;
•
Require budgets that include at least other federal funding sources, but
preferably also state and local dollars.
1.
Set an
appropriate timeline
for the needs
assessment/improvement planning process.
2.
Ensure that
parents and the community
are involved every step
of the way.
3.
Ensure that the improvement process begins with a
meaningful
needs assessment.
4.
Ensure that improvement plans lay out evidence-based
strategies
that address the challenges identified in the needs
assessment.
5.
Use school improvement
funding
as a strategic lever.
In sum, five recommendations for states to build a
strong foundation for school improvement
Beyond these five recommendations,
there are other critical questions that
states will need to answer. These
include:
A
.
M
o
n
i
t
o
r
i
n
g
Who should
monitor the progress of schools
identified as needing
improvement?
•
Can experienced educators be trained to provide on-site advice and
monitoring?
•
Should districts themselves be accountable for the effectiveness of
their improvement strategies? If so, what might that look like? (MA
example)
B
.
E
x
i
t
C
r
i
t
e
r
i
a
How should the state determine when schools have
improved
sufficiently
to no longer be identified as “needing improvement”?
•
Is it ok if schools in the bottom 5% just reach the sixth percentile? If
not, how much improvement is necessary before support and
oversight shifts elsewhere?
•
What about schools identified for consistent subgroup
underperformance?
C
.
I
n
t
e
n
s
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
What should happen when schools
do not improve
within a reasonable
timeframe?
ALMOST NOBODY LIKES TO TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT,
at least in part because the federally-mandated “models” in NCLB or
Waivers caused a lot of pain in the communities we serve.
But, if not those approaches, what do you think should happen when
performance problems persist?
D
.
P
r
o
t
e
c
t
i
o
n
s
f
o
r
S
t
u
d
e
n
t
s
What
protections
should the state offer to students in the lowest performing
schools?
Back in NCLB, there were two basic “protections” for kids in
underperforming schools: (1) financial support for after school tutoring and
(2) the opportunity to transfer to another school with transportation.
Though thousands of parents took advantage of the opportunity to transfer,
the way it was timed and structured didn’t work for a lot of parents. But,
because school improvement is often a slow process, advocates will want to
think about what protections parents and students should be offered.
Should transfer with transportation be one of them? If so, how could the
process work better?
Some of these questions will be
easier to answer than others.
But somebody in your state will have to answer them.
So you will want to do some thinking about what
answers YOU want.
T
h
e
r
e
i
s
m
u
c
h
m
o
r
e
t
o
d
i
s
c
u
s
s
a
b
o
u
t
c
r
e
a
t
i
n
g
t
h
e
f
r
a
m
e
w
o
r
k
f
o
r
s
u
c
c
e
s
s
f
u
l
s
c
h
o
o
l
i
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
.
At 10:45 am we will have three improvement planning deep dives.
Option 1: Funding
Presenter: Kati Haycock, The Education Trust
Texas VII
Option 2: Parent and community engagement
Presenters: Jose L. Rodriguez, National Council of La Raza – Texas Regional Office, and Kim
Hymes, National Center for Learning Disabilities
Texas I-II
Option 3: Needs assessment and improvement planning
Presenters: Natasha Ushomirsky and Allison Socol, The Education Trust
Paluxy I-III
Dive into the ESSA Boot Camp discussions on school improvement strategies post-identification, moving beyond school ratings towards action-oriented support and resource allocation. Explore the importance of clear expectations and necessary resources for effective school improvement processes, focusing on developing literacy skills, refining discipline policies, and enhancing teacher training. Understand the critical shift from evaluating schools to implementing targeted interventions for sustainable progress.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
SUBTITLE PART 2 October 20 21, 2016 Omni Houston Hotel at Westside Houston, Texas ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
IMPROVEMENT PLANNING Kati Haycock, The Education Trust ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
What Comes Next? Mobilizing Change in Low Performing Schools and Schools that are Consistently Underperforming for Any Group ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
So far in our conversations, weve focused primarily on how states could assign ratings to schools What are the expectations for performance on the things we measure? (Goals/Expectations) What should we measure? (Indicators) Ratings How do we identify schools for support and improvement? (Including schools that are consistently underperforming for 1+ groups of students) ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
But if the ratings arent accompanied by a clear expectation of action expectation of action and the supports/resources needed to take that action they won t get us very far. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Today, we move away from ratings, and shift to talking about the school improvement process school improvement process what happens after the school has been identified? or, ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Last nights performance put our minds squarely back Last night s performance put our minds squarely back on schools themselves: what the good ones on schools themselves: what the good ones DO the not the not- -so so- -good ones good ones DON T. DON T. DO and and ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
And I know that most of you in this room would absolutely LOVE And I know that most of you in this room would absolutely LOVE to jump into the conversation of what to do to jump into the conversation of what to do about about that particular not that particular not- -so so- -good school. good school. What changes to instruction are needed to develop students literacy skills? What discipline policies could the school implement to replace zero tolerance ? What kind of professional development might raise teachers expectations? How could the school structure the school day to give teachers more time for collaboration? What role could an engaged group of parents and community-based organizations play? with, for, or with, for, or ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
That, after all, is what drew most of you into That, after all, is what drew most of you into this room in the first place: this room in the first place: Your knowledge that too many schools just plain aren t getting kids where they need to go. Your understanding that many of them will need help of different sorts to improve. And your desire to think about what kinds of help might be most effective. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Were not going to have that We re not going to have that conversation today. conversation today. That s the conversation that will take place at the community and school level. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Our job is to build a strong foundation and create the right framework right framework for schools and districts to be able to make effective changes. strong foundation ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Because the decisions states make about: Because the decisions states make about: Who needs to come to the table; The content and timelines of the planning process; The resources available to implement the improvement plan; The role of districts and states when a school doesn t improve; Any protections the state should offer students in low-performing schools ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Past laws were far more prescriptive about school improvement. ESSA lays out a few things and leaves the rest of the decisions up to states and districts. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Throughout todays conversation, youll want to keep two different kinds of schools in mind. Schools rated in the bottom 5% (and schools with low graduation rates), known as low-performing or comprehensive support and improvement schools; and, Schools that have consistent underperformance for one or more groups of students, known as targeted support and improvement schools. (Note: There is also a subset of targeted support and improvement schools called additional targeted support and improvement schools where the performance for any group of students falls below the cut-off for the bottom 5% of Title I schools.) ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
States and districts have different responsibilities States and districts have different responsibilities in relation to different kinds of schools. in relation to different kinds of schools. While the basic process is almost the same for all schools flagged under state accountability systems, who is responsible for each stage varies. School type Identified by Plan submitted by Plan approved by Comprehensive (bottom 5%) state district state Targeted (consistently underperforming subgroup) Additional targeted (bottom 5% subgroup) state school district state school district ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
ESSA School Improvement Timeline: Schools in Bottom 5% ( Comprehensive ) District submits improvement plan State approves plan State assesses school s progress against exit criteria New accountability system in place State IDs school School implements plan with district support, revising as needed Diagnosis Intensification Support, Assistance, and Monitoring Transition Planning Status Quo Now Year 3 Year 5 Year 0 Year 2 Year 4 Year 1 State IDs next cohort of Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools NOTE: This timeline is based on ESSA and our best guess about the final regulations. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
ESSA School Improvement Timeline: Targeted and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (subgroup schools) If Targeted schools fail to improve within district- determined number of years, district has to require additional action. For Additional Targeted schools, the State determines number of years school has to meet exit criteria before being IDed for comprehensive support. . School submits improvement plan District/state assesses school s progress against exit criteria District approves plan New accountability system in place State IDs school School implements plan with district support, revising as needed Intensification/ Comprehensive Support Diagnosis Support, Monitoring, and Assistance Status Quo Transition Planning Now Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 State IDs next cohort of Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools State IDs new cohort of Targeted schools annually NOTE: This timeline is based on ESSA and our best guess about the final regulations. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Were going to focus today We re going to focus today least initially least initially on what happens on what happens during that planning year. during that planning year. at at But first, let s think about what a coherent school improvement process looks like. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
The Improvement Process The Improvement Process Plan implementation (with support/ resources as necessary) Improvement Planning School Ratings Needs Assessment Monitoring Plan Approval ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
This is NOT what the school improvement planning This is NOT what the school improvement planning process has looked like in most places. process has looked like in most places. READY, FIRE, AIM! ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Ready, fire, aim! Ready, fire, aim! Schools were typically identified as needing improvement in August; Principals often had about a month to create a plan (or 2 or 3 plans) and usually when both teachers and parents weren t around; Because there was little time for a needs analysis, test scores themselves were often considered root causes, which is why improvement plans so often had dumb stuff like test prep; And schools were supposed to implement their plans immediately, even though budget decisions were already made and master schedules already set in concrete. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Not surprisingly, in a lot of places most schools didn t actually get better even when they got pretty generous funding. 1/3 School Improvement Grant (SIG) Schools Got Better 2/3 School Improvement Grant (SIG) Schools Stayed Same or Got Worse ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
There are a lot of possible reasons for that. There are a lot of possible reasons for that. But our job is to advocate for changes to the needs assessment and improvement planning process that will raise chances for success. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
What might some of those What might some of those changes be? changes be? ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Changes to the School Improvement Planning Process Changes to the School Improvement Planning Process 1. Set an appropriate timeline for the needs assessment/improvement planning process Set criteria for what it means for a school to improve. 2. Ensure that parents and the community are involved every step of the way. 3. Ensure that the improvement process begins with a meaningful needs assessment. Decide what actions to take if a school does not improve in a reasonable timeframe. 4. Ensure that improvement plans lay out evidence-based strategies that address the challenges identified in the needs assessment Provide additional protections to students in low-performing schools. 5. Use school improvement funding as a strategic lever. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
1. Set an appropriate timeline for the needs 1. Set an appropriate timeline for the needs assessment and planning process. assessment and planning process. 34 ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Hitting the right balance in the improvement Hitting the right balance in the improvement process timeline is tricky. process timeline is tricky. Too short a timeline, and the process will be too rushed to get to real root causes and engage all relevant stakeholders. Too long a timeline, and action is unnecessarily delayed. If schools actually take a full year to write their plan, that really means two years before that plan is implemented because budget and personnel decisions are made in the Spring. That s two years before students experience improvements in their education. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
The best timeline may vary from state to state, depending upon budgeting and scheduling practices, but you won t want to leave this to chance. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Recommendation #1: States Should Adopt Appropriate Planning Timelines If schools are going to be ready to implement changes in the Fall, states should adopt a school improvement timeline that requires needs assessment, planning, and plan approval including ongoing community engagement to occur early enough that the plan can inform key decisions that need to made for the next fall. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Suggested Timeline: The Planning Year What decisions will schools & districts have to make to implement their improvement plan at the start of the next school year? Hiring teachers/instructional support Assigning teachers to classes Assigning students to classes Structuring the school day Purchasing resources Offering school choice Bring together school/ community stakeholders Share needs assessment with broader community Share plan with broader community Improvement planning begins Needs assessment begins School/district submits plan District/state approves plan State IDs school District support Review Period* Decisions for Next School Year Needs Assessment Improvement Planning May March April June January February November August October December September Note: For schools with different academic calendars, this timeline will shift accordingly. * Districts may require a shorter review period than states. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
2. Ensure that parents and the community are involved at every step of the way. 34 ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
In most school improvement planning processes, parents and community organizations are either left out or engaged only on a token basis. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Thats unfortunate, because it misses a hugely important source of insight, and leaves out potentially powerful partners. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Certainly, parents dont need (or want) to be involved in every detail for example, which instructional materials or professional development programs might be most effective in raising the caliber of instruction. But their partnership in developing the overall plan But their partnership in developing the overall plan is critical. is critical. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
ESSA requires that school improvement plans be developed in consultation/partnership with stakeholders (including principals and other school leaders, teachers, and parents). ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Recommendation #2: States should ensure that parent/community participation in improvement planning is substantial and meaningful. Require that all school improvement plans document the involvement of parents and community organizations in the school improvement planning process up front, during the process, and at the conclusion. In the case of plans from targeted support and improvement schools, require that parents of students from the affected group (for which school is identified for consistent underperformance) be included. Provide a rubric showing what good, acceptable, and unacceptable forms of involvement look like. (Maybe Coalition organizations could help?) State should reject any plans with unacceptable community involvement. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
3. Ensure that the improvement process begins with a meaningful needs assessment ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
What do we mean by needs assessment and why does it matter? ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
A needs assessment is a systematic process for understanding the school and district-based causes of underperformance. It is more than just pieces of information it s a process/set of questions used to look at that information. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
In many states, schools are left on their own to conduct a needs assessment, or are given tools that only ask them to look at achievement data and student demographics. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Without guidance, school and district leaders often bypass the needs assessment step and jump to the happier task of brainstorming solutions. So, the solutions don t necessarily address the challenges the school faces. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Even when tools are available, they often don t ask the tough questions. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
What kinds of questions should a needs What kinds of questions should a needs assessment ask? assessment ask? ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Research highlights educational factors that matter for Research highlights educational factors that matter for student learning, such as: student learning, such as: Aligned curriculum Effective instruction Strong leadership Supports for students and teachers A safe and positive climate Family and community engagement ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Certainly, a good needs assessment will address these things. But each of these domains can be approached from a general perspective, and from an equity perspective. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
Whats the difference? General Questions Equity Questions What are the professional qualifications of teachers in the school? Do all students have equitable access to strong teachers? Teaching Quality What percent of students take advanced coursework (AP, IB, dual enrollment)? How do rates of participation/success in advanced courses differ for students with disabilities? Effective Instruction What percent of students are chronically absent? How do the rates of chronic absenteeism differ by student group? Student Support Services ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
In comprehensive schools, that are low-performing overall, more of the focus should be on general questions. In targeted schools, which are underperforming for one or more groups of students, every question should be equity-focused. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
ESSA also requires an analysis of whether comprehensive schools are getting their fair share of critical educational resources dollars, teachers and the like. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
What kinds of data should states make What kinds of data should states make sure schools have access to? sure schools have access to? ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
States already have to make available state and local report cards, which contain valuable information but it s not enough not enough. ESSA Boot Camp | October 2016
