Take time to reflect Modify and adjust Continue moving forward

1. Take time to reflectModify and adjustContinue moving forward Kathleen Smith Office of School Improvement January 9, 2012 College of William and Mary

2. Where are we now?Where do we want to be?How do we plan to get there?How will we know that we are going in the right direction?Do we have to make adjustments?How do we sustain the effort?

3. Where are we now?“Kathleen’s View” • Liaisons have been assigned. • Division teams are in place in divisions. • Liaisons have completed the need sensing interview. • What is needed in terms of support for each division has been more or less determined. • Plans for each division’s assistance has been somewhat, but not clearly, defined by liaisons for all divisions. • Inter and intra-agency assistance through the differentiated technical assistance teams is being scheduled. • Communication between regional and division liaisons is not well defined creating “silos of actions” (keep in mind, this is a new process and this is an expected outcome, and an easy fix. It takes time to build the plane!) • Family and parental engagement has not been sufficiently tackled in the systems model approach. • High School indicators need to be refined and connected to the division. Clearly, some of these indicators are division indicators. • The number of schools accredited with warning has increased over last year with $500,000 less in funding. • Division teams were asked to purchase a video camera and/or microphone system this year as part of the academic review and/or division and school support provided by OSI and has not been fully used at this time.

4. What has changed that will effect the outcomes that OSI wants for schools and divisions? • The contract with Business Ops will change to a new vendor, meaning an increase of 30%. • In addition, 5% will be added to travel by the new vendor. • This means that $144,495 will be needed to make the current allocated hours and an additional $7,728 will be needed to make the current allocated travel. • Federal funding was cut by 3% or $14,000 this year and may be cut up to 15% next year. • The flexibility waiver will kick in beginning September 2012.

5. What has not changed? • The needs of the division and the schools are the same, the technical assistance needed is the same. • The expertise that the DTATs, division liaisons and regional liaisons can provide to divisions and schools is the same. • The ARCC contract will continue to support our needs. • The William and Mary contract is in place through 2013. • Mathematics assessments will increase the number of schools accredited with warning,

6. What must not change this year in order to expect OSI outcomes? • Liaison support to the division teams needs to increase not decrease. • DTAT supports to schools and divisions needs to increase not decrease. • The academic review process, including regional support to high schools, emphasizes the system’s approach to a K-12 solution to support the needs of the division’s schools. • OSI staff and W and M staff feel that the time spent by liaisons at William and Mary is valuable and should not be changed.

7. What can be changed? • Build the communication system between academic review, DTAT providers, regional and division liaisons. • Change the kind of “on the ground support” by directing support through web conferences to provides more-time-more-often with division teams. • Recover at least $150,000 in current contractor allocations. • Follow-up for the academic review through web conferences and division/school team meetings. • Add support to divisions (and regional and division liaisons) in the area of family engagement over the course of the next year using ARCC resources and W and M support. • Include high school indicators in the division improvement planning process making it a vertical K-12 system. • Identify the system of support in 2013 under the flexibility waiver.

8. Build a communication system between regional/DTAT/LTP and division liaisons… Division Liaisons, Regional Liaisons, LTP facilitators, DTAT members…….. ARE ALL OSI Contractors As contractors we have role titles solely for the purpose of establishing a system of communication, not a hierarchy of status. Period.

9. Communication Process for Academic Review

10. LTP Facilitators LTP facilitators are not in the division to provide “direct support.” This is the role of the lead turnaround partner. Their role is to report on what is going on between the contractor, school and division. However, in some cases, specific assignments have been made to provide direct assistance to the school’s team. This is a messy process and if a division liaison has a concern, please contact Kathleen or Janice. If there is a different liaison than facilitator as in Norfolk, it may cause communication problems. We can intervene where needed and put the two in touch.

11. Change the kind of on-the ground support Web Conferences • Include a requirement for all contractors to have a web cam and/or microphone in the new scope. • Decrease travel for each and every contractor. Require division liaisons to meet by INTERNET/WEB between now and the end of the year for all division consultation and academic review follow-up. Increase the hours for these meetings. • Consider DTAT assistance as a “in-person” priority when needed by a division. • Make adjustments for in-person meetings ONLY where ABSOLUTELY needed, as in the above bullet. Meaning – in Kathleen’s world- you have to have more than the reason, “but I need to see them in person.” Approvals by Kathleen only. Priority will be given to chronically low-performing schools and divisions/schools with extreme needs (and very few of even these exceptions will be made). • Skype demonstration by Dr. Shannon. • Web conference scheduling for liaisons by Mike Hill.

12. Refine and Re-define the Budget • Saves dollars in travel through web conferencing and provide more-time-more-often with division teams. • Follow-up for the academic review through web conferences and division/school team meetings. • Recover about $150,000. • Implement steps above. • William and Mary has offered to pay for two of the three meeting days for liaisons. $800 per contractor plus travel. • Ask GA for more funding for next year based on the expected increase in the schools accredited with warning.

13. Build family engagement into the current systems model. • Jo Ann and Lynn to research what is needed. • Yvonne to work with OSI staff to place family engagement indicators in Indistar. • Train contractors (division liaisons, academic review, regional liaisons this summer or in the fall). • Implement next year.

14. Include pertinent high school improvement indicators through Indistar • Lynn, Mike and Yvonne will further reseach and for use next year. • Train contractors (division liaisons, academic review, regional liaisons). • Implement next year.

15. Identify the System of Support for 2013 with the Flexibility Waiver

16. Virginia’s Model: A Systems Approach “with the end in mind” The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and families.

17. System of SupportTurnaround Principles Provide meaningful interventions designed to improve the academic achievement of students in priority schools must be aligned with all of the following “turnaround principles” and selected with family and community input.

18. Provide Strong Leadership • Review the performance of the current principal; • Either replace the principal if such a change is necessary to ensure strong and effective leadership, or demonstrate to the SEA that the current principal has a track record in improving achievement and has the ability to lead the turnaround effort; and • Provide the principal with operational flexibility in the areas of scheduling, staff, curriculum, and budget.

19. Ensure that teachers are effective and able to improve instruction • Review the quality of all staff and retaining only those who are determined to be effective and have the ability to be successful in the turnaround effort; • Prevent ineffective teachers from transferring to these schools; and • Provide job-embedded, ongoing professional development informed by the teacher evaluation and support systems and tied to teacher and student needs.

20. Improve the Instructional Program • Redesign the school day, week, or year to include additional time for student learning and teacher collaboration; • Strengthen the school’s instructional program based on student needs and ensure that the instructional program is research-based, rigorous, and aligned with State academic content standards; • Use data to inform instruction and for continuous improvement, including by providing time for collaboration on the use of data;

21. Improve the Instructional Program • Establish a school environment that improves school safety and discipline and addressing other non-academic factors that impact student achievement, such as students’ social, emotional, and health needs; and • Provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement.

22. VDOE Provides “On-the-Ground Support” This support is differentiated by the specific needs of each division to support their lowest performing schools. This statewide system of support considers that…..

23. Proximal variables matter most – the people closest to students and what they do

24. Academic Success Parents Schoolmates

25. State Education Agency SEA’s role is to: • Provide information • Set standards (credentialing, learning, etc.) • Distribute resources • Monitor compliance • Assist with district and school improvement • Intervene to correct deficiencies • Establishing conditions for constructive change • Evaluate the System’s efficiency and effectiveness

27. What are VDOE coaches and Lead Turnaround Partners expected to bring to the division, priority schools and focus schools?

28. Culture of Candor Accountability to students and to each other Willingness to polish the craft together High expectations for adults Focus on the practice and not the person Openness to the data about student outcomes and about the practices that contribute to the outcomes Effective teams and collegial learning, coaching

29. How do VDOE coaches and Lead Turnaround Partners change variables that impact student learning?Bring needed resources to build capacity and impact the roles of each of the system’s partners to develop the strongest instructional program for students.

30. What are the roles of each of the system’s partners that VDOE coaches and Lead Turnaround Partners impact through differentiated on-the ground support?

31. Family The family’s role is to: • Love and talk with their children every day • Read and listen to their children read • Teach their children to be kind and to behave in school • Aspire for their children to succeed • Expect them to do their best • Build their habits of studying at home • Stay in touch with their teachers • Know their friends and their parents

32. Teachers The teacher’s role is to: • Know students well and care about them • Know the subjects well and how to teach them • Meticulously plan every detail of every day • Set and reinforce clear expectations for students • Determine what students already know and what they need to learn • Adapt instruction for each and every student • Inspire students to love learning and do their best • Stay in touch with parents and support them in their role

33. Teacher Teams The role teacher teams in schools is to: • Add flesh to the bones of the aligned curriculum • Develop and share instructional plans, strategies, and activities • Monitor the progress of their students • Adapt their plans, strategies in response to assessments • Mentor new teachers • Observe each other’s teaching and make suggestions • Contribute to each other’s professional growth

34. Principals The principal’s role is to: • See that students have the best teachers possible by: • Hiring good teachers • Clearly communicating and reinforcing expectations for teachers • Monitoring teachers’ performance • Evaluating teacher’ performance, especially through classroom observations and student achievement • Providing teachers with opportunities for growth aligned with their evaluated performance • Removing inadequate teachers • Monitor student and school progress and make adjustments • Coordinate the work of teams • Manage the “business” of the school’s operation • Set the tone of attitude toward students and their families

35. District Support The role of the district is to: • Provide a rich, aligned, articulated curriculum • Provide periodic assessment with timely and meaningful reporting to teachers • Maintain regular two-way communication with principal • Monitor the school’s operations and performance • Provide mentoring and professional development for the principal aligned with the principal’s needs • Provide professional development for teachers aligned with their collective and individual needs

36. Superintendent The role of the Superintendent is to: • See that school has the best principal possible by: • Hiring good principals • Clearly communicating and reinforcing expectations for principals • Monitoring principals’ performance • Evaluating principals’ performance, especially through school operations and student achievement • Providing principals with opportunities for growth aligned with their evaluated performance • Removing inadequate principals • Organize and monitor the delivery of district support for school • Serve as channel of informed communication among district • constituencies • Manage the “business” of the district

37. School Board The School Board’s role is to: • Establish policies with Students in mind • Negotiate contracts with Students in mind • Provide the resources necessary for success • Provide the best superintendent possible by: • Hiring a good superintendent • Clearly communicating and reinforcing expectations for the superintendent • Monitoring the superintendent’s performance • Evaluating the superintendent’s performance, especially in district operations and student achievement • Providing the superintendent with opportunities for growth aligned with their evaluated performance • Removing inadequate superintendents

38. Success Parents Schoolmates

39. Draw a straight line From everything we do to . . . Know the effect on everyone in between Those “everyones” constitute a system of support Always consider that proximal variables matter most – the people closest to students and what they do

40. http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2012/01_jan/agenda_items/item_h.pdfhttp://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2012/01_jan/agenda_items/item_h.pdf