Tips for SIPs and DIPs

1. Tips for SIPs and DIPs Lessons Learned from the 2006 Plans Title I Director’s Conference Sept 2007 To access this presentation, go to: http://www.isbe.net/sos/htmls/improvement_process.htm

2. Let’s Celebrate! • Many plans • Late data • Challenges with the template • But…

3. Essentially Targeted Feedback • On data-key factors-measurable strategies and activities

4. Tools for a specific end Less Red Tape What’s the impact of the system of support—with school and district plans as a central document when we • Minimize hoop-jumping • Focus planning on the key audience • Focus on the “sense” of data-key factors-strategies and activities More Learning School and district improvement plans that lead to improved student achievement.

5. Who is required to submit district and school improvement plans? • Any school or district in academic status with an expired plan • Schools that have moved into restructuring implementation

6. When must these be submitted? • 135 days after official notification for schools • 90 days after…for districts • 6 months for districts writing restructuring plans for schools • The “clock” hasn’t started ticking yet.

7. How? • All plans submitted via the Interactive Illinois Report Card • http://iirc.niu.edu Your area RESPRO can assist in completing these plans; I’m glad to help as well!

8. 2007 template updates—coming soon Word versions of the template are available for schools and districts from which you can cut and paste material into the 2007 templates when they become available. (fairly soon!)

9. Technical Tips User names and passwords—back out of the browser and re-enter your correct information

10. On-line resources at IIRC • The templates—interactive screens that include the language of the guide, directions for using the website • Guides –documents you can print and share with school and district planners • Monitoring prompts—the document that ISBE uses to review the plans Usernames and passwords: Contact gbuoy@isbe.net

11. Continuum of District Involvement in School Planning MAXIMUM DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITY School improvement Corrective action Restructuring

12. Harsh Reality • “perfect” plans ≠ improved student achievement • Plans are required by NCLB and state law • Clear and critical need to focus on learning

13. “Winning” Plans • Implemented with fidelity • Measurable • Monitored

14. Critical Tip: Key Audience The primary audience for the plan is the user—those who will implement this plan. Other audiences-- Planners Reviewers Wider community

15. Critical Tip: Huge Assumption That schools and districts are learning together and implementing these plans Think of HOW you will implement this plan!

16. Critical Tip for Implementing the Plan What do users of the plan have to know to be able to implement the plan with fidelity? It must be measurable and clearly establish expectations for users.

17. Critical Tip: Analyzing Data Beyond AYP Report Card and other data are more than AYP deficiencies See the monitoring prompt Strengths and weaknesses

18. Critical TIP: Factors Contributing to Achievement are a BIG deal Be clear about factors? What’s contributing to the strengths and weaknesses? Are these factors internal or external?

19. What’s What’s preventing students from learning? Curriculum related to ILS is not guaranteed to all students Weak focus on some ILS Failure to use the intended curriculum by all staff for all kids School culture doesn’t reflect “rigor, relevance, relationships” Coarse and fine grain internal factors Insufficient teacher learning/team time Teachers do not have adequate coaching or support to implement strategies Instruction doesn’t span cognitive levels Teachers aren’t clear about what’s expected in classrooms “mile wide and inch deep curriculum”

20. Critical Tip: Check for Sufficiency Does the action plan sufficiently address the areas where improvement is needed? • Does the collection of strategies for the objectives provide sufficient direction for users? Greater scrutiny of plans for those in Watch Status

21. Critical Tip: Objective Statements Measurable • in terms of AYP • as a global objective Use the objective page to outline strategies, if you’d like.

22. Activity Review pages of Drexel Elem School Do the strategies and activities relate to the key factors? Does this provide users of the plan sufficient direction?

23. Critical Tip: Strategies to Meet the Objective Strategies for students necessary to meet the objective • necessary for staff • necessary for parents What about on-going strategies and activities? What about strategies for global objectives?

24. Critical Tip: use models to help! Share links to plans With the caveat No plan is perfect but we can learn lots from the plans and we have a lot of good ones out there. The proof will be in the implementing. See: Drexel SIP http://iirc2005.niu.edu/Plans/scripts/pdfwt2007.asp?schoolID=1401609902004&level=School&type=school Springfield DIP http://iirc2005.niu.edu/plans/scripts/pdfwt2007.asp?districtid=510841860&level=District&type=district

25. What’s ahead for the e-plans • Updated features for traveling around e-plans • No change in the overall structure or requirements • Updated instructions to help users • Special education profile data will be included in the DIP