1. Ashley Briggs, Ed.D., case study lead Felix Fernandez, Ph.D, implementation lead ICF International 1 July 8, 2015

2. Session Objectives Participants will… Develop a general understanding of the Diplomas Now evaluation and the case study design; Discover details related to three key themes: Importance of role clarity Practices to build schools’ understanding of Diplomas Now Strategies to increase support from school staff Situate these themes in their own experiences; and 2

3. 3

4. Activity Directions Each person at the table Introduce yourself (name, school, and role). Read the quote placed in front of you aloud to the group. Briefly share what you would like to learn from the session based on the quote or the learning objectives. 4

5. 5

6. Validation Study Overview U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) grant to Johns Hopkins University Purpose: Validate the impact of a school turnaround model in increasing student graduation rates Independent evaluation to assess impact and fidelity of implementation Research partnership with MDRC and ICF International 6

7. Evaluation Design School level randomized controlled trial study (RCT) Analyze data to look for differences in student outcomes School records Student surveys Implementation study Assess fidelity of implementation (inputs and outputs) Program staff surveys Teacher surveys Identify promising practices Case studies at select DN schools 7

8. Case Study Research Questions 1.How is DN implemented across case study schools? 2. What factors facilitated and/or hindered implementation of the DN model? 3.What are the perceived benefits of the DN model across case study schools? 4.What were the drawbacks, if any, to implementing the DN model? 5.What lessons can be learned from the implementation of DN across case study schools? 8

9. Case Study Sites Year 1 4 HS 3 MS 4 districts Year 2 5 HS 4 MS Same 4 districts 9

10. Data Collection Methods Interviews Focus groups Observations classroom activities collaborative planning meetings EWI meetings before/after school activities 10

11. Case Study Participant Groups Focus Groups (2 groups of 10-12 each) Parents Students Teachers CY Corp Members 11 Interviews (district-based staff) Instructional facilitator DN field manager DN IST representative S4 facilitator 2-3 District leaders Interviews (school-based staff) School Transformation Facilitator CY Program Manager CY team leads CIS Coordinator School administrators School counselors Instructional coaches

12. 12 “ Relationships are everything. If you don’t have those relationships, then you will meet lots of resistance.”

13. Role Clarity Establishing clearly defined roles promotes cohesion within the Diplomas Now team. Securing staff early enables collaborative planning based on common goals. Shared office space helps to create natural opportunities for continuous check-ins. 13 “Everyone knew what the next person was doing, and so it kept things seamless.” - Administrator “We have teamwork, transparency, and trust.” -Field Manager

14. Role Clarity (Cont.) Accountability among staff members is useful to clarify responsibilities across each organization while working collectively. Diplomas Now staff turnover can create challenges and opportunities. 14 “We’re separate entities but really when we’re in the school, we have to move and act as one.” -CIS Site Coordinator “ Something that’s been huge is we have two team leaders that are returning... And me being a new program manager, the first three months here I still had to figure out who’s who and what’s what, and they’ve been a tremendous help in kind of that process.” -City Year Program Manager

15. School Staff Understanding of DN Trainings/forums to explain DN and show available resources/supports City Year AmeriCorp members as a highly visible program component Clarity about DN as a way to set realistic expectations 15 “The leadership expected Diplomas Now to come in and save the day overnight, not understanding that it takes time.” -School Transformation Facilitator “I really wanted to make sure that I was supporting teachers in the beginning and making sure that I was a resource for them.” -School Transformation Facilitator

16. Flexibility to Garner Support Active administrator support that reinforces teacher engagement Remaining flexible and sensitive to school context 16 “You’ve got to take each school where it is.” -School and Students Support Services Facilitator “If you have outside programs in your building, you cannot isolate them. It’s important that you incorporate them into the fabric of the building. And it was important that I incorporate Diplomas Now into my leadership team.” -Administrator

17. Flexibility to Garner Support (cont.) Enthusiasm for DN builds as school staff start to see desired change Alignment to school goals allowing DN to be embedded in schools 17 “Administration was sure to point out that they were skeptical at first, but they are very pleasantly surprised at the impact that we had this year.” -City Year Program Manager “You’re more successful when you say, I’m here to accelerate your vision but we’re going to do it a little differently.” -Field Manager

18. Summary “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” 18

19. Full Reports Moving Down the Track: Changing School Practices During the Second Year of Diplomas Now. http://www.mdrc.org/publication/moving- down-track Laying Tracks to Graduation: The First Year of Implementing Diplomas Now. http://www.mdrc.org/publication/laying-tracks- graduation. 19

20. 20