Lessons from Virginia: Growing a System of Support for Capacity Building Indistar® Summit III April 10, 2013 Yvonne A. Holloman, Ph.D. Associate Director Office of School Improvement Virginia Department of Education

School Designation Type of OSI Support The Virginia Department of Education’s Office of School Improvement (OSI) is responsible for supporting schools that do not meet requirements per the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia and/or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) flexibility waiver requirements. School Designation Type of OSI Support Accredited with Warning Academic Review visits Regional high school liaisons Indistar® Web-based improvement planning tool Differentiated Technical Assistance Conditionally Accredited Alternate Governance Committees Indistar® Web-based improvement planning tool Focus Schools Division liaisons Differentiated Technical Assistance School Improvement Grants (SIG) Recipients – Priority Schools Lead turnaround partner (LTP) facilitators Title I and non-Title I Schools that did not meet an annual measurable objective 523 schools representing 106 school divisions are currently using the Indistar® Web-based planning tool.

One set of indicators will not meet the varied needs of Lesson #1 One set of indicators will not meet the varied needs of low-performing schools.

The OSI has collaborated with the Center on Innovations in Learning (CIL) to create specialized sets of indicators. Each set of indicators is designed to meet the needs of specific groups of schools. Elementary and middle schools that did not meet a state and/or federal benchmark Priority schools and School Improvement Grant (SIG) schools FY 2009 SIG recipients High schools that did not meet state and/or federal benchmarks 11/11/2018

Lesson #2 Although school teams need autonomy in selecting indicators, the state educational agency should provide guidance.

Targeted Intervention Indicators All schools required to complete an improvement plan using the Indistar® Web-based planning tool must include the following targeted intervention indicators. TA01 The school uses an identification process (including ongoing conversations with instructional leadership teams and data points to be used) for all students at risk of failing or in need of targeted interventions. TA02 The school uses a tiered, differentiated intervention process to assign research-based interventions aligned with the individual needs of identified students (the process includes a description of how interventions are selected and assigned to students as well as the frequency and duration of interventions for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students). TA03 The school uses a monitoring process (including a multidisciplinary team that meets regularly to review student intervention outcome data and identifies “triggers” and next steps for unsuccessful interventions) for targeted intervention students to ensure fidelity and effectiveness. Display the list of indicators

He is a third-grade student at Happy Hills Elementary which has been identified as a focus school based on Proficiency Gap Group 2. Based on the Happy Town adaptive reading assessment, he has been identified for Tier 2 interventions. The results of the Happy Town mathematics diagnostic assessment indicate that he needs Tier 3 interventions. His teacher provides him with the following research-based interventions included in his Individualized Intervention Plan (IIP): Roaring Reader intervention program – small group lessons led by his classroom teacher 3 to 4 days per week during the 120 minute language arts block. Small group math lessons led by his teacher 3 to 4 days per week and 15-20 minutes per day on the Magnificent Math computer adaptive program. On a monthly basis, his teacher meets with the administrative team to analyze his intervention data and review work samples. On a quarterly basis, the student support team meets with his teacher and mother to review his response to interventions included in his IIP. On a quarterly basis, his principal shares the results of all Tier 2 and Tier 3 students with the division leadership team. Meet Evan TA01 TA02 TA03

Lesson #3 A division leadership team’s improvement efforts must be intentional and congruent with the indicators selected by the school.

Division Leadership Teams Local education agencies with identified low-performing schools are required to convene a division leadership team comprised of administrators and other key staff representing: Title I Instruction Special education English language learners Identified principals The division leadership team is tasked with developing, implementing, and monitoring an improvement plan aligned with the needs of its lowest-performing schools.

Question: What district improvement indicators could the Happy Hills Elementary School is identified as a focus school due to Proficiency Gap Group 1. The school improvement team identified a need for teachers to plan units of instruction in reading based on student data. As a result, the following rapid improvement school indicator was selected for inclusion in the school improvement plan: ID13 – Instructional teams meet for blocks of time (4 to 6 hour blocks, once a month; whole days before and after the school year) sufficient to develop and refine units of instruction and review student learning data. Show worksheet and sample district plan Question: What district improvement indicators could the Happy Hills division leadership team include in their improvement plan to support the school’s selected indicator?

Sample Worksheet for Aligning Division- and School-Level Improvement Plans

Lesson #4 Division- and school-level teams must continually analyze data associated with their respective improvement plans, and use this information to make informed decisions regarding instruction and revision to tasks.

Decisions Division School Indistar Data Focus Questions Division leadership teams meet with school leadership teams to review data related to tasks included in the division- and school-level improvement plans as well as the data included in the Virginia Department of Education-approved data query system. These data will be used to revise the plans as appropriate. Decisions made as a result of these discussions must be entered into the meeting minutes for the division leadership team. Focus Questions Based on the data, what school-level tasks were successful? Division-level tasks? Based on the data, what are the major areas of concern for students who received Tier 2 interventions in reading? In mathematics? Based on the data, what are the major areas of concern for students who received Tier 3 interventions in reading? In mathematics? Based on the data, what are the major areas of concern for students representing the identified proficiency gap groups? What additional support is needed from the division to support intervention efforts for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students? 6) What tasks need to be added, revised, or discontinued in the school-level plan? Division-level plan? School Division Data + Discussions Decisions = Continuous Improvement Decisions Display pages 18-22 of the focus school guide Indistar Data

Lesson #5 The Indistar® Web-based planning tool should be the “one-stop shop” for improvement planning and other requirements.

How does Virginia use Indistar® to support its ESEA flexibility waiver requirements?

Answers: Indistar® is the required improvement planning tool for identified focus and priority schools as well as any Title I school that did not meet an annual measurable objective. The division- and school-level plans will be the key to monitoring each local educational agency’s compliance with the ESEA flexibility waiver provisions. In Virginia, both plans are submitted via the Indistar® Dashboard. All required documents for focus and priority schools are maintained on the Indistar® Dashboard. Examples include: Meeting agendas and minutes Leading and lagging indicator reports Data query system approval forms

The Indistar® Web-based planning tool serves as a “one-stop shop” for Virginia schools that are receiving services from the Office of School Improvement. A variety of essential reporting documents are posted on the dashboard for school and division leadership teams to use. 11/11/2018

School and division leadership teams submit the required reporting documents via the Indistar® Dashboard. 11/11/2018

Additional documents to help school and division leadership teams with developing and implementing their improvement plans are posted under the tab, “Doc and Links”.

If you build it, they will come! Lesson #6 If you build it, they will come!

Good News Travels Fast! Thirteen (13) Virginia school divisions are using Indistar® on a voluntary basis.