Distance Learning Session 1 High Standards & Expectations Academy of Pacesetting Districts

Sponsored by With assistance from New England Comprehensive Center and Center on Innovation & Improvement 2

WebEx Pointers 3  Confirm you can mute your own microphone/ phone – to enable discussion during today’s meeting without undue background noise, take a minute to locate the mute control on your computer/ telephone.  If using your computer for the audio portion of our meeting, PLEASE use a headset or dial in using a speakerphone.  You will be muted during the session unless otherwise indicated. If you have a question or a request, type it into the CHAT box in the lower right hand corner of your screen.  If you encounter a problem, call Ira Glick at ( or ) to talk with someone who may be able to help get you reconnected.

Introductions  SEA facilitators  NECC staff  District Academy Team introductions 4

5 Meeting Agenda 9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Introductions 9:15 – 9:45 Discussion of Readings 9:45 – 10:30 Indicators: High Standards Working Together 10: :45 Work on District Manual 10:45 – 11:00 Homework, Next Meeting

Welcome  Our purpose is to help districts provide their schools with the support and direction necessary for improvement.  We will emphasize support and direction for schools in need of “substantial improvement”.  The schools may or may not be in the process of restructuring.  The district support system, however, will benefit all schools and the district itself. 6

Discussion of Readings

Substantial Improvement 8

Indicators of Success 9

Priorities 10

Resources for DL Sessions  Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement  Improving Student Learning: Actions Principles for Families, Classrooms, Districts and States  School Turnarounds: A Review of Cross-Sector Evidence on Dramatic Organizational Improvement  School Turnarounds: Actions and Results  Breaking the Habit of Low Performance: Successful School Restructuring Stories  Exploring the Pathway to Rapid District Improvement  Wise Ways ®  Indicators in Action ™  U.S. Department of Education’s Doing What Works 11

High Standards and Expectations 12

Indicator 7 The district sets district, school, and student subgroup achievement targets. 13

Setting Achievement Targets  Determine reasonable trajectories for improvement for  District  Each school  How specific?  Grade level  Subject area  Student subgroups  Incremental trajectory vs. immediate turnaround  Which schools need which trajectory? 14

Discussion: Achievement Targets 1.Who is involved in setting achievement targets? 2.How are district targets explained to stakeholders?  Who gets what information? 3.How are different trajectories for different schools explained to each school’s stakeholders? 4.What are district staff, principals, teachers expected to do with the information? 15

Indicator 17 The district examines existing school improvement strategies being implemented across the district and determines their value, expending, modifying, and culling as evidence suggests. 16

 Improvement efforts have goals stated in measurable terms  Formative as well as summative assessments part of evaluation plan  Quality of implementation considered as a factor in program impact  Review of components of improvement efforts: What worked, what didn’t, and why? Examine Improvement Efforts 17

Apply & Share Program Evaluation Findings  Use information from program evaluation in decision making, for example:  Should the program continue?  Do any components need modification or special attention?  Are the resources committed - dollars, staff, and time - appropriate?  Share results of program evaluation with school and district staff and policymakers 18

Discussion: Make Program Evaluation Relevant & Useful 1.Do your approaches to program evaluation provide the information needed to strengthen implementation? 2.Do they furnish information needed to support decision making about continuation, expansion, or elimination? 3.Does the district make communication of findings to staff and others part of the evaluation process? 19

Indicator 23 The district ensures that school improvement and restructuring plans include a clear vision of what the school will look like when restructured or substantially improved. 20

“Participants in persistently failing organizations have often come to believe that the low-performing status quo is inevitable; it becomes essential for the leader to put forward a positive vision of what might be.” School Turnarounds: A Review of the Cross-Sector Evidence on Dramatic Organizational Improvement Prepared by: Public Impact for the Center on Innovation & Improvement 21

Related Research Findings  Research repeatedly identifies a clear vision for the future as an element of successful improvement efforts.  Successful turnaround leaders communicate a compelling message of what can be.  Successful turnaround leaders understand the importance of “selling” the vision - of having others buy into both this vision and their role in making it happen. 22

Linking Leadership & Vision “…superintendents must be relentless in their efforts to convey messages of high expectations and no excuses. This may require use of examples of high levels of learning achieved by high-risk student populations in neighboring districts or in schools and classrooms in the district’s own schools.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe Superintendents in high-performing districts focus on the vision message with an “almost missionary zeal”. 23

Vision at the School Level Must Be Developed & Nurtured by Principals  Keep vision, mission, and goals in the forefront of everyone’s attention and work  Demonstrate and model commitment to goals through personal actions  Constantly monitor progress toward goals  Maintain enthusiasm and a sense of optimism; inspire others  Recognize and celebrate contributions, but do not overlook shortcomings and failures 24

Discussion: Vision 1.Does your district’s vision statement reflect your vision of what its schools should be and do? 2.Is this vision being communicated - in word and actions - to district staff, families, and other stakeholders? 3.How does your district support school leaders’ efforts to turn the vision into reality in all schools and classrooms? 4.How is fidelity to the vision - what staff members do on a day to day basis - monitored? 25

Working Together 26

Indicator 29 The district designates a central office contact person for the school, and that person maintains close communication with the school and an interest in its progress. 27

“The relationship of the district with a low- performing school … will require more attention from central office staff to provide support and monitor school efforts. Assistance provided might include, for example, helping school staff diagnose and address problems or temporarily assigning a subject area specialist to the school to work with teaching staff. The monitoring should be ongoing and might include review of data from periodic assessments, site visits, and coaches assigned to the school.“ Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe 28

Involving District-Level Staff Directly  District leadership must be both a “critical friend” to schools and a buffer to leverage external resources and pressures.  Central office staff role may shift from oversight to assistance. For example, the human resources department might ask school staff for ways it can better serve schools.  Maintain the balance between support and pressure to improve.  Partner central office staff members with specific schools, especially low-performing schools, for intensive work on improvement efforts. 29

Indicator 30 District and school decision makers meet at least twice a month to discuss the school’s progress. 30

Reporting of Progress by School District  Reporting requirement underscores District’s interest in results and in the effective implementation of a school’s improvement plan.  Reporting needs to be on a regular and frequent basis.  Agendas for discussions as well as the content and organization for written reports should be specified by District.  District feedback to schools (and follow up action as needed) is important. 31

“School boards must play an active role, continuously and publicly providing support for the reform initiative through several key actions.” Including: “…engage in ongoing efforts to communicate and sell the vision for reform to the community…” “…act as a monitor to ensure student learning remains the top priority…” “…develop policies that support improvement efforts.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe 32

Discussion: Communication and Monitoring 1.Are district/school staff discussions about improvement plan implementation - as they operate currently - productive? Can we identify specific ways in which they need to change? 2.How can related work prior to, during, and following these discussions strengthen the school’s improvement progress? 3.What information regarding the progress of schools identified for improvement will be most relevant to the board in the performance of its governance responsibilities? 33

Indicators 36 & 37  A team structure is officially incorporated into the school improvement plan and school governance policy.  All teams have written statements of purpose and by-laws for their operation. 34

“Marzano (2003) points out that leadership should not reside with one individual; a team approach to planning and decision making allows for distributive leadership… decision making groups must be organized and given time to plan and monitor the parts of the system for which they are responsible.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Author of Section 2, Module 6: Sam Redding 35

Research on Collaborative Leadership  Teams help to build ownership in the change process and to develop a spirit of collaboration.  Successful turnaround requires staff to personally “see and feel” the problems students face and involvement in school leadership can increase this awareness.  Successful turnaround leaders are skilled at team leadership and promoting teamwork and cooperation.  Learning-focused leaders create a supportive work environment by bringing staff together as a team to plan, make decisions, and resolve conflicts. 36

 Leadership Team Headed by the principal; includes team leaders from Instructional Teams (grade level and/or subject area) and other key staff  Instructional Teams (grade-level and/or content-area) Provide opportunities for teachers to discuss curriculum/instruction, develop instructional strategies, and focus on ways to help students experiencing difficulty  School-Community Council Advises and assists with areas such as school-home communication and the parental role in supporting children’s learning; includes school staff and parents 37

Discussion: Collaborative Leadership & School Teams 1.What evidence have you seen related to the positive (or negative) effects of distributed leadership at the school level in your district? 2.What professional development and/or assistance for principals might be helpful in supporting their work with school teams? Is your district currently helping this way? 3.What other types of resources (development for teachers, examples of ways school schedules can be modified to provide time for meetings, etc.) can the district provide to support school teams? 38

Team Reflection on Current Status of Implementation  Each District Academy Team will now take 15 minutes to review each indicator covered in this session and assign an implementation rating  Rating scale: 1 = No Development or Implementation 2 = Limited Development or Implementation 3 = Full Implementation 39

Reflection Worksheet 40 * Rating scale: 1 = No Development or Implementation 2 = Limited Development or Implementation 3 = Full Implementation

Discussion: Status of Implementation 1.Which Indicators are strengths in your current district operations? 2.Which Indicators need improved performance in your current district operations? 3.What are next steps in developing a District Operations Manual relative to the Indicators in DL 1? 41

 Work on District Operations Manual for District System of Support  Regarding DL 1: High Standards & Expectations and Working Together  Read Wise Ways ® for Indicators 7, 17, and 37  View on Doing What Works ( Data-Driven Improvement - Turning Around Chronically Low Performing Schools o Focus on Instruction  View on Indicators in Action ™ ( Instruction Course - Instructional Planning Module o Building Strong Instructional Teams, and o Aligning Instruction  Regarding DL 2: Teaching & Learning and Decision Making  Read Improving Student Learning: Actions Principles for Families, Classrooms, Districts, and States Chapters 4 and 5  Read Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Chapter 5: Changing and Monitoring Instruction  Read Breaking the Habit of Low Performance: Successful School Restructuring Stories School Profile: Holobird Academy Homework Assignment 42

Evaluation The team will need to fill out an evaluation form concerning this distance learning session. It is on the CII website to which you will be given access. Your mentor will have the log-in information. The log-in page can be found at

Wrap Up  Reflections on DL 1 session  Reminder: DL 2 scheduled for (date & time)  Scheduled Mentor Interaction with Academy Mentor to be held before DL 2 44

Key Contact Information 45    

46 Thanks for your participation Thanks to NECC and Ira Glick for web services and support