Atlanta Public Schools Project Management Framework Proposed to the Atlanta Board of Education to Complete AdvancED/SACS “Required Actions” January 24, 2011

Strategic Intent 2 District Goals Achieve excellence in instruction and education delivery Achieve excellence in facilities and the learning environment Achieve excellence in business operations AdvancED/SACS Attain and Maintain Accreditation Evidence of adherence to the AdvancED/SACS standards and accreditation policies, Engagement in a process of continuous improvement, and Demonstration of quality assurance through internal and external review.

APS Framework for AdvancED/SACS “Required Actions” GETTING STARTED PLANDOCHECKACT REPEAT CYCLE 3

Project Action Plans The framework includes the creation of Project Action Plans to address each of the six “Required Actions”  The Project Actions Plans serve to: – Translate strategy into tasks to be executed and measured – Guide the work – Help to communicate to internal and external stakeholders – Promote transparency and accountability 4

Project Action Plans Each Project Action Plan contains:  Goals and objectives for each of the “Required Actions”  Key tasks necessary to attain the goals for each of the “Required Actions”  Persons involved  Risks and dependencies  Timeline for milestones and completion of the “Required Actions”  Estimate of the resources needed and how they would be obtained  What “success” looks like for each of the “Required Actions”  Ways to monitor, measure successes and make improvements as needed over time 5

AdvancED/SACS Institution Progress Report REQUIRED ACTION 1: Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action. Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution has documented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action. In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement steps necessary to address and/or complete the required action. Have Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time. Response and Evidence: Provide detail to support the status descriptor noted above. The response should include: 1) the actions taken to address the required action; 2) the evidence supporting those actions; 3) the institution’s next steps with regard to the required action; 4) and any results of those actions. 6

APS Suggested “Required Action” Rubric Not AddressedStalledIn ProgressCompletedExceeded Institution has not taken any action at this time  No attempt at implementation  No documentation that progress has been made toward achieving this “Required Action” Few attempts have been made to implement the strategies  There has been a failure to communicate problems to accomplish the work  Insufficient documentation to substantiate achievement Institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement steps necessary to address and/or complete the “Required Actions” All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated  The institution has documented evidence that supports fulfillment of the “Required Action” Exceptional documentation and execution beyond the established Project Action Plans 7

Plan & Analyze Phase Initial Considerations 8 Key Questions / Reflection Discovery/ Gap Analysis Strategy Action Plans Complete “Required Actions”

Required Action 1 9

Has the Board refreshed and updated the communication and engagement strategies developed during the Panasonic Professional Development workshops? Are all board members in agreement with the communication and engagement strategies? Has a plan been created with specific steps consistent with the strategies? Is the plan design, scope and sequence appropriate for identified stakeholders? Is the plan being implemented with fidelity? Is the board maximizing community support and resources? Is there an evaluation plan built into the outreach campaign? Key Questions 10

Required Action 2 11

Required Action 2 Has the board identified criteria for selecting a mediator? What process will the board use to identify and select a mediator? What evidence will the Board use to demonstrate the effectiveness of the mediation process? Key Questions 12

Required Action 3 Ensure that the actions and behavior of all board members are aligned with board policies, especially those related to ethics and chain of command, and AdvancED/SACS CASI Accreditation Standards and policies. Required Action 3 13

Required Action 3 Has the Board reviewed all policies relating to their required behavior and actions, including ethics and chain of command and AdvancED/SACS CASI Accreditation standards and policies? Is the Board prepared to demonstrate one understanding and interpretation of Board policies? What evidence will the Board rely on to support meeting this required action? Key Questions 14

Required Action 4 Review and refine policies to promote the processes that are needed to achieve the Board’s Mission in the education of the Atlanta Public School students. The board members shall provide evidence that they have refocused all of their energies on improving the teaching and learning processes for all their students. Required Action 4 15

Required Action 4 How will the Board engage in policy governance to achieve goals focused on student-centered results? Key Questions 16

Required Action 5 Develop and implement a process for selecting a superintendent that is transparent during all phases, engages public participation, and demonstrates integrity throughout the process. It is strongly suggested that the final selection of the superintendent should be determined by more than a simple majority vote of approval by the Board. Required Action 5 17

Required Action 5 Has the Board identified and agreed upon a transparent process for selecting a Superintendent? How will the Board ensure the participation of all Board members in the search and selection process? Should the Board use a search firm, how does the Board find one, and what happens if the Board decides not to use a search firm? How does the Board plan to engage parents and other stakeholders? What is the timeline for selecting a Superintendent? Key Questions 18

Required Action 6 19

Required Action 6 Does the Board plan to secure the services of an educational policy expert to clarify and to help create a formalized process for policy development, adoption, and amendment and identify any inconsistencies with its charter? How will the Board work with the State to resolve inconsistencies, if any? Key Questions 20

January Board accepts and begins response to AdvancED report; Hire project manager and mediator February Work plan set and work commences; Communication Strategy developed; Status update at February Board meeting March Project Action Plans complete; Resources required to complete work secured; Formal presentation at March Board meeting April Formal presentation at April Board meeting; 1 st progress report is submitted to AdvancED (by April 29) May Formal presentation at May Board meeting; Review feedback from AdvancED June-July Formal presentation at June & July Board meetings August All “Required Actions” complete by August 31; 2 nd progress report submitted to AdvancED; Formal presentation at August Board meeting September AdvancED monitoring team site visit; Review feedback from AdvancED; Formal presentation at September Board meeting High-Level Proposed Timeline (January 2011 – September 2011) 21

Summary  The APS Project Management Framework aligns with the expectations of AdvancED/SACS to retain accreditation  APS has tools available to support the APS Project Management Framework that can help structure and complete the work, within the AdvancED/SACS timeframe, to retain accreditation and support student achievement  The APS Project Management Framework has built-in mechanisms to assist in reporting progress to AdvancED/SACS throughout the entire process 22

Questions 23