Priority School (SIG) TA Session Cohort IV C Corbett Education Consulting LLC Virginia Department of Education VDOE — Office of School Improvement Hilton Garden Inn – Sandston, VA September 26, 2013 Julie Corbett,

Technical Assistance Sessions for Cohort IV September 26 th – 27 th (Thurs. – Fri.) Introduction to SIG, Strand A: District Teams, Strand D: Stakeholder Engagement, & Strand F: School Team October 10 th – 11 th (Thurs. – Fri.) Strand B: Building Autonomy, & Strand E: External Partner Contracts November 12 th (Tue.) Strand I: PD, Strand J: Increasing Learning Time, & Strand K: Reforming Instruction January 14, 2014 (Tue.) WEBINAR, time TBD Strand H: Evaluating, rewarding & removing staff February 19, 2014 (Wed.) Modifying plans based on diagnostics 2

Thursday, September 26 th Optional Continental Breakfast8:00 – 8:30 AM Introductions8:30 AM – 8:45 AM Overview of SIG Process (national perspective) & Intro to Priority Schools (VA) 8:45 AM – 10:00 AM Break10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Strand A: Establish District Team10:15 – 11:00 AM Org Structure & Meeting Schedules11:00 – 12:00 PM Lunch & Panel12:00 – 1:00 PM Case study discussion1:00 – 2:00 PM Break2:00 –2:15 PM Indistar® for Priority Schools, Logistics, & Questions2:15 – 3:30 PM Wrap up & Close3:30 PM Org. structure & meeting schedules continued or Indistar® supports 3:30 – 4:30 PM (as needed) 3

Setting Norms Participate thoughtfully Manage electronic devices Hold side conversations Use the time wisely Listen to others Maintain confidentiality Think outside of the box If you don’t ask, you won’t get it Participate thoughtfully Manage electronic devices Hold side conversations Use the time wisely Listen to others Maintain confidentiality Think outside of the box If you don’t ask, you won’t get it 4

Overview of the SIG Process & Expectations Overview of the SIG Process & Expectations 5

Introduction to SIG Introduction to SIG In January 2010, the US Dept. of Education (USED) released revised guidance for use of the School Improvement Grants (under 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) The $3.5 billion must be used to implement one of four models outlined by USED The revised guidelines significantly changed the roles and responsibilities for the school, district, state and partners In January 2010, the US Dept. of Education (USED) released revised guidance for use of the School Improvement Grants (under 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) The $3.5 billion must be used to implement one of four models outlined by USED The revised guidelines significantly changed the roles and responsibilities for the school, district, state and partners 6

Defining School Improvement School improvement: Is an intensive intervention effort in a school and often requires changes at the district level as well. Is not a short-term fix, but a long-term systemic solution to change how schools work. Can be accomplished by implementing a variety of strategies that vary in the level of prescriptiveness and intensity of support needed. Efforts will not always be successful, but in the majority of cases, current efforts to improve chronically low-performing schools are not producing the needed results. Why are the four proposed models so different from past improvement efforts? Past federal and state guidance allowed and promoted piecemeal efforts. In effect, few schools exited and stayed off “improvement” lists. Students are the focus of these improvement efforts – allowing schools to operate with limited effectiveness for multiple years drastically increases the likelihood of low-student achievement and high dropout rates. 7

Four Models to Improve Persistently Low- Performing Schools Turnaround Model Requires many specific actions, including: -Leadership & staff changes -New governance structure -New or revised instructional program & assessment system -Increased operating flexibilities -Increased student supports Turnaround Model Requires many specific actions, including: -Leadership & staff changes -New governance structure -New or revised instructional program & assessment system -Increased operating flexibilities -Increased student supports Restart Model Close failing school Reopen under education management organization (could be a charter) Must admit any former student who wishes to attend (within appropriate grade levels) Restart Model Close failing school Reopen under education management organization (could be a charter) Must admit any former student who wishes to attend (within appropriate grade levels) School Closure Close failing school Enroll students at higher-achieving schools in district School Closure Close failing school Enroll students at higher-achieving schools in district Transformational Model Reform plan must include specific actions to address: - Teacher and leader effectiveness -Comprehensive instructional strategies -Expanded learning -Increased operating flexibilities Transformational Model Reform plan must include specific actions to address: - Teacher and leader effectiveness -Comprehensive instructional strategies -Expanded learning -Increased operating flexibilities 8

Priority School Requirements 9 Select and work with an LTP Implement one of the four USED turnaround models Use Indistar® Establish annual goals Set leading and lagging indicators Complete regular & comprehensive data analysis 40% of teacher evaluation on multiple measures Electronic query system for data access Adaptive reading assessment ARDT (grade 5 or higher) Attend OSI technical assistance sessions Requested structured reports and data reports to VDOE Principal evaluation

3 Year Process to Build Capacity I do We do You do Year 3 Year 2 Year 1 10

Shifting State Role: Compliance to Support Conference Calls & Webinars Technical Assistance Sessions VDOE Contractors Indistar Monitoring 11

Roles & Responsibilities School Principals External Lead Partners Internal Lead Partners VDOE Contractors Have the authority & direct contact with the superintendent to make timely decisions Communicate with superintendent & school board about process and changes Facilitate changes within the district to allow autonomy at the school level Have the authority & direct contact with the superintendent to make timely decisions Communicate with superintendent & school board about process and changes Facilitate changes within the district to allow autonomy at the school level Monitor implementation of all action steps, work of partners, and obligations noted in the MOU Communicate needs from the field to the VDOE Share learnings with other facilitators Connect the local team to other supports and services at VDOE (help streamline the system) Monitor implementation of all action steps, work of partners, and obligations noted in the MOU Communicate needs from the field to the VDOE Share learnings with other facilitators Connect the local team to other supports and services at VDOE (help streamline the system) Lead collaborative school-based improvement team Develop leadership skills of strong teachers and junior administrators Communicate regularly with all other team members to ensure school needs are addressed Act as the Change Leader Lead collaborative school-based improvement team Develop leadership skills of strong teachers and junior administrators Communicate regularly with all other team members to ensure school needs are addressed Act as the Change Leader Provide overall guidance, timeline, resources, & support for implementation Provide additional staff and capacity building services, with decreasing intensity over time Provide overall guidance, timeline, resources, & support for implementation Provide additional staff and capacity building services, with decreasing intensity over time 12

Expectations 1.Work in the best interest of the students 2.Contribute to a collaborative environment 3.Challenge the status quo 4.Attend & participate in all required Technical Assistance sessions, meetings and conference calls 5.Implement with fidelity 6.Everyone must do the work 7.Ensure efforts are aligned & work towards the same goals 8.Over communicate with each other & outsiders 9.Work towards sustainability 10. Picking and choosing indicators is not an option, all 93 must be included in the overall plan, but focus on the ones that directly address the school’s needs 13

Strands & Indicators (Transformation Model) StrandContent Area# of Indicators A Establishing & Orienting the District Transformation Team 4 B Moving Toward School Autonomy 6 C Selecting a Principal & Recruiting Teachers 8 D Working with Stakeholders & Building Support for Transformation 7 E Contracting with External Providers 8 F Establishing & Orienting the School Transformation Team 2 G Leading Change 6 H Evaluating, Rewarding, and Removing Staff 22 I Providing Rigorous Staff Development 11 J Increasing Learning Time 8 K Reforming Instruction 11 TA01, TA02, TA03 3 Total96 14

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Strand A: Establish District Team 1.Appoint a district transformation team 2.Assess team and district capacity to support transformation 3. Provide team members with information on what districts can do to promote rapid improvement 4.Designate an internal lead partner for each transformation school 16

Division of Responsibilities 17 * Lead Partner, Mass Insight Education and Research Institute, 2010 Transformation plan creation Instruction Non-instructional support services Building/campus operations IT/Data Finance/budgets Facilities Human Resources Extra-curricular activities Evaluation of progress State and federal compliance Enforcement of consequences Transformation plan creation Instruction Non-instructional support services Building/campus operations IT/Data Finance/budgets Facilities Human Resources Extra-curricular activities Evaluation of progress State and federal compliance Enforcement of consequences Who’s responsible for what? How do the entities hold each other accountable? How do the entities share specific responsibilities? Are all of the roles covered? Are the right people on the bus? Are the right people in the right positions on the bus? VDOE, External Lead Turnaround Partner, Internal Lead Partner, school principal, leadership team, supporting partners

Sample Organizational Structure How often does the ILP team, the school’s principal (and/or leadership team), and the external Lead Partner meet? What does an action plan look like? – Objective; action step(s); by whom; with help from; status report due; deadline – Tool: School restructuring: What Works When, Learning Point Associates, 2010, tool VDOE Contractor Superintendent Internal Lead Partner School Principal & Leadership Team VDOE External Lead Partner Project Manager Field Staff ILP Team (crucial district staff Transformation Team Members Key:

Leading Change Prepare for: Unforeseen circumstances Participants who feel uncertain & unprepared for what is to come Stakeholders who oppose disruption of their current influence People who feel disempowered People will not make the changes, no matter what Prepare by: Continuous analysis Mid-course corrections Plan ahead Act quickly Commit to the goals Support each other Resources: Spiro, Jody. Change Leader Handbook, 19

Change Action Steps Be clear and specific Start from where you are (assess readiness of participants & stakeholders) Plan & complete early wins Anticipate resistance Use collaborative planning Develop ways to scale up & sustain over time Build in on-going monitoring and make mid-course corrections Resources: Spiro, Jody. Change Leader Handbook, 20

Readiness and Structure Low readiness = HIGH STRUCTURE Leader initiated Specific, clear outcomes with timelines and evaluation criteria Templates for work plans and budgets Written meeting agenda including ground-rules for participation Written records of decisions reached at meeting Continuous review of progress and mid-course corrections through a defined structure, such as regularly-scheduled meetings Structured questioning to lead group conversations Low readiness = HIGH STRUCTURE Leader initiated Specific, clear outcomes with timelines and evaluation criteria Templates for work plans and budgets Written meeting agenda including ground-rules for participation Written records of decisions reached at meeting Continuous review of progress and mid-course corrections through a defined structure, such as regularly-scheduled meetings Structured questioning to lead group conversations Medium-readiness = MODERATE STRUCTURE Decision-sheets, perhaps written by each participant on a rotating basis for a series of meetings Jointly-set meeting agendas and ground-rules Collaborative planning Medium-readiness = MODERATE STRUCTURE Decision-sheets, perhaps written by each participant on a rotating basis for a series of meetings Jointly-set meeting agendas and ground-rules Collaborative planning High-readiness = LIGHT STRUCTURE Jointly set the objectives Let the group decide how to achieve objectives, divide responsibilities, & determine action plans High-readiness = LIGHT STRUCTURE Jointly set the objectives Let the group decide how to achieve objectives, divide responsibilities, & determine action plans READINESS STRUCTURE Resources: Spiro, Jody. Change Leader Handbook, 21

Communicating Change 22 Teachers Parents Other division staff Other non-SIG schools Board Extra-curricular partners Teachers Parents Other division staff Other non-SIG schools Board Extra-curricular partners How will you communicate the change process with others?

Activities 23 Create an organizational chart for your transformation or turnaround initiative? Create a list of meetings for your transformation initiative (Who will meet? When? How often?) Create an organizational chart for your transformation or turnaround initiative? Create a list of meetings for your transformation initiative (Who will meet? When? How often?)

Lunch Panel – Lessons Learned & Advice to Incoming Schools 24

Shawnee In groups (not your division teams), discuss the series of Education Week articles on the Shawnee. Use the discussion questions to guide this conversation. 25

Indistar’s Purpose What is it? How does it guide the improvement process? How do we use it (technically)? What is it? How does it guide the improvement process? How do we use it (technically)? 26

Indistar® 1.Organizing platform for implementation Requires goal setting (vision of full implementation) Allows for prioritization of indicators Structures action steps/tasks Delegates responsibilities of team 2.Acts as a one stop shop for assessment, planning & monitoring 3.Links indicators to research-based strategies 4.Record of implementation (supports staff transitions) 27 “If it’s not in Indistar, it didn’t happen.” - Kathleen “If it’s not in Indistar, it didn’t happen.” - Kathleen

Implementation Steps (year 1) “Even positive change can be stressful. An effective change leader can maximize the opportunities of change while minimizing the risks.” – Jody Spiro Resources: Spiro, Jody. Change Leader Handbook, 28 Recruit and select LTP Diagnostic Needs Assessment w/ LTP Set priorities & develop comprehensive plan Grants awarded Define district & school team, clarify roles and responsibilities, establish protocols Assess indicators, develop goals, tasks, & begin implementation Planning for year 2 & Continuation Applications

Logistics 1.Review cohort checklist 2.Application requirements 3.Budgets 4.Indistar® reporting tools 29

Optional 1.Continue working with your teams to develop: An organizational structure for the transformation team A list of meeting times, who will attend, to discuss what 2.Indistar® work session or questions as needed 3.Prioritize Indicators 30

Priority School (SIG) TA Session Cohort IV C Corbett Education Consulting LLC Virginia Department of Education VDOE — Office of School Improvement Hilton Garden Inn – Sandston, VA September 27, 2013

Friday, September 27th Optional Continental Breakfast8:00 – 8:30 AM Remaining Questions8:30 – 8:45 AM Strand D: Stakeholder Engagement8:45 – 9:30 AM Stakeholder Activity9:30 – 10:15 AM Break10:15 – 10:30 AM Goal Setting & Action Planning10:30 – 11:00 PM Work Session11:00 – 12:00 PM Working Lunch12:00 – 1:00 PM Strand F: School Team1:00 – 2:00 PM Break2:00 – 2:15 PM Quick Wins2:15 – 2:45 PM Wrap Up & Close2:45 – 3:00 PM 32

Lingering Questions 33 Process (i.e. the transformation process) VDOE Supports Deadlines Compliance/Reporting Requirements Lead Turnaround Partners Budgets Indistar Other Process (i.e. the transformation process) VDOE Supports Deadlines Compliance/Reporting Requirements Lead Turnaround Partners Budgets Indistar Other List any remaining or pressing questions that you have right now. Post on the relevant poster paper

Strand D: Stakeholder Engagement Who should be involved in this work? Who and what could prohibit this work from happening? How do we involve stakeholders? What actions demonstrate the change in culture? Who should be involved in this work? Who and what could prohibit this work from happening? How do we involve stakeholders? What actions demonstrate the change in culture? 34

Strand D: Working with Stakeholders & Building Support for Transformation 1.Assign transformation team members to create a work plan and communicate with stakeholders 2.Announce change and anticipated actions publicly, communicate urgency, and signal the need for change 3.Engage parents and the community 4.Build support for transformation 5.Establish a positive organizational culture 6.Help stakeholders overcome resistance to change 7.Persist and persevere but discontinue failing strategies 35

Stakeholder Mapping* Contribution (value): Does the stakeholder have information, counsel, or expertise on the issue that could be helpful to the company? Legitimacy: How legitimate is the stakeholder’s claim for engagement? Willingness to engage: How willing is the stakeholder to engage? Influence: How much influence does the stakeholder have? (You will need to clarify “who” they influence. Necessity of involvement: Is this someone who could derail or delegitimize the process if they were not included in the engagement? Resources: * **Reinventing Education, Change Masters & Change Fundamentals, What people resist is being controlled, being told what to do without being told why, and not being able to affect the change process **

Stakeholder Power Grid 37 POWER High Low INTEREST HighLow Keep Satisfied Manage Closely Keep Informed Monitor (minimum effort) Grid adapted from

Who needs to be most involved in the work plan’s development and implementation? Who is best positioned to communicate with the broader community? What strategies and processes should be used to guide and track implementation? – Within the transformation team? – Within the school? – Within the division? What level of involvement is necessary for each aspect of the transformation? Resources: Communicating about School Reform, Center on Innovation & Improvement Assign Team Members to Create Work Plan & Communicate with Stakeholders

Clearly define and publicize: – The needs of the school and the community – The process – The goals Clearly and visibly track progress If needed, launch a statewide media effort to explain, highlight & support transformation efforts Send regular updates on the progress and changes – newsletters, e-briefs, website, public television, etc Ensure that staff understand the changes and can communicate the message effectively Get the support of a few key stakeholders within the building, and within the community, to promote the message Hold community meetings / parent nights / open houses / family nights outside of the school Resources: Setting the Theme, Diagnostic, Reinventing Education Change Toolkit, Announce Change and Actions Publicly, Communicate Urgency & Signal the Need for Change

3. Engage Parents and the Community (1 of 2) Engaging parents can occur on multiple different levels: 1.Children’s learning at home 2.Connecting parents with other parents 3.Linking parents to teachers and the school Schools that succeed in engaging families share three key practices:* 1.Focus on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families and community members 2.Recognize, respect and address families' needs, as well as class and cultural differences 3.Embrace a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared Resources: Familes & Schools, Academic Development Institute, Harvard Family Research Project, *National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE) Virginia Parent Information and Resource Center, VA PIRC, 40 Parent engagement is more than an annual parent/teacher conference, an occasional newsletter, or parental choice

Design programs that support families to guide their children's learning Develop the capacity of school staff to work with families Focus on developing trusting and respectful relationships among staff and families Make sure that parents, school staff, and community members understand that the responsibility for children's educational development is collaborative Build strong connections between schools, community & faith-based organizations Keep parents aware of changes and the impact on their children Encourage regular home contact (notes, s, calls, home visits) Create a parent liaison position (staff or volunteer) Schedule parent meetings & open houses at times that allow for working parents to attend Work with community organizations to bring adult learning at the school (i.e. computer labs, classes, tax help, etc) 41 Recognize that all parents, regardless of income, education or cultural background want their children to do well * 3. Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement (2 of 2)

Make sure that people understand and are aware of the strengths and skills of team members Recognize staff for their strengths, ideas, impact, contributions & accomplishments Ensure that staff are invested in and given extra "organizational capital” (time, a place to work, equipment, legitimacy, etc.) Set policies & procedures that foster and enable open communication and access to information Recognize progress as it happens Use a variety of staff team building activities Allow innovation to come from all levels (support staff, teacher leaders, division staff, partners, parents) Innovation Pyramid How do ideas and experiments from one part of the pyramid help guide innovations at other points in the pyramid? What methods can be used to spread ideas from one part of the pyramid to others? Resources: Reinventing Education, Change Masters & Change Fundamentals, 42 A few big bets Portfolio of projects & ideas Many quick wins & continuous improvements 4. Build Support for Transformation & 5. Establish a Positive Organizational Culture

6. Help Stakeholders Overcome Resistance to Change Communicate with the resistant stakeholders to learn why there is resistance to change Explain the problem and the goals Ask the resistant to help develop solutions Don’t be afraid to move forward anyways Get the support of a few key stakeholders within the building, and within the community, to promote the message of change Send regular updates on the progress and changes – newsletters, e-briefs, website, public television Resources: Reinventing Education, Change Masters & Change Fundamentals, Communicating about School Reform, Center on Innovation & Improvement 43

7. Persist and Persevere but Discontinue Failing Strategies Meet with leadership team regularly to analyze data and monitor progress against timelines Recognize the possible causes of decreasing success: * – Forecasting problems: time/resource shortages – Unexpected obstacles: roadblocks you couldn’t see before – Loss of momentum: the team gets tired – Critics surface: the project becomes more controversial Explore the pros & cons of continuing, discontinuing or altering a strategy Develop an action plan to continue implementation or to phase out a partially-implemented strategy Resources: *Reinventing Education, Mastering the Middles, Diagnostic, 44

Identifying and Planning with Stakeholders Which groups will gain or lose from this initiative or aspects of this work? Which groups could prohibit or thwart the work from happening? How? What incentives could be used to engage opponents? What are the priorities for each group and how can they be incorporated into the action plan? Identify your school’s stakeholders and develop messages or action plans to educate the stakeholders and have them assist the turnaround process. SUPPORTERS OPPONENTS 45

Goal setting & action planning 46

Activity – Indicator D3: Engage parents and the community Describe how full implementation of this indicator would look Develop a series of tasks necessary to implement this objective Place those tasks in the order they should be implemented Activity – Indicator D3: Engage parents and the community Describe how full implementation of this indicator would look Develop a series of tasks necessary to implement this objective Place those tasks in the order they should be implemented 47 Steps to Assess & Develop Tasks 1.Assess each indicator No development/implementation Partial development/implementation Full implementation 2. “Full implementation” – include evidence on achieved outcome 3. Partial or No Development/Implementation Think about what “full implementation” would look like (this becomes an outcome) Develop tasks required to reach the desired outcome (assign team member to manage task) Monitor, assess, make mid-course changes

Working Lunch 48 Continue assessing Strands A and D and developing tasks and action plans for each indicator. Continue assessing Strands A and D and developing tasks and action plans for each indicator.

Strand F: Establishing & Orienting the School Transformation Team 1.Appoint a school transformation team How is this team different from the division team? What roles are needed? How can time be used more efficiently to allow for additional meetings? 2.Provide team members with information on what the school can do to promote rapid improvement How do you plan to communicate with your school leadership team? How do you plan to communicate with your entire staff? What information will you communicate? 49

Quick Wins What actions demonstrate the change in culture? 50

Quick Wins Purpose Evidence that significant change is occurring Timeline Within the first two months Outcome Observable Benefits Signify change in culture Bring positives to potential opponents Examples Paint walls/murals, clean facilities, complete easy structural improvements (water fountains, bathrooms, flickering lights) Have all teachers/administrators greet students at the beginning of the day Rearrange faculty lounge, provide coffee/breakfast for the first week (ask for local donations) Frequency September and January of each year Anytime there is a lull in confidence or implementation fidelity 51

Quick Wins 52 Develop a list of quick wins that you will implement in the next two months? (Delegate responsibilities & list resources needed)

Resources (1 of 2) School Improvement & School Turnaround Brinson, D., & Rhim, L. M. (2009). Breaking the habit of low performance: Successful school restructuring stories, Case studies, examples of implementation, analysis and other publications are available in Mass Insight Education & Research Institute’s School Turnaround Resource Center, Hassel, B., Hassel, E. A., & Rhim, L. M. (2007). Introduction: Overview of restructuring. In H. Walberg (Ed.), Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement (pp. 1-14). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. (Also available at Improving Low-Performing Schools: Lessons from Five Years of Studying School Restructuring under No Child Left Behind. Center on Education Policy, 2009, Lane, B. (2009). Exploring the pathway to rapid district improvement. Redding, S. The mega system. Deciding. Learning. Connecting. A handbook for continuous improvement within a community of the school. Lincoln, IL: Academic Development Institute, School Turnarounds: Actions and Results. Center on Innovation and Improvement & Public Impact, School turnarounds: A review of the cross-sector evidence on dramatic organizational improvement, Public Impact, State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. American Institutes for Research & U.S. Department of Education, 2007, The Turnaround Challenge: Why America’s best opportunity to dramatically improve student achievement lies in our worst performing schools. Mass Insight Education & Research Institute, Wong, K. (2007). District-wide framework for improvement. In H. Walberg (Ed.), Handbook on restructuring and substantial school improvement (pp ). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. (Also available at

Resources (2 of 2) Community Engagement Starting fresh in low-performing schools: Engaging parents and the community. National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). (2006). Steiner, L. and D. Brinson, Fixing Failing Schools: Building Family and Community Demand for Dramatic Change, Public Impact, May Expanded Time National Center for Time & Learning, Guidance Handbook on Effective Implementation of School Improvement Grants, Center for Innovation & Improvement, School Restructuring Guide. Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement & Public Impact, 2008, Toolkit for Implementing the School Improvement Grant: Transformation Model. Center for Innovation & Improvement, United States Department of Education Final Requirements for School Improvement Grants, January 15, Leadership & Professional Development Kowal, J. and J.Ableiding. Leading Indicators of School Turnaround: How to know when dramatic change is on track. Public Impact and UVA’s Partnership for Leaders in Education, Principal Effectiveness. New Leaders for New Schools, 2008, School Turnaround Competencies. Public Impact, Chicago Public Education Fund & DC Public Schools, 2008, Spiro, Jody. Leading Change Handbook: Concepts and Tools, Wallace Foundation, UVA Darden-Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education, 54