EXPECTATIONS FOR MICHIGAN’S FOCUS SCHOOLS 11/12/20151 FOCUS SCHOOL WEBINAR Office of Education Improvement and Innovation School Support Unit August 27, 2014

MDE’s Theory of Action IF a school’s challenges are accurately diagnosed through data analysis and data conversations at the district and building levels, THEN the implementation of a focused and customized set of interventions will result in changes in adult behavior that result in school and student success. 11/12/20152

Expectations for ALL Districts with Focus Schools The District is expected to: Identify a central office point person to support the Focus School(s) Target efforts toward supporting needs of lowest achievers in the school (likely through strengthening or recalibrating the multi-tiered system of support) 11/12/20153

Expectations for Districts with Focus Schools (cont.) Identify System Issues that are barriers to schools’ rapid transformation Consider using the ERS Resource Check This self-assessment to shows how your district resource decisions compare to best practices 11/12/20154

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Expectations for ALL Districts with Focus Schools cont.) Expectations for ALL Districts with Focus Schools (cont.) If you learn that there are gaps between your district support and the ERS best practices, there is a District Toolkit available online 11/12/20156

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Expectations for ALL Districts with Focus Schools cont.) Expectations for ALL Districts with Focus Schools (cont.) Monitor and Evaluate Focus School’s Improvement Plan Revise District Improvement Plan Report quarterly to School Board on plans and progress of the Focus School 11/12/20158

Quarterly Board Report There is a template for this report that includes things such as: o Information about the Data Dialogues at the district and building levels o Strategies and interventions being implemented to close the achievement gap of the students in the bottom 30% o Evidence of student learning at the classroom level that reflects the gap closure o Information about the Superintendent's Dropout Challenge o MI Excel supports (if Title I) 11/12/20159

Quarterly Board Report Template can be found at: This template must be uploaded quarterly in MEGS+ for the 2014/15 school year 11/12/201510

Expectations for ALL Focus Schools Engage in data conversations that: identify root causes of achievement gaps between the highest 30% and the bottom 30% of students 11/12/201511

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Expectations for ALL Focus Schools Once the root causes of the achievement gaps are identified from the data dialogues : Agree on one or two Teaching and Learning Priorities for interventions most likely to close the gap and record them in the Focus School Diagnostic in ASSIST by November 28 11/12/201513

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Expectations for ALL Focus Schools Participate in the Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge 11/12/201515

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Additional Requirements and Supports for Title I Focus Schools 11/12/201518

Requirements for Districts with Title I Schools Send a parent notification letter home within ten days of the release of the state achievement data on the Scorecard site or by August 26, 2014, whichever date is later Notification templates available at: at the link Memo to Title I Focus Schools 11/12/201519

Supports for Title I Focus Districts The MI Excel Statewide System of Support (SSoS) provides districts with a Title I Focus School a trained District Improvement Facilitator to provide guidance and technical assistance to central office in its efforts to better provide support to its Focus Schools 11/12/201520

Requirements and Supports for Districts with Title I Focus Schools District Improvement Facilitators engage in professional dialogue with district administrators in order to : Prepare for data conversations with schools using the school- specific data wall in MI SchoolData Analyze central office systems in partnership with your district leadership team using the ERS ResourceCheck leading to differentiated district support for Focus schools Document the ERS ResourceCheck in the District Resource Allocation Diagnostic in ASSIST Bring resources and research to support the revision of the District and School Improvement Plans 11/12/201521

Requirements and Supports for Title I Schools District Improvement Facilitators support district administrators in order to : Hold deep diagnostic data conversations in order to identify root causes of achievement gaps between the highest 30% and the bottom 30% of students Document the one or two Teaching and Learning Priorities for interventions most likely to close the gap and record them in the Focus School Diagnostic in ASSIST by November 28 11/12/201522

Requirements and Supports for Title I Schools District Improvement Facilitators support district administrators in order to: Direct the revision of the Focus School’s Improvement Plan Monitor and Evaluate the Focus School’s Improvement Plan Provide support to the implementation of the Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge 11/12/201523

Title I Focus Schools District and School Set-Aside Requirements 11/12/201524

Title I District Set-Asides District set-asides do not begin until Year 3 of Focus School identification Set-aside amount calculated as the sum of 10% of each non-Improving Focus Schools’ previous year Title I budget Set-aside rises to a max of 15% in Year 4 11/12/201525

Title I District Set-Asides continued Set-aside funds may not be used to support the transportation of students District set-asides not required IF the Focus School is not identified as Focus in subsequent years 11/12/201526

Use of Title I District Set-Aside Funds District Title I Set-Aside Uses for support of Title I Focus Schools Option 1: Provide or deepen implementation of a multi-tiered system of support in Focus School(s) Option 2: Professional Learning aligned with needs of Focus School(s) 11/12/201527

Title I Building Set-Aside for Focus Schools No set-aside required during Year 1 of Focus School identification 10% set-aside required during Years 2, 3 and 4 of identification 11/12/201528

Title I Building Set-Asides for Focus Schools Uses of Building 10% Title I Set-Aside beginning in Year 2: Option 1: Professional development on implementation of multi-tiered system of supports and/or scaffolded instruction of students in lowest performing student groups Option 2: Provide weekly/daily time for teacher collaboration Option 3: Contract for the administration of Surveys of Enacted Curriculum 11/12/201529

Title I Building Set-Asides for Focus Schools Uses of Building 10% Title I Set-Aside (cont): Option 4: Contract with the local ISD/ESA or MDE for a School Improvement Review, Option 5: Professional learning about implementing the Essential Elements for teachers with MI-ACCESS students in the bottom 30% Option 6: Culture/climate interventions, use of time analysis or culturally-responsive teaching interventions as needed 11/12/201530

Title I Single Building Districts Title I Single Building Districts are expected to set aside: The required Title I district set-aside in Years 3 and 4 of identification AND The required Title I building set-aside in Years 2, 3 and 4 of identification 11/12/201531

Non-Title I Schools There is no obligation for non-Title I districts or schools to set-aside any money for any of the options Districts and buildings could consider using their Title IIA monies to address the needs of Focus Schools 11/12/201532

Four Year Cohort for All Focus Schools All Focus Schools are placed in a four year cohort that begins with their identification year If a school is not identified in any of the subsequent years of that four year cohort, then the Focus School requirements and supports are conditionally suspended 11/12/201533

Four Year Cohort for Focus Schools If a Focus School is re-identified during that four year cohort, the supports and requirements kick in at the appropriate cohort year For example, if a Focus Schools is identified in 2014: o This Focus School belongs to the 2014 cohort o If it is not identified in 2015; its “requirements and supports” are conditionally suspended o If the school is re-identified in 2016, all of the requirements and supports are again required o If the school is Title I, then the Title I set-asides for both the district and school are required at the Year 3 level 11/12/201534

Next Steps What can you do? What can you expect? 11/12/201535

What are the next steps for all Focus Schools? Ensure that staff knows the achievement levels of all students, especially those in the lowest 30% Consider ways to check implementation of, and strengthen/retarget the school’s current multi- tiered system of support Participate in Data Dialogues early in the year to assess what changes are needed to the School Improvement Plans 11/12/201536

What are the next steps for all Focus Schools? Record the one or two Teaching and Learning Priorities for interventions most likely to close the gap and record them in the Focus School Diagnostic in ASSIST by November 28 Ensure that your School Improvement Plan includes strategies to address your achievement gap and that implementation planning is robust Sign up for the Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge 11/12/201537

What are the next steps for districts with Focus Schools? Develop a plan to address internal and community communications regarding the Focus school designation Conduct Data Dialogues in each Focus School early in the year to assess what changes are needed to the School Improvement Plans Schedule the quarterly reports to the Board of Education on the progress of identified Focus Schools 11/12/201538

What are the next steps for districts with Title I Focus Schools? Send a notification letter to parents within ten days of the public release of 2014/15 student achievement data in the Scorecard or by August 26, whichever date is later Meet the District Improvement Facilitator in early September to plan how to engage in deep, data-rich dialogue with schools regarding achievement gaps. Identify the district administrator who will partner with the District Improvement Facilitator to support the Focus school. 11/12/201539

What are the next steps for districts with Title I Focus Schools? Work with your District Improvement Facilitator to: Collaboratively complete the District Resource Allocation Self-Assessment (ERS ResourceCheck) with central office staff and follow up with data conversations about possible system opportunities Address the system-level opportunities identified in the Self-Assessment using the District Toolkit 11/12/201540

What are the next steps for districts with Title I Focus Schools? Work with your District Improvement Facilitator to: Upload compiled results of the District Resource Allocation Self-Assessment (ERS ResourceCheck) in ASSIST by February 28 Revise your District Improvement Plan to incorporate your learnings 11/12/201541

Focus Schools Website 11/12/201542

Reflection None of us is as smart as all of us Ken Blanchard 11/12/201543

OEII Contacts o Bill Witt Supervisor School Improvement Support o Karen Ruple Manager Statewide System of Support o Greg Olszta Consultant Statewide System of Support o Jonathan Doll Consultant Statewide System of Support /12/201544