ROCKFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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ROCKFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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What We Want to Accomplish Tonight

• Vision, mission, and guiding principles
• Review district and school achievement data
• Establish expectations for student achievement
• Departmental Goals
• Finance Update

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Operating Assumptions

• The Board and District leadership come to their
  positions with one pure motive - to serve the
  best interests of children
• United in service to children

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Rockford Public Schools Vision

• Rockford Public Schools will offer a world-class
  education that prepares all students to compete
  in a global society. We will provide a nurturing,
  child-centered and parent-friendly learning
  environment that makes Rockford schools the
  schools of first choice for families.

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Mission

• The mission of the Rockford Public Schools is to
  serve the community by ensuring all of its
  diverse students develop the capabilities to
  contribute to society, succeed in the global
  economy, and learn throughout their lives by
  creating dynamic integrated learning environments
  that respond to the needs and aspirations of the
  individual student in partnership with family and
  community.

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Our Five Goals

• Enhance learning opportunities for all
  children
• Ensure parents are partners in the education
  process
• Provide clean and safe schools
• Hold adults accountable
• Run an efficient business operation

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Guiding Principles

• All children can learn.
• RPS is a child-focused learning institution.
• It takes a community-wide effort to educate a
  child. Everybody has a stake in, and should be
  held accountable for, the education of our
  children.
• Educated citizens are necessary to sustain a
  democracy.
• Improved performance will earn the publics
  confidence.

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Guiding Principles

• Principals are instructional leaders in their
  schools and will be held responsible and
  accountable for student achievement.
• Teachers are our greatest assets.
• Diversity enriches and strengthens the community.
• We will embrace change as we challenge the status
  quo.
• Honesty and integrity are vital to trusting
  relationships.

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What Does the Data Reveal?
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A Context for the Data

• NCLB has targeted 2014 for 100 compliance
• NCLB targets are unrealistic and unattainable
• ISBE has back loaded state targets
• Target for Math and Reading is 70
• Schools making continuous progress are falling
  short of the 70 target
• Trend will continue unless USDOE makes
  adjustments to NCLB

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RPS Data 2006-2009District Reading

• Percentage of all students meeting or exceeding
  Illinois State Standards has been flat over a
  four year period
• Declining percentages in three of the eight
  subgroups Hispanic -3.9, Asian -4.0, and LEP
  -7.7
• Increases in three subgroups Black 2.8, White
  1.4 and Multiracial 6.7
• Economically Disadvantaged subgroup flat
• Students with disabilities showed a four year
  increase of 2.1
• Black-White achievement gap narrowed slightly
  (1.4) but is still significant at 26.8

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District Math2006-2009

• Percentage of all students meeting or exceeding
  Illinois state standards showed a slight increase
  of 2.5
• Percentage increase in four student subgroups
  Black 4.3, Hispanic 2.1, LEP 2.5, and
  Economically Disadvantaged 2.4
• Students with disabilities showed a 6.4
  increase over four years, although scores for
  2009 are flat
• Decreases occurred for three student subgroups
  White 0.4, Asian 8.4 and Multiracial 2.3
• Black-White achievement gap narrowed by 7.2 over
  4 years but is still significant at 26.3

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2006-2009 Grade Level Data

• Little variance over time in grade level scores
• 3 - 6 increases in reading and math in grades
  5, 6, and 7
• 3rd grade reading scores have remain flat at 56
• Decrease of 3 in 3rd grade math, 2 in 4th grade
  reading, and 1 in 8th grade reading
• Achievement gap remains a challenge
• LEP, Students with Disabilities, and Economically
  Disadvantaged subgroups consistently lag behind
  other subgroups

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High Schools 2006-2009

• With one exception in reading, there are overall
  declines at all four high schools in both reading
  and math
• Some subgroup gains occurred in reading at two
  high schools
• One subgroup at one high school showed growth in
  math over the four year period
• Majority of gains are not significant when viewed
  in the context of a four year time frame
• With minor exceptions, overall, subgroup
  performance levels continue to be significantly
  below expectations

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Middle Schools 2006-2009

• Slow upward trend in the majority of middle
  schools
• Percentages of students meeting and exceeding in
  reading range from 46.3 to 79.3 over the four
  year period
• Range in math is from 46.8 to 77.8
• Steady year-to-year growth in both math and
  reading is seen in only one middle school and in
  math at two others
• Year-to-year decline in both reading and math is
  seen at one school
• Black and Students with Disabilities subgroups
  are slowly improving in most cases, but a
  significant gap still exists

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Elementary Schools 2006-2009

• 16 schools made gains over the four year period
• Gains tend to be steady and incremental
• 15 schools showed decreases
• Some decreases are dramatic ranging from 10 to
  nearly 23
• Three schools show little movement over four
  years
• Issues related to achievement gaps and subgroups
  with low percentages meeting and exceeding are
  evident beginning in 3rd grade

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What does the data tell us?

• We have some pockets of success
• There are only a few schools with consistent
  growth
• Middle and High schools are challenged
• We have not provided targeted instructional
  services for all children
• District must be reorganized in support of schools

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What does the data tell us?

• We need to fix our instructional program
• Align curriculum to state standards
• Align interventions
• Build a coherent reading program
• Focus our resources strategically

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The Plan to Move Forward

• Realign the organization in support of schools,
  classrooms and children
• Focus on strengthening the instructional core
• Build internal capacity to support instruction in
  schools
• Refocus support services to schools
• Build an aligned professional development program
• Build strong parent and community partnerships
• Hold Adults Accountable

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Accountability
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Goals and Objectives

• To design and implement a comprehensive plan for
  educational research aligned with our
  instructional goals
• Develop a department that will conduct,
  understand, and use evidence-based research
  findings to improve educational practices.
• Create a data driven center to provide District
  staff with research studies to help improve
  student achievement
• To conduct program evaluation of all federal and
  state funded

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Goals and Objectives

• To design and implement a comprehensive plan for
  adult accountability in support of student
  achievement.
• Establish a transition timeline for performance
  evaluations
• Establish a schedule for periodic walkthroughs at
  all buildings, reinforcing adult accountability
• Create clear guidelines and procedures for
  supervisors to implement
• Develop a educational scorecard with metrics for
  each division/department

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Goals and Objectives

• Create and establish a comprehensive plan to
  ensure charter schools are compliant
• Develop a close working relationship with each
  charter school
• Monitor each charter school to insure compliance
• Develop a system to track students entering and
  exiting Charter Schools and the District
• Develop a policy for the review and approval of
  charter schools consistent with state law

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Goals and Objectives

• Build partnerships between the District and the
  Community
• Establish a coalition of organizations in support
  of RPS schools
• Forge and develop partnerships with non profit
  organizations and the secular community
• Forge and develop partnerships with businesses
  and corporations
• Replicate the Haskell Parent Academy to other RPS
  schools
• Create a district wide conference for parents
• Develop programs and partnerships that bring
  parents into the schools

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Teaching and Learning
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Where We Are

• Standards not implemented with fidelity
  district-wide
• No aggressive plan to address the achievement gap
• No uniform assessment format
• Assessments not aligned to core curriculum
• Achievement data not used in a coordinated
  fashion
• No vision or clear plan for instruction

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Where We Are

• Great potential for high achievement!
• District-wide understanding that the curriculum
  should be aligned to state standards
• Resources exist for teachers to implement
  curriculum
• Various groups are looking at some data and
  discussing results
• New teachers and administrators receive some
  level of mentoring and professional development

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What do We Do?
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Next Steps
Improve Instruction!

• Implement a curriculum aligned with rigorous
  standards accompanied by instructional goals!
• Align Professional Development with curriculum
  and instructional goals.
• Build capacity of teachers and supporting cast to
  implement that curriculum

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Next Steps

• Design a department that supports schools,
  focuses on instruction, is driven by student
  achievement, and holds Teachers/Principals
  accountable.
• New Principal Performance Evaluation School
  Walk Through
• New Coaching Model
• High School Initiative

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Next Steps
Improve Instruction!

• Major intervention in our targeted schools
• Implement a uniform assessment formatthe data
  must inform instruction!
• Make in-flight corrections that are data
  driven!
• Keep the achievement gap at the forefront of
  conversation!

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IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT!
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Support Services
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Department Focus
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Goals and Objectives

• Increase instructional time for students
• Decrease the rate of suspensions and expulsions
• Reduce the truancy rate
• Decrease the number of student arrests
• Increase the number of schools implementing
  Positive Behavior Supports
• Increase alternative education opportunities for
  students

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Goals and Objectives

• Decrease the achievement gap for students with
  disabilities
• Ensure alignment of the special education
  curriculum with state standards
• Increase opportunities for students with
  disabilities to access general education
  classrooms
• Improve the quality of instruction by providing
  relevant professional development
• Monitor the fidelity of co-teaching strategies
  through periodic walkthroughs.

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Goals and Objectives

• Implement and monitor a system wide Response to
  Intervention Plan
• Establish a district wide RtI leadership team
• Establish building level RtI teams
• Develop decision-making rules for determining
  when students need interventions
• Work with school based RtI teams to establish
  data collection, analysis, evaluation, and
  reporting processes
• Collect and analyze school data for district
  level reporting

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Operational Support Functions
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Operations
School Enrollment
Security
Food Services
Transportation
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Mission

• Provide exceptional support for the school
  community and ensure a quality environment for
  teaching and learning

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Goal One

• Provide a better line of communication from our
  end users to our department.

Objective 1 Improve the customer relationship
management skills of department professionals to
improve communications with building
staff. Objective 2 Launch a customer
satisfaction survey to establish a baseline of
current status. Objective 3 Establish a formal
Principals advisory council that meets regularly
to provide customer service feedback and input on
Operations priorities. Objective 4 Improve
communications messages to district stakeholders
by further expansion of the districts call-out
messaging technology.
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Goal Two

• Provide quality technology and services for the
  students, staff and the community

Objective 1 Reorganize the currently disparate
Information Technology and Information Services
departments into a single named
department. Objective 2 Implement new software
systems based on needs. Objective 3 Develop a
viable 5-Year district-wide technology services
plan that aligns with District goals. Objective
4 Refine the current IT help desk structure by
using data to improve customer problem resolution
efficiency and customer satisfaction
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Goal Three

• To provide an orderly, clean and safe work places
  and learning environments to foster academic
  growth and student achievement.

Objective 1 Create a Security Services
Department under a single experienced leader,
with clearly defined and published services to
ensure a safe and secure learning environment for
students and staff. Objective 2 Establish a
Compliance Office to provide oversight for
outsourced operations services. Objective 3
Address the inability to physically lock-down
classrooms.
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Goal Three

• Objective 4 Complete the installation of
  surveillance cameras for the remaining bus fleet
• Objective 5 Re-align maintenance to augment the
  role of Maintenance Planner. Position will
  receive maintenance requests, prioritize such
  requests, assign personnel tickets to address the
  requests, and coordinate the activities of
  different crafts related to a work request.

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Communications
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Why is communication important to achieving our
goals?

• Information is POWER
• Perception is REALITY

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Jumping-off Point

• Communications effort is substantially
  understaffed for District of our size
• Prevalence of news media is high for community of
  our size
• Desire to improve image is deep and wide
• New administration brings fresh perspective to
  communication and provides opening to reshape
  image

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Five Goals for Communications

• Brand the Rockford Public Schools
• Tell our story
• Build a department (newsroom)
• Launch and retool communication tools
• Measure success

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Goal 1 Branding our schoolsKnowing who we are
and saying who we are

• Adopt new logo to reflect District mission,
  vision
• Dress for Success (from cyberspace to office
  space
• End culture of closed communication
• Establish culture of user-friendliness
• Develop strategies for engaging parents,
  community
• Emphasize customer service

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Goal 2 Tell our storyGoal 3 Build a department
(newsroom)

• Develop formal plan for internal, external and
  media communications tied to District goals
• Assemble staff to assist in news production
  across all media platforms
• Give top communications official seat at the
  table
• Increase volume, improve quality of
  communications
• Focus more often on big-picture issues, major
  initiatives
• Keep employees informed, create good-will
  ambassadors

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Goal 4 Retool communications tools

• Redesign quarterly newsletter consider annual
  report and other direct-mail products
• Introduce regular internal newsletter
• Create original programming for Channel 20
• Dress web site for success with new look and
  navigation
• Open electronic messaging system to non-emergency
  uses

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Goal 5 Measure success

• Conduct regular polling of public opinion, parent
  and employee attitudes

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Finance
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Budget by Definition
The instructional plan of the district expressed
in dollars and cents. Through the plan all
stakeholders should be able to clearly see the
districts priorities related to educating
children.
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FY 2010 Budget Rockford School District
What we currently look like
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Instruction
Debt Services
Uses of Funds
Support Services
Payments to Other Units
Community Services
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FY 2010 Budget Rockford Public Schools
What we currently look like
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FY 2010 Budget Update
July 22, State of Illinois adopted a budget

• HIGHLIGHTS
• 160 per child increase in the foundation
  formula. The RPS budget did not anticipate any
  increase in state aid. This will yield RPS
  approximately 4 million in unanticipated
  revenues.
• Almost all Categorical State Grants were not
  fully funded.
• Initial RPS Impact- 4.5 million budget
  shortfall.
• On July 31, 2009, the Governor restored many of
  the state grants.
• Current RPS Impact- 1.5 million budget
  shortfall.
• State officials have projected a 1 billion
  revenue shortfall thus education could see
  another budget reduction

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FY 2010 Budget Update

• HIGHLIGHTS
• On August 6, 2009, the Mayor announced that
  revenue projections for property and sales taxes
  were overstated, and more importantly, he
  predicted that FY 2011 will be even tougher on
  revenues.
• Thus goes tax collections for Rockford, shall go
  tax collections for RPS.
• Rockford has the highest unemployment and
  foreclosure rate in the state of Illinois.
• THE TIME TO CONTROL SPENDING IS NOW!

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Proposed Mitigation

• Cabinet Members will Zero-Base the adopted
  central office budget to find savings. This
  exercise forces critical thinking as to what will
  be prioritized, thus we take true ownership of
  the adopted budget and will be positioned to
  speak to specified outcomes at year end.
• Due back to Finance by August 31, 2009, and an
  amended budget will be presented to the Board in
  the month of September.
• Resources to be realigned to better support
  instructional programs

WE WILL SUPPORT AND CONTINUE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL
PROGRAMS
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Expectations Have Changed

• Student achievement is the call of the day, every
  day
• We will provide a nurturing, child-centered and
  parent-friendly learning environment
• Adults will be held accountable principals,
  assistant-principals, directors, counselors,
  secretaries, nurses, special education
  supervisors, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus
  drivers, teachers, parents and the superintendent

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• How will this
• be Accomplished?
• We will be
• Relentless!

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• Consider these words
• We must all be grateful for the gift of this
  child to raise, this life to share, this mind to
  help mold, this body to nurture, and this spirit
  to enrich. Let (us) never betray this childs
  trust, dampen this childs hope, or discourage
  this childs dreams
• - Marion Wright Edelman

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Victory in the Classroom starts with a
winning Attitude