Statewide Systems of Support: Tools and Resources

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Statewide Systems of Support Tools and Resources
Lauren Morando Rhim Public Impact For Center on
Innovation and Improvement
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Session Overview

• Introduce Statewide Systems of Support
• Key Element 1 Center on Innovation and
  Improvement Tools and Resources
• Key Element 2 School Restructuring Under No
  Child Left Behind-What Works When? A Guide for
  Educational Leaders

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Statewide Systems of Support

• NCLB dictates that SEAs are required to provide
  technical assistance to schools identified as in
  need of improvement
• Reserve and allocate Title 1, Part A funds (4 in
  2007) for school improvement activities
• Create and sustain a statewide system of support
  that provides technical assistance to schools
• (Source LEA and School Improvement
  Non-Regulatory Guidance, Revised 7/21/06)

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Statewide Systems of Support

• Establishing Statewide System of Support
• Create school support teams Teams work in
  schools throughout the state and SEA must provide
  adequate support for teams to be effective
• Designate and engage distinguished teachers and
  principals Select successful professionals from
  existing Title I schools that have a track record
  of success
• Develop additional TA approaches Draw on
  external resources (e.g., colleges/universities,
  education service agencies, private providers of
  proven TA, and USDOE funded comprehensive centers
  and regional education laboratories) to assist
  districts

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Statewide Systems of Support

• Research in 16 states found
• Systems of Support vary notably depending on
  state capacity, district need, and state models
  for support
• Examples of systems
• Multi-level approaches that provide strategic
  support based on district need
• Regional networks of support
• Individualized support for districts
• School-level focused systems
• Due in part to practical reality that few schools
  or districts have reached corrective action
  stage, most states have developed systems that
  focus on school improvement rather than
  corrective action
• Source AIR for the California Comprehensive
  Center, July 2006

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Statewide Systems of Support

• Most Common Types of Support and Technical
  Assistance
• Needs assessment and planning
• Data analysis
• Capacity building
• Resource allocation
• Progress monitoring
• Some states frontload assistance in an effort
  to pre-empt need for improvement by providing TA
  to all districts
• Source AIR for the California Comprehensive
  Center
• Critical goal is to implement systems that move
  beyond existing SEA/LEA improvement efforts and
  serve as a catalyst for change
• Efforts should foster improved instruction, use
  of data, test practice, and supplemental tutoring
  
• Source Center for Educational Policy, 2006

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Statewide Systems of Support

• Statute requires SEAs to prioritize support and
  first priority is school support teams
• Definition A school support team is a group of
  skillful and experienced individuals that
  provides struggling schools with practical,
  applicable, and helpful assistance in order to
  increase the opportunity for all students to meet
  the States academic content and student academic
  achievement standards.
• Teams should be knowledgeable about a variety of
  reform initiatives
• Examples of support team members are highly
  qualified principals and teachers, pupil services
  personnel, parents, college/university personnel,
  education lab personnel, outside consultants, and
  others selected by SEAs or LEAs with documented
  expertise and credibility

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School Support Teams

• Responsibilities
• Review and analyze school operations and use data
  to develop plan for school improvement
• Collaborate with school and district staff and
  parents to design, implement, and monitor school
  improvement plan
• Monitor plan and request additional assistance
  from SEA and LEA as needed
• Provide feedback (twice a year) to LEA and SEA
  and identify outstanding teachers and principals
• Timeframe
• One year working with school and then review
  progress and develop plan for next-steps.

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Tools and Material Resources

• Key Question
• What tools and material resources are available
  for school support teams charged with working
  with local districts?
• Center on Innovation and Improvement
• School Restructuring Handbook (2007)
• Database of state policies and practices
• School Restructuring Under No Child Left Behind,
  What Works When? A Guide for Educational Leaders
  (2006)

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Key Element 1 Center for Innovation and
Improvement

• Center on Innovation and Improvement
  http//www.centerii.org
• Helps regional comprehensive centers support
  states to assist districts, schools, and families
  build capacity to develop innovative public
  schools and improve public schools through state
  technical assistance retreats
• Provides resources related to supplemental
  educational services (SES), state systems of
  support, restructuring, and district improvement
• Maintains state policies, programs, and progress
  database

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CII Tools and Material Resources

• Restructuring Handbook
• Summarizes current research and outlining
  recommendations for restructuring
• Provides checklists to assist SEAs and LEAs
  implement restructuring
• Database of school improvement efforts
• Users can designate one state, a group of states,
  or all states and generate a printable or
  downloadable report on the policies, programs,
  and progress regarding School Improvement,
  Restructuring, and Supplemental Educational
  Services for each state selected. Reports include
  links to state websites and contact
  information//www.centerii.org/centerIIPublic/

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Handbook on School Restructuring and Substantial
School Improvement (2007)

• The purpose of the Handbook is to provide
  principles for restructuring and substantially
  improving schools.
• Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education,
  the Center on Innovation Improvement (CII)
  engaged leading experts on restructuring to
  prepare chapters for this handbook for Regional
  Comprehensive Centers staff to assist states,
  districts, and schools in establishing policies,
  procedures, and support to guide districts in
  their restructuring of schools.

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Module 1 District-Wide Framework for Improvement

• Discusses the importance of district-wide
  improvement to supporting the effective
  implementation of school level best practices
• Module complements the lessons culled from
  cross-industry literature regarding the central
  importance of governance changes by a whole
  district to implement, replicate, and sustain the
  right restructuring environment.

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Module 2 The School Board and Central Office in
District Improvement

• Focuses on the role of the local school board and
  the central office in school restructuring
• The principles are based on cross-industry
  research on how system-level governance and the
  broader environment can influence the success of
  restructuring
• Module outlines a set of district practices
  recommended to help failing schools turn the
  corner

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Module 3 Restructuring Options and Change
Processes

• Examines the various restructuring options
  articulated in NCLB, charts the change process,
  and recommends key resources for practitioners
• The module uses cross-industry literature which
  says that developing an intentional and strategic
  approach as well as governance, planning, and
  committing to continuous improvement are critical
  to success

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Module 4 Restructuring Through Learning-Focused
Leadership

• Focuses on research related to school leadership
  issues
• Module identifies key attributes of leaders who
  concentrate on instruction in order to ensure
  that all aspects of schooling support student
  learning

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Module 5 Changing and Monitoring Instruction

• Uses cross-industry research to describe
  instruction and assessment principles that serve
  as the core of school restructuring plans
• Module is guided by three core principles
• means must be aligned with end goals
• resources must be allocated to monitor and focus
  practice toward the goal of proficiency for all
  students
• parents are critical partners to success and
  schools should support and improve the
  curriculum of the home.

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Module 6 Systems for Improved Teaching and
Learning

• Describes the process of continuous improvement
  in the restructuring school
• For entire schools to be successful, they must
  embrace the notion of regular and continual
  monitoring of progress by teams that are
  empowered to act
• Module emphasizes the importance of engaging
  teachers

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Module 7 Indicators of Successful Restructuring

• Integrates the information from the other modules
  and outlines Principles and Checklists of
  Success Indicators
• Provides 12 detailed checklists related to issues
  such as establishing district conditions for
  school improvement, using data to develop an
  improvement model, articulating roles and
  responsibilities of personnel, engaging teachers,
  and monitoring performance

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Status (check one) Status (check one) Success Indicators (Assessing strengths, considering restructuring options) Primary Responsibility
Yes No
The district forms district-level and school-level restructuring teams.
The restructuring options chosen reflect the particular strengths and weaknesses of the restructuring school.
The restructuring plan reflects the resources available to ensure its success.
The restructuring plan includes both changes in governance and a detailed plan for school improvement.
The restructuring plan includes research-based, field-proven programs, practices, and models.
The restructuring plan includes a clear vision of what the school will look like when restructured.
An empowered change agent (typically the principal) is appointed to head the restructuring school.
The change agent (typically the principal) is skilled in motivating staff and the community, communicating clear expectations, and focusing on improved student learning.
The restructuring plan focus on quick wins, early successes in improvement.
The district is prepared for setbacks, naysayers, and obstacles on the path to substantial improvement in the restructuring school.
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CII Database Reports

• Generate reports regarding school and district
  improvement
• 1. State Progress
• Table of data on schools and districts in
  improvement and schools in restructuring for
  years in which data are available
• Bar graph representing the data in the table
• State assessment data since 2001-2002 in reading
  and mathematics
• 2. State Policies on School and District
  Improvement
• School and District Planning Models or Rubrics
• State Reporting of Test Performance to Districts,
  Schools, Public
• State System of Support for Low-Performing
  Districts and Schools
• 3. Links to State Websites and Documents on
  System of Support for Low-Performing Districts
  Schools
• 4. Westat School Improvement Profiles
• Reports provide a synthesized summary of a key
  issues relevant to school and district
  improvement

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(No Transcript)
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Element 1 Discussion Questions

• Have you used any resources developed by CII?
• If yes, were the resources helpful?
• Can you think of ways you could use these tools
  and resources to strengthen your states
  statewide system of support?

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Key Element 2 School Restructuring Guide for
Educational Leaders

• Based on four in-depth reviews of literature
  regarding school restructuring, Public Impact
  created a Guide to help Educational Leaders
  chose the best restructuring options for schools
  identified as in need of improvement.
• Purpose of guide is to assist Education Leaders
  progress from understanding how successful
  schools operate to having the decision-making
  tools to implement required changes that
  facilitate success

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Public Impact Project for CCSRI
What We Know papers on four of the
restructuring options
Reopening as a Charter School

Turnarounds with New Leaders and Staff

Contracting with External Providers

State Takeovers
All available at http//www.centerforcsri.org/
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Our Methodology

• Research about actual experience with the options
  in schools
• Research about analogous change approaches across
  organization types
• Interviews with educators and researchers
• More weight to actual empirical studies of change
  efforts vs. theory/conjecture
• Focus on true chronic low-performers

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Restructuring Guide for Educational Leaders

• Culmination and extension of data collected for
  the four papers on restructuring
• Detailed checklists for process organizers
• Tools to help assemble district restructuring
  team
• Tools to help work with stakeholders
• Analytic checklists to determine district
  capacity to undertake options
• http//www.centerforcsri.org/files/RestructuringGu
  ide.pdf

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Restructuring Roadmap
? Step 1 Take Charge of Change Big Change Step 2 Choose the Right Changes Step 3 Implement the Plan Step 4 Evaluate, Improve, and Act on Failures
What It Includes Organizing your district team Assessing your districts capacity Deciding whether to invite the state to take over the restructuring process and failing schools Planning to manage stakeholders Fine tuning your district team Planning the analysis and decision process Conducting school-by-school analyses Making final restructuring decisions across a district After approval by your school board Setting goals for implementation Removing implementation roadblocks Using resources for implementation Implementing your restructuring plan's) Evaluating success improved enough? Improving schools ready for incremental change Acting on failures Back to Step 1 for schools not improved enough to be ready for incremental change
Who is Involved District Team School Support Team District Team School Teams School Support Team Other Stakeholders District Team School Teams School Leaders School Support Team Charters or Contractors Stakeholders District Team School Team School Support Team
When (ideally) 15-18 months before restructured school begins 12-15 months before restructured school begins 9-12 months before restructured school begins Nine months after restructured school begins
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Additional Examples of Tools

• What Works When Restructuring Decision Tree
• Restructuring Team Checklist
• Assessing Your Districts Capacity To Lead
  Change--A Guided SWOT Analysis
• Restructuring Stakeholder Planner
• Meeting Action Planner
• Whole School Or Focuses Restructuring?
• Restructuring Checklist Turnarounds With New
  Leaders And Staff
• Does Your State Have A Good Charter Law?

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Element 2 Discussion Questions

• Have you used any of the What Works When
  resources or tools?
• If yes, were the resources helpful?
• Can you think of ways you could use these tools
  and resources to strengthen your states
  statewide system of support?
• Recommendations for additional types of tools or
  resources to support development of statewide
  systems of support?

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Additional questions

• Lauren Morando Rhim
• Senior Consulant
• Public Impact
• Lauren_Rhim_at_publicimpact.com
• [phone]